trolling rigs

[jet]

what lb line have you trollers been tying for your umbrella/tandem rigs in the spring?

i'm typically ok with 50lb at the least but have beem using 80lb just in case a chomper blue shows up, which are rare, but known to show up in the spring.

[DOGFISH]

I use 40lb and never had problem with blues, even in the years past when we had a good run of large blues. The longer baits tend to fend off the fish getting up to the line. I think the worst problem is with the larger stripers. The larger fish are able to turn and rake the leader with their tail or even their gill plates. After this post, I may go to 50lb florocarbon myself.

I have geared up this year with two new trolling reels. I'll be trolling my favorite large crankbaits, large Rapalas in the 15, 20 and 30 size range. I may also try parachutes, but I have a difficult time getting away from the crankbaits. I just tie the crankbaits to the line and and away they go. No additional terminal tackle. Although, with a kayak and some of the heavier parachutes, one could prbably do the same thing. I have down sized my tackle to light trolling rods and 975LD Penn reels. The lighter tackle should be nice in the kayak.

Good luck.