Flourocarbon line; Never, ever again.

[Staci Matheis]

I went down to the trophy trout section of the Current River here in Missouri yesterday and spent the day exercising wooley buggers on the end of an ultra-light. Beautiful day! Storms went all around but not on my section of river and the water was crystal clear!



I started out using 2# flourocarbon. I had never used it before as line - only as leader material. But knowing that the water was going to be very clear and trout are spooked easily by line, I decided to give it a try on my 5'6" ultr-light Bionic Blade and Shimano Spirex 500.....



Never Again. I have never had so many wind knots in my life. And the line was so blankety-blank-blank stiff that there was no way I could flip a wooley bugger where I wanted it - either without additional weight or with one small split shot. The coils of line were miserable. It seemed like I spent half my time pulling line off the reel to get the loops out. Casting was like trying to get a slinky to go through the guides. Never, ever again.



I went back to the 2# Clear Stren and was happy as could be. Only caught a few small trout - but who needs fish to have a wonderful time!







Here's a picture of where I put in at Baptist Camp on the Current River. It's about 150 miles southwest of St. Louis and 1 1/2 miles from the headwaters of the river at Mountak Springs Park just south of Salem, Missouri.

 

[Staci Matheis]

And here's a couple fly fishing at the same spot.

 

[Staci Matheis]

And this is one of my favorite pools about 4 miles down river from Baptist Camp.



I took this picture about 4 years ago; the others were taken yesterday.

 

[BJ Laster]

Its funny you should say this because I was going to post about using flourocarbon on my Saraha last saturday. I used a little bigger line (12#). I hated it. I was glad it came with 2 spools. One spool still had the 8 pound Trilene XL from Table Rock a couple weeks ago. I switched to that spool real quick and had no probs for the rest of the day.



BJ

 

[Staci Matheis]

Which Sahara did you get? The 1000-series is a bit small for 12# of any kind of line..... 8# is about what I would consider to be tops..... Generally, I use 6 and 4# on the 1000's.

 

[BJ Laster]

Its a 1500. I love the reel and I typically don't use line that big on a spinning reel...but that was all I had at the time......

 

[Larry Harp]

I use P-Line flourocarbon coated line on two of my baitcasting.reels and love it. I use 20 lb for pitching and 17 lb for spinnerbaits. I'll bet it would be a handful on a spinning reel though, especially 2 lb!! I spooled up some of that red cajun line on my spinning reel. I really haven't had a chance to really give a good test but it might be just the thing. Seems to be very limp and managable.



Harpo

 

[Travis Smith]

Pline Fluoroclear in 8lb and 10 lb is what I use on my Diawa spinning reels. Love it and it great for fishin Senkos because I can feel everything.





T.S.

 

[Staci Matheis]

I did like the feel I got - when I could get the line out and the wooley where I wanted it.



There are two things that would make a BIG difference:



The size of the reel. The 500 series Shimano is about as small as you can get; the face of the spool is only 1 1/8". The bare spool is only something like 5/8" in diameter. With all the circuits the bale has to make to bring in line, twists build up pretty quickly. A stiff line wants to jump off in coils.



The weight of the bait. When I tie wooleys, I usually add some lead wire underneath; but only about as much as you find in a small split shot. If I need to quickly get them down to the deep sections of the pools I fish, a BB sized shot is all that is needed. Senko's cast easily no matter what you use. But it would take a LOT of wooleys to tip the scales on weight with one!

 

[Mark Northcutt]

What about using it on baitcasters? I was thinking of trying it soon. How does it handle in a 14lb. range?

 

[Dan J.]

The only reels I have spooled with flourocarbon is for drop-shotting only. (As in literally dropping over the side fishing the graph.) I have yet to see any real flourocarbon than can be cast with any conventional spinning reel. (Although, I've been told by reliable fishermen that it works well with...(ahem)...push button reels. Go figure?) If you want to cast it, a baitcaster will do you more justice. In me!'s case, I would use it as leader. Just think of all the money you saved with all those yards of "tippet" you now have! (Remember, the glass is always half-full!!) Good luck!

 

[TrepMan]

I've used the big game stuff P-line Flourocarbon 30lb on my big Striper reels when pulling umbrella rigs. Never a break but it is VERY stiff but TOUGH. Don't know about for casting though.

 

[Larry Harp]

Mark, I don't think you really need 100% pure flourocarbon line around here unless you're fishing really clear lakes like Broken Bow. I use the flouro coated P-Line, the stuff in the silver box. I like it because of it high visability above water and low visability below. It is also very sensitive and abrasion resistant. It does have a pretty good memory but the coils straighten out after it gets good and wet.



Harpo

 

[Casey Campbell]

I'm running 17lb. test Vanish fluorocarbon on a couple of my baitcasters, and have really liked it. It is very sensitive and casts well. I can set up my spinning reel to supposedly handle fluoro a little better, but I've seen the stuff turn into a nightmare on them, so I think at this point, I'm sticking with mono.

 

[Tony Payne]

Wieghing in a little late here...



Flourocarbon on spinning is a tough combination... i have had reasonable results with the P-line flourocarbon (not flouroclear) in 8 and 10.



The Triple Fish Flourocarbon is better, but since I can't get it locally the P-Line version is a good fall back.



I intend to try the Sugoi stuff that Yamamoto sells, it's supposed to be the ultimate, but it's a bit pricier.



One thing I have found is it works better the longer it is on the reel, you have to give it some time to "adjust".



Don't fill the reel as far as you normally would with regular mono...that only encourages it.



Also, follow all of the "normal" spinning reel anti-loop techniques.

 

[Jeff Garrow]

I have used the Stren Flourocarbon line for the last two years and have been very happy with it. I use 20 pound on my jig outfit - love the faster sinking line.



Also use the 12 and 8 pound on two spinning rigs for drop shot. My only complaint with Stren is that the 8 pound breaks very easily. My buddy picked up 8 pound XPS Flourocarbon and he breaks off a lot less. I just bought some xps and will be trying it soon.

 

[Staci Matheis]

I was using the Stren flourocarbon. It felt to me like the line picked up nicks easily..... It may have just been my imagination..... If so, that would certainly account for the easy breakage.



What is the P-line anyway?

Is it a co-polymer?

Do those really give any significant advantages in visibilty by fish?

 

[gone bye bye]

Staci, NEVER use flouro as a main line on a spool that small.....WAY too much memory and STIFF!



I use it in the largest spinning reels (4000 series) and I spray it with silicone spray (reel majic).....personally I love the stuff.



It is not mono, dont expect it to be.



Mini