Line Weights

[nobuzz]

I have a (cheapish) rod which I have bought for SWFF and pike.

It is rated 9/10 and is 10' long.

I have two lines for it, a WF10 Floater and a WF10 Sinker, both are "unbranded" (£5 each).

My problem is that although the sinker casts very well (by my standards) the floater is a nightmare.

With the floater the rod feels sluggish, the loops are wide and it is very difficult to shoot any amount of line.

Would there be any point trying a WF9 floater.

Also, would cutting the WF 10 for use as a shooting head work. What backing line should I use if I do?

[birdsnest]

Are you sure it is a #10 line ? Some of these cheapo lines don't do what they say on the tin. As a general rule, if a rod has a range of line weights rated then it is best to go for the high rating. So I don't see any point in going to a #9 line unless you purchase a better quality one. Do you know anybody with a decent #9 or #10 line on a reel that you could borrow, take over the park and have a chuck ? If your floater turns out to be light then it probably won't be any good for a shooting head. They should be the correct weight for the rod (although I sometimes overload by a weight). Any of the proprietary brands of backing will do, I like the amnesia types, not so many tangles with them. birdsnest

[alan]

Could the floater be a double taper rather than weight forward?