I have switched to a ten # leader mostly because it is easier to see the line when tieing the knot. My fish catch has seemed to drop off. Is ten pound test too heavy for Salmon? Any suggestions would be appriciated.

I have been using 6# Seaguar all season I like the line it's hard to see without my glasses you also have to double check the knots really lube them up before tightening them.
BARRY

4-6# Tatsu More bytes less brakes BIG FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cool Water

It would appear that you answered your own question. I firmly believe that 10# is far too heavy. Have you tried 8# fluorocarbon?

I think even 8# floro is too heavy but I might just be superstitious. Since going to 6# Seagar "leader material" (floro), I have dramatically increased my catch rate. Of course you need a decent reel with good drag but I do recall ever breaking off a fish.

Good topic, myself I have always felt the Salmon were so stupid you could catch them on a lenth of clothesline. But a few very knowledgeable guides I had on board The Barge one day convinced we need to be as stealth as possible in our presentation.

So I changed from 10# main line and 8# leader, both Seagar, to 8# main line and 4# both Seagar Tatsu, real expensive stuff. At first I was amazed at he strength of this line, even though every now and then the 4# Tatsu leader would snap like thin pasta tying a knot on the Tastsu 4# leader. Then today I had my good friend Dr. Thomas Michel on board, an avid angler for many years. He broke 2 out of 3 knots he tied with the Tatsu 4# plus we lost a fish that the knot came loose. Last weekend we had 2 or 3 more knots let go, knots tied by both me and Russ Johnson. Nobody is that bad at tying knots, not even Slipknot, so I'm not so sure I like that line that much anymore. The stealth approach did nothing for my fish catch rate either.

We have caught several Sbigv Salmon and the line seem to hold OK, except for a few knots, none were broke off. A good thing is we did find that we lost less main line and lead core with the 4# always letting go before the main amd lead. Maybe it was more than just the weakest link ??????

When we used our old Seagar 10# main and 8# leader set up, we never knew where it was going to break, lead core gets expensive and time consuming to re-rig shile fishing.

I might add, the 4# Tatsu is not "real leader" matetial, but the Seagar propoganda says it can be "used as leader", now I think not. ???????????????????????????????

So time to re-think my main line/leader MO, I think I will now use 10# Tatsu main line and regular 6# Seagar "leader material", the real stuff. Hoping to tie better knots and loose less of my set up "if" (ha,ha) we catch bottom. I kind of liked only having to tie on a fly real quick and get my line back in the water.

We never experienced any trouble with the 8# Tatsu as main line, but as we want to have a much weaker leader than our main line, so we will up to 10# Tatsu when we up to 6# Seagar leader..

My .05 cents worth, remember the only thing between you and your next trophy is your "line".

Big John

John I gather by your post you have had trouble with knots in the Seaguar as well do you find the Tatsu leader better for knot strength???
BARRY

Sorry I wasn't more clear, it was only the Seagar Tatsu 4# test that we had knot problems, but I have heard in the past the Seagar or Floro in general can have knot problems. Myself only the Tastu 4# was a problem. so I'd have to say Tatsu was worse, knots broke when tying and came loose with fish one several times..

I'd have to say Seagar in general has been very good line up til this problem "I" have been experiencing.

The line I will seriously knock as out and out junk is Cabelas Florocarbon, I still have about 600 yards of that crap that I'm using up as backing.

As Cabelas leader is made by Seagar (labled that way)and I always had good luck with it, I thought perhaps the regular Fluoro main line would maybe be made by Seagar as well. If it was it must have been rejected down the line to just short of the trash barrel, ugh. But again in all fairness to Seagar, I did not see thier name on the Cabelas stuff.

Big John

I use 6# seaguar florocarbon leader exclusivly You can use 8# but you won't get the strike rate you do with 6#. 10# is too heavy for our clear water and leader shy fish!

Glen
Island Fishing Charters
Fish Lake Winni Charter Fleet

John with thin Diameter Fluro Carbon lines you need to tie a Polemer knot SP? I'll show you on my next Barge trip... I have been using 4-6# Tatsu with nothing but awesome rsults!!!

Cool Water

i use 8 to 10 pound cortland camo as a leader, its really stretchy and acts to absorb the strikes and shocks, then i use 6 pound seagar for a tippet around 7 feet long with a swivel connecting it to the leader. used to use 4 pound seagar and quantity did drop a little switching to 6. one thing ive found with the lighter tippet is it doesnt last long strength wise regardless of what they say about it lasting forever, i buy small spools so that im buying new more frequently and never leave it exposed to the sun. also with regards to the knots, on split rings i tie loop knots, i believe the clinch knot fails when tying to a split ring more often than the lure falling off the loop which will happen with faulty rings. the flouro also doesnt tie well with blood knots to mono, the surgeon knot works better for me

Thanks for all of the great responses. I have new hope for this coming weekend useing the 6#seagar on all of my gear.
One more question for the experienced:

How do you feel aboout quick release clips on the business end? I have been told by some to tie the lure directly, and others have said that the clips make lure change easier on the go.

I'm not an expert(still learning) I use a small duolock barrel swivel I separate the lock from the barrel,use the barrel part to go from mono to leader the lock for the lure.Hope this helps you out.
BARRY

I always tie on my lures. I can tie a knot almost as fast as I change a lure on a clip and I have more confidense in a lure thats tied on

Glen

When I use spoons I use a small duo-lock snap, my reasoning being that it was fast easy and I always caught plenty of fish, plus each time you tie a new knot you have a chance for one to let go, lol..

I know exposure to sun can weaken line, but yesterday I spoke with a guy from Seaguar and of course he blamed everything except the line, but was very helpful. I know that exposure to sun can be a problem for any line, but he mentioned HEAT too.
I always get my rods out of the sun when not fishing, but never was concerned with "heat".

My Barge cabin compartment gets hotter than hell when all buttoned up during the week, I mean like a greenhouse and I keep my line in there. Also I've been in the habit of leaving leader in a spot where I can put my hands on it quickly which is on the "dashboard", which is not only just as hot as the rest of the enclosed area, but can be in direct sun allot.

So maybe my problems with line are self inflicted ?
He also said (in his personal opinion) Tatsu should not be used as "leader" regardless of what the advertising says, leader and regular line have different property make up, lost me with technical jargon, lol. Also make sure line is well lubricated when tying knots. Seemed to me I've read somewhere that moistening line when tying knots is a no-no, but I always do. Until Tastu came along, I have never used regular Fluro or mono as main line, always leader material, I know many people use regular line (cost savings) but I think back to basics for me.

In any case I ordered Tatsu 10# Main line (AJ's has been out of it) and regular Seaguar 6 pound "leader material" from a place in California, Cabelas was sold out of Tatsu, I think Bass Pro was too ?

Guess I'll be taking my leader and line off the boat each weekend now, re-rig the 14 rods I have set up with the 4# Tatsu to 6# Seaguar and change the main line on all to 10# Tatsu while I'm at it. It's all been cooking in my boat cabin, some since day 1 of the season. The 4# Tatsu may be fine as leader normaly, but I know mine is toast and 4# is nowhere near strong enough for main line..

I normaly change all my leaders now and then as they do get knicked and frayed, I just loose track of which rods I do, so I'll do em all and go after that 8 pounder that's been waiting for me to do it before he took a bite.

I'll toss all my old line that's left on spools too, not much left anyhow. Don't forget the only thing between you and that big Salmon is "your line", be confident in it.

Big John