Sounds like I'm in the minority here: I swear by 12lb - Maxima Ultragreen. 2 important points. I use the Palomar knot, and 2) a direct-drive reel (no drag) - Shimano Bantam 1000. I can tie the Palomar in the dark and I tested it at one of those sportsmen shows with another fellow using the bloodknot. Palomar won hands down. On Ultragreen it breaks about 3-5 # above stated weight test. Been using 12# for over 10 years. This year it hauled in a 54 and 45.5#(my wife's) up in the Queen Charlottes. It's was a blast! You do worry some when playing the fish...but that's the thing about fishing - you have to test yourself in all things. I'm sure Bob, The Really Big One uses heavier because he's guiding and often with less experienced guests using his equipment. 12lb is all you need (I use 6-8 in Puget Sound.