lets talk about fishing lines - mono vs flourocarbon

[keakar]

like the title says I want to talk about mono vs fluorocarbon fishing lines.

I have always been a hard headed tried and true die hard mono fisherman but I figure its time to move up to something better (if it is) and I have heard that the new fluorocarbon is.

years ago I tried fluorocarbon and while it had good points the lack of stretch in the line caused it to pop fairly easily and often (IMHO) at much less weight then the line was rated for.

seamed every time I snagged an oyster it cut off the line and I never got a chance to pull it free. I would catch a big red and "pop" its gone before the drag could release, so I threw the flouro in the trash and went back to my mono and never had any of those issues.

the only negative I ever had with mono was it dried out and needed replacing every year which was not a big deal for me. now catching specks would shread the line and need to cut off the last 18" of line after 3 or 5 fish or use a heavy leader which im too hard headed or lazy to do.

now all that's been said, what are todays fluorocarbon lines like? do they still break off rather then stretch or do they actually hold the strength they are rated for without breaking?

its not the lack of stretch I have a problem with, its the line popping off rather then holding up under sudden snap action like setting the hook on something solid.

please no braid comments, lets pretend braid does not exist in this conversation, I have used it often and I hate braid and have no more use for it then fishing with a solid wire line.

[Clampy]

I use floro .... At the end of my braid


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[Em591991]

Originally Posted by Clampy

I use floro .... At the end of my braid


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Word

[bayouchub]

I use fluoro on almost everything except topwater. Several of your fluoro breakage issues comes from the knot. If you crease the line or cinch a knot down dry it will severely weaken the line. The pros for me on fluoro is that it transmitts vibration on a slack line like after you pop a jig and have slack and/or wind blowing your line you can still feel the hit. Fluoro also last for a very long time on your reel. I use the higher end sunline and toray fluoro. To me fluoro is a strong example of "you get what you pay for"

[Visco]

I go with mono for the majority of my line, then tie on the last 40' using fluro. Never had any issues with breaking or hanging up on my rods. I do this on my casting rods and trolling rods.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

["W"]

Braid Vs. Mono Debate - Braid Pride Exposed - YouTube

Braid Vs. Mono Debate - Braid Pride Exposed - YouTube

[I make oil]

Originally Posted by Clampy

I use floro .... At the end of my braid

X 3

However, I do plan on respooling this year with Trilene Mono on a few of my rods. I will continue to use Fluro leaders as I like the abrasion resistance and the low visibility in the water. I couldn't imagine spooling with Floro because of the lack of flexibility and memory.

[Clampy]

I use mono on my topwater/crank bait rod. (Trilene armor coated)

Braid (10# power pro) on all my spinning outfits

Floro on my shrimp tail special combo

Braid for flipping for bass

They all have there purpose IMO


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[bayouchub]

Originally Posted by I make oil

X 3

However, I do plan on respooling this year with Trilene Mono on a few of my rods. I will continue to use Fluro leaders as I like the abrasion resistance and the low visibility in the water. I couldn't imagine spooling with Floro because of the lack of flexibility and memory.

If you try a quality fluoro you would change your mind. They handle great and have almost no memory.

[keakar]

so nothing much has changed in that flouro is still brittle at knots and kinks and snaps on a quick run in close quarters when you only have 10-15 ft of line out and then it sinks so for casting shallow oyster beds and cork fishing or top water it isn't a good choice.

I find the pricy stuff gives you the best performance in any line category but I don't buy the pricy stuff, I buy the popular stuff priced just above the cheap stuff so ...

sounds like there still isn't anything out there better then mono

[keakar]

Originally Posted by "W"

Braid Vs. Mono Debate - Braid Pride Exposed - YouTube

yep, I saw all his videos plus several other utube videos comparing lines saying there are no negatives about fourocarbon which I know to be untrue and the negatives they say about mono, the stretch and the fact it doesn't sink, I find as positives not negatives so its all taken with a grain of salt.

unfortunately its impossible to find unbiased opinions and a lot of those videos are not very objective and say things that stretch the truth to put down lines they don't like.

I think there are styles and types of fishing best suited to each class of line and it seams mono is well suited for all of them while braids and flouro have there place and fit "most" but not all situations.

maybe im a simpleton but I want one line to fill my whole spool with and it needs to be one that does it all for under $10 for 200-300 yards

[bayouchub]

Originally Posted by keakar

yep, I saw all his videos plus several other utube videos comparing lines saying there are no negatives about fourocarbon which I know to be untrue and the negatives they say about mono, the stretch and the fact it doesn't sink, I find as positives not negatives so its all taken with a grain of salt.

unfortunately its impossible to find unbiased opinions and a lot of those videos are not very objective and say things that stretch the truth to put down lines they don't like.

I think there are styles and types of fishing best suited to each class of line and it seams mono is well suited for all of them while braids and flouro have there place and fit "most" but not all situations.

maybe im a simpleton but I want one line to fill my whole spool with and it needs to be one that does it all for under $10 for 200-300 yards

Well stick with mono.

[specknation]

For fishing everything except topwater Sunline sniper or Sunline shooter fluorocarbon will have you wondering why they even make mono anymore.

[Goooh]

Originally Posted by keakar

yep, I saw all his videos plus several other utube videos comparing lines saying there are no negatives about fourocarbon which I know to be untrue and the negatives they say about mono, the stretch and the fact it doesn't sink, I find as positives not negatives so its all taken with a grain of salt.

unfortunately its impossible to find unbiased opinions and a lot of those videos are not very objective and say things that stretch the truth to put down lines they don't like.

I think there are styles and types of fishing best suited to each class of line and it seams mono is well suited for all of them while braids and flouro have there place and fit "most" but not all situations.

maybe im a simpleton but I want one line to fill my whole spool with and it needs to be one that does it all for under $10 for 200-300 yards

Sounds like your opinion is the most biased. Get a rod that isn't so stiff and use a different knot, you'd probably like fluoro

[bayouchub]

Sunline sniper is probably the best all around fluoro with all things considered price included. Its $20-25 for 200 yards but it will last a very long time on a reel if you dont backlash it. I use mono backing on all of my reels so i can just put a long cast length of fluoro plus about 20ft. This way you can spool several reels off of one spool of line.

[keakar]

Originally Posted by Goooh

Sounds like your opinion is the most biased. Get a rod that isn't so stiff and use a different knot, you'd probably like fluoro

I was only referring to the opinions expressed in the utube videos, not comments here.

I formed my "biased" opinion from actually fishing with flouro for quite a while trying several different brands and finding I needed 30 lb test in stead of the 15 lbs I usually use just for it not to pop several times on every trip I made.

granted maybe flouro is good "if" I learn special knots and tip them with superglue so they don't come loose and then replace all my rods with light and ultra light ones that have lots of give in them so the line never receives any sharp quick tension so it doesn't break but then how is that saying flouro is better?

by the way, I use 20 lbs test line on medium action spinning rods for reds and I use 14 lbs test line on medium action spinning rods for top water or popping cork fishing and 14 lbs test line on medium light action spinning rods for specks. to go to a softer tip pole i'll have to go to light and ultra light poles.

I am very interested in finding a good flouro to use on "spinning" reels if I don't end up constantly breaking off like in the past.

the manufacturers of flouro line say it sinks better then mono so when used by itself, it will not be best suited for top water and cork fishing. so when even the manufacturer says its not well suited for all uses, I think I will believe them.

even fishing pros say not to use straight flouro for top water and cork fishing because the sinking line pulls the baits in a more downward motion and doesn't give the best action? they say you need to use braid and just add a flouro leader on the end so the braid floats the line while the flouro line is invisible to fish. everything I read about it says flouro is great and there is nothing better "if used in the right way in the right situations" but not in all situations.

I found lots of info that said there was nothing better then fluorocarbon "when used as a leader for braid line" or "when used for deep water crank bait fishing". trouble is none of that is the way I fish.

if forming an opinion based on the facts as I have read them so far and listening to the video recommendations from fishing pros then it is what it is.

bayouchub has said "Sunline sniper is probably the best all around fluoro with all things considered price included" so I will drop a $20 and see how I like it on one pole and compare it for a while. im not biased against it and am always willing to try things again but my past experience has shown it to be lacking in many situations but if they ever solve those problems I will be happy to never use mono again.

[keakar]

for my fishing style it looks like I will still need to stay with the mono for casting swim baits over tidal reefs or shallow oyster flats or top water and popping corks but use about a 6ft flouro leader on the end and I can go straight flouro for deeper water swim baits or jigging structures.

what is this "flouro coated" lines I see out there? is that just mono with the flouro coating or is it something else that's coated with flouro?

[bayouchub]

Its a given not to use fluoro for topwater or a cork. You dont need to use any special knots just be sure to wet them good and tighten them slowly. I have been using fluoro for the past two years and have never had any of the issues of breakoffs. Fluoro will break if it gets kinked or folded no matter the lb test. Also if your using it on a spin rod go with the lightest lb test your comfortable with and do not over fill the spool. I also wouldnt use a fluoro leader on topwater bc u dont want the line sinking ahead of your bait.

[keakar]

Originally Posted by bayouchub

Its a given not to use fluoro for topwater or a cork. You dont need to use any special knots just be sure to wet them good and tighten them slowly. I have been using fluoro for the past two years and have never had any of the issues of breakoffs. Fluoro will break if it gets kinked or folded no matter the lb test. Also if your using it on a spin rod go with the lightest lb test your comfortable with and do not over fill the spool. I also wouldnt use a fluoro leader on topwater bc u dont want the line sinking ahead of your bait.

ok, thanks, just goes to show how much bad info you can learn from u-tube "experts" lol. i had a lot of wrong assumptions about it.

i will be using 14-15 lbs test on the speck poles and 20 lbs test on the redfish poles, is that too big? i found i need that size to handle the oysters i come across

no folding or kinking, so i shouldn't store the poles with the bait hooked to an eyelet and folded over the tip then? or is that ok?

yep all I have is spinning gear, cant use them baitcasters for the life of me lol.

I was hoping flouro might be more durable option for cork fishing as a less abrasive short leader so the specks wouldn't see it or tear it up as much with those teeth vs the option of going with a heavier weight line leader.

I hope the guys here havent lost all patience with me for not agreeing to change where and how I fish and the gear I use because of what works great for them and the way they fish.

im just trying to find what will work for the way I fish is all. and unlike most here i live on fixed income so dumping $100 into fishing line is a very big deal for me.

[Clampy]

If you are fishing reefs it's good practice to check your line for nicks periodically and re tie according. No matter brand or test.


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