Opinions, please- Best steelhead line?

[nijimasu]

Hi-

I have a new rod and reel (10 ft medium action with spinning reel) and I'm wondering about best line to put on it for Idaho steelheading. I both drift fish and bobber/jig fish and I can't decide between a mono or braided mainline. I'd be interested in your opinions about line brands, colors, lb test, as well as the same about leaders- in consideration of Idaho waters and steelhead if that makes a difference.

Thanks

Dale

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[ddahl3]

I Have switched over to Maxima for my main line for the past 3 or 4 years. 15 or 12 pound. I use 15 when i am in the narrows fishing the salmon river as there are lots of jagged rocks and stuff. I use 12 every place else. With 10 pound test on my front end. I fish with guys that use much lighter and seem to do just fine. The only hit on braid i have is if it is really cold the braid holds lots more water and i am ALWAYS having to knock the ice out of my rod eyes. like every 6 casts or more. I fish mono as much as i can so i cannot answer your braid question. hope it helps.
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[ddahl3]

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[chrome_junky]

I only use maxima or p-line.
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[ineedtofish]

All I do is drift fish, and I have fished Maxima 12 or 15 lb. for my main line for years, then I switched to Berkley Big Game 12 lb. the last two years and noticed no difference. That line is tough, and way cheaper. I still use Maxima for leaders though--there is no better line for abrasion resistance and toughness.
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[jigs]

I'm with chrome maxima or pline. remember about 5 or 6 years back when pink line was the big thing.
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[jb_SRB]

I drift fish only so this only applies to drifting. In recent years I have gone away from mono due to getting too much strech resulting in too many spongy hooksets when running long drifts. I use hollow core braid main line (hollow ace made by power pro) but run a VERY long leader of Suffix Tritanium Plus, usually 12lb or 15lb depending on river flow. My hook up to landed fish ratio went from about 30% to ~50% on steelhead. Really improved my chinook landing ratio, now 70-80% compared to 30% before the switch.

It is a co-polymer so it has the abrasion resistance, higher sensitivity, and no-strech qualities of fluorocarbon but is priced about like mono. It also sinks like fluorocarbon. I also run this line on all of my bass rods where abrasion is a concern, like dragging $15+ crankbaits through rock fields (really hurts my feelings when I break one of those off) and have had great success with it.

The hollow core braid just lets me change out ~30 yds of leader at a time without having to respool every year and/or throughout the year as you start to get low on line due to break offs. Its higher cost up front ($40 for a couple hundred yards or so) but can save money in the long run depending on how often you change out line.

[Mojo1]

I am a big fan of Suffix Elite monofilament for steelhead adn salmon drift fishing and pulling plugs. For Divers and bait I use braid with 4 foot mono leaders.
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[SteelFan]

I am a huge fan of Suffix Siege. I use 10 lb for my main line and 8lb leaders. I have never broke off landing a fish. I used Stren for years and when I switched it was amazing. This line really holds up well.
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[nijimasu]

Thanks everybody, this is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for. Hopefully I'll make up my mind and load my reel soon- sounds like it's about time to fish.

Hey - if anyone is in Boise for the sportsmans show this weekend- my band is playing at Cabelas from 10-2 Saturday and Sunday if we don't get rained out, and we'll be back there again in a couple weeks. Stop by and say hi. I'm the tall guitar player.
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[StacyR]

The coastal guys all seem to love Nanofil, especially for bobber fishing. I don't usually fish for steelhead because of the long drive from Boise, but I also prefer Nanofil because it casts so far. It's very slick and shoots through the guides like greased lightning. It floats so it's easy to mend when bobber fishing and it will stay above the snaggiest areas on the river bottom.

I also notice it doesn't carry as much water back, which is a real bonus in freezing weather. Out of the three rods I carry, two have Nanofil and one has Sufix Performance braid (because I haven't worn it out yet) and I had a lot of problems with the Sufix icing up the guides and freezing to the spool when fishing for perch this winter.

The one drawback to Nanofil is you can't tie it directly to a lure. It has no stretch, and the sudden shock of a strike can break the line at a much lower strength than it's rated for. I always use a fluorocarbon leader and never have a problem.

You can see a review here:

http://www.steelheadstalkers.com/review_...g-line.htm
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[Huntsman]

Jim, I'm a drift fisherman, and my focus is entirely on sensitivity....

With that being said, as an Alaskan guide, host, and having spent thousands of hours on the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers, I've played with every line on the market, and dozens of promo lines. My favorite by far are braided lines, Spiderline Stealth being my personal choice. For steelhead drift-fishing, I use it in the 15 lb, which is the equivalent to 4 lb mono, and it is great. No stretch, meaning, when you feel the "pick-up", you're on him NOW!!

I'm not saying there are downsides, because as with any "high-performance" equipment, you have to be cautious, and keep an eye on your equipment. If you try it, and watch the wear so as not to have breaks, you will become spoiled as to its supoior performance.....
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