hi guys
i fish my xlt's with tips all the time; as a matter of fact, the line concept was originally designed to assist wth line control while fishing tips (not as a dry line!).
i would recommend the following cut points; these will not work for everyone, but they suit my style of fishing and casting.
6/7: 20-21 feet: up to 150 grains/15 ft
7/8: 22 feet: up to 165 grains/15 feet
8/9: 25 feet: up to 200 grains/15 feet
9/10: 27 feet: up to 260 grains/15 feet
10/11: 28 feet: up to 285 grains/15 feet
these are the heaviest tips i have tested for these different line weights. the 8/9 through 10/11 i have tested with LC 13 (lead core, 13 grains per foot). with the heavist tips, some hinging will naturally occur, but it will still lay out. not all tips are created equal, some have better energy transfer than others.
the XLT lines were not designed for "add-on" weight, like sinking poly leaders (some of which add an additional 140 plus grains).
to address a previous post, if you were to cut back where the front taper ends on an 8/9, it would be around 90 feet; these are continuous taper lines, influenced by alexander grant's work, and not simple front taper connected to long section of fat belly! there are some steps of level line, depending on the line weight, the tapers may have up to 10 different
hope this helps.
way