Favorite flathead fishing line?

What is your favorite fishing line used for flatheads? Also explain why with experiences.

I use Trilene Big Game in 40lb test. I like having a little stretch in line. It’s more forgiving on the rod and reel and its easier to keep the line tight when fighting fish.

The style rod you use is a big factor in determining what line to use, at least in my opinion. I think the Heavy action rods I use feel better with a line that gives a little when the rods don’t. A softer,lighter rod might work better with a no stretch line like a super braid, especially in hook sets.

You have to replace mono once or twice a season because it wears out faster than superlines. Another downfall of mono is having to retie often when the line gets scraped up, but I think that is a good habit anyways, even if you go with a super braid which isn’t as abrasion resistant. Super braids usually give no warning before they break. Mono usually gives you a clue first.

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Super braids usually give no warning before they break. Mono usually gives you a clue first.

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I’m not sure what clue, short of breaking, you need. The clue that superlines give before they break is that you’re pulling hard enough to move a freight train – 3 times harder than you’d ever have to pull when fighting a fish. I’ll take that clue over a “tink-tink-tink” when the fish is running and you don’t have the power to stop it.

I’m a PowerPro guy, and I don’t like stretch. My reels have great drags and my rods have some bend (but they’re nowhere near noodly). I like a solid hookset, I think it’s key to catching fish, and braids give me that, even when I have a mile of line out. Try setting a hook into a flathead that’s 35 feet down and as far out as you can cast with mono – I don’t even like to think about it.

I like how well I can feel the bottom with braids too, even with 4 ounces of weight and a large bluegill on, I can tell what type of bottom I’m fishing.

What FlatheadWI said.

I tried mono earlier this year…and changed back to PowerPro.

1. When snagged it became dangerous when pulling a 4 oz sinker out…The 30lbs Big Game became a big sling shot with a no roll at the wrong end! Wonder if Ratherbfishn has those photo’s of his friends experiance. Might be too bloody for posting here.

2. The biggest problem new people have in flatten is the hook set. Whether there is a fish on or not, after a hookset the bullhead shouldn’t be on the hook after setting the hook and reeling in…I have a hard enough time showing walleye guys how hard a hook should be set with out adding the extra handicap of streatch into the picture.

There are a number of good braided superlines. For ease of use, avalability, reliability…and pure strenth…I’m a PowerPro guy…can you tell??

PS Everyone has their own reason for the line they use…and whatever line you choose is the right line for you. If you have two rods…I would suggest trying both out for yourself…then make up your own mind.

I also am a power pro guy I have been using it for Northern an muskie fishing for 5 years now. The first time I used it I was like holy crap this stuff is awesome! and I have not looked back since!

Is there anything else one would use for Flats? Why bother nothing compares.

A side note, One time a friend and I wanted to see how strong this stuff really was so we tied some power pro 65 lb to the bumper of a car put it in neutral and pulled the car down the street!

Good stuff!

Why did you put it in nuteral???

Well we were going up hill

My vote is with Power Pro. I go with 50lb. Myself.
Flathead WI and Brian K. laid it out very well. If there is one aspect that I do like is the sensitivity and what you can feel with the PP, the bottom texture, bites, you can tell some times when your hung up before reeling in and sometimes what your hung up on. I do use a Mono Leader, for that tiny tiny bit of stretch. (also it makes it a lot easier to untangle from Superbraids if you manage to get your rig all snarled.

thanks
Larry

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Super braids usually give no warning before they break. Mono usually gives you a clue first.

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I’m not sure what clue, short of breaking, you need. The clue that superlines give before they break is that you’re pulling hard enough to move a freight train

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I didnt word it right I guess.

What I meant is that it’s easy to tell when mono has been worn, cuing you to retie. You can see the nicks and scrapes pretty easily. I’ve never reeled in power pro and been able to see a fray or detect a nick in it. I don’t think that means power pro doesn’t fray or nick either. Its just much harder to detect line damage. Yes, I’ve had power pro and other super braids break while fighting fish. They were strong fish but not freight trains. In open water on a dead pull, yes, super lines are much stronger than mono. But when fishing areas with sharp rocks and other debris, mono is more abrasion resistant and shock absorbant. Thats why I use it. Don’t get me wrong though. I had a fish break me off this year on mono too. It WILL happen with both lines.

P.S. Audemp, Why did you bother asking if you already have your heart set on Power Pro.

audemp and larry.. get rid of that 50# and 65# if you want any abrasion resistence at all. 80# stands up to everything pretty good except sharp rocks, and doesnt bury into wood quite as easy.

Im a power pro guy.. but I’ll take 20# big game mono any day over 50# power pro.

Sharp cover, MONO is the key… but its hard to use plastic line after using power pro for a long time.

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P.S. Audemp, Why did you bother asking if you already have your heart set on Power Pro.

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Hey Tim. I have to agree. Kind of confused with that one myself. BTW… I hear you are the man to talk to about some shad. I’m looking for some big ones for cutbait, can you help me out?

As far as I’m concerned, 50lb PP is junk as well as 65lb PP for flatheads. Go 80lb plus and you are good to go. Just a little personal experience. 2 broke off fish on brand new line in the same night leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Mono leaders for flatties while using hefty PP mainline doesn’t make much sense either. Why put a wink link in the system. Some guys don’t even use leaders and tie direct. That will eliminate 2 knots, err… areas of weakness.

Some guys don’t mind the lighter leader line so when they get snagged, they can pull to beat hell and get that super expensive sinker back. Once again, that doesn’t make much sense to me when you are willing to save a 50cent chunk a lead to lose the fish of a lifetime.

When you are fishing for the biggest fishy that swims in the rivers we fish, why compromise?

I like the mono leader for the abrasion resistance, and to act as a small shock absorber. One of the reasons I stopped using spider wire a couple years ago.

I do agree that the the superbraids can part coming into contact with abrasion, the mono can compensate for that to a certain extent, however If you take the time to inspect and retie your line any moment its suspect, mono or superbraid your doing yourself a favor.

I would probably agree if I snapped my line twice on big fish. To go with a heavier line. But you have to ask. Hanson, No offense intended, but what made the difference the third time, After the first 2 breaks? Was it bad line, operator error, Mr. Murphy raining on you…….or your turn /opportunity to finally land the big one.

Not all fish are destined to be caught just because their hooked. Thats what keeps us coming back, to improve our skill.

P.S. I’m the type who fishes for lake trout in Canada with an ultralight and 6lb spiderwire. I’ve lost my share of big fish and also caught my share.

thanks

Larry

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I hear you are the man to talk to about some shad. I’m looking for some big ones for cutbait, can you help me out?

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Only if you tell me where you got that 48lber… J/K
Seriously though, I don’t have a whole lot left and I don’t know where to get shad this time of year. Winter is when I get em. Talk to me then.

Larry-

Almost everyone in the flathead fishing internet community knows about that night. Briank was there, FisherDave was there, FisherSherry, FisherTyler, and a few others. It was one of the best shorefishing spots in the metro to come along in awhile that produced big fish for weeks. I come down to fish for the night and got my line thumped almost immediately. I set the hook into the fish and fought it for a couple minutes with no giving in on its end. All of a sudden… snap! To this day, someone keeps reminding me that my drag was too tight! Thanks Dave! And I may agree with that now but I truly believed if I backed off on that fish, it would have been gone anyway.

Fast forward to an hour later, after spending a solid 10 minutes trying to retie because I couldn’t thread a line through the eye of my hook! Wham! Rod gets thumped again and this fish takes off on a solid run. I let the fish run a little ways and set into it. Line snapped on the hookset above my swivel. Now I’m super bumming and Brian is letting me have it! Remember, I just met the guy!

I don’t know whats going on. This is brand new 50lb PP. I just snapped off on one fish and am now retying a 2nd rig. The 2nd rig is all new line, no chance that it got nicked on the first fish, I stripped that much off. Then I get snapped off on the hookset above the swivel. Damn!

The 1st fish may have… well, probably been, operator error but if I can’t set the hook into a good fish (the 2nd fish), what good is the line. That hookset resulted in complete heartbreak that night.

Didn’t get a run the rest of the night and respooled with 80lb PP the next day to never have back to back breakoffs like that again. That 1 night is forever in the back of my mind and I may never forget it. Thats why I won’t respool with 50lb PP even if it will do the job, my trust has been lost.

Not sure if it matters but FD caught a 35lb flathead 3 days later from the same spot 5 minutes after we got there that had my complete rig in its mouth still. Talk about adding insult to injury. He gets the trophy and I got to net it for him. Because of borrowing a swivel from Dave, I know that it was the 2nd fish I snapped off on. Same hook, same leader length, same line type, and Dave’s swivel, with my palomar knots w/ tagged ends clipped about the length I clip them. No doubt! And 1 super unhappy Chris for the rest of the summer.

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I’m looking for some big ones for cutbait, can you help me out?

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Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but~

Chris, we’re catching mooneyes latley on the Zumbro. Would they be good if I froze some for ya? Plus the usual suckers and sheepies.

Heck ya Dan!!

Freeze them suckers… err.. Mooneye!

Got a date with the Cat’s Incredible in a month! Yee Haw!

Geez Hanson,
First I’ve heard the entire story, I may have heard bits and pieces in jest. I would speculate it was a bad batch of line. 35lb fish that FD lands with your rig in it. If it (your line) was failing quick with out being hung up in a snag.
Reminds me of a time out on the missouri river years ago after loosing 3 nice walleys, hmmmm scuseme, fish. After loosing the 3rd one I gave my line a light tug and Snap. Thought must be a little worn at the end, peeled of 10yrd and did the same thing. Brand new triline 8 or 10lb test. JUNK. It was a bad batch. (I will never buy trilene mono again)
I will agree with you. If you don’t have confidence in the gear your using, your wasting your time cause you will sure as shat shoot yourself in the foot, (self defeat)
Sounds like MR. MURPY was taking a real shine to you that night.
Glad to see you got a little redemption on your recent monster.
Confidence can carry us along way.
thanks
Larry

You guys are such wimps. I use 6lb mono. I love a challenge.

Larry-
I became a legend that night and was known as Mr. B.O. (Br. Breakoff) for quite some time. Thanks Manny!

It could have been a bad spool of 50lb PP. I’ll never know. I didn’t take any chances after that. I also had a brand new rod in the mail after that night. However I do not think it was the rod, it was just another piece of the puzzle that I changed. The rod I was using was a typ. Ugly Stick Catfish rod in MH. I know a number of guys that swear by these rods but I couldn’t risk it anymore and ordered something heavier. FD couldn’t believe how far that rod bent around without snapping.

I will say, after switching up to heavier line, I’ve been much happier with a monster fish to boot! I hate to say it though, but a an hour or so after that 48 landed in the boat, I had a siren run that I snapped on the hookset as well. This was a retied rig as well but I really didn’t care that night. So 80lb PP is capable as well of being snapped on a hard run.

Larry.. there was nothing bad about his line, it was just too light. It may have seemed like a minute to Chris, but I would be willing to bet he didnt have the 1st fish more than 30 seconds, and the 2nd fish he had on for around 10 seconds… or long enough for me to step back and turn my head because I thought it was going to break.

These fish didnt even hit the snags yet, it was just a dead pull and *SNAP*.. I dont know how his rod didnt break.

Toooo many times I have just pulled on the line lightly when snagged and had 50# power pro cut like butter, not much better with 65#. I have had my 80# cut too.. but I have always been able to put at least a moderate amount of load on the line before it snapped in a sharp snag… or enough to move a decent fish.

50# is for… b@ss fishing!

Power Pro all the way. I use 50lb on my channel/all around rod. I have halued sticks (not fish ) out that put it through its paces.

I do see where some are coming from when they say it breaks without warning. I generally have only come across this when wrapping it and trying to pull out of a snag.

I just like that it holds a Palomar knot like nothing else and is strong as can be. The downside – yellow Power Pro has been turning my cat rods yellow!!!

832 and hanson, The reason I made this thread is to see what others are using and why. I am partial to PP but that does not mean everyone should use it Mainly I just wanted to hear some good stories.

I dont use 65 lb any more I switched to 80 lb and can see a big difference that stuff is like cable compared to 65 lb.

Dfresh…that yellow powder will go away soon. Besides…a good run in the evening makes it look like your reels smoking!

I don’t recall who it was…that hauled in a 8 foot long…6 inch round…TREE in mild current with 80# PowerPro…just bent the hook…I think it was PierBridge?

Good post Audemp!

I found it very informative as to why everyone uses what they do.

Did I mention I’m considering moving up to 100# PP next year??

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Did I mention I’m considering moving up to 100# PP next year??

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I have been considering it this year.. until they closed the road to the worst place I fish.

I could see a serious downside of having 100# on a boat rod.. you get the stuff snagged you might have a new rear anchor in the boat.. your front anchor is going to have to be snagged to break that line! You get 2 lines snagged you may have to use the main engine to break them off.

Good point…I’ll let you know how it goes…

FD and Hanson,
you guys have made some very valid points on the line strength. I appreciate the feedback and insite
I’m gonna finish out the year with what I got now. If I do decide to step up I will go with the 80lb since your voices of experience got me thinking a little bit.

Of course we all know that I’ve relinquished my licence to If my line parts when hooked into a big fish.
And it gives you two (and only you two for now). Authorization to say “Told you so”.
I might just have to change because of that reason.
thanks
Larry

Throwing snags or obstructions into the equasion.. power pro is probably only good for 1/2 of its rated break strength. Even without the snags in the picture.. on a smaller scale, a 4 pound fsh has no problem breaking 8 pound test on a run.. and thats with the shock of mono. It will break easier without that bungee effect.

In all reality, a good quality 30# mono(Big Game, Big Cat) will probably be stronger in most fishing conditions than the power pro. The downside is the line diameter, line stretch, loss of sensitivity, line memory, less castable… all the quirks of heavy mono.

I used to be the mono guy.. now I prefer power pro because of the advantages.

I think like with everything else, once you get used to something…and know it’s strengths and weaknesses it can be used effectively. I’ve used mono from the get go, and it has given me no reason to change. I can tie a good improved clinch knot with my eyes closed, and like monitoring the integrity of my line, and the solar big game glows nice with my blacklight ( for those of us who don’t use clickers) I have never been able to break 40 lb. using good knots, maybe I don’t see enough big fish ( if there is such a scenario) But like I said everyone seems to be aware of their choice’s advantages/disadvatages and that’s half the battle.

My favorite flathead line: Hey baby, wanna see my bullhead? ba da boomp

Other than that, PP #65. Haven’t had issues with it yet.

Ive been waiting for that…

I just spooled up my brand new Abu Garcia 7000 with 80 lb PP to prepare for battle this weekend. Let the games begin!!!