# steel line



## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

So I got a reel that is big enough to spool some steel line. I intend on running the bottom of the gorge w big flatfish. Never done it but hear stories. Checkin into the line it comes in 90lb and 120lb at sportsmans. What would you use? Anyone have experience w it?


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## Ton_Def (Dec 23, 2008)

Ahh! A lost art! I would use the lightest line available. When you snag.... you snag!! It's easier to lose a few yards of lighter weight line. At less than 100ft, it all sinks the same... to the bottom! Just be sure your rod is up to the task, most eyelets will shred with steel line. Rollers keep it rollin'! Post up some pics of the set up if you can...


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Wireline has been around forever, saltwater of course, and for years in the Great Lakes for lake trout and salmon. It caught on at Flaming Gorge during the 80s and lake trout records were repeatedly broken using wireline ending with a 50 1/2 lb lake trout in '88, the current state record.

It's a tough way to fish. First you need a long flat run of 80 to 110 foot deep water that holds mature macks and doesn't have a bunch of other fisherman zigging and zagging around with downriggers. (Good luck with that.) The lures are usually drug on the bottom and wireline fisherman need a good "feel" for the lake bottoms, knowledge that comes with many miles of wirelining and jillions of hangups.. If using Kwikfish or Flatfish take the front hook off. Tying some sucker meat to the bottom of the plug helps catch fish. Huge pop gear, often times homemade, worked well. Normally the fisherman holds the rod in order to pump or yank on it if it snags. Reeling the line in is standard practice when turning the boat around to make a another "run".

Hideout, Linwood Bay, Swim Beach and Antelope Flat are popular Utah wireline spots. Wyoming's part of the Gorge generally has a flatter bottom and more places to run wire. Geeze, we wore out Anvil Draw, Swim Beach, the Pipeline and Buckboard back in the day. The wireline craze lasted 10 years or so. A lot of big fish were caught and a lot of sunken sagebrush and juniper trees were removed from the bottom of the Gorge. After awhile the lake became increasingly crowded with downrigger fisherman pushing the wireline and flatline fisherman out. There's still some wire guys out there, mostly during hunting season and during the lake trout pre-spawn, or Spring time, when Flaming Gorge is not so crowded.

You'll need a good pair of crimping pliers and some crimps. And it goes without saying that pair of quality wire-cutting pliers needs to be at hand when trolling...and some good leather gloves.

I made custom wireline rods for years. Used them for lakers and salmon on Lake Michigan in the 70s. In the 80s I sold them on comission to the marinas at the Gorge and Lake Powell. Some of my rods had carbide rollers, some just heavy-duty rods with a carbide tip top and carbide last guide. I liked 600 ft of 90lb on a Penn 49L reel. Avoid twisting the line when spooling it up and trolling. Use the best snap swivels money can buy.

Here's a good post including pics on the subject:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=36333&p=404815&hilit=wireline#p404815

If ya wanna see some wireline tackle stop by the International Freshwater Fishing Museum in Evanston WY.


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## Dodger (Oct 20, 2009)

I built a couple wireline rods last spring and put 90lb line on them. I used the guides Ton Def is talking about to protect them from the steel - silicon carbide/silicon nitride.


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## Dustin Deans (Jul 2, 2021)

americanforkdude said:


> So I got a reel that is big enough to spool some steel line. I intend on running the bottom of the gorge w big flatfish. Never done it but hear stories. Checkin into the line it comes in 90lb and 120lb at sportsmans. What would you use? Anyone have experience w it?


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## hardman11 (Apr 14, 2012)

I use steel line as a leader for musky and pike and fire line on the reel.


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