Just finished an article in Western Outdoor News that spoke to the issue of short topshots of fluoro and spectra backing.

IMO this craze has gone way pass a tipping point, deckhands, and skippers are ready to bring down the hammer on this new technique.

Spectra is fantastic for a backing material. I use it on all my fly rods for trout and salt-water fish. Small diameter and high tensile strength. However, as a main line for the Over Night Boat or for that matter three day boat on the offshore grounds it is overkill and does not help you get bit.

Yes a "leader of 1 yd can make a difference on live bait but tie it off with a seaguer knot to 20 to 30 # test of good old mono.

Keeps everyone who goes into a tangle out of the tangle with a fish still attached.

Remember how many fish you caught without spectra...times do change, techniques change and equipment changes.

Let common sense prevail on the rail and it will make for better fishing and catch stats for everyone.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SDTuna,

I fished Dacron before Spectra and I'd have trouble using 100% mono. My topshots run from 5' to "boat length" on my live bait rods to 50yds on my casting rods. I use 5'-10' topshots for steelhead and 50' ones for kokanee.

Having said this, I feel the crews would be far happier if we kept our topshots at boat length or better. On my own boat I use 100' topshots for trolling.

Slice and dice, the JACKPOT winner is.......? Not Cool except if it's your spectra !!!

I have to agree with SD Tuna. Spectra makes a great backing material and a minimum of 75 yards of topshot should be used at all times IMO. The spectra tangles a incredible at times amd the mono is usually cut to save some poor fool who has decided to use a short top shot. To control the use of short top shots on the local, and overnight trips is to cut all lines in a tangle and the cost would soon make these guys start to think about using longer top shots. I have nothing against using the short top shots, I use them at times myself but on our private boat where I have more control over who I fish with and the skill level of my fellow anglers. Fish it and fish it hard, I have had quite a few fish this year get into my backing on small reels (SX 6/4) and with out that backing I would have been spooled. Good luck and good fishing.