Flourocarbon....

[BPACA]

Some reason I think flouro could help on this lake.....I might play around with some before my tournament to see which one to use....

[eyes]

Gamma Edge, a little spendy but well worth the money. I use 8# test and I can not see a fish breaking it and it cast great. I have noticed a big increase in my catch, try it and you'll be sold, a nice line.

[Gatrapper]

Well you can go spend $75 on a spool of flouro but im telling you to try the Berkley Vanish. The stuff is awesome. Just remeber to wet your line before you tie the knot. I also always super glue my knots for extra strength.

[pete s.]

to all the vanish lovers what knot do you use. i think that might be alot of the problem people experience with vanish. mho

[Christopherkeene9]

Definently a waste of money. I have dove in the salt while the rest of the crew aboard was still fishing and I can watch the fish look at the bait and shy away. I also noticed that the flurocarbon was more visible than 8lb. ande mono and this was to my own eyes that aren't made to work underwater compared to a fish's that are.

Save your money.

[Patrick Krueger, Jr.]

Originally Posted by zooker

don't start using it it is a waste of time..

I concur. I was on a salmon charter on the fourth on Lake Michigan and the captain agreed. The memory is frustrating and it costs too much. Even for leaders I stick with mono.

Look at zooker's number of posts, read some, he knows what he's talking about.

[dodgeguy]

i was a flouro hater like some of you guys.seguar invizx changed all that.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by Patrick Krueger, Jr.

Look at zooker's number of posts, read some, he knows what he's talking about.

patty-o furniture done got me all blushin now lol..

zooker

[BassAddict]

I just spooled 2 reels with 17 lb XPS Fluoro and have 2 cranking reels spooled with 12 lb. I'm starting to really like this over most others. The Seagar InvisX is pretty good too but I just took it off one reel and replaced it with the XPS. My brother also likes the Yozuri H2O. I have a tournament this coming Sat. and my faith right now is with the XPS Fluorocarbon line. I have 50 lb Suffix Braid on one reel cause I have a spot that's just plain nasty but the fish are there and I want to make sure they come out! I tried Vanish and Vanish Transition a while back and they can't handle the way I fish! LOL I need something that isn't that easy to break.

Eric

[Rebbasser]

Originally Posted by Redneck4woodmont

so let me get this straight, I need to use mono for topwater stuff, braid or superline for heavy cover, and flouro for everything else? also i heard that berkley's fireline is pretty good, is this true??

Sort of. The reason mono is recommended for topwater is because it floats, unlike fluoro which sinks. You don't need to use superline in heavy cover but is a good idea IMO-I once pulled a 20 lb flathead catfish through a flooded treetop after it hit a jig-thought it was a monster bass-but I never would have boated it without braid. Fluoro-I use it but discovered, like Zooker, that I really like P-Line Floroclear. Mono with a fluoro coating. It sinks, handles extremely well and is a real joy to use. One of the few lines I have discovered that really is both limp and tough.

I did read not too long ago to NOT use a Palomar knot with fluoro-use a trilene knot. Apparently the Palomar kinks the line, which is the kiss of death with fluoro. If it kinks you better replace it.

[3dkicker]

I used Vanish for a while and lost (broke off to be specific) way too many fish on hooksets. I even changed knots and still broke them off. I tried Floroclear and did the same. You can't fish money tournaments and expect to get a check if you lose fish. For years I fished plastics on 6'6" Med spinning rods and 10lb test and would lose fish every once in a while but not break them off. Now I can't find a 10 lb mono or floro that doesn't break on the hook set, and trust me I've tried plenty. I fish plastics on baitcasters and 17lb XT and no more breaks. Only problem is casting very light baits. But I'll adapt.

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by patchino22

I am reading all this negativity towards Vanish....why? I mainly fish plastics and use Vanish. I have gone back and forth between Vanish and P-Line Flouroclear and I like the Vanish a lot more. I have had no problems with it and I have landed some hogs with it. Please explain why I should avoid it.

Patchster,

To begin with you are comparing apples to oranges...well, more like peaches to nectarines. That's because Vanish is a "pure" flUorocarbon while P-Line FloroClear (no "u") is a cofilament, basically a parallel blending of fluoro and mono.
I'm delighted that you've had good fortune with fluoro, especially given that you use Vanish, whereas most folks I've heard from have not been so fortunate. In fact, my own experience (with Vanish Transition, to be precise,) was less than salubrious. I will admit that there MUST be a better fluoro or two out there.
Use what you will, of course, and best wishes, but I still believe that using P-line Floroclear in lieu of pure fluoro means little loss and some gain, especially in the area of line costs.
Side note: Frankly, I wish I felt comfortable using braid in ALL applications, since that would be the most cost-effective approach of all.
Anyway, given that the most-quoted reason for using pure fluoro is it's purported "invisibility", I feel compelled to note that MOST water, lest it be gin clear, will sufficiently conceal virtually any line, especially when fishing with a fairly fast retrieve. Frankly, I cannot recall any occasion wherein I felt that a pure fluoro would have conferred an advantage over FloroClear.
I'm open-minded, though, and DO feel that the pure flouro leaders I employ with braid are critical to what success I enjoy.


FR

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

I did read not too long ago to NOT use a Palomar knot with fluoro-use a trilene knot. Apparently the Palomar kinks the line, which is the kiss of death with fluoro. If it kinks you better replace it.

This reenforces my earlier comment re knots. Actually, I strongly disagree that the Palomar itself is the "kiss of death". POORLY tied Palomars (or any other poorly-tied knots) ARE the "smooch of doom".
My friend Reb can attest he's seldom seen me lose lure and/or fish due to "Failurus Catastrophicus Palomaris" so that must mean that my diligence when creating that knot pays off, as well it should.
Any knot...ANY...can "fail", but only if the tyer thereof has selected a vastly wrong knot for the purpose and/or tied it poorly. That harkens back to the need for friction and loop-twist avoidance as stressed in my initial post (this thread.)
In short, don't blame any but the true culprit...sloppy inattention to detail.
Now, here's a consideration sure to cause some head-scratching...
Since the knot is the weakest link, if only by a small margin, in the fisherman-to-lure/fisherman-to-bass connection, it makes sense to "protect" the knot (can I get an "Amen" here?) Okay, so I always rig, or at least attempt to, my softies with the entire knot just covered by the plastic "nose" of the lure. Also, I peg (rubber pegs ONLY...more about that in a sec.,) my weight AND I use a weight with a cupped rear. This is so that it's less likely that any hard or abrasive material can slam against the knot. In cases where I use a pegged BEAD with the weight sliding freely I peg the bead firmly AND assure that there is a bit of soft plastic cushion extending above the knot. Are you getting the idea here? Good. That means your knot failure rate may well decrease.
But, Uncle Fly, why not the good ol' toothpick for pegging? (I hear you cry.) Well, boils and goiters, that's easy...Wood is harder than rubber, is more likely to damage the line than rubber, and has virtually no shock absorptive quality.
Part Deux:
Now, and this is a real goody...Of all the knots the Palomar exposes less "knot" when properly tied. Huh Wot
Well, think about it. A Trilene knot, an improved Clinch, etc, "stacks" line further up the standing portion, beyond the hook eye. Ergo, you have more vulnerability to knot damage UNLESS you go even further past the eye with the soft stuff. Even if you do, the cup in the back of the weight may not be deep enough to avoid hard metal impacting the knot when snag or strike occurs.
Of course, "burying" the knot helps prevent a fish's teeth from doing damage as well.
Until my OWN empirical evidence condemns the PROPERLY tied Pal Of Mine Knot, I'm gonna stick with it.

Maybe this'll learn ya', durn ya'!


FR

[links_man2]

Been using BPS XPS Fluorocarbon 14-Lb for cranks for the last 3-4 months and really like it. Haven't had any knot problems and I use a Uni-Knot for everything. I also spray it with KVD Line & Lure occasionally. Doesn't have enough memory to bother me---no more than the Gamma Co-Poly I use for other baits. It also seems to last just as long or longer than mono once I have spooled it. I also fish 3-4 times a week so it gets plenty of use. I like it well enough I am going to order an 800-yard spool soon.

[lunker-lander]

Do Not Use Gamma - It Is The Worst Flourocarbon Known To The World!!!!!!!!