Best Muskie Line and Why ?

[sbro73]

Please put in your 2 Cents !!!

[Random guy]

I have really grown to like my Berkely Stealth (used to be Whiplash). I use 65lb line and I can honestly say it cast nice, handles well and doesn't seem to fray out like some of the braids. The one trouble with it is when its new it turns everything green from the reel to the grips and even your thumb.

I cannot remember ever having a line failure with it.

[cliffy]

I use Tuf-line Plus...seems to work just fine...but I have been slowly switching over to Power-pro (Mostly 80lbs) the past couple of season. Why? I guess it just works for me. It seems to hold its shape (roundness) better and does not hold much water...this is a good thing in late season..less water, less cold hands.

To be honest, I think there are a ton of good lines on the market. The challenge is to get the right size/weight of line to match your equipment (rod/reel) and lure size. Once that is figured out, its pretty much all the same...just my two cents.

Cliffy

[Gustafson]

I used to use the spendy spider wire stuff but after a few years of shelling out all that money for the line I have been using 50# berkely gorilla braid and I really like it.

[Giant_Jackpot]

Another vote for Spiderwire Stealth. It holds less water than Tuff Line so in the fall you don’t get wet as fast. That’s about 2 cents worth if you ask me.

[mtreno]

always been tuff line for me. always works and never breaks - it does hold alot of water but hey if it ant broke why look for a change. plus freezing cold hands in the fall is part of being a musky nut.... i also use the tuff line for my main backing on my tipups and rattle reels.

thats about 3.5 cents worth - you may get a whole dollar out of this thread....

[minnesotamusky]

Hey Jon,

Was wondering about Whiplash line. I was told several years ago that this line was the best, but really hard to find. I happened to find some on the internet (while supplies last). Is it really that good?

[Random guy]

Whiplash is now spider wire stealth. It changed boxes a few years ago.

[Cooter]

Vote for Stealth or Stren braid, 80 or 100lb.

[Muskydanno]

Power pro for this guy. Like how it stays round and doesnt fray. Used regular tuff line for a while and liked it also but retains alot of water and frays thats why i switched to Power pro. I really dont think there are any bad no stretch lines out there. A buddy of mine prefers Cortland and one is a spider wire stealth user and they both like them.Mostly just personal preference. The only thing i dont like about my power pro is that the color comes off the line fairly quick but a permanent marker brings it back if you want to go to that length to bring it back to dark green from light.

[barnyard]

I use powerpro and tuf line. Like them both. I would imagine that if I fished everyday, I might be able to tell the difference.

Tom B

[superhawk16]

80lb stealth for me. Never had a problem with it, I had a musky break a leader last year rather than the stealth. (ok this was probably just a leader malfunction but I like to think the stealth is just that tuff. )

[Random guy]

I landed a 219 Stratos with 80lb Stealth. I shouldn't even tell this story because I'm sure I will get a good ribbing for it but here it goes;

One early morning I was putting my boat in the lake like I have done a thousand times, trouble is this time I forgot to hook the rope up before I slid it of the trailer.

Good thing it was calm and the boat only went out twenty to thirty yards before it stopped. I sat on shore thinking a slight breeze may come up and blow the boat in, or I was going swimming. As I sat on the tailgate taking off my shoes and catching a fair amount of flack from my fishing buddy I looked at one of my jerk bait rods in the back of the truck and thought, why not. I casted it onto the deck of the boat, snagged the carpet and worked it back to shore with my Stealth line...I have been a fan ever since.

[Capt. Quicksteel]

OK, one more question. I keep reading these types of things trying to decide what line to go to, but my Tufline seems to last forever. If it doesn't look frayed, how long will it last? I'm an old guy who is used to putting new line on every spring but this stuff is hanging on amazingly well! It must be 3 years old now.

[Cooter]

One good way to extend line life is to take it all off your reel and swap ends, put in on in reverse so the end you had been using to tie to your leader is now at the bottom of your spool and vice versa. Make sure to use some backing.

[RK]

Jon - been there man. 1.5 ton boat fights pretty good in an offshore breeze...

Captain - modern superlines pretty much last forever as long as they don't get frayed. Back in the greenspot dacron days I respooled 3 or 4 times a summer because dacron will actually decay fairly quickly, especially when exposed to sunlight a lot. Not so with suplerines. As long as it's not frayed at all you can use it as long as you want. It does wear down eventually just through use, but it takes a while. BUT - retie when you see fraying. it looses strength fairly rapidly when it does begin to wear.

Cheers,

RK

[Random guy]

Good point Cooter, I do this by tying it off to a tree or pickup and walking out the line, then switch to the other end and respool it back on. By tying it off to something and walking along as you rewind you can really wind the line back on tight. This will help with preventing backlashes from digging in. Also if your spool has lost some line from previos breakoffs or tangled messes that had to be cut out add some backer before you respool to make up for the lost line.

[superhawk16]

changing topic alittle here, but what do you guys use for a backer under your superlines. I guess I have just alwaysed used my old dacron off of my tip ups. Is there actually line made to be used as backing?

[delmuts]

i just used some heavy mono(20#) that i have a spool of ,for backing to my PP.

[Random guy]

I back with with a heavy mono and I put a little peice of electric tape on the spool before I wind the line just to make sure it does not slip.

[cliffy]

I do the same, heavy mono on top of a little bit of black tape. I have never had a problem.

I also swap out my line every two or more years....switch ends...re-use it...and throw it away when it starts to get too ratty...if you have any doubts...throw it out...lost a couple nice lures by trying to save a dollar on line. I once sent a Manta on a low orbit around the moon because I was too cheap to buy new line....still miss that lure.......

[Biggestfish]

I used to be a Tuf-line guy and I liked the way it performed, but 2 years ago I switched to PowerPro and like it better since it doesn't hold so much water.

[CommonSense Guy]

I use Power Pro. But they all work the same I'm sure.