Darren.

Hi all, I realize this has been debated and plowed into the ground, but I've got a specific question - okay more than one, (and I hope roadwarrior chimes in given his experience with both) on these lines for finesse fishing. P-Line Floroclear (PLFC) in mist green, 6# test has become my confidence line. I'm a fan of Yo-Zuri Hybrid (YZH), but have not tried the Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft (YZHUS) yet. Since the mist green color seems to work best in waters I fish, I am interested in YZHUS in mist green. The waters I fish tend to be a "green clear", "green-stained". No gin-clear waters (yet). 1) It has been said that YZHUS is "milky" in appearance, I assume that the mist green is that way as well? 2) For those of you who've tried both PLFC and YZHUS, have you found any major differences in the lighter weight lines? Is PLFC "clearer" and thus more "invisible", or are they pretty similar? 3) As well, it seems that some say YZHUS has the same breaking strength of it's elder sibling YZH, but there are no charts to say the same that I can find. Is YZHUS's break strength less than the YZH cousin? 4) Unless I'm clueless on this, YZHUS in 4 lb test = PLFC in 6 lb test in terms of line diameter. So why the discrepancy? Why isn't the line rated by diameter rather than lb test? 5) With regard to breaking strength - if you compare line diameter to line diameter of each line, are they relatively equal? Personally I've not had issues with PLFC on drop shots and wacky worming. I tie a double palomar for wacky and have had no problems breaking at the knot and have lost no fish yet either way. Thank you for your patience and thoughtful response(s).

That actually makes a lot of sense. But do you think in heavily fished waters that fish become line-wary? I hear that all the time whether on TV, at Bass Pro, or from other anglers (yeah, I try to chew the meat and spit out the bones when it comes to the sales pitch).

I'm glad you brought this topic up. I spooled my spinning gear (a while back) with 10 lb yellow Power Pro, tried a variety of leader material (best leader IMO was Yo-Zuri Hybrid 8lb test) in different lengths. I've since "upgraded" to a finesse rig (Johnny Morris Sig Series 6' M rod with a Stradic 1000FI) for drop/wacky and such. My catch rate has gone up dramatically, but not using yellow PP. With yellow PP I found casting was excellent, but catching was not. I fish several area lakes and reservoirs, some "green clear" if you know what I mean, and others cloudy green. I've also used PP in green and red and caught fish on both w/o leaders (the red dye made a mess of my baitcaster, so I stopped using it). For me, the "money line" is P-line Floroclear mist green in 6lb test. Yes it is difficult to see unless the light is "just right", but it has produced like no other, including YZ Hybrid (haven't tried UltraSoft yet). I love the sensitivity of braid, but do not have confidence in it like I do P-Line Floroclear, but I'll probably spool up with the yellow PP sometime in the future on a spare spool and give it another run. Maybe my success/confidence/technique with P-Line will give me confidence in the yellow PP. Who knows? In agreement with others, I think you should give the yellow PP a try. You may find it works for you in the waters you fish. Since I haven't yet reached 10 normal posts, I can't post the link to Gary Yamamoto's hi-vis braid article. So Google "gary yamamoto yellow powerpro" and it should be the first link. If you haven't already read it, that is.

Perhaps you are answering your own question! If you are successfully pulling that size bass out of cover then sounds like the odds are, in fact, in your favor. To state you are using the wrong line for the wrong application seems to not apply. What works for one may not work for another. I use 6lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid as a leader on my spinning rods, tied on to 10lb Power Pro and get hung up in woody spots, too, as there is a ton of vegetation/sunken logs off the docks I commonly fish. Near impossible to avoid. If I don't bend the hook straight, then the Yo-Zuri usually snaps, eventually. I'm confident in my setup although I'm currently debating whether a leader is necessary in my situation. Was spooled up with YZ 6lb before I changed it out for braid. Thinking of dumping the braid and going back to YZ, but would like to try the YZ Ultra Soft. FWIW, I am mostly shore-bound as well, though I do canoe fish from time to time. I love ultralight fishing, makes fishing a blast! Used Cajun Lightning in 17lb test on one of my baitcasters. Had moderate success with it, but left it for YZ Hybrid. I'd be interested in trying Cajun's lighter lines. Do you have any issues with line memory? As well, which Cajun version do you use, lightning, cast, other?

For me, it would be an Ugly Stik Lite (as another said, the one with the cork handles). Why? For one, USLs have a soft enough tip to work extremely well with crankbaits. Another reason is extreme durability. USLs get a bad rap from many. A lot of folks move on from them to more expensive/sensitive rods, but I've actually moved back to them from the pricier rods. My rationale is due to strength and durability. I stared in disbelief when a brand new rod I bought was stepped on (accidentally) by a kid fishing near me on a dock. A careless, but expensive mistake for me. I'm normally careful with my equipment, but didn't want to have that happen again. I was in the grip of the bait monkey, looking at more and more expensive rods. That event helped me refocus on needs over wants. So the Cabelas rod may not be expensive, but I'd wager it can't hold a candle in durability to the USL. Oh, and the Shimano Voltaeus (their answer to the Ugly Stik) is also nice. They are a *tad* lighter than USLs by my subjective measurement in my local Bass Pro Shop. I compared a 5' UL Shimano V. to a 5' UL USL, both one-piece, both $39. The Shimano was a good deal floppier (noodly) than the USL. It was a tad lighter; however - the Shimano's handle was about 1" shorter - that was a deal breaker for me. Most of the Voltaeus (fresh water) line have too-short handles. Sorry to be so wordy. Just wanted to give my opinion. Buy what you need and can afford and keep the bait monkey at bay! Fish don't care what brand rod you have. : Oh, one more thing - if you're looking at say, a 7 footer, get your hands on one of the new Ugly Stik Inshore Select rods. VERY light and nice looking. I almost grabbed one, but can't use a longer rod so much for transport reasons.

I have been checking out these rods every time I go to BPS. I had a chance to compare the 6'6" M (all spinning rods, fwiw) with a 6'6" M Vendetta, Mojo, Carrot Stix, and a couple more - the CarbonLite is like a feather at the tip whereas the Vendetta and Mojo were quite tip-heavy by comparison; felt quite similar to the Carrot Stix. A BPS guy was cool enough to let me compare a couple rods with my spinning reel of choice (Shimano Spirex 2500 FG) and boy was the CarbonLite awesome. I need to change that to present tense - since the "introductory special" price drop, I jumped on the 6'6" M. Took it out on the water today (dock), and though I didn't catch anything, I did get a good couple of hits from some small fish hitting a tiny tube. The feel was fantastic. Bottom jigging, shakey head worming, etc., was excellent. I could feel everything. Was just a tough bite today. I did have a Berkely Lightning Shock in M power prior to this, but couldn't shake an unsettled feeling I had with the Shock so I returned it and waited until the CL went on sale. Feel is better than the Shock, by a fairly large factor, IMHO. Sorry I cannot compare it to Fenwick, Loomis, Cumaras, etc. Way out of my price league. :-/ (other than in-store comparisons). The guides are very quiet with PowerPro, too. And like MarauderYak said, the guides are not cheapies, they are PAC Bay stainless with titanium carbide inserts. A big thumbs up so far. Anticipate good things from this rod this season! 8-)

Joined the site today. Been perusing the boards for a while now, enjoying the information and friendly debate immensely. I'm in southeast VA, the Hampton Roads area. I fish primarily in freshwater reservoirs in York county. I love bass fishing, but will go for anything that takes a hook whether using plastics, crankbaits, jigs, or live bait. I fish with a Shimano Spirex 2500 on a 5'9" ML Ugly Stick, a couple of Quantum Accurist baitcasters, a couple of Abu Garcia 276Ui underspin spincast reels, and a bevy of simple panfish poles from 10' to 20'. Have a Merry Christmas, all! Darren

First post here. Great site, great resources! If I could only pick one guy: "Uncle" Homer Circle. So many years on the water, so much wisdom, so practical.