Advantages Of Straight Fluro

[Bass&PanMan]

Hi all,

I recently switched from braid and a Fluro leader to straight Fluro and I am so regretting it.

I had a bird's nest for the first time and it doesn't cast as far and the line seems to float the drop shot out of position.

I'm thinking of going back to braid with Fluro leader but before I do, what are the advantages of straight Fluro when drop Shotting using 7lb Sunline Sniper 7lb ?

Thanks in advance

Matthew

[Ozark_Basser]

Slackline sensitivity. Fluoro sinks, so in deeper water you have a more direct connection with the bait. You can find braid that sinks though.

[Craiger12]

I have gotten away from using braid over the past few years and gone with straight fluoro for these exact reasons. Can you give a few examples of sinking braids?

[Bass&PanMan]

I'm finding the opposite, the Fluro stays on the surface so my contact with the bait isn't as direct. I just love Sunline SX1, it is a step up from Power Pro

[Ozark_Basser]

I have gotten away from using braid over the past few years and gone with straight fluoro for these exact reasons. Can you give a few examples of sinking braids?

Suffix 832 and Tuf line HeaviCore. Fx2 was touted as a sinking braid when it first came out, but it floats.

[Bass&PanMan]

I take it back. Sorry for the confusion, novice fisherman here, Fluro does sink but I have to use 3/16oz weights to cast it the same distance. My casting has improved with feathering the line as it hits the water so no more birds nests but I can't see a real benefit to straight Fluro over a braid/Fluro combo

[Angry John]

Visibility maybe, sinks, and less knots. I use 6 lb sniper and 6lb pline 100%. There both good but my issue is line twist. Very common issue.

[John G]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of reel are you using?

[sprint61]

Maybe you didn't spool it on tight enough I never have problems with fluro.

[MickD]

I have had so much trouble with flouro on baitcasters that I'm just going back to mono and copolymer.  One problem with many flouros is how fragile most of them are if they get kinked, and that's a problem on BC and spinning.   I'm going to braid with flouro  leader material (not line) leaders where I like that combo.  I really don't think the perceived advantages of flouro line compensate for the terribly variable quality of lines, even name brand lines.  Better to have something that is easy to use and is dependable.

 

I know, some have no problems, but that has not been my experience.

[The Fisher]

I have had nothing but trouble with Flouro on spinning reels so I use a copolymer Silver Thread AN40 and sometime a braid to Flouro leader. I do use Seagur Invizix Flouro on some of my baitcasters with no problem. If it sits for awhile and gets kinked I squirt some KVD line conditioner on it the night before and it's like new.

[fishindad]

I also have no issues with straight FC on my spinning reel for dropshotting. I only use Sunline Sniper, usually in 7 lb. test. I have tried using straight FC on my tube rod (also spinning) but that's 8 lb. test and the line stiffness (lack of mono-like softness) was very noticeable even with an increase of only 1 lb in test. So I am back to coply to see if I lose anything (feel or abrasion resistance).

 

I'm no expert but with the line choices we have today, there is an optimal line for every fishing situation. The problem is when we as anglers expect or want one single line to cover all bass fishing situations. Or we don't have the patience to work with tools long enough or extensively enough to take advantage of each line. Braid, fluorocarbon, and mono/coply all have their strengths and weaknesses. No question almost all braid floats (I use 832). Mono/copoly stretches the most, in my experience, even though some claim FC stretches just as much. FC is the most dense of all the lines and technically closest to the refractive index of water, which is why trout and bonefish anglers swear by fluoro leaders/lines. That also means other than copolymers, which combine harder FC outer coatings with softer nylon inner cores making them similar in abrasion resistance to pure FC, pure fluorcarbon line is the most abrasion resistant making it the best for rocks, wood, zebra mussels. And in my hands, straight FC has the most slack line sensitivity. Where I fish in the Great Lakes for smallies, there's lots of "dragging" of tubes, grubs and dropshot baits so many guys use braid with FC leaders on spinning gear. But for situations like jig fishing or flickshake/wacky, I feel more bites with straight FC.

 

The ideal scenario is to use the right line for each situation to gain every advantage over the fish and situation. You just need to spend the time to learn each type of line and their respective advantages and disadvantages. No one line is best for all fishing situations. FC is the least user-friendly but it does have clear advantages over braid and mono IMO. Learn to use the line in the right place and it will pay off. And always use a quality line.

[deep]

Sensitivity.

 

For short line situations, the difference probably isn't noticeable.

 

When my bait is sitting in 25 FOW with a 100 feet of line out with the wind blowing sideways, I want every advantage I can get to detect the lightest bites. The only reason I put up with the price, questionable knot strength, line memory, stretch, etc etc.

 

Braid has a time and place. For me, it's only around vegetation in short line situations (punching) and topwaters including frogs.

 

YMMV.

 

 

P.S.

 

I do recall a somewhat funny incident. One afternoon, I was fishing a jerkbait on an 893/ 12# Tatsu. I was missing fish after fish because I was setting the hook too soon (they were not really eating the bait).

Tied the bait on another setup that had braid and leader, and landed almost 100% of the bites the rest of the afternoon.

Sometimes lower sensitivity can be a good thing!

[WRB]

The answer is simple...1 knot.

It sounds like you are using a baitcasting reel?

7 lb Sunline is very small diameter ( 0.086) line for most bait casters, spinning would be a better choice.

Use a good quality line conditioner like Tangle Free to help keep the FC wet and on the spool.

Tom

[HoosierHawgs]

I also have no issues with straight FC on my spinning reel for dropshotting. I only use Sunline Sniper, usually in 7 lb. test. I have tried using straight FC on my tube rod (also spinning) but that's 8 lb. test and the line stiffness (lack of mono-like softness) was very noticeable even with an increase of only 1 lb in test. So I am back to coply to see if I lose anything (feel or abrasion resistance).

I'm no expert but with the line choices we have today, there is an optimal line for every fishing situation. The problem is when we as anglers expect or want one single line to cover all bass fishing situations. Or we don't have the patience to work with tools long enough or extensively enough to take advantage of each line. Braid, fluorocarbon, and mono/coply all have their strengths and weaknesses. No question almost all braid floats (I use 832). Mono/copoly stretches the most, in my experience, even though some claim FC stretches just as much. FC is the most dense of all the lines and technically closest to the refractive index of water, which is why trout and bonefish anglers swear by fluoro leaders/lines. That also means other than copolymers, which combine harder FC outer coatings with softer nylon inner cores making them similar in abrasion resistance to pure FC, pure fluorcarbon line is the most abrasion resistant making it the best for rocks, wood, zebra mussels. And in my hands, straight FC has the most slack line sensitivity. Where I fish in the Great Lakes for smallies, there's lots of "dragging" of tubes, grubs and dropshot baits so many guys use braid with FC leaders on spinning gear. But for situations like jig fishing or flickshake/wacky, I feel more bites with straight FC.

The ideal scenario is to use the right line for each situation to gain every advantage over the fish and situation. You just need to spend the time to learn each type of line and their respective advantages and disadvantages. No one line is best for all fishing situations. FC is the least user-friendly but it does have clear advantages over braid and mono IMO. Learn to use the line in the right place and it will pay off. And always use a quality line.

I'm interested to here what your findings are after trying copoly instead of fluorocarbon.

[Jon G]

I swear by fluorocarbon but lately I have rigged some braid up with 6'-12' FC leaders and honestly I'm still getting the same amount of bites. Lately my philosophy has been if a fish notices and cares so much about the line he must also be aware of the hooks on our baits, weights sliding around on the bottom of T-rigs, ect. 

 

I came to bass fishing from fly fishing for trout so naturally I was very concerned about fish seeing my line because trout are line shy. But I do not think bass are line shy. If they see something that intrests them they will usually eat it not paying attention to anything. For instance look at how many double digit bass have been taken over the past few years on A-rigs. That rig is just a giant coat hanger with hooks coming out of the side of it. Yet these fish still inhale that rig even though it does not look natural at all.

 

That being said I will still most likely use fluorocarbon due to slack line sensitivity and it get my bait down in deeper water quicker.

[BobP]

When fishing toward the a shallow shoreline I think fluoro has an advantage.  With braid, if a fish picks up your bait and swims toward the boat, as many do, braid transmits zero sensation while fluoro will usually let you feel the bite.  I use fluoro on dropshots too because I have no trouble handling 6lb line on my spinning reel and just don't want the hassle of tying leaders on braid for that application.  Fluoro is heavier than nylon line so you may need to adjust the reel braking to accommodate the extra line weight when casting.  Other than that, I really don't see any problem.

[blckshirt98]

Fluoro also is a lot stiffer than braid and will want to "relax" off the spool when you spool it up and remove the tension off the line.  I've had similiar issues with freshly spooled fluoro on a casting reel where it'll want to bird nest like crazy especially if using a lighter lure that isn't heavy enough to keep tension on the line on the spool.