Best way to straighten mono running line?

[boyandhisdogs]

The title pretty much says it all. I'm new to this shooting stuff and every time I take my two-handed cannon out the mono running line is always coiled like a spring and cuts my cast in half and I usually end up with a florescent pink birds nest in the water in front of me.

I've tried the old "pull it through your wallet" trick as well as pull it from under the sole of my boot and neither one works well enough. For what it's worth, I've got 80# Frog Hair.

I'd rather not buy another line unless what I've got it beyond saving. I'm a 20 year old college student with two part time jobs. I'd rather make due with what I've already got and not have to buy anything.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Ard]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

No one I know is still using mono shooting line for the reasons you have stated. I use long belly lines with integrated vinyl coated back line so I can't even offer a suggestion of what to shop for. Yes I read the part about not having much money but you may need to squirrel a few dollars whenever possible and get into one of the braided running / shooting lines.

Again, welcome to the group and I hope you'll stick around a bit.

Ard

 

[boyandhisdogs]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

No one I know is still using mono shooting line for the reasons you have stated. I use long belly lines with integrated vinyl coated back line so I can't even offer a suggestion of what to shop for. Yes I read the part about not having much money but you may need to squirrel a few dollars whenever possible and get into one of the braided running / shooting lines.

Again, welcome to the group and I hope you'll stick around a bit.

Ard

Is that stuff any different than regular braided fishing line? Could I reasonably substitute with the cheap braided stuff at Kmart? Flotation isn't all that important since I've got a sinking shooting head and I'm using it in the surf.

 

[wjc]

Like Ard, I haven't used mono in decades. But to get rid of the coils initially, I'd tie it to a tree or somthing and stretch it real good, just like fly line.

Added Edit Soaking it in water overnight will probably help as well. I don't know if shooting head guys do it, but I soak my mono cast nets in Downy fabric softener and water in a drywall bucket for a couple hours, and it makes all the difference. Softens them right up, and they open way, way better.

 

[calftail]

Are you really using 80 # ?

That's some big stuff....are you fishing for tuna?

 

[wjc]

OMG! Is that the pound test? I had no idea they made it that fat.

 

[boyandhisdogs]

Are you really using 80 # ?

That's some big stuff....are you fishing for tuna?

OMG! Is that the pound test? I had no idea they made it that fat.

No, the biggest thing I expect on this rod is a striper, halibut or small leopard. I bought it because I thought that wet and cold fingers would get a better purchase on a bigger line. I'll readily admit that I have little to no idea what I'm really doing. Until now the only kind of fly fishing I've ever done is dries for trout, I'm new to flies in the salt.

 

[tyler_durden]

I use mono shooting line on my spey rods and don't really have any problems. I use Berkley Big Game 30#. Costs something like $14 for 300yds. I do, however, hold loops of the line with my bottom hand and spend a couple minutes stretching it before fishing. If I was overhead casting Id want a shooting basket with those spikes in the bottom. An inexpensive commercial running line that works well is miracle braid however I found that its not ideal for saltwater.

 

[boyandhisdogs]

Could I just ditch the running line and attach the shooting head directly to the backing?

 

[chased]

Lots of guys use Rio shooting lines, they are a hard mono (I think) and they don't coil near as bad. There is also the rio grip shooter, it has a coated handling section of about 15ft then transitions into the hard mono. Then you have your integrated shooting heads which are pretty much just like a normal fly line. You can get the shooting lines that are pretty much the same as the level running line on a fly line also if you don't want to deal with any memory whatsoever, but you will lose a little distance compared to the Rio type hard mono shooting lines.

Hope this made sense...


Chase

 

[Ard]

I've been doing some reading and it looks like I would try to find my best price on some 30 pound Air Flow Miracle Braid if I needed a non kinking shooting line.

Ard

 

[delopez]

I've used mono before... What I did... made a triple surgeons know at both ends. Attached one end to my truck hitch. Then, I attached the other end to my tire iron. Then, I walked the other way . It got the initial stretch into the line. After that, I just kind of tug on the line and get it straight. Please excuse my backwoods method!

 

[lake flyer]

I use 40# Berkeley Big Game (I like the bright green color) and stretch it through a piece of rubber that was originally for helping remove tight caps on jars. Been using it for years even on the stiff butt sections of trout leaders. Just don't use it on your thin tippet because it will probably weaken it. Braid just collected too much ice for me and the flyline running lines also just start to abrade a lot after pulling them through iced up guides all the time.

 

[browntrout5]

#30 lb. Berkley Big Game mono works fine with me. Soak it and stretch it but you may have loaded it on the reel wrong to begin with, and that creates coil nightmares. Your fly reel spool should be parallel to the mono spool when you reel it on, like two wheels running in tandem. If you twirl it on off the side of the spool you're screwed. If that's what you did then take off your head and let your mono running line run downstream through some riffles. It should straighten and uncoil in the current. Then reel it back up, re-attach the head and try it.

 

[huronfly]

Airflo ridge 30lb line is awesome, it is a coated running line on braid so it has very little stretch, very tangle free, and shoots quite nicely.

I also use miracle braid which also does not require stretching, it shoots very good and sounds cool while going thru the guides.

Both of these I also like because they are easier to grip when my hands get numb.

 

[Bigfly]

I tried the frog hair.....and moved on.....
I'm with Ard.....integrated running line for best results..

Jim

 

[mjkirshner]

I have tried both an integrated line and a shooting head/mono running line on my switch rod, and I prefer the mono line. I tried Rio Slickshooter but replaced it with OPST Lazer. The Rio coils more than the OPST and also sinks, where the Lazer floats. But, if I were on a tight budget, I would try the Berkely Big Game, probably 30 or 50 lb. It is cheap and I have read posts by a lot of guys who say it works as well as the more expensive mono shooting lines.

Maybe another option would be to go to a fly shop and see if they have some old WF fly line they are going to throw out. The running line part is probably in decent shape, so you could cut off the head, attached a braided loop or tie on a mono perfection loop to the running line with a nail knot and use that between your shooting head and your backing. If you luck out, it may have a welded loop on both ends, and you could just reverse it, tie the cut end to the backing, and use the rear loop on the front. You may not have as along a running line as you'd like, but you could probably get 60 feet or more, and it would be better than going straight from the shooting head to the backing.

There may be a flaw in that idea, but if there is, I can't see it.

 

[pnc]

Before the shooting line....... don't know where your planning on fishing, could guess by fish mentioned. But being new as you said to surf fishing. One thing you should know. Especially if strippers are targeted. If your standing in white water at your knees throwing line. The fish are probably behing you. At your waist they are behind you. Strippers love white water. They have thick broad tails that make them powerfull swimmers. Bait in white water is easy for them.

Ok, line........ for the reasons all have given..... why not to use or how to straighten...... mono sucs. Dealing with coils or straightening are not needed. Yes straightening will help any line. A level fly line is easier to straighten than mono. A cheap one will do.
Do not put together a shooting head with loop connections. Do yourself a favor and splice sections together. A spliced line has extended range as do shooting heads. What they don't have is loops ththat have to stay out of tip to cast. So short & medium cast can also be made. Much more versatility.
If your rod weight were know. I could put you in ballpark. Ex..... my favorite rod my sweetheart is a 7w. Head is 34 or maybe 32' , forget which. Cut off 10w line , cut down to approximately 9w head ( wanted clear head 10w was only one I had). Running line is level 5w, 100'. Whole line (lets say) 132'. Line & 18 or 20' of backing jerks hand at end of cast with NO hauls involved. Orange running line (5w level) looks like a lazer leaving rod.. Don't come close to this in water but have never tried either. Won't go more at home. If someone put tire tracks on line I'd get mad. The best thing about splicing is I can make a 20' cast just as easy as letting it rip !
20 yrs ago I used shooting heads. Never thought of going back ! Did do thread on this but no clue where it is now. Pm me if your intrested how to do.

......... pc