stylo Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) Looking to put it on a 2-4kg rod and small 20 series reel. I am using 4lb crystal fireline now (thx nexus) & it works very well - has handled fish up to 60 cm. But, I have heard that stren microfuse is even better. Will use mainly for luring for bream, flatties etc. So my few questions are, comparing to 4lb fireline: 1) How strong is the 3lb fireline / stren ? 2) What is the knot strength on this like ? i.e. I have never had an albright leader to braid knot fail on me due to the 4lb fireline being too "thin". Have heard that 2lb braids are susceptible to 'cutting' into the leader and overall making the strength of the rig quite weak. 3) Whats the maximum leader size I can use for this size braid - will 10lb be too heavy ? If you are currently using 3lb stren or crystal fireline, I'd like to hear your views. Thanks chaps. This helps .. http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/inde...showtopic=37276 Edited April 20, 2009 by stylo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snag Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Use 3lb crystal and find it fine with all leader classes up to 10-12lb, trick is as you go up in leader size you need to fold over the fireline to create a greater mass, that way you wont have as many problems with the fireline cutting into the leader IMAO. Hope this helps you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Hi Stylo I have 3lb Stren on my Seido 1000 & vary the leader from 6lb-12lb depending whether on bream or flattie hunt. I have 4lb crystal Fireline on my shakespeare catera 1000s with the same leaders. I did break at the braid knot over the weekend - but it was after hundreds of casts & I probably should have re-tied the leader to braid earlier, as it does cop a bit of a bashing with all that casting. Both of them are much stronger than their 3/4lb rating! I have been really impressed with both their performances & I fish more than most & also in very unforgiving territory! If you are fishing in the open there would be no reason to expect a break or knot failure - probably only if round structure & you are really working it hard to turn the fish's head before it hits the structure first! I lost an SX40 the other day to a big flattie on the 4lb crystal & 6lb Vanish ....... but the flattie had taken it right in & powered off ...... so probably wouldn't have mattered which leader I had on, it may have gone thru the 12lb too? It was a big fish. Cheerio ROberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylo Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Roberta, do you prefer the stren or the fireline ? How would you rate the 4lb fireline to the 3lb stren ? That's exactly what I am looking to drop down to I guess. Which combo do you prefer to pick up when you go out ? Will it be the 3lb stren or the 4lb crystal ? Any discernible difference or bugger all ? Shame about the SX-40 .. I don't think I would dare to use such light leaders with such an exxy lure !! Also, that's a great tip re the doubling up of the braid to prevent it cutting into the leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Thermal fusing is a proprietary process owned by Berkley... Stren and Fireline are just 2 of their brands. Don't want to burst their marketing bubble but they're basically the same line. Both very good though. Cheers, Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylo Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Thermal fusing is a proprietary process owned by Berkley... Stren and Fireline are just 2 of their brands. Don't want to burst their marketing bubble but they're basically the same line. Both very good though. Cheers, Slinky Come on Tony, Stren glows in the dark !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Come on Tony, Stren glows in the dark !! Slinky will be getting some if that's the case. We know how much he loves his trippy colours!! Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Come on Tony, Stren glows in the dark !! A rose by any other name.... ... and Melbourne Bitter comes in a red can... but it's still the same beer as VB, but you try to convince people (just wait for the howls from VB drinkers to arrive!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 .....do you prefer the stren or the fireline ? How would you rate the 4lb fireline to the 3lb stren ? That's exactly what I am looking to drop down to I guess. Which combo do you prefer to pick up when you go out ? Will it be the 3lb stren or the 4lb crystal ?....... oooooh Stylo!! That really is a really hard one to pick, as they are so similar - I always take both rods now (usually 3, actually, in the yak) one for plastics, one for popper/small diving lures & one for pencils ........ and I just grab the one with the preferred lure at the time. I like them both! I notice that being so light, the line actually 'floats' in some situations (ie wind etc) and you have to be really quick in 'laying the line on the water' or else it wraps all round the leases & you are 'done' anyway! But, that happens with the light stuff. Yeah - it was annoying to lose the SX40, given that I have not lost many exxy lures - it hurts! My girlfriend lost 2 x $24 lures to fish up here this last week, plus a pair of lipgrips overboard as well! Expensive week! Then again, I've caught some top bream (to 41cm) and flatties (to 65cm) on the same line using sps! Just lucky not to break on them, I guess, as they were all in structured spots! Crystal is more limp than the regular Fireline - and doesn't 'fluff'. Nor does the Stren! If you have 2 spools for your reel, put one on each & see how you go! Cheerio Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylo Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Decisions decisions .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricko4 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Stylo, I have used 3 & 6lb crystal fireline for HB luring for a little while now. I'm only new at this HB business & had quite a bit of trouble in the beginning with leader knots breaking when using 6lb Vanish leader. I fixed that though by tieing a biminni twist in the 3lb Fireline. I might mention I did this against lots of advice I'd read in several forums. It solved my breakage problems though. I've also moved to 6lb Platypus Stealth Leader too without any problems. I've had no problems at all with the 6lb in single thickness though so don't bother with the biminni on it. My main line to leader knot is a double uni. Yes ... decisions decisions Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylo Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 I will going with 4 lb stren. I don't see much of an advantage going any thinner as I already know that 4lb crystal fireline already works very well strength wise and knots don't slip. Also, I rarely fish any lighter than 6lb leader (occasionally 4lb) so I think 4lb main will be just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tan the fisherman Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 ... and Melbourne Bitter comes in a red can... but it's still the same beer as VB, but you try to convince people (just wait for the howls from VB drinkers to arrive!!) Melbourne Bitter contains has more water than VB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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