Well I gues I am one of those light liners. I personaly don't think people realize how much you can put on 6 or 8 lb line. I gues a good test to try would be one I read in a book. Have yer buddy hold the end of yer line at 10' from the end of yer rod, don't rap it around his finger! Just pinch it. give it a jerk as if to set the hook. the line will pop right out of his hands. now run that line out may 30' and try it. My point is just because I might run an 8 lb leader don't mean I can't pull on that sucker. to put 8 lbs of pull on the end of my line would take so much up at the rod that it's unthinkable to worry about it. I might have 10 lb main line and be running an 8 or 6 leader. or 12 line with a 10 or 8 leader. yes in faster water I like to step up but you will never find me running more than a 10 lb leader. unless I am out for some big kings then I might step up for the reason of sharp teath and they like to shake their heads and that can saw through and leader. As for a noodle rod. I think that the amount the fish is having to pull on that rod takes much less energy than a short stiff one. let me tie you to a telephone pole and let me just start yanking you around. or just gently tire you down with a lighter stick to be released to regain yer wind in some nice spot with out some moron pulling you by the tail back and forth in the water. when I CnR I pull the hook out gently in the water touching the fish as little as possible and just gently cradle the fish for a second and then let it go. if it wants to just set in front of me that's fine as long as it's not belly up.(I've never had that happen) What makes me sick is the guys that handle the fish. buy pulling it back and forth, you normally gotta put one hand under it, and then buy going back and forth you are removing the protective slime and that fish is going to have bigger problems from bacteria getting to it than being to tired out. Yes I agree that you can tire a fish out to much but just because I use a lighter leader don't mean I will be taking 30 min to land my fish. most of the fish in the rivers I fish will run from 5 to maybe 15 lbs and the ocasional one larger. Yes if I were to go for the bigger ones I would want to step up the sizes alittle but give me a break 20 lb why bother they make cable and winches for that stuff. If you use it just let me know when you snag up so I can turn my head and duck when that led comes wizzing back. As for hook sizes. It really has to do with the bait I am useing. shrimp I like #4 but when I am fishing larger eggs or maybe some corkies larger than what I can put between the shank and the hook then I might step up to a 1/0 or more comenly a 2/0. no larger for me. I am considering trying doubles where they are legal. might drop to #2 and put them very close together. but only when conditions aren't gin clear. I think the double would work well with the rags I am going to be trying. with the top hook being hidden just under the rag. what ever we fish the most important thing is that we know how to use it to land the fish safely and not damage the fish when we get it in. I fish from my boat and that really helps land fish wothout over stressing them I to like to get on the banck to land them when they are willing to. I would really like to get a CnR net so when I do get one that must come to the boat I can do it without harming the fish. I geuse the biggest thing to me is that more fish are probably killed due to miss handling than buy light gear.I mean think about how hard it is to get that fish to hold still when it is going nuts at the banck or in the net.No I don't play them out untill they can't move but I will tell you there is a big dif between the fish that is just winched in and and the one that was played for a min or 2 more. oh well I guess I better get off it now. Lets take care of the ones we do get and we will all have more big ones next year!


dcrzfitter