Plasti-Dip Pike

[20lbSloughShark]

This may sound very strange, but I have had this idea for a long, long time. I think I am finally ready to try it as my open water season has been dampened by college. I am already thinking of chasing flags in my new town! So my plan is simple, small can of plasti-dip, 30 pound superbraid (preferably the least waxy, I'm going to try omniflex), and a lot of room. The idea is to create better coated tip up line. I have tried lots on lots, and nearly all are absolute junk. My favorites are tuf-lines nylon coated, and mason coated tip up line. The problem with both is they are not sold anywhere I ever look, except online with $10 shipping. Basically my first attempt will be to wedge something in the can itself under the surface, run the line under it, and pull the line until its unspooled almost all the way. Then I'll tie it to something, get the other end, and tie that end up. So a 150 yards spool will give something like 145 yards of coated tip up line, assuming the coating doesn't slip on top of the line, like it does so many others. What do you guys think? The goals are 1 to get more than the normal 25 yard spools, that pike spool in 17 seconds, and 2 to create a smaller diameter coated line.

[Gordie]

Interesting SloughShark, but I'm thinking you will have a tough time making it a smaller diameter than what is out their currently.

good Luck

[paceman]

It sounds like a messy project. I think you would have a tough time getting the plastic-dip to adhere to the line and to dry evenly and it would probably cost more than the 10 bucks to ship the stuff you want. But hey give it a shot! let us know how it turns out. Good luck!

[20lbSloughShark]

The problem is, the kinds I mentioned are still not very good. If you strip off the rubber of a coated tip up line, you basically have lots of little strings in a line, its not even braided, some might be twisted. I see room for huge improvement, and price has little to do with it. Line diameter is definitely a big quality in a tip up line, it has to be thick to handle in the cold, and get good hook sets, yet small enough to get a reasonable amount on. 30#-50# Dacron braid seems to be about the perfect diameter for me. Of course it depends, I prefer a smaller line for circle hooks, as I let them run with it a lot longer (more line) any hooks sets are relatively gentle. Quick strikes however need an extremely hard hook set to get 6+ hook points in the fish, and you can set the hook as soon as the flag is up (thicker line is easier to grab = stronger hook set, and you don't need as much line). In general, coated lines are too thick, and break easy. If they would simply use a braided type line, it would double the quality. Another problem with the non-braid coated lines, is they stretch weird. I am a fan of stretchy tip up lines, in fact I prefer mono, over coated lines. My favorite set up right now is 35# Dacron, to 3' of 30# bright green Berkeley big game mono (for a shock-absorbent), then a #4 swivel, and then either light steel or 50# fluorocarbon circle hook or quick strike rig. Coated tip up lines stretch like fluorocarbon rather than mono. It stretches like putty, until it breaks, where mono is like a rubber band, which is much better when pike fishing, because it absorbs the heavy head shakes, that a fishing rod normally does. I have been thinking, maybe coated lines are not the way to go; how about a "rubber-soaked" braided line? Maybe use Dacron rather than super-braid, and simply soak it in the can for say an hour, careful to keep one end hanging out. The take the end, have one person kind on squeeze the line for tension, and to keep the rubber from creating a coating, then finish again by tying the ends, and letting it dry. I actually really like this idea, its basically permanent wax coated line. Wax coated Dacron tip up lines seem to work great once, until the wax washes out.

[monstermoose78]

Have you checked into heavy fly line backing for like tarpon? I got some at Thorne Brothers and I really liked it.

[20lbSloughShark]

I did try fly backing, but I really didn't like it. It had memory like mono, and came off in loops. I used 20# and it broke at around 12#-18# so not only was it weaker than it said, it was not a consistant strength, it had weak points. Honestly Cabelas prestige dacron might be the best tip up line there is. It is slightly stretchy, breaks at more than its rated, and is silky smooth. Now that I think of it, I don't know why I want to mess with it. If you know what your doing, "line-freeze" doesn't exist. Still, out of all fishing tech, tip-ups and line are by far the furthest behind. I can't understand why people wont think twice about dropping $100 on a rod, but won't touch a tip up over $10.

[ZachD]

concrete mason line

[20lbSloughShark]

I've actually heard that a few times, but I have never found one that would make decent tip up line. Everything I've seen is thick, twisted string. It may be strong, but its too thick, being twisted it unravels, and it soaks up water.

I gave up on this idea, because I realized I only wanted coated line because people always talk about line freeze. I have yet to have my line freeze to my spool.

[Mike_Bennewitz]

SloughShark, I grew up on Sugar Lake near Annandale and lived there until going to college last year in the fall. I went tip up fishing all the time out there with my dad's old Polar setups. He still has the same black line on them as when I started fishing as a 3 year old. Never changed it once. He put it on our rattle wheels in the wheel house, and I use it on an Abu 5500 C3 so I can watch an airplane jig/small sucker combo with the underwater camera. I have never had a problem setting the hook or with it falling apart. If I remember right I see it everywhere, Scheels and even Little Jims and H&H usually has it at one point or another each winter. The only thing he told me was to store the tip ups INSIDE after using them and let the line dry out. Otherwise it sticks together slightly and is enough that over time it rips the outer layer apart a bit. I will ask him the name of it as soon as I can, otherwise I could show you sometime if your ever fishing Sugar this winter since I will be home for the holidays.

[20lbSloughShark]

Hey mike, we've met before in high school. I actually found a line I liked the other day. It was sufix coated tip up line. If I can find some 500' replacement spools, I might give it a try. Little jims is actually where I saw it first. I'm disappointed in brainerd bait shops, they are garbage if you ask me. The best I found is twice the size of little jims, and has less stuff in it.