Maxima or Trilene

[joesnuffy]

I'm going to respool my spinning line tomorrow in preperation for Saturday. I've always bought Trilene XL for my steelhead pole but I thought I'd get a brief discussion going before i made my next purchase.

I want to keep this thread restricted to Mono fishing line only. Thanks!

I'm going for 12# test.

What do you prefer and why?

 

[mikeredding]

I have used Maxima for over 20 years and have no complaints.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Go Maxima UG. Over the years I have only lost perhaps 20-30 fish on UG leaders, mostly on toothy Chinook. But on Big game, and XL I would easily put it at over 100. We ran it for one season a few years back in middle AK, at a fish camp, and the boated fish rate went way, way down over their old standard, Ande. Those are my personal thoughts, and Maxima is just plain wicked. Go with that.

 

[joesnuffy]

Youv'e lost a 100 fish to broken leaders? HMMM, sounds like a technique problem...

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Easily a hundred that season, but remember this is AK, where hooking 50 Coho in a day, and another 30 Chinook is an easy feat in bays and inlets from the salt. Let alone the 150 Humps you can manhandle in a day when they run in too. It's definitely not technique. We fished a fairly weedy inlet, and the bladderac is thick. It does not feel abrasive to the touch, but it mangles any line not tuff enough to rip through the stuff. The Chums, and Chinook, as well as Coho would all rally straight into a field of the stuff for cover, and the only leader to bring 'em out were Ande, and UG, but now all the guides run Sufix products, after this crazy sail fisher, Larry Dahlberg booked a trip and got them into that stuff. I like two Sufix mono products. Siege for leader, and the new, hard to find X25 for spinning mains. But these are just my personal thoughts on XL especially. I still run Big Game at B10, and trolling for salty feresh Coho in your prop wash. But I have just never had good luck with the XL. Could have been that the 3000 yard spool the camp had was either old, or was a chemical screw up at the factory, but ya know. You stick with what works for you. Confidence catches fish. If you are confident in a certain product, stick with it.

 

[joesnuffy]

well I bought the Ultima UG but now have an issue.

normally when respooling a spinning reel you place the new line on the table or floor with the lable up and start reeling in onto the spool. After doing this with about 30 yrds, i released the tension the the line and it started shooting off of my spool.

Is this normal for Maxima or do you think i just bought older line with a lot of memory in it? (it was on sale, does the line have a shelf life?)

 

[Hawk]

well I bought the Ultima UG but now have an issue.

normally when respooling a spinning reel you place the new line on the table or floor with the lable up and start reeling in onto the spool. After doing this with about 30 yrds, i released the tension the the line and it started shooting off of my spool.

Is this normal for Maxima or do you think i just bought older line with a lot of memory in it? (it was on sale, does the line have a shelf life?)

Try it with the label down Bro.

 

[Hawk]

What i do on my boat or along a creek bank with mild current; feed bare line into the current (take off hooks, sinkers, swivels, etc). Feed out half the reel spool or all the spool of line, whichever you prefer. After 5-10 minutes the twist will be gone................

 

[Combat Chuck]

After doing this with about 30 yrds, i released the tension the the line and it started shooting off of my spool.

I have been extremely happy with Trilene XL for exactly that reason. I can't say much about the strength compared to maxima but I'm 1 for 1 on steelhead with the 12lb test

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Yes, I will say that UG seems to have a bit of memory from the spool, but like Hawk said if you have the chance either flip the spool, or flip your line out into the current and let 'er rip you should be good. At bouy 10 on opening day you see about 200 guys tie on a cannonball and let out a whole spool on the outgoing tide to remedy the line twist issues. Trilene XL does stay on the spool very well, but I have just had abrasion issues. Gamma also stays on the spool like glue, and has decent resistance to abrasives. And yes, monofilament, co-polymers, and flourocarbon all have a shelf life. A friend made a very novel suggestion. Try buying from Cabelas, or another major, high volume retailer. Chances are they run through enough line to never have any older than about a month or so old. Sales on line usually means they are trying to evict the old stock, but who knows. Hope the UG treats you well after you figure the line twist issue.

 

[Oregonchris]

Easily a hundred that season, but remember this is AK, where hooking 50 Coho in a day, and another 30 Chinook is an easy feat in bays and inlets from the salt. Let alone the 150 Humps you can manhandle in a day when they run in too. It's definitely not technique. We fished a fairly weedy inlet, and the bladderac is thick. It does not feel abrasive to the touch, but it mangles any line not tuff enough to rip through the stuff. The Chums, and Chinook, as well as Coho would all rally straight into a field of the stuff for cover, and the only leader to bring 'em out were Ande, and UG, but now all the guides run Sufix products, after this crazy sail fisher, Larry Dahlberg booked a trip and got them into that stuff. I like two Sufix mono products. Siege for leader, and the new, hard to find X25 for spinning mains. But these are just my personal thoughts on XL especially. I still run Big Game at B10, and trolling for salty feresh Coho in your prop wash. But I have just never had good luck with the XL. Could have been that the 3000 yard spool the camp had was either old, or was a chemical screw up at the factory, but ya know. You stick with what works for you. Confidence catches fish. If you are confident in a certain product, stick with it.

I watch that show "The hunt for big fish" with Larry Dahlberg. It is one of my favorites...The best part about it is the takle building...That guy is a craftsman.

 

[Jig'n]

I run Trilene XT 10 lb for my main line and Maxima UG for leader.


Jig'n

 

[halibuthitman]

Broken leaders

Broken leaders

I don't think I can count the number of kings I have lost on broken leaders:shock: the Karluk and anchor rivers have thousands of dollars worth of my gear stuck in the mouth of rotting king carcasses. I probably have a less than 1 outta 3 record for beaching or boating a king Ive hooked. But I probably suck.

"most my money I spent on beer, boats and trucks... the rest of it I wasted"

 

[joesnuffy]

i've dumped the Maxima UG and put back on 10lb Trilene XL

while fishing sat i keep birds nesting...... what crap!

btw i spooled both lines exactl,y the same and the Trilene is fine.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Yup, you got a super old spool. I picked up a one-shot of 8 lb. at Sportsman and they were having an "unadvertised" special. I bought the spool, and it was the worst leader I have had this Winter. Not only did it retain all of its memory from the spool, but it was so old it actually started to get that cloudy look that UG gets after 8 days in a sweltering boat on the Snohomish Better luck next time man.

 

[osmosis]

yup my vote is bad spool. blame the store for not turning product over quick enough, not Maxima! haha.

 

[joesnuffy]

yup my vote is bad spool. blame the store for not turning product over quick enough, not Maxima! haha.

I'm not so sure that i agree with this. A quality line shouldn't go bad in a enviormentaly controlled area.

maybe that's just wishful thinking.

 

[1aB]

Like Oregon, here in HI Maxima UG is by far the most popular spooled main line. But, I've tried it several times in different sizes on different spinning reels and always have casting tangle problems with it. After 48 years with spinning gear, I'm careful not to loose loop on the retrieve, and carefully select my mid-line reels for even full spool wrap oscillation. I gave UG (6#) one more try last Summer, and trashed it in disgust after one session. I'm ususally tossing light jigs, so maybe UG performs best with heavier presentations ?

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Joe, even with environmental controlled stores, mono is still in a constant state of decay. Time is the enemy of monofilaments, and aparantly co-polymer coated monos too are very hit or miss after 3 months or so. I just re-spooled an old casting reel with 15 pound UG and it casts an 1/8 oz. jig head, pretty well. I will use it for drift fishing Springers. I hear a lot of peope have issues with UG, but after literally thousands of fish fought on the stuff in the last 15 years... It is the most consistent main I have used, minus 50 lb. TuffLine braids for bouncing, and 150 lb. Cajun for brute Tuna wranglin. But thats way different, so... Keep usin what you can to catch fish. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it! Haha.

 

[joesnuffy]

well maybe our usage is differant, you seem to be using it on bait casters, I'm using it on a spinning reel.

it's easier to control how the line comes off a baitcaster.