# Top Shot????



## riverman1 (May 23, 2012)

How many of you use a Mono top shot to your braid for your trolling rods for Kings? I use 30-40 braid and currently don't but thinking about starting.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Top shot is always preferable on a trolling outfit. More forgiving in the short game.


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## New2ThaSport (Apr 27, 2011)

Why would you use mono? I thought you were supposed to use wire with kings for their teeth.


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

Braid -> Mono -> Wire


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

No the correct answer is: mono > fluro > wire. No braid at all.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Yakin_it_up said:


> Braid -> Mono -> Wire


Either this or braid to wire. Never had issue. No need for mono to fluro. My big shark outfits get mono-mono leader-cable/wire


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## hsiF deR (Oct 4, 2009)

JD7.62 said:


> No the correct answer is: mono > fluro > wire. No braid at all.


or omit the flouro and go straight mono to wire. Braid and king fishing is oil and water.


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## Ardiemus (Oct 12, 2010)

JD has the right idea.


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## Bo Keifus (May 9, 2012)

The reason you don't use braid for trolling is because it doesn't have any stretch and you're more likely to pull hooks out of a fish when using braid instead of mono. I have braid backing with about 200 yards of mono on my trolling setup


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## chadyak (Dec 26, 2013)

Bo Keifus said:


> The reason you don't use braid for trolling is because it doesn't have any stretch and you're more likely to pull hooks out of a fish when using braid instead of mono. I have braid backing with about 200 yards of mono on my trolling setup


Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense.


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

JD7.62 said:


> No the correct answer is: mono > fluro > wire. No braid at all.


My mono top shot is usually 100-150 feet and I back with braid because I do not like using a reel big enough to hold the needed yards of 40-50 lb test mono. I think this gives you plenty of stretch and you can use the same rods bottom fishing. Ideally I would troll with straight 30 pound mono but that is 2 much of a 1 dimentional setup for kayak fishing IMO since 30 lb is usually to lite for bottom fishing. And 4-6 feet of Fluor is always on the business end.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

It's obvious that there are as many answers to this question as there are fishermen. In the old days, the Mexicans at Isla used to use Mono, Dacron, Mono. They liked to have a long mono leader but then Dacron back to the reel for a positive hook set, then mono backing. Still a lot of flexibility in the mono components. Now, all professional crews use Dacron backing with mono top shot for Marlin fishing. When I say all, I mean all successful crews. That's what makes tackle shops and America. Different opinions.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Yakin_it_up said:


> My mono top shot is usually 100-150 feet and I back with braid because I do not like using a reel big enough to hold the needed yards of 40-50 lb test mono. I think this gives you plenty of stretch and you can use the same rods bottom fishing. Ideally I would troll with straight 30 pound mono but that is 2 much of a 1 dimentional setup for kayak fishing IMO since 30 lb is usually to lite for bottom fishing. And 4-6 feet of Fluor is always on the business end.


Umm you dont need 40-50lb mono for trolling! 

I troll 20# high viz. Either myself or my clients have landed true smoker kings, blackfin tuna, 70+ cobia even a 33" snapper on it. I dont think Ive EVER had it break unless it was on a shark and it was intentional.

Like said, I use high viz. Its great for clients so I can see their lines but I use it on my own reels for the same reason. I like to run 10-12ft of 40lb fluro to prevent tail whips.

I REALLY REALLY like trolling with my Shimano Speedmasters on Ugly Stik Big Water Custom live bait rods. These set ups are sub $200, hold 500+ yards of 20lb mono, fast retrieve, smooth drag and perfect rod for live baiting.

I hate "do it all" setups. They are nothing more then a compromise and dont do anything well. Its easy enough to carry two rods, one for trolling and one for bottom fishing. You should really carry at least three though, the third being a "pitch" rod with a circle hook or some sort of jig/plug as youll never know when that cobia/dolphin/tuna or even sailfish decides to come up and swim around you!


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

JD7.62 said:


> Umm you dont need 40-50lb mono for trolling!
> 
> I troll 20# high viz. Either myself or my clients have landed true smoker kings, blackfin tuna, 70+ cobia even a 33" snapper on it. I dont think Ive EVER had it break unless it was on a shark and it was intentional.
> 
> ...


If you have a 40 pound leader anyway, what's the advantage of having a 20 pound mainline as a weak point? I'm just not seeing the advantage of that set up vs backing with braid - 100/150 feet of mono then Fluor on the end. You get the stretch you need just as many yards of line and double the strength.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Why do you need double the strength? You shouldn't be running more then 3-5 lbs of drag any way. 

While live baiting with trebles, often times the fish will be hooked in the face or even sides. A tight drag and braid will almost surely result in a lost fish. 

The leader is there to prevent tail whips and to keep the hiviz line away from the bait. Otherwise I fight the fish and have my drag set as it I'm fishing with 20# line. Besides, 500 yards of 20# mono will absolutely handle anything you're going to run into out there.


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

riverman1 said:


> How many of you use a Mono top shot to your braid for your trolling rods for Kings? I use 30-40 braid and currently don't but thinking about starting.


Well, your answer is yes to the top shot, between that and the reel seems to be a debate & personal preference.

Mine is: reel is spooled w/ fluro and wire for a leader, simple.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

barefoot said:


> Well, your answer is yes to the top shot, between that and the reel seems to be a debate & personal preference.
> 
> Mine is: reel is spooled w/ fluro and wire for a leader, simple.


Your reel is spooled with fluoro???


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## Yakin_it_up (Jun 16, 2013)

JD7.62 said:


> Why do you need double the strength? You shouldn't be running more then 3-5 lbs of drag any way.
> 
> While live baiting with trebles, often times the fish will be hooked in the face or even sides. A tight drag and braid will almost surely result in a lost fish.
> 
> The leader is there to prevent tail whips and to keep the hiviz line away from the bait. Otherwise I fight the fish and have my drag set as it I'm fishing with 20# line. Besides, 500 yards of 20# mono will absolutely handle anything you're going to run into out there.


As mentioned before I often use the same rod for trolling and bottom fishing. When trolling the drag is loose, but when i need to switch over I can crank it down. I know it's not your prefernce but IMO some of the travalia rods make great trolling and bottom rods. They have enough give on the strike when trolling, and plenty of backbone for pulling big fish of wrecks. I also really like how light they are which is nice in a kayak. 

Everyone has there opions and prefences on how to fish. Really comes down to wether or not you want a rod dedicated to only trolling in this example.


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Justin618 said:


> Your reel is spooled with fluoro???


 Yes, it's not much more than mono, less visible, sinks (good for getting baits down) and also has some stretch to it for hook set, eliminates the need for leader material (fluro is fluoro, regardless if sold as leader material or line)

I see no reason for multiple knots connecting this to that and so on, each knot is a potential failure point...keep it simple..


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

barefoot said:


> Yes, it's not much more than mono, less visible, sinks (good for getting baits down) and also has some stretch to it for hook set, eliminates the need for leader material (fluro is fluoro, regardless if sold as leader material or line)
> 
> I see no reason for multiple knots connecting this to that and so on, each knot is a potential failure point...keep it simple..


Where are you buying fluoro to where it's not much more? Fluoro is expensive. You can spool most small set ups for $15-$30 of straight mono. Fluoro that I've found is a lot more than that and just 150 yard coils. There's no reason to spool a reel with fluoro


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Justin618 said:


> Where are you buying fluoro to where it's not much more? Fluoro is expensive. You can spool most small set ups for $15-$30 of straight mono. Fluoro that I've found is a lot more than that and just 150 yard coils. There's no reason to spool a reel with fluoro


 
Walmart, k-mart, online..etc. sells this all the time...300 yds. of stren, lo-vis @ 17# - $6.91

300 yds. of P clear 15# - $8.32, difference of $1.41. I use the P clear on my surf n pier rods...have for over 5 yrs. w/ no problems, no wind knots, cast as far as I need to and so on.

The reason I spool w/ fluoro is, 1 knot, lo-visibility.


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## Rebfhecca (Aug 17, 2014)

wire with kings for their teeth.


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## pacecountryboy (Feb 27, 2012)

barefoot said:


> Walmart, k-mart, online..etc. sells this all the time...300 yds. of stren, lo-vis @ 17# - $6.91
> 
> 300 yds. of P clear 15# - $8.32, difference of $1.41. I use the P clear on my surf n pier rods...have for over 5 yrs. w/ no problems, no wind knots, cast as far as I need to and so on.
> 
> The reason I spool w/ fluoro is, 1 knot, lo-visibility.


The only rod I use just floro on is my bass rod for fishing beds in the spring and I bought my floro from walmart and paid over 10 dollars for it and the spools were less then 300


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