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Preferred lines for salters...

3K views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  mattzoid 
#1 ·
I did most of my coho chasin' from a boat but want to do some beach hoppin' next time I get the chance. In fact there has been talk of a beach clave in 2003.

Anyway, I prefer to use a Rio deep sea or Cortland QD 325 grain line from the boat to cut through riplines and waves with herring, candlefish, squid, and other coho tidbits. The only exception is the use of a floating line for Leland's crazy poppers, man do those fish go nuts for surface action.

What do most guys use on the beaches when not using poppers, where the obvious choice is floating line? Does anyone use looped tips for instance? Shooting heads with clear intermediate heads maybe?

Curious...
 
#2 ·
I use a cortland clear camo line. I feel when fishing beaches you really do not need to get deep quick and when fishing under the suface a clear intermediate is all I feel is necessary. Not really messed around with shooting heads yet...

Now if you are fishing the rips at Seiku the a quick sinking line is a good choice.


-sean
 
#3 ·
The last time I used a sinking line off the beach was last July when I used an SA stillwater line with a chartreuse clouser (gawd forbid!) to catch blackmouth at a zipperlip beach. I found the fish a few years ago with Lencho while doing the popper thing. I rose them (read chummed 'em up) and switched to the slimeline to get them to hit and stick.

Otherwise, I use Juro's sinking line when we're in the same boat and he hands me his rod to hold while he's steering the boat.

Leland.
 
#4 ·
Clear intermediate lines are the prefered for most off the beach fishing. Pick any brand they all have their following. In some situations in really shallow water I like the cortland clear tip . With only 15' of clear intermediate it hangs that little bit higher in the water column. If fishing a deep beach with alot of currant I usually go with my sink tips , heavy as needed to get to the fish but they still allow me to mend as you would in a river situation.
I've been meaning to try the shooting head thing as I think it may be the most versatile option but alas I just never have the time . I think a clear head on a five or six weght would be just the ticket for cutts and small salmon early in the year and on a seven or eight in the fall.

BWO
 
#5 ·
My two cents follow other comments... Right now, I like SA's clear intermediate for most beach work. However, line choice depends upon the depth of the water.

My game plan now is to work out the kinks in a sink tip presentation or spend the time and bucks to work on a shooting head rig with everything from floating to leadcore heads. That kind of a setup would also work from a boat. I think some of the new gel-spun lines in heavy break strengths would make good running lines. I've got some Spiderwire in a couple of versions in 50 and 100-pound break strengths that might stand up to the rigors of cutthroat and coho fishing.

Barring a shooting head system, I would think three lines would be necessary: floating, clear intermediate, and a fast sink tip.

Keith
 
#7 ·
Last fall I fished primarily with an 8 wt that I would say should have been rated as an 8/9 or perhaps even a 9. I switched back and forth between a clear Cortland 9 wt intermediate and a 9 wt floater and a shooting head setup, one head cut from a 10 wt SA clear intermediate and another from a 10 wt Cortland 333 floater. Basically I was experimenting with shooting heads since I'd never used them before.
 
#9 ·
My Arsenal for the beach-

9wt RPLXi with SA windmaster floating or the Airflo intermediate cold saltwater.

Sage 5120 with Airflo Multi-head running line in the 20 lb. Trout with 26 ft Auqualux heads, 200 gr. and 300 gr. if it’s windy. If I were to add a head it would be the Airflo floating 28 ft head, but Tim Rajeff says they’re back ordered as the factory is very busy. So for a floating I use a mid spey middle section and tip off my 7/8 wt line. This is the Cutt system.

Loop 12 ft 8/9 with the Airflo multi-head running line in the 30 lb. with heads in the 300 and 400 gr. Area. I might use the 300 and 400 gr. 24 ft. Big Boys to dredge a little deeper if I’m off point no point. This is my Silver system.

If I ever get my boat up and running, I might try the 500 or 600 gr. heads to fish deeper with intermediate running line. I'd really like to know about fishing for blackmouth off the beach with Leland. Always thought they were deeper and farther out.

Matt
 
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