Quote:
Originally Posted by Oolie
In my experience, it doesn't matter how tight your drag is or how strong the line is if you don't have a drift chute.
A kayak alone doesn't produce much in the way of resistance against a yellowtail when they get a lobster pot or kelp in sight.
Even with a drift chute, I think the maximum resistance is not very high, maybe within range of 15-20 pound test. I'd say that abrasion resistance, and excellent choice of knots are more important than heavy line.
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That's why you should pull yourself, or peddle yourself directly over the top of the fish as quickly as you can. With your line vertical in the water you can more effectively avoid the obstructions, and put more pressure on the fish because it isn't fighting the surface tension of the water, it's fighting the buoyancy of the kayak. A drift chute would prevent you from getting over the fish faster and is counter productive. Its not the 10 pound of drag on the surface of the water, its the ~400 pounds of weight capacity (buoyancy) of the kayak which you should be using to your advantage.
But by all means if you like to fish 15 pound test go for it!