I have the 80p and to be honest I was going to load it with 100lb pe line but after feeling the rod I went down to 80lb. At 8kg (pulled straight from the reel) the rod had enough bend when I loaded it straight down the tip at 3m from the tip I can go to 12kg. 70g-120g is what I tried on the rod, should do the 140g.
Hi Jack,
A fellow 80P man!
I've had the debate about line strength before and I do load my rod with 100 test JB hollow braid. This is nothing to do with the rod handling 100 test on a strike from a big fish or the progressive pull experienced during a fight - that is down to the drag setting on the reel. Rather it is the strength of line I know I can hold to breaking point when I have locked up the reel by palming the spool and the rod is pointing straight at a running fish I know I have to stop. I believe almost any rod can be broken on even 60 test braid using a progressive pull at a 45 degree angle - not that I intend to try!
So for me the set-up on my 80P is dictated by -
- the poppers/stickbaits the rod will handle on casting and working (it easily handles lures to 150g on both counts and I would not be shy of going to the rod's stated rating of 170g lures)
- the drag setting the rod will handle on the shock load experienced from a strike or sudden run from a big fish. I confess I don't get overly scientific on this - I basically set the drag such that line is released when the rod bends enough - enough = the bend on a sudden pull that I can absorb without me being in danger of being pulled overboard from a standing position!
- the line test I can handle on a straight pull locked up.
I think that the ideal set-up on any rod is a combination of what the rod can handle and what the fisherman can handle - and both are best proven "in the field". Get either one of these out of sync and you are asking for trouble.