Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

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leggomye990
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Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by leggomye990 » Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:42 am

I always thought mono was the line for top waters like poppers and walk the dog type baits.
I read on somewhere the MB Giant dog X should be fished with 10-15lb fluro, is this accurate?

I normally used 30lb braid with like 5ft mono leader in 15lb for giant dog X, now I'm lost lol was I doing it wrong the whole time?
What about the Pop MAx? should that be on fluro as well?

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by Randingo » Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:51 pm

I think a few people like a short fluoro leader for the Pop Max, claiming it helps produce a deeper sound when popped, but the notion of using fluoro with topwater baits is crazy to me. I do everything I can to keep the line floating with topwaters. A walking bait with a sinking line in front just doesn't respond properly. Stick with what you've been doing.

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by jerkbait22 » Wed Mar 08, 2017 8:03 pm

I concur with Randingo. I've always used mono for my topwaters including the pop max. Never had an issue. Using a short fluoro leader to create a different sound is an interesting thought though.

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by Johnny A » Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:58 am

Never flouro for topwaters.

leggomye990
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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by leggomye990 » Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:43 am

Yeah that's what I always used was braid to mono leaders, but I read on something saying the Giant dog X was meant to be fished with Dragon call line, and Thats a fluro line, is it knot?

leggomye990
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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by leggomye990 » Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:47 am

Nvm, I now see that Dragoncall is PE, fluro or nylon. :oops:
My mistake

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by basscattrent » Tue May 30, 2017 1:40 pm

I run all of my topwater baits with braid and a 20 lb mono leader around 10 inches or less. Then you are not always catching ](*,) your front hook and split ring with the braid when the topwater bite is on. I have been out twice in the last two weeks with guys using mono and they wished :doh: they had been throwing braid because of the no stretch factor. My hook ups were of a much higher percentage :D

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by Cracker » Tue May 30, 2017 1:57 pm

I'm currently using Sunline Shooter Armilo and Daiwa TD Sensor nylon lines for topwater purposes, and really like both.

Image


Low stretch, great and smooth casting lines.
Some how getting much more backlashes with braid.

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by toddmc » Wed May 31, 2017 8:32 am

Try flouro with these baits and you will see the head of the poppers sit much lower and the walking baits will glide less and be more slow to work. The popping baits with fluoro will tend to have a deep bloop instead of a smaller bloop or spit. You can catch fish on almost any style of retrieve when the fish are active, but I don't like fluoro with either bait. I like my poppers to spit and my walking baits to glide as far as possible. These retrieves catch more fish when they are less active. Even a legendary spitting popper with a less cupped bottom of the mouth, like the Michael or a sanded Pop-R, will bloop when you fish light fluoro. You can get away with heavy fluoro on a walking bait if you are working it fast and not letting it sit, which gives the fluoro time to sink.
I like the Armilo because it is a low stretch nylon that doesn't get caught in your hooks like braid, and I don't have to use a leader. It won't cast as far as braid, but it is parallel wound and it casts well enough. I have no problems setting the hook on a long cast with Armilo because it has less stretch than most nylons. Sunline's Defier Nylon is a little better handling line than the Defier Armilo, and more expensive, but it has more stretch. The regular Defier is nice for close quarters. Remember that both are nylons and they will need to be replaced more often than fluoro. Some guys complain about Armilo becoming deformed and becoming hard to manage too quickly, but any hard and low stretch nylon will do this. I only fish braid with topwater when I am fishing heavy grass or making very long casts to quick moving schooling fish.

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by Cracker » Wed May 31, 2017 10:01 am

toddmc wrote: I only fish braid with topwater when I am making very long casts to quick moving schooling fish.

Todd,
What braid (brand and diameter) would you recommend for those purposes?

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by toddmc » Wed May 31, 2017 10:52 am

Cracker wrote:
toddmc wrote: I only fish braid with topwater when I am making very long casts to quick moving schooling fish.

Todd,
What braid (brand and diameter) would you recommend for those purposes?
I like the SX1 in 30 lb. for the average 3/8 to 3/4 oz. baits because I get less tip-wrap than I do with the softer braids. The 20 lb. is good for the finesse topwaters like the Zara Puppy and smaller poppers. Unfortunately, I lose more surging fish at the boat with braid. I don't like soft rods for the long cast to fast moving boiling fish because I want to get the bait moving as quickly as possible. Life is full of dilemmas :crying:

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by Cracker » Wed May 31, 2017 11:08 am

toddmc wrote:
Cracker wrote:
toddmc wrote: I only fish braid with topwater when I am making very long casts to quick moving schooling fish.
Todd,
What braid (brand and diameter) would you recommend for those purposes?
I like the SX1 in 30 lb. for the average 3/8 to 3/4 oz. baits because I get less tip-wrap than I do with the softer braids. The 20 lb. is good for the finesse topwaters like the Zara Puppy and smaller poppers. Unfortunately, I lose more surging fish at the boat with braid. I don't like soft rods for the long cast to fast moving boiling fish because I want to get the bait moving as quickly as possible. Life is full of dilemmas :crying:
I agree, it always some dilemmas :D
I guess you use a mono leader with it.
I might order Daiwa Samurai in 30lb just for topwater.

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by toddmc » Wed May 31, 2017 11:33 am

Cracker wrote:
toddmc wrote:
Cracker wrote:
toddmc wrote: I only fish braid with topwater when I am making very long casts to quick moving schooling fish.
Todd,
What braid (brand and diameter) would you recommend for those purposes?
I like the SX1 in 30 lb. for the average 3/8 to 3/4 oz. baits because I get less tip-wrap than I do with the softer braids. The 20 lb. is good for the finesse topwaters like the Zara Puppy and smaller poppers. Unfortunately, I lose more surging fish at the boat with braid. I don't like soft rods for the long cast to fast moving boiling fish because I want to get the bait moving as quickly as possible. Life is full of dilemmas :crying:
I agree, it always some dilemmas :D
I guess you use a mono leader with it.
I might order Daiwa Samurai in 30lb just for topwater.
I like a 15 lb. mono leader with the 30 lb. braid and 10 lb. with the 20 lb. braid.

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Re: Mono or fluro for Giant dog X and Pop Max?

Post by jerkbait22 » Wed May 31, 2017 6:59 pm

I typically use 10lb mono (Trilene XL or Sunline Supernatural) for these. I switched over to 14lb Trilene this year to see if they have better action since it should float easier. Topwater bite has not started yet by me even though I've tried on the last two outings.

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