# What line?



## deerhunter5

This summer I am going to Florida to catch some nice Snook and maybe even some baby Tarpon. Here in Texas I go after reds and trout. I am looking to spool up my Penn Battle 4000 with some heavier line. What kind of line do you recommend? I am thinking about braid, but have no experience with it. Is it worth the price? Thanks.


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## BrandonFox

Where are you going to be fishing for these tarpon and snook? Flats, bridges, mangroves? I'd personally spool up with FINS windtamer.


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## Gladesgator

deerhunter5 said:


> This summer I am going to Florida to catch some nice Snook and maybe even some baby Tarpon. Here in Texas I go after reds and trout. I am looking to spool up my Penn Battle 4000 with some heavier line. What kind of line do you recommend? I am thinking about braid, but have no experience with it. Is it worth the price? Thanks.


I was a light tackle guide in FL for 35 years fished out of Flamingo and Key West.
It all depends how, what size fish and where you are going to fish for them. The flats out of Flamingo 10# mono with 18" 40# Fluro leader is fine on a light spinning reel with 7' medium action rod. Fishing inside there against the mangroves, 30# braid same 40# leader with same type rod and reel.

Inlet or bridge fishing with live bait for big snook 40# mono or braid with 50# 3' fluro leader.

good luck


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## Permit Rat

Gladesgator said:


> I was a light tackle guide in FL for 35 years fished out of Flamingo and Key West.
> It all depends how, what size fish and where you are going to fish for them. The flats out of Flamingo 10# mono with 18" 40# Fluro leader is fine on a light spinning reel with 7' medium action rod. Fishing inside there against the mangroves, 30# braid same 40# leader with same type rod and reel.
> 
> Inlet or bridge fishing with live bait for big snook 40# mono or braid with 50# 3' fluro leader.
> 
> good luck


This is pretty good advice. I use 8 lb. mono on open flats and 10 lb. near the mangroves. 12 lb. around bridges and the jetties. Same leader as already suggested. The key is having a rod that is truly right for the line test and all these rods will be much stiffer and more powerful than most people expect. Texas fishermen tend to use rods that are too light for the line test they are using, because here there is nothing much for structure that hooked fish can get into. Even the mangrove shorelines are mostly black mangroves, and they grow mostly on shore. If you go to Florida, the mangroves are the red variety, with root systems in the water itself. There may be 2 or more feet of water around these roots and snook and especially big reds, will head for these roots once hooked. I have to admit that once in a while, an oversized red will take me in, but not often. For the uninitiated, perhaps 12 lb. would be better around the mangroves and docks. But again....line strength is not all you need. You need a rod that will break your main line, without putting undue pressure on the blank. A lot of people would be surprised at just how heavy a rod that is.


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## Permit Rat

Just realized I did not answer your primary question. I _think_ (but can't say for certain) that most of the Keys guides at least, have gone back to mono. These would be the guides that fish in the Keys-proper for bonefish and permit, as well as running/trailering up to Flamingo or the west coast for the snook and reds. For the guides on the west coast that stay there and never fish in the Keys......I don't know. But since you already have mono, I would stick with it, since you already know its advantages and disadvantages and know how to deal with them. In case you didn't already know, mono has been shown to be more abrasion resistant than braided line of an equal strength and that could be significant for you if you fish around docks and mangroves. BTW, where in Florida are you planning to go?


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## Gladesgator

Permit Rat said:


> Just realized I did not answer your primary question. I _think_ (but can't say for certain) that most of the Keys guides at least, have gone back to mono. These would be the guides that fish in the Keys-proper for bonefish and permit, as well as running/trailering up to Flamingo or the west coast for the snook and reds. For the guides on the west coast that stay there and never fish in the Keys......I don't know. But since you already have mono, I would stick with it, since you already know its advantages and disadvantages and know how to deal with them. In case you didn't already know, mono has been shown to be more abrasion resistant than braided line of an equal strength and that could be significant for you if you fish around docks and mangroves. BTW, where in Florida are you planning to go?


You are right a lot of the guides just use mono in the back country, been lots of quality fish caught on it over the years. 
I use it most of the time myself. I agree with your line choices for an experienced angler and you nailed it, with using the right rod.


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## Tino_e

I use a PENN battle2 4000 with 40lb braid with 30 to 50 leader around structure for reds and the same reel different spool with 20 braid and 15/20 lb leader on the flats


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