BassKat

Although I fish high-end sensitive rods, I do fish lower stretch copolys for bottom contact applications, even though some fluorocarbons would be better. I guess it's impossible for me to say that I don't miss some extremely light bites, but I do catch a ton of fish, including very light bites. In a tournament scenario, I'd probably spool up some FC, but my baseline all-purpose line, even for bottom contact, will remain copoly / super mono for the reasons discussed.

Similar to the guys at tackletour, it frustrates me when a company doesn't accurately match a line's true strength to its labeled strength. It doesn't make sense for a company to label a line with a diameter of .014" as 12lb if their .012" offering isn't breaking until 12+ lbs of force is applied. Why would they sell their line short from a strength-to-diamteter perspective? Makes no sense. Unfortunately, the skeptic in me says that they may do this because their abrasion resistance needs to be subsidized by a thicker diameter. That's why I believe this aspect is at the heart of the examination.

For those who fish a lot, perhaps also have kids that fish a lot, employ 5 to 8 rods (or more!), and like to freshen up their line fairly regularly. I typically reline at least seasonally after prespawn, spawn, summer (usually at least twice), and fall, copolys/super monos offer such a price advantage over fluorocarbon. I agree that memory is the most tolerable aspect of a given line. Defier Armilo wasn't exceptional in the memory department, but amazed in the strength-to-diameter and abrasion categories. On evaluating strength-to-diameter / abrasion, with most copolys that tend to have slightly larger diameters, we are forced into buying a power down (i.e. evaluating 10lb copoly v 12 lb traditional monos) and seeing if the line over delivers on strength to make it a wash. My concern so far has been how this relates to abrasion resistance. If the strength is there, but the smaller diameter compromises the abrasion resistance, I may turn back to Sensation. I think that it's just hard for me, at 52, to accept that the line technology I fished in high school/college is the line I should throw in 2025, especially after discovering Defier Armilo, which "was" (discontinued) the only running-away better option I've found. My hope to evaluate coploys that have smaller mono-like diameters is probably just laziness. It is absolutely plausible that a larger diameter copoly can be bought in a lower pound test and outperform a larger standard mono in BOTH strength and abrasion resistance. I think that for people who reserve braid for spinning and heavy vegetation, don't fish a lot of clear water, see fluorocarbon as decisively better than low-stretch coploys, or just don't want to tolerate the expense of FC, this is a very worthy discussion. Thanks to all

At first, copolys lowered stretch and increased sensitivity compared to standard mono. I loved big game, but never turned back to it after Sensation. Later, fluorocarbon coated copolys sought to offer clarity closer to fluorocarbon with easier handling. I'm sure there are other pursued copoly concepts. They also tend to be affordable. Thanks to all for the input! I really appreciate it. I'm excited about the consensus around YZH; I will definitely put it into testing immediately! A-Jay, I especially appreciate the video link. I'm going to also try Ultragreen. F14A-B mentioned Pline CX being supple enough for spinning reels. That comment, and zell_pop1's, made me realize I should have explained why I'm not a big fluorocarbon fan. It's two-fold...price and manageability, so I've got P-Line CX & Sufix Elite on the radar in case I need a more supple line. Really great discussion. Line is everything.

I only use braid for spinning and heavy vegetation, don't fish much clear water, and generally dislike fluorocarbon, so I rely heavily on modern low-stretch copolymer / monofilaments. My historical benchmark for this was Sensation because Sensation has very acceptable stretch, good abrasion resistance, and fairly low memory at a great price. Although satisfied with Sensation, I still test around. When I discovered Defier Armilo, I was blown away. It became my go-to for abrasive environments or clear water where Defier Armilo's small diameter yielded a notable advantage. Since Defier Armilo has been discontinued, I've been lost in the wilderness. Being so fond of Defier Armilo, I tested Sunline Super Mono, but it just didn't have the abrasion resistance I require at any diameter. I do think it would make a fine open-water line, but I fish mostly wood and rock structures. I've been testing Sufix Advance. Overall, I like Sufix Advance, but the strenth to diameter bugs me a bit. I know the mindset of just buying the diameter you want and seeing if there's an over-delivery of strength that makes it moot. That is exactly where I am in my testing of Sufix Advance. So, I'm basically testing 10lb Advance against 12lb Sensation. Advance is putting up an admirable fight, but my gut tells me I'm getting a little more abrasion resistance out of the Sensation. After seeing a favorable review on TackleTour, I also have P-Line Fluoroclear "in testing". I broke off a nice fish on day 1 last weekend and have seen comments where others have questioned Fluoroclear's durability. Other than that one break-off (which could have been me missing a needed re-tie), I was otherwise satisfied enough with Fluoroclear's other properties to continue testing. I'd appreciate everyone's input on modern low-stretch copolymers / monos, especially those with good strength-to-diameter ratios. I've seen good reviews of other P-Line products. However, except for Fluoroclear and CX, I didn't see any with good strength-to-diameter ratios. I have not tried any P-Line CX in case any of you are wild about it. I'll greatly appreciate any feedback the forum has...thanks!