Why I'm over flouro

[Rebel]

I remember the Coke bottles. No lures. No swivels. No Fluro or knots except the one you tied your hook to the line.

Still caught fish and some. Great days.

[Yowie]

46 minutes ago, Rebel said:

I remember the Coke bottles. No lures. No swivels. No Fluro or knots except the one you tied your hook to the line.

Still caught fish and some. Great days.

I never used coke bottles, but I still have some corks that I used many years ago. The oldest would be more than 40 years.

When I heard that cork would be banned from use as fishing reels, I bought the last 2 in the tackle shop. The last one was put into use about 10 years ago, so I have had it in storage for 30 years or so.

Edited December 7, 2019 by Yowie

[Berleyguts]

1 hour ago, Yowie said:

I never used coke bottles, but I still have some corks that I used many years ago. The oldest would be more than 40 years.

When I heard that cork would be banned from use as fishing reels, I bought the last 2 in the tackle shop. The last one was put into use about 10 years ago, so I have had it in storage for 30 years or so.

Corks were great! We used to float them in a bucket of water and when a fish took the bait, the cork just spun around and the fish took line with no resistance.

[Blackfish]

Used to do the same thing BG, had them in the little pocket inside the hull whilst fishing for Jewys (Soapys) up the Hawkesbury and didn't the spin when you hooked one.😁

[Yowie]

3 hours ago, Berleyguts said:

Corks were great! We used to float them in a bucket of water and when a fish took the bait, the cork just spun around and the fish took line with no resistance.

When I was a kid fishing off Yowie Bay wharf, where I started my fishing career (hence the name Yowie) I had a bream line out with some fresh mullet gut, on a cork reel, and the cork was spinning that fast that it bounced off the wharf and into the water. Before I could hook it up with another line, the cork disappeared under the surface and re-appeared on the other side of Yowie Bay. I saw it bouncing in the water then it disappeared around a boat mooring (an Australian record bream I think ).

Cork reels are good for bream fishing - you throw out the line, leave several feet of line on the bottom of the boat so that the bream can swallow the bait and run, then the cork starts bouncing and you haul in the bream.

[JonD]

Rather than continually tying knots to terminal tackle I use these clips on everything from soft plastics to game lures. This allows me to take my time doing just one knot that I gently tease down with spit, which results in less waste plastic. I've found the action of the lure to be far better with improved catch results. I've used many other clips but prefer these.

[DerekD]

I got involved with Fluorocarbon lines when I started fishing braid over a decade ago. One of the selling points was that it had a spectrum index similar to water which made it difficult for fish to spot it. Years ago I read an article which came as a result from some testing in the tuna fishing industry. The long liners alternated their droppers between fluorocarbon and Monofiliment for the whole long line. About 90% of the tuna hooked up when they did the test were on the Fluorocarbon. I wish I could find the article again.

Personally, in the light leaders (12lb and under) I use Nitlon because it reasonably supple and hasn't really let me down. Years ago I switched back from Fluoro to Mono in the 20lb and above leaders because I didn't like the stiffness of some of the leaders I was using. @Volitan recent testing is another reason for me to stick with the monos for some aspects of my fishing - thanks for sharing your data.

One of the other reasons I still use the fluoro is that it sinks better (unweighted) than mono so it can be handy for my fly leaders.

Edited December 9, 2019 by DerekD

[nutsaboutfishing]

Being a cheapskate, I use fluro line for my leader instead of fluro leader, so much cheaper.

[kingie chaser]

14 minutes ago, nutsaboutfishing said:

Being a cheapskate, I use fluro line for my leader instead of fluro leader, so much cheaper.

Your not alone NAF.

I bought some 6lb Vanish line the other on special $15 for 250yds yet the other Vanish is about $40 for 50mtrs.

Both are fluro so I don't know what is so different about the exyier one?

[Volitan]

Just for completeness, I tested the Double Eugene Bend on mono - again the Penn Super X 30lb.

Average break strain in lbs.

Eugene.  —      32.45

Palomar  —.      32.40

Double loop uni. —-  32.60

So much difference in it, and what there is probably being down to chance.

Jon, those metal loops are interesting, but I always try to have the disciple to retie after a decent fish, even if I can’t actually feel anything wrong with the leader. Considering the size and power of the fish you regularly get acquainted with, don’t you do the same?

 

[JonD]

1 hour ago, Volitan said:

Just for completeness, I tested the Double Eugene Bend on mono - again the Penn Super X 30lb.

Average break strain in lbs.

Eugene.  —      32.45

Palomar  —.      32.40

Double loop uni. —-  32.60

So much difference in it, and what there is probably being down to chance.

Jon, those metal loops are interesting, but I always try to have the disciple to retie after a decent fish, even if I can’t actually feel anything wrong with the leader. Considering the size and power of the fish you regularly get acquainted with, don’t you do the same?

 

 

No, I only change if I feel abrasion on the line or if it turns white from a bit of hard going. In saying that Im still using the same mamoi mono leader on my heaviest spin outfit that my daughter stretched on a 160kg marlin ( I will change it before using it on marlin again).

With the clips, I like the fact I can quickly keep changing metals fished from the surf without any wasted time, same for in the boat with micro jigs and plastics. One drop and no bite I change lure. If I'm using bigger surface lures I normally have a few ready so that I can change quickly before the fish loose interest.

Edited December 9, 2019 by JonD

[nutsaboutfishing]

4 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

Your not alone NAF.

I bought some 6lb Vanish line the other on special $15 for 250yds yet the other Vanish is about $40 for 50mtrs.

Both are fluro so I don't know what is so different about the exyier one?

I think the leader is a bit thicker and more abrasion resistant

[kingie chaser]

4 minutes ago, nutsaboutfishing said:

I think the leader is a bit thicker and more abrasion resistant

 

Another interesting experiment to be had 

[Rebel]

JonD

Hi,

There some better lure clips out now. Come with a swivel or without. Different sizes. Seem to work ok.

Cheers.

[kingie chaser]

On 12/9/2019 at 12:41 PM, DerekD said:

I got involved with Fluorocarbon lines when I started fishing braid over a decade ago. One of the selling points was that it had a spectrum index similar to water which made it difficult for fish to spot it. Years ago I read an article which came as a result from some testing in the tuna fishing industry. The long liners alternated their droppers between fluorocarbon and Monofiliment for the whole long line. About 90% of the tuna hooked up when they did the test were on the Fluorocarbon. I wish I could find the article again.

Personally, in the light leaders (12lb and under) I use Nitlon because it reasonably supple and hasn't really let me down. Years ago I switched back from Fluoro to Mono in the 20lb and above leaders because I didn't like the stiffness of some of the leaders I was using. @Volitan recent testing is another reason for me to stick with the monos for some aspects of my fishing - thanks for sharing your data.

One of the other reasons I still use the fluoro is that it sinks better (unweighted) than mono so it can be handy for my fly leaders.

You bring some good points to the table @DerekD

I think there are pro's & cons for both materials if you look into both of them close enough.

Light refraction/visibility, stretch, strength etc are only applicable to what & where you are fishing.

While the abrasion resistance may not match mono that does not mean mono is better in all situations.

An exert from a Berkley page.

 

In the end its about what works for you, preference & confidence in a product. 

 They all want to sell it to you but you be the judge!

Benefits Of Fluoro

Low Visibility—One of fluorocarbon's biggest benefits is it's nearly invisible underwater. This is because it doesn't appreciably distort light passing through the line (it has nearly the same refractive index as water), and it's a huge factor in clear water and when targeting skittish fish.

Abrasion Resistance—Fluorocarbon's low visibility characteristics allow anglers to use stouter pound test lines in situations such as heavy cover tactics for bass. As an added benefit it also has incredible abrasion resistance and as such has quickly become a top choice of the pros when fishing the thickest cover or dragging baits along the bottom.

Sensitivity—Fluoro's tightly packed molecules transmit more energy than mono, better telegraphing information from the other end of the line, such as light bites or your lure ticking bottom. Also boosting sensitivity, fluoro sinks faster than mono, resulting in less slack or bow between the lure and rodtip.

Toughness—Fluorocarbon is more abrasion resistant than standard nylon monofilament of the same diameter. Plus, while the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays weaken nylon over time, fluorocarbon shrugs off UV with no ill-effects.

Waterproof—Unlike mono and some superlines, fluoro doesn't absorb water. This means it has the same strength, sensitivity and handling below the surface as it does when dry. It feels and acts the same on your first cast as it does on your last.

Hooking Power—Lacking the low-end stretch of nylon mono, fluorocarbon delivers more solid hooksets, even at long distances. If you need to drive the hook home at the end of a long cast, this is a key consideration.

[61 crusher]

8 hours ago, Rebel said:

There some better lure clips out now. Come with a swivel or without. Different sizes. Seem to work ok.

Hi @Rebel I’m curious which clips are you referring to & could you post a picture & brand, cheers 

[JonD]

1 hour ago, kingie chaser said:

You bring some good points to the table @DerekD

I think there are pro's & cons for both materials if you look into both of them close enough.

Light refraction/visibility, stretch, strength etc are only applicable to what & where you are fishing.

While the abrasion resistance may not match mono that does not mean mono is better in all situations.

An exert from a Berkley page.

 

In the end its about what works for you, preference & confidence in a product. 

 They all want to sell it to you but you be the judge!

Benefits Of Fluoro

Low Visibility—One of fluorocarbon's biggest benefits is it's nearly invisible underwater. This is because it doesn't appreciably distort light passing through the line (it has nearly the same refractive index as water), and it's a huge factor in clear water and when targeting skittish fish.

Abrasion Resistance—Fluorocarbon's low visibility characteristics allow anglers to use stouter pound test lines in situations such as heavy cover tactics for bass. As an added benefit it also has incredible abrasion resistance and as such has quickly become a top choice of the pros when fishing the thickest cover or dragging baits along the bottom.

Sensitivity—Fluoro's tightly packed molecules transmit more energy than mono, better telegraphing information from the other end of the line, such as light bites or your lure ticking bottom. Also boosting sensitivity, fluoro sinks faster than mono, resulting in less slack or bow between the lure and rodtip.

Toughness—Fluorocarbon is more abrasion resistant than standard nylon monofilament of the same diameter. Plus, while the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays weaken nylon over time, fluorocarbon shrugs off UV with no ill-effects.

Waterproof—Unlike mono and some superlines, fluoro doesn't absorb water. This means it has the same strength, sensitivity and handling below the surface as it does when dry. It feels and acts the same on your first cast as it does on your last.

Hooking Power—Lacking the low-end stretch of nylon mono, fluorocarbon delivers more solid hooksets, even at long distances. If you need to drive the hook home at the end of a long cast, this is a key consideration.

 

Unfortunatly when someone from a company they make money from makes a statement I tend to switch off and make my own decisions.

Edited March 14, 2020 by JonD

[kingie chaser]

1 hour ago, JonD said:

 

Unfortunatly when someone from a company they make money from makes a statement I tend to switch off and make my own decisions.

That could be said for anything we buy!

Anyone with anything to sell makes claims regarding their product.

A brand of motor performs this way or a rod performs that way bla bla bla.

Every company pushed their own product.

Are they all liars or is their some degree of truth in the product?

Edited March 14, 2020 by kingie chaser

[Rebel]

Hi 61 crusher.

PM sent. The one I bought from China has been deleted. There is another guy in China with the swivel type if you are interested.

Cheers.

[JonD]

13 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

That could be said for anything we buy!

Anyone with anything to sell makes claims regarding their product.

A brand of motor performs this way or a rod performs that way bla bla bla.

Every company pushed their own product.

Are they all liars or is their some degree of truth in the product?

Totally agree. Berkley was the first fluro I bought and personally the worst from my own experience, to the point three spools went in the bin, yet here they are stating how great it is ( I must of used it wrong ). When I brought my personal findings up with the tackle store owner I bought it from his response was that he sells it but doesn't use it. He has to stock it to be able to sell the rest of the tackle from them. I have tried many different fluro lines from Shimano, mamoi, yazori etc etc but continually drop back to normal mono for myself. I have several different fluro brands on my boat that I offer to those who believe it's better.

 

My daughter uses fluro on her bream gear simply because she is influenced by her tournament fishing boyfriend. When she comes home after loosing $100+ of bent minnows and sugar pens stc I do wonder if this would be the same case if she used mono. On kingy sessions from my own boat my daughters fluro using boyfriend tends to lose all his jigs before starting on mine!!!!....maybe the fluro simply attracts the biggest kings.

If fluro was the same price as mono I would still buy mono every time.

[JonD]

This more science based look into the benefits of fluro is quite interesting https://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/the-truth-about-fluorocarbon.html

For me one of the major annoyances of this stuff is that manufacturers are still pushing such a wasteful amount of plastic packaging when they should be leading the way on trying to reduce it.This great influences my purchases of any tackle these days. The likes of Costa using fishing line and nets to produce eye ware certainly helps with their profile.

[PaddyT]

Agree Jon-stopped buying it a while ago except for light tackle stuff-mainly because it comes in convenient 50 M lengths on small spools which take up minimal space in my leader box, the best charter operator in Sydney uses any old 50 or 80lb bit of line he can find for leader for kings and thats good enough for me!

[Volitan]

This is what I’ve always wondered about the claims made for fluorocarbon.
The claims about invisibility generally seem to cite the refractive index, with the claim that the refractive index of fc most closely matches that of water. This may be true, but we see reflected light - in fact we can only see reflected light and that applies to any animals with eyes.
Maybe there are situations where refracted light is important, but overwhelmingly fish see reflected light and that seems to me where the focus should be when making claims about the visibility of a medium under water.

I don’t have a physics background or the knowledge to sort this out. Anyone else care to comment.

 

[kingie chaser]

On 3/15/2020 at 12:44 PM, JonD said:

This more science based look into the benefits of fluro is quite interesting https://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/the-truth-about-fluorocarbon.html

For me one of the major annoyances of this stuff is that manufacturers are still pushing such a wasteful amount of plastic packaging when they should be leading the way on trying to reduce it.This great influences my purchases of any tackle these days. The likes of Costa using fishing line and nets to produce eye ware certainly helps with their profile.

@JonD, so I read this article(read quite a few before ), & it doesn't actually say mono is better than fluoro, just there differences between the 2 & it also states that fluoro has advantages over mono in different situations!

Less UV degridation

Better sink rate(3 x that of mono) do to being more dense

More sensitivity

Closer refraction rate to water than mono

Less water absorbtion

 

Mono has its advantages to-

Better knot strength

Will stretch & then go back to original length

Lighter than fluoro 

 

So to say that one is better than the other would be totally false, they are different & both have there own advantages!

Is fluoro worth the extra coin?

Use whatever you like, its your money 😁

 

 

[kingfishbig]

20 minutes ago, Volitan said:

This is what I’ve always wondered about the claims made for fluorocarbon.
The claims about invisibility generally seem to cite the refractive index, with the claim that the refractive index of fc most closely matches that of water. This may be true, but we see reflected light - in fact we can only see reflected light and that applies to any animals with eyes.
Maybe there are situations where refracted light is important, but overwhelmingly fish see reflected light and that seems to me where the focus should be when making claims about the visibility of a medium under water.

I don’t have a physics background or the knowledge to sort this out. Anyone else care to comment.

 

Well it works out the same in the end. Ie the closer the RI of the line is to water the harder it will be to see.