Hello all, I'm Michael and i am a new member, i live in Camas,WA and fish for pretty much all species, mostly steelhead and salmon, i was wondering what your thoughts were on Fluorocarbon, i have never used it but i have heard some good things about it, i was thinking about putting some izorline fluorocarbon on my sedona... (spinning) but i wasnt sure if that would be good or what? so what are the advantages and disadvantages to using it? any opinions? thank you!

I would consider using it primarily as a leader material, when things are low and clear, or if the fish seem leader shy, and then only use a very high quality variety. You could get lots of opinions on which ones work well and have good abrasion resistance. I wouldn't use it as mainline, especially for float fishing, since it tends to sink rather than float. Good luck with it and let us know if you learn anything new,

fb

I'm going to move this over to the main fishing board where you might get some more input ... mine? Tried it for a spell and gave up on it. Broke off more fish in the ourse of a month than I normally see over a couple of seasons ... and there was no rhyme nor reason to the break-off's: on hook-sets and playing fish, at the know one time, in the middle of the leader the next, and then at the hook the next one. Was not impressed ... sent the spool back to the mfg. with a note. They sent me a different kind to try ... haven't had the guts to tie anything up with it yet

I'm with bob!! Stick with mono..

I'd go with the leader recommendation. Has to be tied right and isn't a good high impact/strike line. Run mono or braid for mainline and for special purposes flouro. I personally use the Maxima and like it very much. Has made the difference more than a few times.

Making a decision on fluro lines based on trials from one brand might be premature. I've gone thru every manufacturer of mono lines looking for the perfect line, in comparison trialing 3 or 4 fluro lines is just scratching at what's available.

I've used about 6 different brands of fluoro and fluoro/mono hybrids. Some were horrible...Stren fluro for instance, or the original Maxima fluro, and some only good/great for certain applications like Seaguar leaders. There are some lines that work great under a wide ranger of applications. I will reach for Yozuri clear for most leader material, and baitcasting reels. Its kinda stiff for spinning reels, as is most fluoro and fluro hybrids.

I like the Seaguar for cut plug, and hoochie applications. I think it really excels with clear water cut plug trolling, in conjunction with a high grade ball bearing swivel.


VHawk

I've used it for steelhead fishing some, and have found that it gives me zero benefits, and has the detriment of being fairly brittle, hard to tie well, and not very durable...three things that make it a "zero out of ten" in my rating scale.

Seaguar was the stuff I used. I've also used it for fishing chironomids when flyfishing in lakes, and I think it's excellent for that.

Fish on...

Todd

Ive been using the 8#, 10#, and 12# P-Line Floroclear line for a couple of years with good success.

Becasue it is a hybrid line, ie mono coated with fluoro it seems to have all the benefits and none of the downside.

It has good abrasion resistence, moderate stretch, and sound knot strength. The only downside I have experienced is that it is sometimes difficult to see on top of the water when following a drift.

Like others, I too have used some of the others with poor results, ie VANISH was the worst line I ever used, and others seemed brittle.

Just curious:
Folks say that if yer using floro leaders, you can run the same lb main line as the floro. Like for 12 lb main, use 12 lb floro leader. Is this the case?

Also, Is there any industry standard for how the "test strength" of a line is determined, or is it up to the manufacturer to decide what lb to call their line ?(allowing for a wide range of actual test strengths). Would one foot of 10lb line dead lift 10lbs? Would 100 ft be any different?

I thought that there is some sort of standardized test where a certain amount of weight is dropped a certain distance... or something like that? Anyone have the true definition of how test is determined?

I know that in practice, different lines rated the same have varying break strengths. Not to mention that things get really crazy when you add age, UV exposure, and other factors.

I had a weird break off with Maxima floro last week but didn't attribute it to the fact it was floro... maybe I should have?

I have been using the Maxima fluorocarbon for a couple of years now and i am very happy with it. I use it in the salt water and fresh.

I think there is wild variability in different manufacturers' lines regarding what they call "lb. test", both in force required for breakage and diameter. Maxima UG is thicker than many mono's of the same test when you put a micrometer to it, and consequently it's "tougher and stronger" than other folks' same test products. I don't know if there's an industry standard for determining any of this, but I know I have confidence in the UG, and use it most of the time unless things are spooky and clear. Then I use Rio PowerFlex or sometimes Seaguar GMax, which have been good fluoro's for me anyways. Otherwise I don't use the fluoro's routinely,

fb

i believe fish are much dumber than people give them credit for, so i use maxima ultragreen, or chameleon if i'm dragging stuff over rocks.

I can't stand it... It doesn't help at all and all you do is break fish off on the hookset.

Keith

Hey Keith, you do know that it's not the SIZE of your .signature photo that counts - but it's how you use it!

Reduce that bad boy!

Sir yes sir.....

But I got something for ya Parker.......


Keith

ROFL!!!!!!!

Hey! Keith! Don't be pickin' on the moderators!

I write stoopid stuff on occasion, the kind of writing that might have people thinking "Dang that boy ain't right". But this might be one of those occasions when some of the best anglers on the board, like Keith, might have something to learn. Or maybe I'm just being stoopid.

So all you guys who "can't stand the stuff", how many different brands did you really try? Would you have given up on monofilament because the first batch you bought sucked?


I don't think fluro is really needed on an avg day. But for low clear conditions it allows me to get bit, without dropping down to 4 pound leaders.

The other situation where the Yozuri hybrid fluoro lines excelled was in abrasion resistance. The confluence of the Rapid River and the Little Salmon River is the most abrasive, snaggy, basalt bottom, lying under class IV white water I've ever drift fished. It also piles up springers thicker than steelies at Blue Creek. 10 years of that run eating my leaders, 40 pounds of lost pencil lead, and a chance to test Maxima Fluoro, Stren Fluoro, Yozuri hybrid, Seaguar fluoro, and some experience with P Line floroclear. Yozuri brought more fish to the bank than any other line, not counting the P Line (only used it for 3 or 4 trips).

For driftfishing steelies, I'd go with the P Line ( based on word of mouth), or Yozuri as a mainline. Neither is 100% fluorocarbon, but are a fluro shell coating over a mono/copolymer core. Much limper, softer, and keep their knot strength high. I'd drop the leader material down 2-4 pounds lighter than the mainline, and use the same material. In the lighter pound test, I'll agree wholeheartedly that 100% fluro sucks.

For trolling plug herring I think Seaguar is the bomb. Its also expensive. If I'm being tight, I'll run Yozuri 25-30 pound as my leader.

Just a few thoughts from yours truly.

VHawk

Maybe it's a sign of age, but this old school guy is sticking with Maxima UG.