Is 30lb Braid Enough?

[Scott nthQld]

GCC, yep 50lb, geat stuff I reckon.

Reggy, yeah mine has the levelwind, really help when you're just trying to get the fish up quickly, you don't have to worry about it. Levelwind when bottom bashing is more beneficial IMO as the fish don't go on big long runs (cobia and sharks exlcluded) and when you've got a massive dirty big red remperor on the end, the last thing you want to worry about is making sure the line goes on evenly as its pulling your arms off.

[GBC]

I'd leave the 30lb until you lose it - you might be surprised.
I don't think your gear will have the drag to bust it anyway. Use anything up to 6 metres of leader though as others have said.
With the run etc its much easier to hold the bottom with the thinner stuff and 'play' with the bigger reds who like to stuff around a bit before taking off. Reds up to 15 odd kg will be 'handled' by your gear - don't believe the hype - they don't go that hard.

[ozbee]

i always take some 200 lb leader also cause at nightfall quite often a school of jobfish will come through , most blow the leader and many put it down to sharks


150 lb leader is the first choice at night mainly as it will fit through the hook eye doubled easily except when some one is lucky to bring up a jobby without it biting off its straight to vmc nine oes and heavier leader. just remember true red country is not reef so specify if you want to hunt emperor and large mouth nannys at night.

quite often you may catch a large spankly emperor first up don't hesitate to cut it up for bait

[ozbee]

scott i was thinking of going in the predators tournament going from ocean to that spot where ive caught 70 red emperor and release over forty plus large mouth nannys do a quick squirt to the edge of the shelf for macks and marlin than a straight run back to Townsville to weigh in. are you interested

[Scott nthQld]

hell yeah I would be, how good would it be to get into a marlin of my first predators tournament. There's a few of us entering this year (see thread I started in M&G section) so getting a team together to fill your boat will be no dramas either.

[reggy]

I'd leave the 30lb until you lose it - you might be surprised.
I don't think your gear will have the drag to bust it anyway. Use anything up to 6 metres of leader though as others have said.
With the run etc its much easier to hold the bottom with the thinner stuff and 'play' with the bigger reds who like to stuff around a bit before taking off. Reds up to 15 odd kg will be 'handled' by your gear - don't believe the hype - they don't go that hard.

I like 50lb braid for reef fishing. it doesn`t drift out in the run and get snagged as much as mono, and the stretch in mono allows the fish to reef you before you can get it away from coral etc. you dont need as much weight to get down and you can feel a strike sooner in deep holes.i find anything heavier than 80lb leader is too hard to tie on quickly and not necessary anyway.
i use about 20ft of leader and hardly ever get busted off.
i find 7/0 hooks will hold nearly anything you want to bring aboard.
i use 2 hooks ganged together and always put the pilchard on head down because i have found reef fish like to take their bait head first, unlike pelagics.

not saying these ways are for everyone, but they sure work well for me.