What is meant when you say thats a 17 lb line?

Question

does this mean thats for a fish weighing 17 lb regardless of its fighting strength or if you want to catch a 17 lb fish you have to use bigger line to compensate for its fighting strength i.e use 27 lb line

Answer 1

The rating of fishing line such as 17 lb or 10 lb refers to tensile strength. So, a line rated at 17 lb should hold up a static load of 17 lb without breaking. That does not refer to the fighting ability or weight of the fish. Many world fishing records are determined by the line used. If you are able to land a huge fish on very light weight line, you could qualify for a light tackle record.

Answer 2

No, this is where how you try to LAND the fish takes on new meaning. The drag on your reel is of vital importance here. This refers to how well you can still pull your line off of your reel when it is set. This is where the EXPERIENCE of any fisherman will will make or brake a successful landing. For example, I once landed an 18 lb native Steelhead on an Oregon Coastal River on a 10 lb leader attached to 12lb mainline using my drag efficiently. Hope that helps. Happy FISHING!!!

WILDTopiary

Answer 3

17 lb is the force it can take before it snaps. and no i have had a 28 lbr on an 8lb line u just have to set your clutch according to the breaking strain.

Answer 4

17lb is what the manufacture"claims" as its breaking strength, today they normally break above that, some below, so Long as  the drag is set you can land the fish on 17lb, no need for higher breaking strain.

Answer 5

Most fishing line is sold as "test" strength. What that means is that 17 lb "test" line is guaranteed not to break with 17 pounds of stress on it -- that is, you should be able to lift a 17 lb weight off the ground using it. In practice, most "test" line can actually hold considerably more weight -- I've heard of people catching fish which would be records in the 30 lb class on 20 lb line, but the line has tested at over 30 pounds and the fish didn't qualify.

The other type of line is "class" fishing line, which is guaranteed to break at less than the "class" it's in. The IGFA keeps track of the biggest fish caught with various strengths of fishing line (6kg, 10kg, 15kg, 25kg,  which roughly correspond to 12, 20, 30, 50 pounds.) So if you buy 20 lb "class" line, it will break at less than 10 kg of stress, or about 22 lbs. These lines are more expensive, and really only used for major tournament fishing.

It's not uncommon to catch fish which weigh more than the strength of the line -- I've done it many times. In the water, fish have neutral buoyancy, which means that if it was dead, you could easily pull a 100 lb fish in with 17 lb line. What you're pulling against when you wind in a fish is the fish's pulling ability. To land stronger (bigger) fish, you set the drag on the reel so that when a fish pulls hard, line will come out of the reel before it breaks. You let the fish tire itself pulling line out of the reel, then work it in as it rests. If you've heard stories of big game fishermen fighting big marlin or tuna or sharks for hours, this is what they're doing.

Answer 6

Normal strenght breaking strain is what this refers to.  On most coarse fishing waters a breaking stain of 17lb would be capable of pulling in just about all coarse fish apart from big cat fish then you would change to a braid line instead of a mono line.  Small fish would require a much smaller line of maybe 1-2lb.  Any good fishing shop will give you advise on this.

Answer 7

I've had large batrays break right through my brand new 30 lb test, like a freight train.  I'd have my drag set tight, but they'd keep pulling it out, not giving me enough time to reel it in, that I'd have to tighten it up more to keep them from taking out all of my line.  Either way those stubborn b******s didn't want to come in.

Answer 8

the understanding of what you as an angler can and can not do with your equipment is fishings (light on) brains. learning to fight a fish (play it) wear it down break it and then net or boat it is the play and the pound test you choose to use is the line you are comfortable with. I love fighting big fish on lite line 54 pound white sea bass on 18 pouind test, a 34 pound halibut on 12 pound test, a 12 pound largemouth on 4 pound test, a 19 pound silver salmon on 6 pound test and 22 pound halibut on 6 pound test but playing the fish is a dance where allowing the line and reel and the bent rod to perform together as one in your hands and getting it right takes alot of practice and patience you loose alot of fish using light lines but the fight is longer and so much more rewarding.  (also) lighter lines get picked up more often....