Best all rounder 8lb mono ?

[wetthrough]

Why should a bait runner create line twist?

Normally when you cast out the line untwists. When you pull off the baitrunner or drag it doesn't, so the twist that was on the reel is on the cast out length. When you wind in it effectively twists it again. If the terminal tackle doesn't turn when you pull it out of the water that double twist should redistribute on the next cast and everything's back to normal, if you're lucky!

[mikench]

I must be lucky sometimes Gordon.

[barbelboi]

The best design for a f/sl reel would be if the clutch/baitrunner acted on the bail-arm rotor rather than the spool. That way the line would always come off the way it went on.

[Hertsbloke]

Further update - having bought a new 11@ feeder rod, I changed the spool on my Daiwa match winner to Preston Power Max for use on the feeder, and then put Sensor on my Maver reel for float work.

Really liking the Preston stuff so far.....

[carlosd]

I've got Daiwa Sensor Black 6lb on my feeder rod which I use on the Commercial I fish at and had 9lb Carp no problems.

Probably within the next few months I'll load one of my spools up with the 8lb Daiwa Sensor Black.

Tight lines

[Keith M]

I’ve never been a great lover of Diawa Sensor. It’s a bit like Marmite to me, you either love it or hate it.

Its a good enough line and it’s not very expensive either, but I just don’t like the way it often crinkles when your tying a hook and the way it’s memory tends to cause it to curl after a while on the spool, and I’m not keen on it’s shiny surface either.
Other than the above it’s a good reliable line however it’s just not for me.

I do like Maxima; but with reservations; because of tests a mate and I did with it a few years ago;

A few years ago a mate and I were fishing in adjacent swims on the river Lea at Bayfordbury after Chub and he was getting at least two bites for every one of mine. We were using exactly the same setups and the only difference was the lines we were using.

He was using Maxima Chameleon and I was using something else (Sylcast I think) and we even swapped rods over and the bites followed the rod with the Maxima line on. However when a fish swam through beds of rushes the Maxima would often part just like cotton while the other line would hold firm more times than not.

So it appeared that although Maxima produced the most bites and was also a very reliable line in most other respects including it being a good sinking line; it’s resistance to abrasion was not quite as good as it could have been.

Since then I would only trust Maxima when I was fishing in open water without too many snags around.
NB: I don’t know whether they have improved Maximas abrasion resistance since then, but once bitten and all that.

My current favourite lines are: Terry Eustace Pro Gold for bottom fishing and Dave Harrel Pro Float line for float fishing. I used to use Drennan Floatfish line but it only comes on 100mtr spools where’as the Dave Harrel Pro Float line comes on 300mtr spools, and a couple of my match reels take around 200mtrs of fine line. It has all the advantages that Drennan Floatfish has; including the hard surface coating which resists shot damage etc. Plus it also has a slightly reduced line diameter.

The Terry Eustace Pro Gold line is known for its suppleness and it’s abrasion and shock resistances, and I also prefer it’s very pale green colour, however it’s breaking strains are (like Sensor) under rated, for example in tests the 15lb line breaks at over 18lb and it’s 6lb line breaks at nearer the 8lb mark so when comparing it with other lines this should be taken into account.

Keith

[john step]

I have just gone over to the dark side. I won a bulk spool of ESP carp line 10lb bs in a raffle and have renewed a couple of spools with it. Its a light colour unlike Sensor. It seems OK but no better or worse. Just free.

[Philip]

I used Berkley Big Game for many year on my bigger fish rods but when it became hard to find I swapped over to Sensor and I have been happy with it. The tests I use the most have been 15lb, 6lb and 4lb.

However a while back I found a spool of Big game and put that on a reel and the difference was noticeable straight away. I definitely prefer Big Game given the choice.

There are some other very good lines out there but I wont pay more than £10 for a bulk spool.

[John Keane]

Exactly. I have a Drennan series 7 float reel. The spools are very shallow and take about 100 yds give or take.
After a few sessions where I ditch the first few yards where the shot has been pinched etc I renew it with cheap as chips Sensor from those bulk spools. On this reel not 8lb as the post says but the principal is the same with my pins with heavier line I use for close up carping.

As for line twist I think bait runners are a major factor although I have just ditched a Shakey Mach 3 reel that seemed to have developed a fault and made the line a terrible mess. Life is to short to try to fix it.

I had the Drennan Series 7 3000 float model and got rid as it kept throwing coils of line off on the cast and causing tangles. Nicely made reels and the logic is good with spools designed to take 100m of a specified diameter but it just didn’t like me! They also make nice Baitrunners but the freespool lever seems ar$e about face as it’s pulled back for winding and pushed in for freespool. Get used to it I suppose?

[john step]

I had the Drennan Series 7 3000 float model and got rid as it kept throwing coils of line off on the cast and causing tangles. Nicely made reels and the logic is good with spools designed to take 100m of a specified diameter but it just didn’t like me! They also make nice Baitrunners but the freespool lever seems ar$e about face as it’s pulled back for winding and pushed in for freespool. Get used to it I suppose?

I have not had trouble with it. I do wonder perhaps if the line coils and tangles are sometimes caused by a fault developing with the bail arm roller. I cannot prove it or say for certainty but as a non engineering type of person just suspect it.

I had a Shakespeare Mach 3 reel for years with no trouble then recently I just ditched it as I started getting awful line twist and loops. Life is too short to sort it out and reels are cheap now .