How big of a fish can an 8lb fishing line hold?

Question

How big of a fish can an 8lb fishing line hold?

Answer 1

it depends on your rod.. if it is a fairly flexible rod and u are running the fish right then i would say around 10lbs

Answer 2

If you are talking about 8 lb. test line and the fish is swimming in the water then you are talking a fair amount of weight "if" the drag is set properly. I've caught 10 lb. fish on 8 lb. test line, but I used a net to haul the fish out of the water. Another example: I caught and landed an 80 lb. shark on 30 lb. braided line, again, I used a rope to support the fish while bringing it out of the water. Not the fishing line itself. Go catch a big something and let us know. Tight lines!!!

Answer 3

It isnt always the line, but how you fight and handle a rod designed for it.  A good reel with a great drag can make all the difference in the world.  Have the courage to let a fish run as far as he wants and keep applying pressure but not to the point of breaking the line.  I personally have taken 30 lb salmon on 8 lb test.  It took some time but it was worth the effort.

Answer 4

8lb test can hold a 20lb fish but if its a big fish you have to play with him first to get him tired so he dont pull when you reel him in.

Answer 5

There are many differant factors that will weigh in to determine how big of a fish 8 lb test will catch.  A general rule of thumb is 8 lb test for an 8 lb fish.  You can catch a bigger fish if the conditions are right.  The water has to be clear, the line should be in good condition, the fish has to be played properly and not horsed, etc.

Answer 6

Pro fishermen have contests with this.  They try to land a 80 pound fish on an 8 lb line.   They do it all the time.  I think one guy got a marlin that was nearly 200 pounds.

But generally speaking, you want to fish for 8 pound walleye or bass with that line.  That's what it was made to support.

Answer 7

I saw a picture of a 195 pound tarpon on 4 pound line so id imagine you can catch some big ones.

Answer 8

In the water, fish have neutral buoyancy -- that is, they have the same density as the water. When you're pulling on a fish, you're not pulling against the weight of the fish, but against how strongly it swims. If the fish was dead, if you were gentle about it, you could pull a 100 pounder to the boat with little trouble on 8 pound line.

That being said, different kinds of fish can pull harder than others, and most can pull harder than their out-of-water weight. To land bigger fish on light line, you let the fish pull line out of the reel's drag, tiring it out, then work it back in. This can take quite a while -- if you've heard about big game fishermen fighting giant tuna or marlin for hours, this is what they're doing.

Anyway, for a rule of thumb, the line strength is a good estimate of the size of fish you should be able to land without too much trouble, double or triple that is about the maximum you can expect to do in normal circumstances.

I fish mainly saltwater, so I seldom use line less than 15 pound test, but I've managed a 15 pound salmon on 8 pound test.

Answer 9

Flounder has my vote -  I fish for trout alot and I've caught some nice ones on 2lb leaders....it's all about the drag and how you get them out of the water...and what cover there is that you could get caught up in -

Caught this largemouth before using braided line - he started heading out (we were in a cove with a drain pipe connecting two lakes) he decided he was heading for open water or the stump that was about 25-30ft away - I started horsing him back towards me and he kept running with the drag - finally he realized I'd keep pulling him backward - he went to plan B which was to go into the drain pipe because it was held in place by cement with gravel - perfect for tearing up monofiliment line - he went under and I started tugging him back - after two or three runs back under he gave up... I had my prize 8.5 pounds caught out of Ashley Reservior - Holyoke Mass.   in MA an eight pound plus fish is a monster because they don't grow as fast as they do down south...

Thank God for my braided line ....I took pictures of the fish and turned it loose again - I'm sure someone else has had the pleasure of catching her again.

Sorry for the yarn... sometimes memories are the best things to hold on to over the years - them and my Garcia Mitchell reels (love eBay)

Answer 10

If set up correctly, 8lb mono line could hold pretty sizable fish. The biggest fish I've caught with 8lb line is a 40" halibut off Newport Harbor, CA. The estimate weight is between 28-30lb (maybe more). I didn't weight the fish because I don't want to lift it out of the water.

It will be a very different story if you lift a fish out of the water. A 2-3lb fish could snap a 8lb test line if it flopped around in the air hard enough. It will be different if you use braid lines too; braid line will not stretch.

By the way, I was using a "Wal-Mart special" when I landed  that halibut.

Rod: 7' 2pc Shakespeare Micro Graphite, light action - $14.95

Reel: Shimano IX2000 spinning reel - $9.95

Line: Berkley Trilene XL clear.

Answer 11

A 381 pound fish has been caught on 8 lb test check the site below:

http://www.bigmarinefish.com/photos_whit...

Answer 12

as long as u have ur drag set rite you can catch fish over 20lbs. with ease. i have done so myself. as long as ur drag is set rite and u dont run out of line, you can catch fish as big as u want with 8 lb. test. male sure u have no frays in the line. if the fish has big teeth it will be harder to catch them on lighter line like that

Answer 13

My biggest Steelhead be a buck (male) that weighed 22lbs plus ~ was caught with 8 # Maxima Ultra Green, usin' an 8' Fenwick with a Garcia Ambassador 5500C "Level-wind" reel (Baitcasting type). Not the biggest fish in the world but, Steelhead have a tendency of puttin' some years on ones life with their defiance bout' NOT wantin' to be caught ;) ;)!! Not long after, I nailed another Steelie and this time it was a Hen (female) on the same rig. Lady Steelhead will route ya' a new one, what with the battle they put on ta' save the skiens of eggs/Roe inside em'. Sooo, if ya' have the right settin's on your reel and some expierence backin' ya' there's just no tellin' how big a' fish one can hang with 8# ;)... < ' ( (( > <

Answer 14

Depends on WHERE your fishing and how good your drag is on your reel.

If your in open water with an expensive reel (with a great drag), and you have plenty of "fighting room" and "time" you could catch a rather large fish.

Use your imagination!

Answer 15

i use 8 lb line and i have caught 2 - 3 foot pike, 5 pound bass, walleye etc...  if you are going for pike and walleye, use a steel leader so they don't bite through the line.  if you do get 8 lb, you will be fine.  make sure you check your reel for line capacity.

Answer 16

2-3 times it's rating. But bigger fish can be caught.

Answer 17

wow !!!

Answer 18

i have heard of an 20-30lbs fish and it not breaking