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Forum nameSaltwater Fishing in California
Topic subjectLine for swimbaits (Big Hammer) for deepwater lingcod?
Topic URLhttp://www.calfishing.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=11494&mesg_id=11494
11494, Line for swimbaits (Big Hammer) for deepwater lingcod?
Posted by salmonoid 1, Sat Feb-14-04 02:27 PM
Recommendations are needed for line for deepwater lingcod
fishing with swimbaits.  I will be doing much lingcod fishing
in norcal in water up to 120 to 180'  (depending on the
regulations at the time).  I have done very well with jigs in
the past there but I want to switch to Big Hammer swimbaits
that have been very effective for lings for me in much
shallower water there.  The conditions are:

1.  Strong current and wind that have required about 8 oz.
jigs to get straight down in the past, so using thinner line
would enable me to use lighter leadheads (suitable for 4 and
5' Big Hammers) than 8 oz.

2.  Fishing on the bottom in very snaggy rocky areas, and
going straight down produces fewer snags than does an angled
presentation.

3.  I want to use 30 lb. test line because I have found that
with such line I have a better chance of pulling free from a
snag, and can have some line strength to spare if some line
strength is lost to abraision during the day or lower knot
strength.  

4.  The line should have good abraision resistance.

5.  The line should have low stretch so that I can immediately
get the hooked ling's head up before it tries to head for the
nearest rocky crevice.  30 lb test also permits horsing a
large ling up out of the rocky bottom (lings are larger in
norcal)

Would braid be the best choice (with a mono leader), or is
there a mono line that can do the job? I know that one
solution is to ignore the criterion of looking for a thinner
line and instead use a line that fits the other criteria and
then use an appropriately light leadhead with a sufficiently
heavy egg sinker above it.  This is not my preferred method.

Thanks.

Bob