Two competing issues.

First, you must fool the fish. A heavy line can negatively impact how your lure performs. It can also result in drag on a baited hook.

Second, you must land the fish. While fishing with 4 lb (or even 2 lb) line may produce more strikes, personally I don't want to risk using that light of line.

I have my spin reel loaded with 8 lb Trilene XL.

I have my catfish reel loaded with 20 lb XT.

I don't put much faith in hand line setups, but I would likely use a heavy braid for the main line.

 

I generally use 30# power-pro~8# diameter .

 

Depends on your area and type of fish you will be after. Trout and panfish only, use a less than 10# line. Catfish, salmon, lake trout, and intertidal would call for a 20# plus line. Any fish requiring an 80# plus line should not be fished with a hand line unless you are in a small boat and know what you are doing.

Ultralight line, 2# +/-, has it's uses. Sewing, trip lines, catching bait, bird snares, and other uses, but in survival fishing, catching food is more important than sport and challenge.

 

Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-braid 20#
http://www.spiderwire.com/spiderwir...e-superline-spiderwire-ultracast/spiderwire-ultracast-invisi-braid/1360887.html

Just my opinion.

 

My small carry along fishing kit has several line weights included because I frequent diverse areas where light line is most appropriate and vice versa. Each bundle weighs only an ounce or two so it is not a problem (appropriate sized hooks too).

I have 6 lb fluorocarbon, 10 lb spider, 20 lb braided and 50 lb braided. Various combinations (or individually) can be used for direct use or trotline/dropper or line and leader.

 

Dyneema & Spectra fishing lines make this question a whole new ball game.

Amazingly strong line for fishing, sewing, climbing, towing, etc.

You have to try some of various weights, before deciding.

 

If I was going with just one line, I'd stick with 8 lb. When not attached to a rod, or something to absorb the shock, the line is much more likely to break. Trout are easier to trick on 4# or 6# but I have caught them on 8# and if a carp or a turtle grabs hold of the worm, you would be glad to have extra strength. If you include 1 or 2 kahle hooks about size 1/0, one could leave a limb line or two out over night for a catfish.

 

Tropics 20lb, 50lb, 100lb, 150lb, 200lb and 250lb.

Temperate 5lb, 10lb, 20lb, 50lb.

Use mono line, forget braided lines. Mono is cheaper and far more versatile and easy to use.

You can make a poor man's longline or drop line with dropper loops.

Or tie smaller poundage snoods to a heavier mainline with a long liners knot or surgeon knot.

These are knots I use all the time and can't be done in braid. And they are the most useful knots for catching the most fish.

Braid is used on reels, and monofilament is tied to braid to easily attach terminal tackle.

Braid is no good for hand lines.

This diagram is the incorrect way to attach a hook to a dropper loop.

The line going back to to the mainline should emerge from the front side of the eye of the hook, this will give you a much better catch rate.

This twisted dropper loop is done the correct way, with the line emerging from the front of the eye over the mouth of the hook.

You can attach as many hooks as you like on mono line, but braid is useless.

Stick with nylon monofilament for survival fishing. Fish responsibly, don't clean out the river with big sets.

 

I use Spectra Power Pro 30# test for hand-lining and on my rods. This stuff is amazing. It is moss green and MUCH thinner (0.28mm for the 30# test) than typical monofilament. I have pulled hard enough to bend a hook when snagged on rocks, yet I have no problem catching fish as small as fingerling baby bass and bluegill with the same line. It is nice when rod fishing with a full tackle box, but it is essential when I am hand-lining and only have 2 or 3 hooks with me so cannot afford to lose one.

 

+1 on Spectra Power Pro 30# test for survival kit use!!!!

As FYI, military issue survival fishing kits carry 30# test line, which has multiple cordage uses in the survival kit.

Nylon dental floss tests at 12-15 lbs. breaking strength and represents a lower useful limit.

The inner strands of military paracord are 50# test.

 

I agree with the 30# power pro as well. I bass fish with it, surf fish, pull big snook out of heavy cover and have even used it for trout. The most important thing is the leader that attaches to the lure or hook. Use 4lb for trout and panfish, fluorocarbon for the rest. The power pro will be useful for a variety of non-fishing tasks in emergency situations. It is expensive but hey, you only live (and die) once.

 

Good to know
http://howtomakenow.com/Page/Index/48

 

I mostly use braid on my rods but I use mono/co-polymer for little survival kits. Has anyone tried to untangle a birds nest of braid? What a nightmare... and it will bed in on itself, mono is much better in this regard.

Also, braid has little stretch which is fine when you've got a drag system, but using a handline you are in direct contact with the fish, some stretch is useful. But I bow to another if they have successful use from braid as handlines.

It all depends where you live and the fish species. Americans have such different ecologies I can imagine it would be difficult to put a handy kit together that would cover all eventualities. No wonder there's such variation.

Here's what I've used in the UK
For small trout floating a piece of worm downstream, 6lb Maxima Chameleon.

For seabass, floating a soft crab downtide, a decent abrasion resistant mono (can't remember name)in 25lb

This is fishing straight through to the hook, no leader or tippet.

Paracord is important for making staked out lines, not tried it yet.

 

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+ 1 on the 30 lb power pro

 

I agree braided line as long as you're not using it for top water baits

 

If people are making hobo or handline setups for survival, braid is no good. Braid is meant to be used on reels, and is not able to be rigged for multiple hooks. Braid cuts your hand when hauling in even small fish up to 10lbs.

Even if you wear gloves, braid is slippery and runs straight through it.

Knots are easier and faster to tie in nylon line, and more convenient.

Old fashioned Nylon monofilament wins for these handline survival setups.

Ive used power pro around the world in tropics and temperate climates, and it's been brilliant, but it is always used on a rod and reel setup which has a monofilament leader to conveniently attach terminal tackle ( hooks, swivels, sinkers and lures etc)

This is the knot I use to attach standard monofilament fishing line to braid. You can wind on your mono leader straight onto the reel through the rod eyelets. You can still cast with it, and you can make the mono leader as long as you need.

 

My choice is a big cheap spool of 160# bank line. The limitations are obvious in that you can't use it well for lures but it is great for bank poles and trot lines. I think passive fishing will be the best option in SHTF in order to spend more time on other tasks and staying aware of your surroundings. Also, bank line can be used for so many other things such as trellising in the garden, lightweight cordage in place of patacord, and even as thread.

 

I suggest Circle hooks for survival fishing with sets, they hold the fish for a better catch rate, J hooks are easier for fish to get off.

Circle hooks are better when fishing on reef or rocky creek beds, they don't snag like J hooks which get stuck almost immediately.

 

I get a kick out of the absolute certainty of some folks.

If you call a 10 lb fish "small"...you may live in a different reality than I do.:xeye:

I use 2-4 lb line a lot of the time, as tippets or leaders when I fly fish.

I don't think I have ANY line over 20 lbs on my spinning or spin casting reels. I have a cheap baitcaster that I got just to fool around with, I know it has 20 lb line on it.

You can't tie good dropper loops in braid, but you can tie in a few T-barrel or 3 way swivels and get about the same effect.

Regardless...my survival fishing kit has some 15 lb braid, and a few tippet spools of 8, 4 and 2 lb mono. We are all trout out here, with some walleye in some of the reservoirs.

 

You can't tie good dropper loops in braid, but you can tie in a few T-barrel or 3 way swivels and get about the same effect.

Yes you can do it that way however I found they tangle fantastically when cast as a handline, and taking the time to tie those braid knots instantly becomes a waste of time.

I love braid for reel fishing but it's a pain the vajayjay for handline fishing.

 

You could make more money making packaged rigs, it's big business. Sell them to the sports stores.

Just need small bags and the brand and type of fish it's for on the label.

Each rig is made for each species of fish, a customer will just buy a packet of rigs that he can conveniently tie on his line.

Bluegill rig
Blue catfish rig
Etc Etc.

You can cheap line in bulk, hooks and sinkers, then set up dowel jig to make them consistent, then start production.

Look at those snells on the hook in the packet, customer doesn't need to do anything sept attach the line and bait the hook. You could put a loop or swivel at the other end so it could be simple loop to loop connection for convenience.

 

I have a handline setup I use for trolling and drifting. It uses 30 lbs backing, 27 lbs leadcore line, 20 shank, 15 lbs furled leader as shock absorbers, then 8 lbs tippets. I use that for all my fishing now: