Opinions/reccomendations On Fishing Lines

[crzyjunyer]

i am looking for some opinions and reccomendations on fishing lines. I am sponsored by myself and never tourney fish so i cant afford the new super nice florocarbon lines that go for $20/100yd, but i am interested in trying other less spendy brands.

 

Currently i have been using suffix mono exclusively up to about a year ago, and still love it overall. It is affordable to my budget, and has great knot strength and holds up pretty well to abrasion from rip rap, which is one of my fave things to fish. I still use it on my cranks and wirebaits, mostly in 10#.

 

Last year I tried some spiderwire braid in 20lb to take full advantage of the extra sensitivity it offers on my new high dollar worm rod. I liked that i could tell if a penny on bottom was heads up or down, but not that it seemed to nick and cut so easy when fishing near rip rap and "trash piles" and such. It seemed to cut waaay too easy afterwards and i lost alot of lures/fish due to it.  I then tried some vicious florocarbon line (and used kvd line conditioner as reccomended by others using floro) and it seemed ok but was very stiff and had a lot of memory to me.

 

I recently picked up some yo-zuri hybrid line and am going to try it this coming weekend i hope, weather permitting, to see how it does on my worm rod.

 

I am looking for just general opinions on your preffered lines for diffrent techniques, as well as ideas on things to try such as floro leaders or other ideas im not aware of.

 

thanks

[BobP]

Yozuri Hybrid is very popular and gets lots of kudos on a bass fishing site I frequent.  P-line Fluoroclear is very similar.  Both are nylon copolymer lines coated with fluorocarbon.  If you don't like braid or fluorocarbon, that only leaves a copolymer line.  Another great line is Izor Line Premium and Izor XXX.  The Premium is a hard surface, tough line with not much stretch for use on baitcasters.  The XXX is a softer line that works on spinning reels.  Both have good knot strength and are abrasion resistant.  I like Izor because you can buy it in 1/4 lb spools for a reasonable price online.

 

I use lots of fluorocarbon because I frequent a deep clear water lake.  Its density does transmit feel better than copolymers. I like Seguar, P-Line, and BPS fluoro.  I stock up on BPS when it's available on a BassPro spring sale event.

 

Most recently, I've used Suffix 832 and Power Pro Super Slick for braid.  Both work well.  I'm trying to switch from fluorocarbon on my dropshot spinning rigs to braid with a fluorocarbon leader.  I don't use a lot of braid and I won't use it without a leader except when fishing heavy grass.  If you do fish lots of grass, straight braid rules.  Some guys use braid all the time, for all presentations.  Using a fluorocarbon leader helps with braid abrasion and acts as a shock leader.

 

But really if you like copolymer monofilament line, you can use it for anything and everything.  It just isn't ideal if you want maximum sensitivity or the ability to cut through grass.

[RayburnGuy]

For most of my fishing I use P-Line in 10 to 25 lb. test. Unless something new has come along P-Line is as strong per diameter as any co-polymer line on the market. I did a straight line pull test with 15 lb. P-Line and in 3 tests the breaking point was never below 20 lbs. with it taking 27 lbs to break it in one of the pulls. For flipping Power Pro braid gets the nod in 65 lb. test and 50 when I can't find the 65. I also use braid on a Carolina rig with a P-Line leader. As the lakes I fish aren't gin clear I haven't seen a need to use any fluorocarbon.

 

Ben

[crzyjunyer]

bob im not opposed to florocarbon at all , im just looking for perhaps a better line for my preferences, so i am seeking opinions on it and to try and narrow down my trials and errors. Have you used the seguar abrasx? Im just curious as to how well it holds up to abrasion in reality as well as sensitivity. At $20 a spool its not something i can just trash if its not what they claim on my budget.

 

 

ben i normally fish on the coosa and its pretty muddy/stained but they are heavily pressured too so id like to try the advantage the clear floro offers. In 2 weeks ill be in Eufaula fishing with my dad and a group of other guys for a week and its more clear, but not "gin clear" like alot of lakes. I do fish in a buddy's pasture pond (prob the most now due to gas prices and better fishing usually)  and its usually pretty clear unless my dog or the cows get in it that is.

[xtx]

Ditto on what rayburn guy said ! I call it "cable" because it has real good abrasion resistance and it is strong. Price is good on it too. The only times i stray from it is when its cold out... water temp 50 or less. Then i use plain ol' stren. Doesnt have the memory and the bass dont fight too much when its that cold . If i were to head back to say douglass lake in tenn, or some of the so cal lakes ( gin clear ) then i would go back to florocarbon. Fo that i still like p-line.

[dog1660]

For mono line I have been very happy with Berkley Big Game in the 1/4 lb spool. For the $$ is is a line that is very strong. We mostly fish the CA. Delta and that has been a very good line. For braid I would also agree with RayburnGuy.

[BobP]

I think the more sensitive fluorocarbon lines tend to be a little stiffer and heavier than other lines.  I use it a lot, have gotten used to it, and like its sensitivity.  BPS fluorocarbon has worked as well as any brand for me.  It's on sale right now!  You also see new braids coming out this year that are much thinner, more tightly woven, and quieter through rod guides.  Sufix 832 and Power Pro Super 8 Slick are examples.  I'm interested in them because I worry about braid visibility in clear water so the thinner the better.  The Suffix and the Power Pro Slick have a 2 lb mono diameter in 10 lb test and they about 1/3 thinner than previous versions.  If you can stand to fish a braid with a 3-5 ft copolymer or fluoro leader, it's hard to beat braid for any presentation since the leader largely solves the visibility and the abrasion problem.

 

I often use a braid literally for years, so it is the most cost efficient line available notwithstanding the cost.  Fluoro lasts longer than copolymer because fluoro is not affected by UV light and it does not absorb water like nylon copolymers.  I respool fluoro only when it gets too short on the spool or after about a year has passed - or anytime it has become kinked and thus weakened on the spool by a backlash.  You gotta be more careful to tie good knots with fluoro than with nylon lines.

 

Just a FYI -  Tuf-Line has come out with a new braid.  If you go to www.bassresource.com and navigate to the Rods, Reels, Lines and Knots forum, there is a banner for Tuf-Line on the right hand column.  Click it and it takes you to a site where you can get 100 yards of the new braid in 12 or 20 lb test for a flat price of $4.99.  Pretty cheap!