Braid for Mulloway off walls or beaches

[MudRiverDan]

What size/test braid would you go?

[stonecold]

Off the walls Ive been using 50 all round while Rabbis using 30 on his "little gear" and 50 on his elephant gun tackle. Prabably get away with 30 easy off the beach

[MudRiverDan]

Hi stonecold

Yeah I just got some 50lb spectra from the US.
Seems just a bit heavy fr my gear.
I also have some 12,20,30 and 40lb on order.

Have you ever used Spectra?

[TREVELLY]

Have to admit I have lost my biggest fish on 30lb (two in one night - never forget it) and never busted 50lb on a straight pull.

The place I fished if they got more than 200m of line the fish went over rocks at back of beach.

But put simply on bigger fish 40-80lb plus you can talk to them with 50lb.

Braid it is thin - so why not 50lb?

Also expect you will be using 20 to 50m of wind on heavier line for close discussion with them - bigger fish will run you into the rocks and even put themselves out of the water onto a barnacle covered ledge to tangle you on a snag.

I have vivid memories of a Box Head 70lb plus jewie that was hanging half in the water as the waves went by until he finally broke the 150lb trace. I wasn't fussed at the time with a 45lber on the rock behind me - just tired after fighting a second fish - but in hind sight - it was the biggest fish I have ever seen - and I have seen plenty in the 70lb bracket.

Too many hours waiting for a fish to lose it to light line. My thoughts anyway.

[nigelr]

If you are specifically targetting big mulloway I'd go 50lb braid on the beach. Trevally has put the case perfectly I reckon.
Personally I'd stick to mono fishing from a wall; rocks and braid don't mix IMHO.
I stick with 30lb braid in the surf with a 30lb mono casting leader and 100lb trace.
This is strictly for night-time use; you can call me a mug but I don't mind losing a very large jew as long as I don't lose the 5-8kg jobs, which I prefer to eat. The 100lb trace is to handle any tailor by-catch.
I love eating bigger tailor say 3-5kg they are also a real buzz to catch, and can be quite tricky!
Cheers.

[rabbi]

Hi Guys,
My best fish on light gear off the rocks to date is a 22.5kg jew on 4.5kg braid and I much prefer to fish light if I can do it that way because it is a ton of fun.
Little jew off the wall are the biggest problem as they swim straight into the rocks where you hook them and break them off regardless of line size,whereas big jew tend to swim away and are very rarely landed in the same spot you hook them.
There is a trick to playing and landing jew off the rocks and the easiest way to lose a jew is to try and skull drag it in.

Just as a footnote, my trace size is 60lb max and very rarely do I ever break a trace.

Cheers, steve.

[MudRiverDan]

Thanks for the insight guys, Interesting to hear a bit of what goes on.

I got some 50lb spectra, pretty weird stuff, but would tow a truck by the look of it.
Also grabbed a few other things from the US like some 40lb hollow core which will be interesting (when it finally comes off back-order).

I just have a Stradic FJ 6000 atm for surf, (the 8000 size spools for the new Stradic will be available in march), so I will grab an 8000 spool for the heavier braid.

I know Alveys are the go and have seen some very nice ones on Ebay, but will wait for funds to permit that as I will need a rod to go (some have an independent drag so the reel doesn't hit you on the knuckles).

At present I can play with what I got and find out what is working and what is not.

I mainly went for braid as the 20 lb mono does not seem to leave the spool as quick as I would like, so I may be a little undergunned atm but I am more so targeting 8-10 kg Mulloway (maybe bigger but within reason of what gear I got), and any good bycatch like a nice greenback.

Cheers

[robvee]

I switched to braid fairly recently, and use 80lb only coz I got it on special at half the price of 50lb ($30 for 1000m) :-)
No casting leader with such heavy braid, but a 1m 80lb mono trace, and usually wire as well (in case of greenback bycatch)
In the surf / off rocks a jew will not be put off by wire/heavy trace ... my dad and mates used to catch them on piano wire (may as well have used fence wire)
I agree with trevelly .... I don't spend countless hours in the dark waiting for Mr Jew to play ball, only to lose him to thin line.