Cabelas No-Vis Fluorcarbon - First Impression.

[Bassboss]

When I was at cabelas last month, I picked up a spool of 12lb no-vis fluoro for my baitcaster since I've heard such good things about it, and it's priced very well.

I was a hot day today (100+ at 5:00 by the thermometer on my porch ), and I needed something to do before I went fishing, I thought I might as well spool up that reel with the fluoro since I planed on tossing some jigs, and big worms and today in deep-ish water around boulders, so the extra sensitivity would be nice.... and like I said I was board, lol. So I went on down to the cool basement and started the taking the 12lb CXX I had on before and putting back on the spool of line.

After I got down to my backing I tied it on using an albright knot.

First thing I noticed is this line is limp - a bit limper then 12lb CXX I think, and ad slightly less stretch. When I got back up stairs where the light was better (and heat was hotter, lo) I noticed the line was a milky kinda color. So, so far I was 1 for 1 for likes and dislikes. Packed some worms, and jigs in a back pack and went out the door to the fishin hole with a 5/16oz Eakins Finesse jig on and a Chunk X trailer rigged and ready with a palomar knot.

Onto the field tests.

Let me start off by saying I'm thoroughly impressed with how well this line casts, if someone told me this was mono, I'd believe them. To me I didn't handle anything like fluoro, other than the fact that it was "harder" if you know what I mean. I could also cast noticeably further and could almost reach the weed mats on the other side of deep hole I was fishing. So I started dragging my jig around to test the sensitivity and abrasion resistants. While it didn't feel as sensitive as my St.Croix Premier with braid, I was feeling the rocks a little more vividly, and could more easily detected the difference in the moss and hard bottom then I could with CXX. So now we know that this line can feel what on the bottom, but do we know if it can feel fish? Well the answer to that is yes. Unfortunately I only hooked up with one fish on the jig, but I knew that with out I had bass biting my jig, not another pesky rock bass who I could feel down there doing their thing too. I also missed another bass on the hook set, but I could definitely one had sucked it up.

What about stretch? We all know I'm pretty picky about my line when it comes to stretch. While it's nothing like braid, and no fluoro ever will be, it preformed well for me in this category. While I didn't feel that on a long cast, I could move my rod 2 inches and have my jig move 2 inches, I felt I had adequate control of what my jig was doing down there on the bottom. This was also low stretch enough to set the hook into a fish on a long casts. Remember that bass I caught earlier up there? Well I really crossed his eyes on the hook set, and wish I didn't. I really tore a good hole in his lip and if I'dve let my line limp for even a second he'da been off just like that. So unless you're making 60+ yard casts with a 7'6" rod, I think you'll be fine. I also found I could really jerk my rod and snap the jig free of any weeds just fine.

So I come home and chill a little while and around 5:00 we go to the Wolf River Dam to do a little more bassin. Good! Another opportunity to see what this line could do. I started out using the same Finesse jig, and missed a few fish fishing along a sea wall, only buttoned up with one 'em too and had it come off. I could toss my jig upstream and really feel the current taking it along and bouncing it along the rocks. I've never done with the CXX, so I can't really compare sensitivity, but in terms of abrasion resistance, No-Vis has CXX beat once again. I found that I really only needed to re-tie twice after half hour of dragging the jig.

Since my dad caught two smallies already yo-yoing a lipless crank, I thought I'd out the jig down a while and do the same. Again, I was very impressed with the line's casting. I was casting 3 - 5 yards short of my dad using 10lb braid and a spinning reel. I could definitely feel the crankbait wobbling back and forth, even when I lifted the rod slowly, but knew when I was getting into some rocks too. I also didn't feel like the line was lacking or having too much stretch, and could yo-yo them just fine and have perfect control of what it was doing.

After the lipless crank didn't turn anything up, I tried my luck with a LC pointer. I'd reel it down I feel crank, and give it a few snaps. Again, just enough stretch. I didn't feel like I really had to yank the rod to get the jerk bait to move, but I didn't have to barley twitch it either. Really liking it for jerkbait as a mater of fact.

Well no dice on the jerkbait either, so I set the casting rod down for a whole I fish a drop shot. Caught one smallie on that. After that.. nothing.

Picked up rod with No-Vis again and tied a smallie beaver on a 1/2 football. Again, I'd toss it up-steam and let the current s-l-o-w-l-y drag it along the bottom. I could certainly feel the jig going from gravel to larger rocks. But when I hopped it, it seemed to be a little on the stretchy side again. I could also distinguish a smallie slurping up the beaver from the rocks and gravel with out problem.

Over all I really like this line so far, and find it really shins with moving baits, and has a bit too much stretch for heavier jigs. With lighter jigs, I find it to be boarder line. I think a heaver pound test like 15, or 17 might fix that though. Unfortunately I didn't get to fish any worms on it today, but plan on it tomorrow. Good abrasion resistance, good sensitivity and awesome casting!! My only complaint so far is the milky color it has on the spool. I'm not really sure how it'll preform in ultra clear water in comparison to a clearer fluoro like Trilene 100% (which I use for leaders a lot), but I I'm not really sure if the fish care about line visibility either!

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this little review, and let me know if ya have any questions, I'll see if I can answer any!