Managing mono shooting lines

[johnnybg]

I'm seeking a piece of advice on mono shooting lines and guessing this might be the proper place to ask my question.

After having stretched the line when it comes off the reel to remove any memory coils, I really enjoy casting and fishing with mono shooting lines over coated. To me the pros of the mono outweighs the cons - at least for the first 2 hours. Then the skin on my fingers have become so soaked that there simply isn't enough friction between my fingers and the mono. The result is that the line starts slipping on the hauls (and takes/strikes).

Does any of you have the same problem and/or a suggestion to overcome it, or am I doomed to start using coated shooting lines again? Thanks


Regards
Johnny

[Paul Arden]

Hi Johnny,

I'm not sure about takes/strikes. I have started trialling a finger/thumb glove that spin fishers with multipliers use, but I only got to use it a few times before lockdown and it wasn't with mono but with tropical running line However for the casting (line slipping during hauls) have you considered a thicker hauling section of mono with the knot to the thinner shooting mono strategically placed for the perfect amount of overhang? It would be much easier to hold the knot. Something else to think about - that I also haven't tried - is a rubber thumb protector (thimble) for sewing.

Cheers, Paul

[johnnybg]

That's actually what i did, Paul. Just used af piece of coated line (old running part of a WF) for added friction. It worked out well for the casting part but I'm still strugling holding onto the mono line when a fish strikes.

I'll try out a rubber and leather tumble. Good idea

Mono shooting to coated connection

[ACW]

Something I did way back in the 70s was to use a15foot or so of hollow braid in between my head and amnesia running line .worked pletty well for heaving any thing from lead core to full floater .

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Johnny

Have you considered using a thin latex glove? That way your skin won't get soaked :-) Nitril working gloves works too, but reduces the feeling too much for my taste.

Cheers
Lasse

[johnnybg]

Hi Lasse, no actually I never thought of that. Have you tried it and if so, does it work well?

[Viking Lars]

Hey Johnny!

I've used mono for more years than I care to remember. How long have you been using it - I find mainly that it's a matter of getting used to it. It'll slip once every now and then, certainly, but I live with that. Especially on double handers where the pull of the line is heavier, I'll sometimes when preparing for a new cast, retrieve the line and grip it under my index finger, over my middle finger and under my ring finger against the bottom handle. This sounds complicated, but quickly and easily becomes second nature and gives a good grip on the line. And I also do this when using single handers if the line tends to slip.

Lars

[Lasse Karlsson]

Hi Lasse, no actually I never thought of that. Have you tried it and if so, does it work well?

Hi Johnny

Only the working gloves, great grip, but the reduced feeling irritates me. The thin latex ones, only for lubricating lines with lineslick before competitions.

Cheers
Lasse

[johnnybg]

Hi Lasse and Lars

I’ve tried mono on and off for the past 6 years - mostly off, no doubt, since the frustration gets the better of me with when the line starts feeling like an eel. I guess that’s around when both the mono line and my fingers have been soaked enough to feel completely saturated...

There’s no doubt that threading the line through more fingers adds friction. I tried it Friday afternoon after work, but need to try it out on a whole day when it’s poring down. I hope it still works

I’ve tried with different brands and models of mono shooting lines. Rio Grip shooter, Rio Slick shooter (35 and 50 lbs), Ken Sawada Flat beam, OPST Lazer, Zpey Zpeed, and Varivas shooting line. Some works better that others. For me, I believe the best results have been with the OPST and the Zpey line.

I tried the simple latex glove (one of the single-use surgeon’s gloves and not the Maxi-Flex version) and it actually looked weird but worked quite well for added friction. I’m thinking of adding latex to a stripping guard and putting one on both my line hand and rod hand - or as Paul mentioned a rubber thimble. That could possibly solve the problems

[johnnybg]

Thank you guys, really! Finally it worked a whole day in pouring rain with an OPST Lazer with only a few slips.

Basically I combined all the advice I received here. If it's to any use to a future reader, here goes:

• A coated piece of shooting line approx 4.5 - 4.7 meters long (depending on rod length, haul length and length of overhang) loop-to-looped to the SHD and needle-knotted to the mono line

• A finger cut off a latex working glove for added friction and placed on the index finger of the line hand

• Threading or weaving the the monofilament through more than one finger for added surface contact, hence added friction

Thanks again

/Johnny