Berkley Vanish Transition Review

[skeeter944]

Hey yall,I just bought some Berkley Vanish Transition a few days,and I thought I would do a little review. I bought it from our Academy for $17 and some change,I got 17lb test BTW. I spooled it on one of my extreme baitcasters and I put a 1/8 ounce worm weight and a 3/0 Mustad Mega Bite worm hook and a 6'' finesse worm. Well,the color changing thing is awesome, I was able to see the line very clearly above the water,while it is nearly invisible underwater. I seem to cast farther with this line than with mono of a similar diameter,and the memory is almost like mono. It sinks and that gives me lots more sensitivity and less slack in the line for better hook sets,I found that a sweeping hookset works best. I tied the palomar knot and wetted it very good,and then I slowly cinched it down,so as to not burn the line and cause a brittle spot. Overall,I think this is an excellent buy,I would reccomend yall try it. The people who given it bad reviews dont know how to tie the right knot or spool it correctly, so dont listen to them. Yall should try it,it is very good!

[FlyRod]

The dissenting opinion:

MY experience with BVT (the line mentioned in the foregoing,) was of a less positive nature.
Two years ago I bought the 10-pound BVT and spooled it onto 2 Shimano Curado 100B (with wiffle conversion) reels. I also purchased the BVT in #12, spooling it onto a Curado 200BSF. The 100Bs were mounted on Team AllStar 785Cs and the 200BSF on a St.Croix Avid AC66MHF.
The two lighter rigs were intended for use with 1/16-1/8 ounce-weighted soft plastics or light Bitsy Bugs and the heavier rig was assigned the duty of casting 1/8-1/4 ounce-weighted soft plastics or jigs up to 5/8 ounce.
Field tests were carried out at Beautiful Canyon Lake (The Jewel Of The Texas Hill Country) during several Spring outings.
I found the BVT to be less than mannerly, especially the #10 version. The line seemed to want to "Spring" off the spool when casting, somewhat in the manner of a deranged Slinky Toy(TM). The #12 BVT had a similar characteristic, albeit to a lesser degree (no doubt due to the ballistics of the heavier weights.)
While the visibility if the line, above water and once wetted, WAS pretty much as advertised (which is why I bought the infernal crap,) that alone could not offset the negative aspects of the product.
Not only was there an issue with backlashes (something I normally leave to my partners) but I experienced several knot failures and a couple of breakoffs NOT at the knot. The latter, I'm certain, can be attributed to kinks created while clearing backlashes. Still, BVT seemed far more sensitive to kinking than other lines tested over the years, to include P-Line FloroClear, P-Line Fluorcarbon leader material, and others.
(Note that I am an obsessively meticulous knottist, paying close attention to detail in that regard. I can even tie the dreaded J-Knot...so there)
My partner during these tests, one "George", will attest that I muttered several vile oaths as I put the BVT through it's paces.
I also spooled some of the #10 onto a Quantum TiMag 3000 spinning reel. Oddly, the BVT performed somewhat better in that milieu, so far as casting characteristics were concerned. However, the same issues surfaced as to knot failures.
In short, while advertised improved visibility DOES exist, at least on brighter days, the other issues with BVT have made it unwelcome in my arsenal. Apparently, having read other postings re BVT in various forums, as well as engaging in one-on-one discussions with other users, I am not alone in giving BVT poor marks.

Disclaimer: No bass were harmed during these tests (Unless you count sore jaws, from being hooked, and sore ribs from laughing their anal fins off at my shouts of outrage at every line failure.)

FlyRod
Chief, Field Test Division
South Texas Branch

[weaverml34]

I have not tried the Vanish Transition but I did try the regular Vanish last summer. I was not impressed at all. As flyrod did I had problems with line memory to the point where the line was unraveling off of the spool. Backlashes were also an issue because of the memory. I didn't experience any issues with knot strength as some others have had. I was at a seminar that Wesly Strader gave a couple of weekends ago and he said that Vanish was junk, in the nicest possible way that he could. When asked about Vanish he originally said "no comment" but he couldn't hold back his true feelings. He did say though that he got to test some new flouro that Berkley was coming out with and that it was a lot better.

[skeeter944]

well,i think i will try out some other brands before i settle on one,what do yall reccomend other than the seagur stuff,maybe p-line or some thing?

[bassinbob]

Flyrod that was some pretty impressive verbalization. The uneducated might have not previously encountered your vernacular.

Bob

[links_man2]

skeeter - I have had good luck with the P-Line CX Premium 20# and Power-Pro 50# for soft plastics/jigs and Gamma Co-Poly 14# for hard baits. Tried some Seaguar 20# for soft plastics and it was just too wirey so I use it on fliiping rod and then always stretch and straighten 20-30 ft before I go out.

I use fairly heavy lines because my local lake is just about solid salt cedar so any fish I get have to be horsed out of that.

I also use the KVD Line & Lure on all but braid and really see a difference with it.

[keithdog]

Hmmmm, I was thinking about trying Berkleys Transition flourocarbon line this year but now I am not so sure. Are there other brands without the stiffness and memory issues??? I thought one of the selling points of flourocarbon line was it's "lack" of memory. Maybe I'll stick with my old favorites, Silver Thread and Trilene XL. BPS sells a flourocarbon line. Anyone tried that yet?

[skeeter944]

I think I will try it next,I will let yall know how it is. Fluorocarbon lines are stiffer than mons and copolys but with a baitcaster,it isnt to noticible.

[dampeoples]

I've had bad results with Vanish, it's the only fluorocarbon I've tried, and I felt like I followed all the directions to tie the knots and all.

I'll jsut stick with my Silver Thread

[betursweetbass]

Good comments guys. Myself, I've never liked the Berkley line up of any kind. I had some fish break off when I first starting fishing seriously and switched to Stren, I didn't care for that much due to the reason FR mentioned. I then switched to Silverthread and later Pline, and now that's about all I use. I do like Cajon Red Cast, and I did use Shakespear alot, but now a days, it's Pline Floro for my first choice.

[Vabass22]

Try Gamma, or P-line. Both are verrry high quality lines, that should blow any Berkeley line out of the water. JMO

[Rodman_Rob]

i had horrible problems with line memory as well with 14 and 17 lbs transition, much worse than the regulat vanish. I say just go with power pro. it may not be invisible but 20-30 lbs test is thin enough for finesse presentations and is plenty strong enough to get you out of the thickest slop. I've even gotten pretty good w/ crankbaits on power pro, just gotta play the fish properly. It's pretty much turned into my "Everything" line.

[mack]

i bought 17 pound test vanish transition and the memory was HORRIBLE...worst memory on a line that ive ever seen. would not even think about using it again.

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

I've only tried transition and stren FC, the stren had less memory, but still had more than mono. I was thinking of trying XPS, since I love the reduced stretch and the density of FC.

[adamchasejones]

I just bought a new extreme combo from BPS and spooled it with 20lb XPS fluoro. I gotta say i like the vanish better. The xps has a TON of memory. Not that it really matters that much with a baitcaster but I am kinda spoiled with the vanish. I'll kick in the extra two bucks from now on.

adam

[pig n jig]

Skeeter,I must be the only one who likes Berkley Transition line ?I also used 17 lb test for senkos. In my honest opinion,I think it is the best Berkley line on the market, but as you can see I must be the only one here who thinks that.I have had nothing but good luck with the line and as you mentioned, the color change is awesome for those times the bite is very light.Transition line is very strong line, but you must go slow and easy when cinching the polamar knot tight and keep the knot wet when your cinching it.I use spit to keep it wet.I don't care what brand of flourocarbon line you use, you will have a weakened knot, or break off problem if you do not take care when cinching the knot down. Flourocarbon lines are very strong, but they can weaken very easily from friction caused by cinching a knot down quickly, or when the line is dry.There is quite abit of line memory at first,much like P-Line brands, but the more fish you catch, the line memory problem seems to Vanish. If your having trouble, maybe you could hook your lure on to something and then let a fair amount of line on it and stretch it a little bit before fishing with it if its a real problem.Here in NY, the days are colder, so I am thinking I am more tolerable to line memory than the warmer Southern States are.They claim you can run warm tap water over line and it reduces the line memory as well, but I anit never tried it. P N J

[skeeter944]

I like it to ivan,it works for me. I must have gotten a good spool.

[HOG Ranger]

PNJ, I have Transition on 5 or 6 reels and like it. In fact, I just loaded up my drop shot reel last night with #8 of the new "red" Transition line. Maybe it is the way I spool it but I haven't had the memory problem that others have had.

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by Rodman_Rob

i had horrible problems with line memory as well with 14 and 17 lbs transition, much worse than the regulat vanish. I say just go with power pro. it may not be invisible but 20-30 lbs test is thin enough for finesse presentations and is plenty strong enough to get you out of the thickest slop. I've even gotten pretty good w/ crankbaits on power pro, just gotta play the fish properly. It's pretty much turned into my "Everything" line.

Another Convert

Lizards