just wondering what would work best fishing from shore?

10/4 Fireline Crystal

Magna thin by stren 6-8lbs test

I'd say your rod and what kind of bait you're casting make a MUCH bigger difference than the line.

But I'd go with a braid or a thinner line, like mentioned above

I guess I'd have to agree with Otter and Ace as I use them both but I do more casting with Fireline.

A long rod with good guide spacing and size and a reel with a big long spool is more important thanthe line. There are a lot of good lines for shore casting. Depending on if your just casting and retrieving like spoons and cranks or casting out a bottom rig. For Bottom rigs in rocky areas I like Maxima. very good break strength and abrassion resistance. For casting and retrieving cranks or spoons I like Power Pro in 10# test. Ill tie on a leader of flouro or a clear line if Im worried about visabilty of line but that usually isnt a concern around my kneck of the woods.

It's gonna be subjective: assuming for spinning reels and fresh line is best.

For jigs: 4# test for 3/8 oz or lest 6# test for 1/2 oz or greater.

For cranks: 6# test for 3/8 oz. 8# for 1/2 oz or greater.

Both of these lines with good abrasion resistance
4# gamma 6# break
4# yozuri hybrid 8# break

Other good options:
Stren Magnathin, but frays and nicks easily
Trilene Sensation, but is more stiff
Fireline, frays and fluffs, careful it can cut your finger
other braid lines, frays fluffs, holds a lot of moisture, sprays water.

If you are shore fishing you want to look at one of those Long European style rods that Cabela's sells. They also sell them in some of the carp fishing web sites. I bought one from an outfit in Illinios a few years back. They had a website I bought it off of. The rod is 11' 9 " long and I can cast about 50 yards with it. It is NOT the line but the rod that allows for long distance casting. Simple physics tells you that. However, mass (diameter) of the line does come into play. Thus, 4 pound mono will cast farther than say 80 pound braided. Because 4 lb. mono is thinner and has less mass. to throw around.

But, it is the rod not the reel that is the important thing if you are talking about distance casting.

Tight Lines;
Uncle Kes

good job!

Dang ... good thing I bought my reel before I read your post UnleKes, otherwise I would not have justified spending the extra money on the reel upgrade, thinking it would help me cast farther... LOL.

After using it, I would have to say that I do not notice a huge difference in casting distance, so your explaination must be pretty accurate. Despite this, I still love the new reel

If we start talking about rod length, one must also consider the line guide material as well as size of rings and the placement of them. As minute as it would seem from one kind of rod to another, the nature of the overall rod performance determines it. A stiff rod can usually cast a light lure a lot further with a lot more ease. A flexible rod can cast a heavy lure a lot further with the ability to load the weight and leverage that into the cast.

Just not sure if I will be using a 9' or longer rod to jig or crank for 'eyes, but it's plausible to use a float and fly technique.

8/3 fireline. Plenty of strenght and smaller diameter than the 10/4 (allthough it ain't much of one). But yes, the rod makes the bigger differance as well as your technique on how you throw then out.

NC Laker: While it may be true that a new reel will cast farther than and old one I suspect this is because the reel is new and well lubricated so there is less drag (friction) on the part that spins around.

Other things come into it as well, slipperybob mentions line guides and they do help but the physics of a rod says that it is a parabola. That is, it is a lever that transfers energy to the tip of the rod and enables you and I to cast a lure at a distance. The longer the rod the more energy is transfered to the tip and the farther we can cast.

Such things as length, rod materials and our own strength come into play here as well. I don't mean to make it sound simple because the physics of the things is not. But then, if you wanted to hear about the science involved you would have paid more attention to the teacher in your high school science class, right? Sorry! I was a teacher for many years and it is difficult to stop being one sometimes!

I have a good friend who used to be a butcher and has biceps like my thighs. I have what I consider a moderate build for someone my age but no matter the material or rod length I have NEVER been able to cast as far as he can. It bums me out to say this, but it is quite true.

I hope this helps!

Tight Lines;
Uncle Kes

How I would prioritize for casting distance:

1) Rod: length, blank type, line guide type. I've found that a drop shot rod can cast a lot further with very little effort. Fuji line guides ring size and spacing chart is favored for graphite type rods.

2) Lure weight: that will determine my line test#. We know in general heavier weights goes further. Too heavy of a weight for line and snap...

3) Line#: type of line to handle lure type and reel. Lines with lower weight needs less weight to get spool off. Casting against the wind, you need a line with heavier weight. It's all about inertia and momentum.

4) Reel: super lines need high quality reel for best performance. A combination of grooved line roller and proper tension line wrap on a shallow spool that prevents super lines from digging into itself will allow line to spool off effortlessly. Matching the proper sized reel, especially spool size to rod, effectively the size of the first few line guides, will allow the best line casting. Big spools causes line to unwind through a bigger cone and will cause more line slap on smaller first line guide.

Note: If you ever try casting an ultra light weight lure like 1/80 oz or lighter all by itself, a heavier flouro line will outcast a super line. This situation is where the weight is in the line, not the lure. That's also where that 20' pole comes handy, but that's panfishing and not walleye fishing...

SlipperyBob! For my money the priority is ROD LENGTH, ROD LENGTH, ROD LENGTH! Granted the guides will help cut down on the friction on the line which will slow the cast down. That is just common sense talking now. Lure Weight is a factor of course because it is where the load starts to be transferred to the rod and as I said earlier, the line weight will come onto play as well.

I will also say that the blank material also comes into play but simple physics will tell you that a 6 to 7 foot rod will cast farther than say a 5 foot rod all things being equal.

As I said earlier give me a 7 foot rod and Roland Martin a 5 footer and my money will be on Martin. However all things being equal the longer the rod the farther it will cast.