Hi all, 

 

I'm pretty new to fishing. My daughter has a lite rod/reel that's not recommended to exceed 6 lb test line. I'd bought some 10 lb braid before thinking about this. She's got 4 lb test on it but bass and catfish keep snapping the line. My question is, is it stupid to exceeded recommended lb test line? Also, will braided line screw up the fishing pole? Thanks

Well the line rating won't hurt, but braid is not friendly to spincasting reels. 

I really depends on the reel.

I would probably just use 6lb mono, and try to be careful about checking the line for nicks and scratches (and re-tie when necessary), as damaged line is often the culprit when a fish breaks off.

 

Line wt. recommendations are really about line diameter, rather than strength, and they usually assume monofilament diameter unless otherwise stated.   You can generally assume any braid strength is fine if its diameter is consistent with diameter of mono at the recommended strength. (10lb braid should have a diameter of about 2-4lb mono).

 

The problem is that 10lb braid will likely wear out the reel and rod guides over time via abrasion, as spincast gear is not typically manufactured for longevity.

P-Line CXX 6 lb is very strong

Thank you all!

Another thing I probably need to work on is my knots. I've noticed these fish are tending to break off the line right at the hook (with one exception where it broke off past the bobber). I've been using a blood knot, but if anyone has knots that they use that work well, particularly around weeds with a Texas rigged plastic nightcrawler, I'm definitely open to suggestions! 

2 minutes ago, OldDog said:

Another thing I probably need to work on is my knots. I've noticed these fish are tending to break off the line right at the hook (with one exception where it broke off past the bobber). I've been using a blood knot, but if anyone has knots that they use that work well, particularly around weeds with a Texas rigged plastic nightcrawler, I'm definitely open to suggestions! 

About 90% of the knots I tie on hooks are nothing but an old-fashioned improved clinch. I use a Palomar knot on octopus hooks on wacky rigs. 
 

An IC is simple to tie and very strong if tied correctly. Like all knots, lubricate well with saliva or water before snugging down tight. And make sure the line/knot is at the top of the eye and none of it gets caught in the gap. That will easily cause knot breaks.