What Mono for Beach Fishing

[Jackson 53]

I have a 6000 shimano spinning reel on a 10'6" Catana Rod which I use for beach fishing for Tailor/Flathead/Bream etc.

Went fishing on Friday with the reel spooled with 8lb Palatypus Pretest and 25 lb leader and things were going fine - landed some nice 30cm plus Bream, 40 cm plus Tailor until eventually I hooked a huge Flathead. Tried to surf the flathead up the beach and almost made it when the leader went "ting" and saw the big lizard do a U turn and head out to sea.

I want to up the line rating and am considering Berkley Trilene XT in 14lb or Platypus Lo Stretch in 8kg which is actually thinner in diameter.

Am I on the right track or does anyone have any recommendations for a good mono for this application?

[Platitudinus]

Sounds like you are on the right track on the assumption that you are fishing over sand/mud/light reed grass.
Some of the cheaper mono's need changing each year or more frequently if they are in the sun/sea regularly. Also you should check your leaders after any tailor or other toothy critters.
Cheers
Plato

[Jackson 53]

Thanks Plato. Yes I am fishing away from structure that would require a heavy line with more abrasion resistance. Given that the rod is only rated 3-5kg I think I might go with the Platypus Lo Stretch (Pink) in 6kg as it is less than 0.3 mm diameter and would just about all fit on the spool of my reel.

Have you had any experience with Lo Stretch in surf fishing? I am reluctant to use braid at the beach but wanted a line with some ability to transmit bites.

Jackson

[Platitudinus]

Hi Jackson;
I haven't surf fished for years but still use Berkley for fresh water fishing and it performs ok. I usually buy some when I travel via the USA as it is much cheaper there. To store it on the spool, you must put it in a cupboard away from light.

I use braid for all other sea fishing but it does 'float' more than mono so takes a little extra lead to get it down when floatlining etc. Not sure what would happen in surf but you probably wouldn't want much braid lying on the sand due to abrasion. Mono can stretch up to 10% so I guess you should try the lo stretch. Do they show a % of stretch? The other thing to consider is whether the lo stretch will still come off your reel spool as easily. If it is not soft then it may flick off in bunches. Speak to the guys at the local tackle store or if buying online, ask the seller a question.
Have fun
Plato

[Fish_gutz]

not sure if I read correctly , but if your leader failed , it wouldn`t be necessary to change your mainline, lizards have a raspy mouth and it`s just really bad luck he shaved through 25lb leader, personally i`d leave your setup as is and just use the waves to help you land the big fish and back your drag off a bit when they get close.Cheers Andrew

[Jackson 53]

Thanks Mate, my mistake. You read correctly but I typed incorrectly. It was the mainline that broke - not the leader. I would have tried to grab hold of the leader but was too far way after walking backwards up the beach trying let the waves surf the fish in.

I want a bit more insurance with a heavier breaking strain mainline but don't want to sacrifice casting distance and also like my mainline to be visible which was why I was using Pretest in the Hi Viz Yellow.

Should I simply upgrade to 12lb Pretest or is the Lo Stretch a better option for surf fishing? I used to use Platypus Platinum on my Alvey reels but find it a bit too hard to see in the surf these days.

Jackson

[Jackson 53]

Hi Jackson;
I haven't surf fished for years but still use Berkley for fresh water fishing and it performs ok. I usually buy some when I travel via the USA as it is much cheaper there. To store it on the spool, you must put it in a cupboard away from light.

I use braid for all other sea fishing but it does 'float' more than mono so takes a little extra lead to get it down when floatlining etc. Not sure what would happen in surf but you probably wouldn't want much braid lying on the sand due to abrasion. Mono can stretch up to 10% so I guess you should try the lo stretch. Do they show a % of stretch? The other thing to consider is whether the lo stretch will still come off your reel spool as easily. If it is not soft then it may flick off in bunches. Speak to the guys at the local tackle store or if buying online, ask the seller a question.
Have fun
Plato

Thanks Plato. I must admit that I hadn't considered whether the Lo Stretch may not come off the spool as well. I was hoping that some of the members may have had some experience with Lo Stretch and its suitability for beach/surf fishing.

Jackson.

[FishHunter]

I have used the Lo stretch in 30 and 50lb on overhead reels and I reckon it has about half the stretch of normal mono, I cant comment about its castability.

[nigelr]

IMO the 8lb is perfect for whiting, dart and bream, 12lb would give you a little more insurance if a bigger fish came along. I'm a big Pre-test fan, the yellow is easy to see and I use it at night (8kg) for that reason. I prefer it over Berklee anyday, although the blue stuff is a great cheap mono for offshore, tough as.
Just bad luck really, she would have been a tough old girl anyway.......
Cheers.

[Jackson 53]

IMO the 8lb is perfect for whiting, dart and bream, 12lb would give you a little more insurance if a bigger fish came along. I'm a big Pre-test fan, the yellow is easy to see and I use it at night (8kg) for that reason. I prefer it over Berklee anyday, although the blue stuff is a great cheap mono for offshore, tough as.
Just bad luck really, she would have been a tough old girl anyway.......
Cheers.

Thanks nigelr. I think I will respool with the 12lb Pretest and keep the 8lb for use on a dedicated whiting/bream outfit. I was using Baby Blue Pilchards rigged on 3 ganged 2/0 Gamakatsu Gangsters. I console myself with the fact that the fish was well over the 70cm legal limit but would have liked to take a quick photo before releasing.

Jackson

[sleepygreg]

Hi Jackson,

I have been using Platypus Pre-test 6kg on my standard beach outfits for the last 30 years. I have tried many other brands and platypus lines, but found the pretest to be the best allrounder from the beach. It is a bit softer than a lot of other lines which means it is more supple and tends to cast better, especially off a spinning reel. The downside with it is that the yellow tends to break down a bit quicker due to the UV light, so you dont get the lifespan you would from other lines. Dont let this put you off, it just means re spooling your reels each season...and its not that expensive. Forget braid with beach fishing...I have had no end of problems with it twisting and knotting...though im sure others will post to the contrary.

I also tend to strip about 5 metres of line off the reel after every beach outing. The stress on casting off the beach HAS to have an effect on those last 5 metres.

Cheers Greg

[Jackson 53]

Hi Jackson,

I have been using Platypus Pre-test 6kg on my standard beach outfits for the last 30 years. I have tried many other brands and platypus lines, but found the pretest to be the best allrounder from the beach. It is a bit softer than a lot of other lines which means it is more supple and tends to cast better, especially off a spinning reel. The downside with it is that the yellow tends to break down a bit quicker due to the UV light, so you dont get the lifespan you would from other lines. Dont let this put you off, it just means re spooling your reels each season...and its not that expensive. Forget braid with beach fishing...I have had no end of problems with it twisting and knotting...though im sure others will post to the contrary.

I also tend to strip about 5 metres of line off the reel after every beach outing. The stress on casting off the beach HAS to have an effect on those last 5 metres.

Cheers Greg

Thanks Greg, Appreciate your input. I will respool with 6kg Pretest and follow your suggestions on respooling seasonally and stripping the last 5 metres. I like to use Australian made products wherever I can and have had a good run with Platypus mono lines.

The best thing about using this forum is to benefit from the experience of other members and try to help others with their requests.

Regards Jackson

[JackaJacka_88]

Most of mono mentioned are great. You can also consider Platypus Super 100. I recently respooled one of my outfits from Berkley Sensation (quite good IMO) to try the Super 100. It has a diameter of 0.22mm compared to sensations 0.27mm. Upgrade to a slightly heavier line, 10lb to 12lb, and you'll be great!!!

[theoldlegend]

Yeah, as JJ88 says, you might wish to consider the Platypus Super 100 which is about 8 to 9% thinner than the Platypus Platinum. The Platinum is already thinner than most other mono lines for the same breaking strain.

This could give you a bit of insurance by going up a couple of pounds for the same diameter as other brands.


TOL

[oldboot]

I recon for a quality mono line ya have to go a long way to do better than platapuss.

Just which one???

I realy like the platinum......its reasonaby soft and pretty durable...it spretty thin too.....ya might find it has less stretch than some other brands too.

lotsa people like super100...hell its thin, but a bit stretchy.

the problem with the low stretch is that it ....stretches less......so ya lean on it and it breaks..where platinum migch not have.

And ya have a similar problem with pretest......the breaking strain on the spool is where it breaks where the others may hold for quite a bit longer.

I recon you want some stretch on a surf rod......you are hurling big lumps and hopefully cranking in bigger ones, ya have the surge of the surf....so a good bit of stretch is not a bad thing.

If ya spool up with 20Lb platinum... about the diameter of normal 15Lb.....ya probaly don't need to use a leader and it will have less stretch than a lighter line.


Ya might be interested in the work of "Paulus".....do a search on "line test braking strain"....there should be a link to Paulus' site.....he is a material scienist and has a bit of a hobby independently testing fishing line.....educationsl.

cheers