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Overlining w/ a 475 grain line?

1894 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  juro
I recently loaded up my rplxi 9# with an airflow 475g line. So far, despite the significant weight differential (prev. I'd used a 350g line) I found the rod to perform really well. Got to thinking though (...and this might be a dumb question), since the 475g is rated for a 11/12 wgt rod, do I risk damaging the rod? Would appreciate any thoughts or comments.

Thanks,
Tod
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I know a dope who was throwing a 325 grain on an 8 weight rod at the monomoy clave last year and splintered it at the ferrule since he didn't check to make sure the 2 pieces were nice & tight.

I really have no idea what effect the 425 would have.

Roop
Tod D (05-09-2001 12:18 p.m.):
I recently loaded up my rplxi 9# with an airflow 475g line. So far, despite the significant weight differential (prev. I'd used a 350g line) I found the rod to perform really well. Got to thinking though (...and this might be a dumb question), since the 475g is rated for a 11/12 wgt rod, do I risk damaging the rod? Would appreciate any thoughts or comments.

Thanks,
Tod

I would be careful but I'm sure the rod's powerful enough to throw it. These lines are designed to have short hi-grain heads so there is typically not a lot of line out there to aerialize (shooting head style). Therefore the caster is typically not crankin' the casts, double heavy hauling, etc. IN fact when I've cast a heavy head I tend to use the weight of the line to load the rod with a fairly subdued motion and keep a short line out of the guides, shooting the rest.

I would say that in the field, some of the lifting of long lines in current or other redirection moves may be of concern. Also on days when your running line is knotting up because you are wading deep and you want to extend the line even though it's a heavy compact head... >crunch<
I use a 450 grain line on my RPL+ 9wt without any problem. My be the extra 75 grains might make some difference. Depending on the manufacture of the line and rod it all dpends on way the rod handles the line. If feel that the line rating system is a bit conservate for today's modern rods .I agree with Juro about making sure that the rod is put together tightly this is the cause of more broken rods other than Clouser hits.
FishHawk
Hey Tod, I am the dope I was referring to, I realized my comment may have appeared sarcastic which it was not meant to be.

By the way, I still throw the 325 on the #8.

Roop
Thanks everyone. Taking a cue from some articles I read over the winter by Bob Popovics & Ed Jawrowski (sp?), I've tried to reduce to a bare minimum the # of false casts I make - esp. with the sinking line. Found that w/ the 475 I can arialize a lot of line w/ no more than 1-2 forward & back casts. I should probably load the line up on my "boat" rod and stick to using it in deeper rips where distance is typically less an issue relative to depth. Thanks again.

Roop - no worries; suspected your reference may have been personal (written by another dope who managed to expoxy a glass minnow to our deck the other day. Needless to say, wife is not amused...).
I've been throwing 500 grain Orvis Depth Charge lines on my 9 wght. Tridents for sometime with out any problems. I only use them during extreme exaggerated tides in certain spots.

Randy Jones
www.yankeeangler.com
The fact of the matter is, even those fishing a 325 grain on a 9wt are overlining... AFTMA Grains per Line Wt Chart

That would be a LOT of people in the SWFF scene.
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