fluorcarbon recommendations?

[WetBait]

I'm looking to try flurocarbon line on my smallmouth jigging setup this year. Never used the stuff before but I think I can benefit from the sinking properties and less stretch (debatable I know). This will be rigged on a Curado baitcaster and Loomis MBR 785. _If_ the line doesn't stretch as much as mono, I'll likely have to lighten the rod action.

Any recommendations by experience?

Thanks,
Ray

[HammerinHonkers]

Fluorocarbon is great stuff. As far as brand, I have used many different brands and they all work great. I use 8lb. on my spinning rod for river smallmouth and it works good, I do believe in the lower stretch on the line, and also I have never seen a line disappear like fluoro does.:twocents:

[Dan360]

Make real sure that your line is wet when you tie your knots. Fluorocarbon burns easy. Also, memory with fluorocarbon lines seems to be greater, so be more careful when spooling and using lures that might spin your line up.

[Blacktailfiend]

Personaly I use p-line fluorocarbon for just about everything.... The only drawback is the price and you cant fish topwater baits on it.... I started useing it for salmon and steelhead and saw a drastic increase in hookups. Naturally I used it for bass and am totally sold on it.... Even if at times the only advantage I get is confidence from useing it, that is worth it to me. Just my :twocents:.

[Chad S.]

Gamma is what you need....low stretch, and the toughest line out there GAURENTEED!

[BuKuBass]

Fluoro doesn't stretch? Testing shows otherwise:
http://pages.videotron.com/fishing/estretch.htm
http://www.shallowwaterangler.com/features/line_stretch_test/

[creamfish]

My favorite flourocarbon line is 8-10 P-line this stuff is amazing I mainly use it for my tubes and finnese work, it is also good for crainkbaits. I have caught many big bass on this line it's low stretch and very very sensitive!
Josh:wink:

[flippinbaits]

i like P-Line fluro, aslo P-Line Halo works wonders. Fluro to me does make a difference. Especially with finesse fishing and jigs. I use 15-17 for jigs, and usually 8-12 for finesse plastics. I also use copolymer in my arsenal. Only thing i would stay away from is P-Line Fluroclear. I think it breaks to easy. If you use it, try using 12lb+.

[salmontime]

Yo Zuri Hybrid!

[KStock]

I use Maxima Fluorcarbon and love it for finesse fishing but haven't fished with enough brands to know how it compares to P-Line and others.

-Kurt

[FishNChip]

Diawa Steez Floro - Strongest floro carbon i've found, plus casts like mono!
P-line 100% Floro - close second!
Alex
www.alexgrisham.com

[Smj]

I used a 6' leader of Maxima 20# flouro tied to 20# Tuff Line, it felt great on hook sets, and you could feel the fish LOOKING at your bait it was so sensitive.

I'm to cheap to pay to fill whole spools with spendy flouro!

Smj

[Hunt'nFish]

Not a flouro fan. 14lb P-Line Co-poly or braid with maxima leader for me.
Flouro is just too stiff for me.
That's baitcasters anyway. Flouro on a spin reel is a disaster.
My 2cts, Hunt'nFish

[Tar Heel]

I got ''hooked'' on Maxima mono in 84 when I first moved out here and we tied steelhead leaders from it, so, naturally I bought their Flouro when I wanted to try it out. I guess cuz of the memory (lack of) issues I prefer mono. But I am a spinning reel dude all the way. For crankbaits I got away w/ 8 lb flouro just barely, but this yr. I'm gonna try 12 lb. and see if da deep little n will still hit bottom! 8lb flouro is tough for me to use. Is there a flouro that tangles less, or is it just nature of da beast?H&F, what do use braid for? What braid would you toss a topwater or jitterbug with? We tossed some big plugs at da redfish in NC w/ braid and flouro leaders and it was some epic tossin!Flouro leader in clear water works good as an alternative too.

[BuKuBass]

I...What braid would you toss a topwater or jitterbug with? We tossed some big plugs at da redfish in NC w/ braid and flouro leaders and it was some epic tossin!Flouro leader in clear water works good as an alternative too.
If you're using lighter top waters with critical balance properties, smear some ChapStick on the fluoro to counter its tendency to sink.

Here are some reasons why I use braid with a fluoro leader:
1- The abrasion resistance of fluorocarbon is superior to braid.
2- It's easier to break-off a snag. I run 10/3 and 15/4# braid with 8 and 10# fluoro.
3- Reduce any line visibility issues.
4- Saves your braid by sacrificing leader for new tip knots.
5- It lasts much longer than other formulations. I have some eleven year-old 20/6# Tuffline XP that broke at a measured twenty two pounds.

Another hint: Divide your braid into 50 to 75 yard segments and back with enough cheap mono to fill the spool.

As for brands, besides the afore-mentioned Tuffline, I like Stren's SuperBraid and will be trying Stren's MicroFuse with its fluorescent feature.

[Tar Heel]

Well then, I'm gonna load a reel with braid and see how it works. Pardon the ignorance, but does braid work for cranking and plastics? When i used it on the salt, it seemed like a floating line, but it casts a mile w/ good weight, and smooth as silk.

[WetBait]

I have braid on one of my reals but haven't used it much. I tried it with tubes, and for me at least, it needs a leader. That stuff is too tough to break off on it's own. I haven't tried cranks with it but I'd think you'd need a soft tipped rod to use it with cranks. Not wanting to mess with leaders is why I wanted to try the fluorcarbon.

[WetBait]

Thanks for all the thoughts on this. I just ordered some p-line in the 100% fluorocarbon as well as the CX copolymer to start out with.

[Hunt'nFish]

I have braid on one of my reels but haven't used it much. I tried it with tubes, and for me at least, it needs a leader. That stuff is too tough to break off on it's own. I haven't tried cranks with it but I'd think you'd need a soft tipped rod to use it with cranks. Not wanting to mess with leaders is why I wanted to try the fluorcarbon.

Yes, yes....use a 3-6ft leader with braid. Braid fades and becomes light colored and testing has shown that bass shy from line they can see.

Keep in mind some spinning reels do not like braid in the sense that their bail design can allow the flimsy braid to get looped around the roller arm on the bail. The current Mitchell 310's are a prime example, while the Okuma's seem to be fine. Of course this problem goes away when using a more full bodied spectra like Fusion or similar spectra line that is not braided. Coating on braided spectra also adds body & stiffness that minimizes this tendency to get flipped about bails, eye tips and anything else in close proximity.

Don't get me wrong, I like a limp braid but it does have it's down sides.
Hunt'nFish

[Tar Heel]

funny about braid. If you look at the stuff they used to load on baitcasting reels in the ol' days, it looked alot like braid. come full circle.

[BuKuBass]

funny about braid. If you look at the stuff they used to load on baitcasting reels in the ol' days, it looked alot like braid. come full circle.

That depends on what your chronological definition of "ol' days" is. :D Cortland's "Green Spot" resembles braid, but it's not nearly as strong per diameter.
My father's salmon outfit featured a 12' long, thick bamboo rod with agate guides upon which a Penn ?/0 reel loaded with line that looked like packaging twine.