# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Fishing >  Pole fishing, what line to use?

## Wiggy

I'm a big fan of pole fishing, my favorite being a 12-14' fiberglass telescopic pole. I have been doing a lot of fishing with it this season and I've been getting really good results, but the problem is my line. So far I've been using 10# SpiderWire braided line but it doesn't seem to do real good with the natural abrasion caused by pole fishing. Plus I find it difficult to tie my knots with it for some reason. Always seems like it wants to fray up on me, many times the hook will just break off right at the knot. So what do you guys use?

Here's a video of my favorite combo, a 12' pole set up with a pan fish hook and bobber and a hand reel set up with heavy line with a lighter leader fishing on the bottom. Catch bait and maybe a few keepers with the pole, transfer to the hand reel and catch the bigger ones. All the tackle I had out there could be bought for under $20, it's a very efficient method of fishing.

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## Winnie

I've always used a good quality monofilament line. I'm not sure how your line is rated, over here it's lbs breaking strain. The line I use most is 8lb and I use as small hook as I can. I make my own rigs, so I can just swap over to another one, should there be any need.

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## hunter63

Interesting question.....
I just got back from a Gander Mountain store....looking for fish hooks to restock my tackle boxes.

Been a while since I have been to a big store looking fishing gear...usually, just stop at a Mom and Pop bait shop and re-supply.

There must have been 5000 kinds of hooks, and 20000 kinds of baits, 500 rods/reels and most likely that many kinds of line.

Are fish that smart?

I can't answer your question, except I usually a 8# or 10# mono-filament, not colored.....# 2 straight shank hooks. 

This is getting too hard for me.......

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## Batch

I have a couple of collapsible like that and I just use mono and a #2 hook. But, sometimes I go smaller and catch golden shiners. You caught one and they make great bait. Also, if you get fish that are in between bait and pan size. Just fillet strips and hook them on a #2 hook. I have gone where nothing is hitting live or artificial and then fillet up a little sunfish and caught everything from bass, soft shell turtles, catfish, gar.

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## edr730

I have never had problems breaking off at the hook with any decent line. I do like the new lines. I do like the pole fishing. If you set the line at the correct length you can lift the pole and put the fish in your hands. I think pole fishing is under estimated.  I usually cast or drift for panfish. I like both. Poles are becoming more difficult to come by. I would like to find a supplier for 20-30 poles at a reasonable price. Here we catch a perch and throw him out on a big bobber. I believe you catch more bigger pike on that than casting. Well, that's what I think anyhow.

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## hunter63

Pole fishing is my favorite for spark plug fishing.
Pole, lawn chair and a spark plug......cast out the plug... pop a Brewski and wait......

You will either start catching something on the spark plug....or run out of Brewskis ...in either case ...Time to go home.

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## edr730

If I am ever in a place without fish, I think I will try the sparkplug fishing technique. I admit that I am bored if I don't catch a fish in the first 15 minutes. The beer would help.

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## hunter63

> If I am ever in a place without fish, I think I will try the sparkplug fishing technique. I admit that I am bored if I don't catch a fish in the first 15 minutes. The beer would help.


As explained and shown to me.......
Old guy and his wife...(LOL most likely about my age now) were fishing above the dam in the small town not far from "The Place"....

We didn't have a cabin or even a trailer back then, so were parked and camping in the city park next to the dam.

He wasn't catching anything, nor was she.....Just sitting in lawn chairs, and drinking beer...both or them...in the sunshine.

Now down below the dam 3 kids were pulling in a bunch of small fish....

So making conversation I waked over and related that the kids were catching fish below the dam.

He didn't say anything right off, just reeled in the line to show me that spark plug....and said, "Listen, if we wanted to catch fish....we would go over there to.....We are spark plug fishing"

Now explaining that some one just sitting in lawn chair, drinking beer all afternoon, might be considered alcoholics....but they are fishing.....so are fishermen.

That's when he told me about "catching something on the spark plug, or running out of beer...time to go home".

Those were wise words that stayed with me.......

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## kyratshooter

When I was a kid all we had were cane poles with 10 feet of line, a hook and sinker.  

Sometimes there was a bobber involved and usually a worm or grasshopper we had caught in the nearby grass.

No beer was involved back then, just sitting under a shade tree fishing.

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## hunter63

Have a fiberglass telescoping version for perch fishing, for shore in Lake Michigan....about 20 ft. long.
Used to be able to catch a 5 ga bucket full in a couple of hours.....

Think the Coho Salmon and Lake trout, along with commercial fishing has pretty much slowed the down....and we need to check limits now on lake perch.

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## LowKey

My lake/stream fishing rig is a piece of junk Shakespear uni (one-piece) about 7ft long. My reel is a piece of junk underhand spinner with a finger-lever release. Might even be an old Zebco. The label is worn off.
I use 8# mono, usually a green one because the water in the lake is green. 
The fish don't care what the pole or reel looks like or how much it cost.
The point is them seeing the bait and not the line. 

If I want to catch fish I use those new fangled Yamamotos in Red or Green. I use circle hooks with live bait and a Texas rig with plastic baits. Bass can't resist them.

If I don't particularly want to catch fish, I just use a spinner or a splash lure. Sure I'll catch a fish occasionally on the latter but usually just out there enjoying the quiet and the water and not doing yard work. 

I do use Spiderwire for surfcasting in 30# for the reel I use for lure casting and 50# for the reel I use for bunker-on-the-bottom fishing. Cast out the bunker and while it sits out there, use the lighter stuff to cast a lure out for either baitfish or bluefish. It lasts about two seasons, showing bleaching, but I've never had a problem with breakage from wear. I've had terminal tackle break. Usually at the snap swivel. Lately those are worth about 10# less than they are rated on the package. The spiderwire does fray though. I usually chop 10feet off before each trip due to sand abrasion from bunker rolling around in the surf and sand.

H63, the fishing aisle with the 30,000 lures is only there to catch Fishermen, not fish. Although I have to admit to a fondness for a Rapela lure called "Vampire." They don't make it anymore. It was a floater in a dark green/silver with a red gill slash. At just the right time just before sunset, that lure would catch the biggest bass in the lake. I only have one left and can't decide whether to use it or admire it.
Edit: Ha, I just looked and they still do sell it. Guess where I'm gonna be next weekend at about 730pm

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## hunter63

Went to Walmart today...and bought a ...."Kids assortment" 46 hooks for "pan-fish" (?) for $2.11 cents.....restocked two trucks "just in case I want to drop a line," boxes....and ended up with a major truck un-load, wash everything, check, repack and re-load.
Funny how this stuff escalates....LOL

Stuff for another thread.

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## Batch

> When I was a kid all we had were cane poles with 10 feet of line, a hook and sinker.  
> 
> Sometimes there was a bobber involved and usually a worm or grasshopper we had caught in the nearby grass.
> 
> No beer was involved back then, just sitting under a shade tree fishing.


We fished a cane pole with a worm or a grub we dug up. We were fishing and a black man was just filling his bucket with sun fish. We asked what he was using and it was balls of bread. LOL Still can't beat a fat grub on a hook for sure fired food! Most of what we dug up were Mole Cricket Grubs.

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## kyratshooter

We used to catch big catfish on dough balls.

Just flour, water, a splash of vanilla extract and form them into balls and refrigerate overnight.

Ever notice how a good catfish hole smells like catfish?

I think that cane pole fishing slows you down and you learn more about the fish and bait from the experience.  

Too bad we leave that part of the outdoor world behind when we go big time, buy a boat, $5000 motor, all the fancy gear.

I once knew a man that bough a new boat, started collecting lures in January for the spring fishing, bought a new rod and reel.

He burned the transmission on his truck out the first long distance trip he made pulling the new boat and decided to replace the truck.

He told me by the end of the season his return was about $6,000 per pound of fish!

He was one of those guys that was always complaining because his "wife did not understand him".

H@!! I couldn't understand him either!

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## hunter63

Hey now...my first wild turkey was a 24 pound Tom....figured in was about $1000 bucks a pound...
But then again cooking it on a spit at Rondy and fed 16 people...(also a 12 pound capon)......

Priceless.....

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## Rick

I don't think I even saw a reel until I was a teenager and then it was an open face. Bamboo pole and line was all we ever fished with. The day I caught the whopper (I was about 5 and it was a 4 lb cat) I was using a Bamboo pole. Thank God dad was there to keep it from eating me. Never trust a fish that makes funny noises.

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## finallyME

> Went to Walmart today...and bought a ...."Kids assortment" 46 hooks for "pan-fish" (?) for $2.11 cents.....restocked two trucks "just in case I want to drop a line," boxes....and ended up with a major truck un-load, wash everything, check, repack and re-load.
> Funny how this stuff escalates....LOL
> 
> Stuff for another thread.


When I started taking the kids.... I would buy them the spiderman pole, with the little rubber fish.  I put the rubber fish on the end of the line and they would just cast and reel in, cast and reel in.  They didn't really want to actually catch a real fish, just do the action.  And, when they eventually wanted to actually catch fish...they knew how to cast.

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## Adventure Wolf

My rig is an old Ugly spinning rod with 20lb test line. Throw on a strike King spinner or a jig, and work the banks. That rig is great for large mouth bass, crappie and just about anything you can catch in the freshwater of North Carolina. I have been using basically the same two poles and equipment since I was in middle school.

Bambo rod is an old classic. There used to be a stream near where I lived with small panfish. I would use a bambo rod, a sinker and a small hook to fish all day. I could bring in an entire string of fish on a good day.

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## TXyakr

I was highly resistant to reels because I did not grow up with them. When I needed to get out further or deeper than cane or sapling pole and line could reach or paddle out and tie up to limb or anchor I would throw hook and sinker and wrap line on some floatable wood.

But I have since learned that there are many different reels and types of lines for different types of fishing and habitats.
Braided line is good if water is tainted (stained or poor visibility for fish) and lots of vegetation and rocks so extra abrasion resistance is needed. If water is clear braided line may be a poor choice. I prefer to use lightest fluorocarbon possible with sensitive rod tip and reel with great drag to help not break the line. Skill and technique help. I have caught bass that weigh about double the test of the line used.

Others will sit there in the same spot or near by with winch cable and spark plug and swear there are no fish or they are not hungry. I just roll my eyes any fill up my stringer, then eat well. Also I keep my distance from those banana eating spark plug folks while I am fishing, bored people make a lot of noise/vibrations in their boat. But what I have seen from GoPro videos fish may not care about boat noise. Still not sure about bananas.

http://www.snopes.com/luck/superstition/bananas.asp

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## natertot

My favorite rod and reel that own is a Shakespeare two piece rod with a Shakespeare open face that I bought at bass pro about 4 years ago.

I have quite a few rods and reels that I have picked up at garage sales on the cheap. In fact, last Friday I picked up a nice Shimano two piece rod that doesn't look like it has ever been used for $2. 

Being that I have little kids and live in a community with ponds, we have a few of the kiddy poles with built in reel. The come with a little tackle at the big stores for about $10 each. I have to admit, my kids and I have pulled many sunfish, crappie and blue gill out of the ponds with those poles. The thought of keeping one in the car for my own use has crossed my mind!

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## finallyME

I love my braided spiderline.  I get the 8lb equivalent, which I think is 20lb actual, or something around that.  The braided has less memory and casts like a dream.  I always use a long leader of 6 lb monofilament...so the fish don't see the braided line anyways.  I am mostly trout fishing in high altitude mountain lakes and rivers.  Sometimes I do try catfishing with it.  I also use a telescoping pole....and I LOVE it.

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## Adventure Wolf

> My favorite rod and reel that own is a Shakespeare two piece rod with a Shakespeare open face that I bought at bass pro about 4 years ago.
> 
> I have quite a few rods and reels that I have picked up at garage sales on the cheap. In fact, last Friday I picked up a nice Shimano two piece rod that doesn't look like it has ever been used for $2. 
> 
> Being that I have little kids and live in a community with ponds, we have a few of the kiddy poles with built in reel. The come with a little tackle at the big stores for about $10 each. I have to admit, my kids and I have pulled many sunfish, crappie and blue gill out of the ponds with those poles. The thought of keeping one in the car for my own use has crossed my mind!


From my experience, the kiddie poles aren't bad rod and reels. I started with one when I was a kid, so did most of my siblings.

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