WHICH LINE-Soft Lay or Lok Tite

[done workin]

Which one do you prefer and why for use with snoods:

#4 Lok Tite

#5 Lok Tite

Soft Lay

I am currently running #5 LokTite with snoods and have no issues, just looking for other opinions.

Thanks

Chris

[BowMovements]

I use #8. If you pull it in it's a little easier on the hands. If your gonna use a winder it's probably gonna be easier to shim. JMO

[SteveL]

I am a rec and don't use a puller, for many years I used locktite for my old non-snood line. I built a snoodline out of softlay and will never go back. The snoods attach easily without hardware and I really like the way softlay handles, it has never tangled, it is much stronger, and when I ocassionally wrap it around the prop its easier to get off than the locktite.

Softlay is thicker and more bulky than the (I think it was #5) locktite I previously used, and the snoods add extra bulk, but that is a minor disadvantage

[POLECAT]

I've tried them all and by far Soft Lay is the way to go for this crabber.

It's much stronger than # 4, 5 & 6 Loktite which I have used and much easier on the hands when pulling. It is also easier and faster to fasten snoods to. When snoods need to be replaced, they are easier to remove and replace with Soft Lay than with Loktite.

Loktite comes in spools of 1000'. Therefore, if you wnat to use the total amount that's legal for a rec to use, you need to purchase two spools to get the 1200'.

Soft Lay comes in 600' & 1200' lengths. Two 600' lengths cost the same as one 1200' length and adds flexability without necessitating purchasing more line than you need. That equates to a savings in $$ outlay over Loktite.

Comparing the differences it's easy to choose Soft Lay over Loktite. Not too many, if any at all, full time commercial crabbers use Loktite. One reason, but not the only reason, for that is because Loktite does not work well in some (most) line pullers. Soft Lay rarely offers that problem.

[bayhead]

I agree with EVERYTHING Jerry says about soft lay line - my line puller works just fine with 1/4" soft lay with 1/8" snoods and the line lays in your boat/container just right. That's why when I build snoodlines for crabbers I use soft lay exclusively. Once again...Jerry (Polecat) sells all quality materials and supplies me with whatever I need.

He's got a special sale going on...buy your materials from him and he offers FREE advice with every purchase. Sort of like...with every shoe you get one free only BETTER!:yes::yes::yes:

Bayhead aka Chuck

[POLECAT]

Chuck,
Am I going to have to pay you a commission?:D

[trapshoot]

Jerry;

Where is the best place to get the soft lay?

Vince

[bayhead]

Trapshoot - simple answer - Jerry's garage

[rock n crab]

I run #6 loktite, I don't use snoods.... this line unbaits very easily when attached to a cleat and pulled.... necks and eels alike pop off very easily when it's time to rebait. It works well with a spool type line puller that I use but then again I bet the softlay would too.
One of these days I'm going to try this snood line thinig to see what the hype is about but I know the winder I have will not do well with them. for now my straight line is doing the job ok.

[POLECAT]

There's nothing wrong with running a straight line. I did it for over 4 decades with decent success. However, when crabs became as scarce as they presently are and I was reintroduced to snood lines, it became instantly apparent that this method was at least three times more productive over the straight line method.

The one thing I truly miss is not being able to "POP" the baits off the line at the end of the day. This, however, is offset by the quantity and quality of crabs I can catch using a snood line. The added attraction of baiting that line with clams adds another dimention to crabbing success.

No matter what method one uses to catch crabs, the important thing is that they're having fun and can take home enough to satisfy their needs. That's what it's all about in my book!