Commercial fisheries series - Help required

Mark Wintle · Apr 2, 2006

I need some help here.

What main lines are people using for pole fishing (makes, diameter, breaking strain) with various strengths of elastic for "commercial carping"? seems to be lines in the 0.14 - 0.18 class; say 4lbs to 7lbs?

I've been using some Ultima stuff that is years old but tough as old boots; not much use recommending it if you can't buy it any more.

The stars seem to use their sponsors products so little help there.

I'm OK for hook links, but are lines like Reflo Powerline any good as pole mainline?

Jeff Woodhouse · Apr 2, 2006

All mine are pretty old also, Mark, but I have used Silstar a lot in the past. This is one that is still available, but under a different name - not sure what now though. Doh!

Also like Shimano BeastMaster. Ok, it's .20mm for 4lb, but read that maybe as 6lbs anyway. Young Connor held a mammoth double figure carp for ages on it last year and only the weaker hooklink broke in the end.

Have at times used whatever the mags are giving away so long as it's clear or pale grey, don't like greens or browns. Hooklinks are usually Drennan Rig line for everything, not just pole.

Tom (Bream Machine) · Apr 2, 2006

For poleing waters with a head of BIG carp....8 pounds upwards, I use Maxima 6lb for my rigs, nothing fancy, but very very reliable. Hooklength is always Powerchain, it has never let me down yet in four years since i began using it. Elastics vary, but usually 14 in open water, 16 in the margins, 20 if i'm targetting lumps in summer. Tried hydro, didnt like it personally. Success depends on the pole used too, i like the the Browning Black Magic as it has a lot of strength and walls i can almost stand on.

Frank "Chubber" Curtis · Apr 3, 2006

I now only use P-Line which is a flourocarbon coated copolymer line and virtually invisible in water so it is also perfect for hook links. It's also very strong and tough.
As far as I know it's only sold in the U.S.A. and I always buy a good supply of it each year when I'm in Florida but it is available by mail order from Bass Pro. Like all fishing gear in America it's cheap and prices start at about $7.50 (?4.50) for a 300 yard spool and breaking strains go from 2lb up to about 150lb.
If you're going to the States at any time Mark it's well worth buying a couple of spools and trying it out.

Matt Brown · Apr 3, 2006

Mark, you just need something that breaks at what it says it does and is low diameter. Lower diameter line helps with presentation, especially in a breeze.

Line strength (I don't work in diameters)and elastic rating need to be balanced with whatever size of fish you expect to catch. I've used 7.9lb Clarkes with a No.14 elastic for Carp into double figures, not that I fish that way very often nowadays.

I really like Preston Innovations Reflo Powerline but loads of other are great too. Clarkes Match Team in particular is another one you should look at. Have a look at http://www.tackleup.com/new_page_1.htm

Jeff Woodhouse · Apr 3, 2006

That's it Clarkes - used to be Silstar.

This business of balancing line strength with elastic. What you have to bear in mind is that the strength of the line only comes into the equation when the elastic is getting close to bottoming out OR the pull on the elastic in pounds is about the same as the true BS of the line.

In other words, it would be daft to put a 1? lb line on 20s elastic (not that I think you ever need 20s) as you may end up bumping smaller fish off anyway. However, even a 3 or 4lb line will perform quite well on a 12 or 14 as will an 8lb line. I have rarely gone above 5lb in the past, but then my biggest pole caught carp hardly made double figures.

Bob Watson · Apr 3, 2006

The last time I fished for Carp with the pole was for FM in the intersite challenge match. Silstar matchteam was always my pole line of choice. 3.3lb to 2.6lb with a no8 - 10 elastic will land Carp (eventually) to low doubles and still give a bit of finesse for the smaller pastie sized stuff. If most of the fish are doubles then scale up accordingly 6 - 8 lb lines with 14 - 16 elastic. Or for hit and hold a 20 laccy lets you give them a bit.

Graham Whatmore · Apr 3, 2006

Fashions may have changed now, but we never felt the need to go over 6lb and providing there weren't any fish over 15lb in the pool (which was rare then) we usually fished straight through as well (most of it was done near the surface). You have either got to be bad at handling a pole or not checking the line for damage for a carp to break that.

A No14 elastic was quite powerful enough in the summer and a No10 in the winter, the exception being if you were fishing next to a reed bed when you need to up the strength to keep them from burying you. I've had fish over 13lb on the pole on 6lb line and a No. 14 handled them quite easily. Never used pre-stretched line though because carp aren't line shy at all in my experience, winter can be a whole different ball game though when you are fishing for bites and silver fish as well as carp.

Neneman Nick · Apr 3, 2006

i never had any problems with dave harrells carptek lines....for the smaller pastie type carp i would use the 5lb 10oz line straight through and for the bigger boys i would use the 8lb 4oz straight through.i would always use these lines with an adjustable tension type carp bung.
if waggler fishing for carp,main line is 8lb daiwa shinobi with the 6lb daiwa shinobi for the hook length.

fred hall · Apr 3, 2006

A couple of years ago I liked Power Reflo but found that it soon loses its strength. I swapped to Fox Micron which comes with a small spool of a finer line for hooklengths.
Good stuff.

Commercial fisheries series - Help required

Mark Wintle

Well-known member

Jeff Woodhouse

Guest

Tom (Bream Machine)

New member

Frank "Chubber" Curtis

Guest

Matt Brown

Member

Jeff Woodhouse

Guest

Bob Watson

Guest

Graham Whatmore

Senior Member

Neneman Nick

Well-known member

fred hall

Well-known member