FryDog62

I am starting to experiment with a left-handed spinning set up too. But honestly, my left hand/wrist isn't nearly as strong as my right... and I'm experimenting, but so far I'm a bit more comfortable using a Baitcaster with my left hand. I'm a "reel gripper" with a Baitcaster and for whatever reason, that seems to give my hand a slightly higher center of gravity and ability to finesse lures and set the hook a little better. Not sure that makes sense and the difference is subtle but thought I'd try this route. New territory for me with the bad right wrist. Surgery was November and not sure it's going to come around by this Spring. Staying optimistic though

Budget is approx $100. I have a $50 BPS gift card so it would help to order there. My son is a design major in college and created my profile picture, glad he got that talent from his mom - mine would have been a stick man drawing ... er, um, stick "dog?"

I fish a lot of lighter plastics for smallmouth and typically use Medium-Light spinning gear. However, I'm recovering from surgery on my right wrist and need to switch hands and use a Baitcaster. Any suggestions on an ML baitcasting Rod? And/or other suggestions on reel/line etc for this lighter application? Thx, -Fry

Its a co-poly...mono core with with fluorocarbon coated exterior. Hence maybe slightly more density than just plain mono but basically it floats. Very thin for a flouro coated line, more sensitive than your typical mono. Very low stretch, impressive in that regard. Stronger than other straight fluorocarbons I have used in the same pound test. Overall, an excellent line IMO.

X2 Have used YH for about 5 years now in many applications..awesome overall line. Like the low stretch too My only negative is that it appears Yo-Zuri is now only making the line in clear. I really liked the Camo Green... Anyone have any scoop why it's going to only one color?

" A few questions. 1. What knot did you use? 2. Why test stretch at line strength without using 75%* of line strength? 8 lb @ 6 lb load? 3. Did you measure the line? What with? * it's impossible to apply 8 lbs load with tackle used to fish 8 lb line, 6 lbs is high enough to yield 8 lb line. The lines should be grouped by diameter, 8 lbs label line with .009-.0095 only. Any line larger diamter like Yo-Zuri @ .011-.0115 should be at 12 lb test or 75% = 9 lb load.....apples. To apples. Yo-Zuri 4 lb test is .009, use that in your 8 lb category for example. Sunline and others 12 lb line is .011-.0115, use those to compare line in the .011 diamter class. Your stretch test shows how honest line mfr's are, good post! Tom " Tom, I'll try to answer most of your questions best I can: 1) I used a double Palomar knot. Where lines broke, it was up the line above the weight...the knots held. 2) I think there are a number of ways to do this test and I may do more. The reason I picked an 8 pound weight was to use the maximum so as to accentuate the difference between the various lines. Although a lesser weight might be closer to the real world, some of the results might be closer together and harder to see differences. We're all looking for subtle differences in the products we choose, and I wanted to try to make those differences as obvious as possible. If I get time, I may do another round of tests at 4 pounds on a cross section of these lines. 3) I measured the lines with - what else would a fisherman use - a Hawg trough... Ha! Of course I'm Kidding, I used a tape measured and tried to get down to 1/8 inch. 4) Yes, I do think that line diameter can make a difference in stretch - that's why I did the second breakout with just those that were .009 inches in diameter and throw out the Yo-Zuri's and XT's that were thicker. There were 9 lines (half of the lines tested) that fit the .009 criteria. But in terms of the 3 different line categories, fluorocarbon still stretched the most. P-line CX co-polymer and several of the fluorocarbons were the same diameter but CX stretched less - and maybe most importantly, didn't break.

I think there are 3 versions of Shooter now - is it the "Marrionette" that stretches least?

The one line I have used pretty extensively in this test is Yo-Zuri Hybrid. Very tough and abrasion resistant. If sink rate isn't a huge deal it is a great low stretch and very strong line. If there was one line that stood out to me in this entire test though it was the P-Line CX Premium Co-Polymer. Not only was it low stretch, but it was much less in diameter than Yozuri Hybrid and Trilene XT (they are about .011) and CX is .009 (feels even thinner). I am looking forward to trying it out this year because I think it may offer at least some of the sensitivity of fluorocarbon. There is no perfect line and various lines are good in different situations. I'm trying to experiment as much as I can and try some new things out. But honestly unless I do find a truly low-stretch fluorocarbon I'll probably stick with a co-poly of some kind.

I saw the Tackle Tour tests too - but wanted to conduct my own test with the type of lines I would use. I honestly went into this hoping to find a low stretch fluorocarbon line, thinking there had to be some out there. I agree sometimes sink rate is preferred and flouro would win out there if I could find one that stretches less.

"Did you happen to look at the lines after they'd been stretched? Fluoro supposedly does dot return to it's original shape after it's been stretched. I'm curious as to your observations." Yes I did check the lines over. 5 of the 9 fluorocarbon lines snapped and coiled up like slinkys. Even the lines that didn't break were coily. The mono/co-poly lines were a little stressed but pretty much back to their original shape.

I bought into the fluorocarbon thing about 5 years ago in many respects because it is marketed as being "low stretch." I have a couple rods with no stretch braid, but also wanted to string up a few rods with straight fluorocarbon as a main line. I took a trip to Rainy Lake to target smallmouth. Lots of long casts, clear water, finesse plastics and spinnerbaits. Two of us in the boat, lots of fish and I had several long casts and hits. Whiff, whiff, whiff... I usually don't miss that many fish. My fishing partner wasn't missing and he was having a good time letting me hear about it. So I switched back to braid on one pole and mono on the other...and started getting solid hook sets again. Made me wonder about how much stretch was in fluorocarbon. Part of the reason I bought fluorocarbon was for its low stretch properties. Its no fun setting the hook with a rubber band. And yet that's what was happening to me. So, I decided to conduct my own independent test of 9 fluorocarbon lines versus 9 other mono or co-polymer lines. Many Fluorocarbon lines are specifically marketed as "low stretch." But compared to what? So, I decided to test them head-to-head in an effort to find out which lines truly were less stretch than the others. My results are below. I used only 8 pound test lines in this experiment. You could do a number of different tests but the one I chose was to max the lines out and see how they stretched when pushed to their outer limits. I used a 12 foot length of line and hung an 8 pound weight from it. Lowered it slowly. Most lines would reach close to their maximum stretch after about 20-25 seconds, so at 30 seconds I took the measurement in inches. Results are listed from least stretch (in inches) to most stretch. I don't have a horse in this race and am not sponsored by anyone...just an amateur in pursuit of a good low stretch line: All Lines Tested Trilene XT (Mono) 21-1/4 inches of stretch Yo-Zuri Hybrid (Co-polymer) 22-1/8 Sufix Seige (Mono) 22-5/8 P-Line CX Premium (Co-polymer) 23-1/2 Maxima Treazure (Co-polymer) 24-1/2 Trilene XL (Mono) 24-3/4 Tectan Superior (Mono) 25-7/8 Berkley Sensation (Mono) 26-1/8 Sunline Sniper (Fluorocarbon) 26-1/2 Gamma Touch (Fluorocarbon) 29-1/4 Original Blue Stren (Mono) 29-3/4 Gamma Edge (Fluorocarbon) 31-0** Bass Pro XPS (Fluorocarbon) 31-3/4* Stren 100% (Fluorocast) 31-3/4* Seaguar Tatsu (Fluorocarbon) 32-3/4 P-Line 100% (Fluorocarbon) 33-0* Seaguar Invizx (Fluorocarbon) 36-0** Berkley 100% (Fluorocarbon) 38-3/8 *Line snapped once and was re-tested ** Line snapped twice - length estimated Broken Down By Line Type 3 Co-polymer lines average stretch: 23.4 inches 6 Monofilament lines average stretch: 25.1 inches 9 fluorocarbon lines average stretch: 32.2 inches Line Diameter Line diameter can have an effect on stretch, but 9 of these lines all had the same diameter (.009 inches). Those lines are broken out below. The overall results are similar for the 3 different line types. P-Line CX Premium (Co-polymer) 23-1/2 Maxima Treazure (Co-polymer) 24-1/2 Tectan Superior (Mono) 25-7/8 Berkley Sensation (Mono) 26-1/8 Sunline Sniper (Fluorocarbon) 26-1/2 Gamma Touch (Fluorocarbon) 29-1/4 Bass Pro XPS (Fluorocarbon) 31-3/4* Seaguar Tatsu (Fluorocarbon) 32-3/4 Seaguar Invizx (Fluorocarbon) 36-0** Overall observations I had heard for years that Fluorocarbon line had less stretch than other lines, boy was I surprised with these results. Newer Co-polymer lines being marketed specifically as “low stretch” for the most part seem to be accurate. Monofilament tends to be somewhere in the middle, although those with a thicker diameter (i.e. Trilene XT .011 and Sufix Seige .010) did stretch less. Line diameter may have an effect on the stretch of certain lines, but overall, lines of the same diameter seem to reflect that Co-polymer and Monofilament lines still stretch less than Fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon lines tend to break easier when stretched to their maximum breaking strength. Curious to hear other people's feedback and if they have had similar experiences. -Fry

As a Northern-based bass fisherman, I find the Tuffy x-190 very intriguing. However, I fish some rough big waters but just as many smaller river systems... Tuffy is rumored to be close to launching a slightly smaller version - the x-176. REALLY interested to see what that looks like. And a better price-point for me. Problem is, they have been talking about launching it since 2011 and there isn't anything yet. I also might be interested in the Recon 785 - a 17 1/2 footer that's good in rougher waters but might be a bit deep for the skinnier stuff..? If you would consider a Deep V Tiller - that can handle big water yet has both a front and rear casting deck - check out "Backtroller Boats." A unique boat that is building a very strong following here in the North ~

New to the forum!! Have been on other Minnesota-based fishing sites but they are 90% walleye, walleye, walleye. Love to eat them, but sure are boring to catch. Nice to find a site and some people devoted to fish that actually fight! I have fished Mille Lacs in the past but haven't been able to the last couple years. Wondering how the smallmouth fishing is mid-summer now on the Big Pond? I used to fish the rock piles in the SE corner with plastics but I know there are other locations and techniques. So what's working these days? -Would like to get there in the next couple weeks. -FryDog