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  • 4 weeks later...

Go ahead and use 12 pound test on spoons all you like, that makes the spoon manufacturers very happy!!  I go with 30 lb. Big Game all the way to the swivel, and have not found any difference in getting bitten, versus using lighter lines.  What I have noticed when I try to go light, is that yeah, I might get lucky and land a few nice salmon, and then that big screamer comes along and just eats the spoon off of my line like it was candy.  I use mostly Moonshine Magnums, and they are not cheap.  Remember, this is not some finesse game, and these fish are not walleyes.  When you are trolling @ 2.2-3.0 MPH, the fish are not swimming up slowly and eyeballing it like they are when you are jigging or live-bait rigging.  It sure sucks when a 25-30 pound fish comes up and rips off your lure, and this can happen even if your drag is set light.  King salmon are tackle busting, rig wrecking SOB'S!!!  Good luck! :)  :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Once the fleas show and they are starting to now. You won't be able to run the light line. I use straight 30 lb mono come July and Aug. I run 20lb flea flicker in May and June as a precaution in case the water is unusually warm and the fleas arrive early. It seems that when the water warms up the fleas usually come along with it. You can tie a lighter section of leader to your spoon to give it better action. If I only had my heavier rods on board I'll do that when we move in for browns if the salmon aren't in the mood to play otherwise I keep 30lb mono straight to my swivel. Good luck to you.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

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Go ahead and use 12 pound test on spoons all you like, that makes the spoon manufacturers very happy!!  I go with 30 lb. Big Game all the way to the swivel, and have not found any difference in getting bitten, versus using lighter lines.  What I have noticed when I try to go light, is that yeah, I might get lucky and land a few nice salmon, and then that big screamer comes along and just eats the spoon off of my line like it was candy.  I use mostly Moonshine Magnums, and they are not cheap.  Remember, this is not some finesse game, and these fish are not walleyes.  When you are trolling @ 2.2-3.0 MPH, the fish are not swimming up slowly and eyeballing it like they are when you are jigging or live-bait rigging.  It sure sucks when a 25-30 pound fish comes up and rips off your lure, and this can happen even if your drag is set light.  King salmon are tackle busting, rig wrecking SOB'S!!!  Good luck! :)  :)

John, Look up Dan Keating, it will open your eyes!

 

dvdgeorge, what rubber bands do you use?i have'nt found the right rubber band yet.

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Back in the 90's before the fleas showed up, all we ever ran on our rigger rods was 12 lb Trilene XT and really didn't lose any due to break offs, including many 30+ kings. If it wasn't for the flea issue, we probably still would be.

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I will qualify that by saying that back then we were running the soft yellow Eagle Claw Starfire rods and Penn 209 reels.  Say what you will about the penns and the slow retrieve rate, the drags on those reels are butter smooth and the 2.8 retrieve ratio pretty much make it impossible to horse a fish :)

 

Also that was pretty much running all spoons.  I wouldn't try running a flasher fly on 12 lb nor would I do it if I was chartering, but as a rec boat it worked well.  Sadly, the fleas ended that forever.

 

Tim

Edited by Tim Bromund
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