How good a line do i need?

Question

to catch carp up to weights of 8 and a half pounds how good does my line need to be

Answer 1

10 to 12 # test should be fine.............. Just make sure after a good fight with fish you check about 12 " of line above the hook for any stretching or abrasions. Retie as necessary.............

Answer 2

the fish that i usually catch are in that size range but i use 20 lb line because ive lost lures using 10 lb to catch even a five pounder.

also depends on how good a fisher you are i know a guy who caught a 30 lb jackfish (northern pike) with 20 lb test line. dont ask me how he did it but he did.

Answer 3

I would say 8-12lb line would suit your needs. For more sensitivity, but in order to have enough strength in case a heavier fish grabs on, I would go with 10lb line if I were you. Especially since in previous posts you said you would also be targeting bream, you aren't going to want 12lb fishing for the smaller fish, because you wouldn't be able to feel their bites, but if you start having trouble with bigger fish grabbing on and snapping your line, then 12lb would be sufficient. Once you develop a little more skill, and are still targeting these smaller fish, then you should downgrade your line to 8lb and learn to use your drag properly to land something bigger than 8lbs if it happens to latch on.

I've found the easiest way to get some good sensitivity but the strength you need for good fish, is to use braided line. It's diameter is very thin, so it casts further, and it doesn't stretch like mono. Of course, you would have to have a mono backing on your reel (so the braided line doesn't slip on the reel), then have the braid, then usually a flourocarbon leader (so the fish can't see the line). All that can get expensive, so since you are just beginning, use a good mono line Trilene or Cajun Red and learn all of the techniques and decide after that if you want to upgrade to a braided setup. Mono may be all you would ever need. Stick with the Clear, Red, or Green colors for line, anything else will be too easy for the fish to see.

I hope this helps. Tight lines!!!

Answer 4

it depends on how experienced you are. for a lot of my freshwater fishing, i use an ultra light setup consisting of 2-4 lb. line. for your situation i'm thinking a 6-10 lb. line. once you get more experienced and "playing" your fish, you can use lighter line. i use p-line fluoroclear or seaguar invizX (100% fluorocarbon).

tight lines.

Answer 5

20lb. I use it from catching pan fish to geting catfish.

Answer 6

You can use ANY pound-test line if you know how to set your drag right ***

Go with 12 - 20lb test.  The lighter the line, the better the fishing -- but the trickier to reel in.  It's up to you.

Answer 7

Only an idiot who doesn't know how to use his drag needs 20 pound line to catch a 8 pound fish.You don't need to just reel reel reel like crazy to get a fish in.All fishing rods have a drag setting for a reason.I prefer 8lb line for all the fishing I do.This includes everything from panfish to bass to carp to musky.The key is to have your drag set right so when the fish decides to turn and run while you're reeling him in more line will go out with him.When he tires out or turns around you start reeling him in some more.He won't be able to fight forever.

I actually prefer a good long fight.Half the fun of fishing is reeling in the big one.