Hello, this is Firas from Mississauga

[MuskieBait]

With 20lb mono, you will be struggling to cast a #2 or #3 Mepps. This is the reason why OT and I suggested for you to use lighter lines. The thick line diameter does not cut through the air as easily, and the line coil (memory) from the stiffer line also contribute to the problem.

You actually made the situation worse by replacing the braid with the 20lb mono, even if your 80lb braid is equivalent to 20lb mono in diameter. Braid at the same diameter is more flexible than mono with almost no stretch, thus giving you better sensitivity overall and a slight increase in casting distance.

If you change from 30lb braid to 20lb mono, you just went from an ideal situation where 30lb braid is equivalent to 8lb mono to a worse situation where your line is now much stiffer, much more stretch and much less sensitive.

If you insist on using heavy line for fishing, the best suggestion is to use heavy braid (flexible, stretch free and sensitive) with a leader of mono or fluoro material, as OT and I had both suggested.

With #2 and #3 spinners, you can expect to catch anything from 6" Rock Bass all the way to 30lb Chinook Salmon. I just had a 20lb+ salmon slammed my #3 silver Mepps on Saturday.

Here's a 12lb Steelhead caught on the #3 Mepps a couple of years ago...And BTW, this Steelhead was landed on 30lb braid main line with 4 feet of 8lb fluorocarbon leader.



You do not need heavy line to land big fish. All the fish in the following pictures are landed with 8lb mono or fluoro...either as mainline or as leader material.

30lb Grass Carp - 8lb mono main, 8lb fluoro leader



34" Common Carp (~25lbs) - 8lb mono main, 8lb fluoro leader



29" Brown Trout (~12lbs) - 8lb mono main, 8lb fluoro leader



10lb+ Freshwater Drum - 30lb braid main, 8lb mono leader



20lb Chinook Salmon - 8lb mono main, 6lb fluoro leader



If you are not fishing in areas where there are a lot of obstacles or opportunities for fish to wrap your line or cut your line, 8-10lb mono will handle the majority of your shore fishing situations in Ontario. One time, I even pulled a 40lb Cownose Ray backwards after a 100+ yards run in Maryland. It was snagged at the base of the tail and difficult to control, but I was only using 30lb braid, 15lb mono and #8 baitholder hooks. It took a while but the fish was eventually leadered at the beach. If you set the drag properly, let the rod and the drag put out the pressure, be patient and let the fish run to tire out...you can land some big fish on light lines.