Fluorocarbon Line Size for Jigs

[Dens228]

8 hours ago, WRB said:

YI have been fishing FC since the early 90’s about 25 years.

Started with Sunline Shooter 12 lb for jig fishing. I was never completely trusting of FC line do to random line failures but liked the increase jig contact feedback. As FC line became more available I tried every brand from Black Water Toray to Seaguar Tatsu, nothing solved the random line failures.

The next era in the 2000’s was super braids with FC leaders. Tried that and the knot issue became a total nightmare with every braid to leader knot known. 

Going up to 14 lb FC created line memory issues is dry hot weather and cold wet weather, nightmare continued.

When I looked back at the mono and copolymer era when I caught every bass over 16 lbs without FC started me wondering why I am still trying to use+FC line? I like FC line feed back back using jigs! 

I will never use braid to FC line leader....until now.

My last outing got my hat handed to me from my friend using bright braid with FC leader on spinning tackle with unweighted Sebko’s. The bright braid floating is like a strike indicator indicating the Senko moved slightly. I couldn’t see my copolymer Maxima UG move when the Senko was sinking and missed those strikes.

I bought Seaguar Smack Down bright green 20 lb braid for this presentation with FC leader!

Since all the FC line was over 6 years old I am giving 12lb Tatsu another try. I like Tatsu feel, time will tell! No leader with my jig fishing!

Tom

PS, I kicked  my partners (local guide) butt jig fishing 3-O using my old FC and older hair jigs w/pirate trailers! Rematch this 9th!

Ok you confused me here.  Braid to FC leader followed up in the same paragraph with "No leader with my jig fishing!"   Are you using straight braid or a leader?

[WRB]

3 hours ago, Dens228 said:

Ok you confused me here.  Braid to FC leader followed up in the same paragraph with "No leader with my jig fishing!"   Are you using straight braid or a leader?

Braid w/leader on the spinning rods and straight FC on the casting jig rod. The point being I have said that 2 knots using braid w/leader isn’t a good idea, now changed my mind because it’s an advantage to see the line move floating on the surface makes a good strike indicator using weightless Senko.

Tom

PS, eating a little crow.

[APK62]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Braid w/leader on the spinning rods and straight FC on the casting jig rod. The point being I have said that 2 knots using braid w/leader isn’t a good idea, now changed my mind because it’s an advantage to see the line move floating on the surface makes a good strike indicator using weightless Senko.

Tom

PS, eating a little crow.

Eating a little crow? Your having a feast!! LOL

[NoShoes]

On 12/1/2020 at 8:59 AM, roadwarrior said:

Well, I have been a fan of #12 Tatsu forever, but I recently ran out and decided to run with #15.

Surprisingly, I like it!

 

if you had both at your disposal, which would you throw 3/8 jigs on?  I have both sitting on my deck but keep going back and forth?

[roadwarrior]

#12

 

[Team9nine]

1 minute ago, roadwarrior said:

#12

 

 

Ditto, unless you’re fishing in and around heavy cover regularly. I used 12# all year without issue.

[Choporoz]

I have no sharp shells and very few sharp rocks.   However,  I do throw a LOT into submerged wood and heavy brush.  3/8+ jigs on both 15# fluoro and 40# braid, often with 15# leader. Less than 3/8 jigs/trig get 30# braid,  often with 12# leader.

[fishwizzard]

It very much depends on the jig weight and where I am throwing it.  1/4oz jigs in mostly open water, 12lb Sniper, 1/4oz jigs in laydowns or light pads, 15ld Tatsu, 1/2oz jigs in open water to heavier wood, 18lb Shooter, 1.2oz jigs in heavy pads, 40lb PP SSv2.  

[Hammer 4]

12# for jigs also..

[Boomstick]

8 hours ago, NoShoes said:

if you had both at your disposal, which would you throw 3/8 jigs on?  I have both sitting on my deck but keep going back and forth?

It depends more on the cover you're throwing it into and the hook size of the jig more than the weight. In the past, I go with 15# or 17# on the reel I use for jigs because that way I can throw into whatever I come across, but if I have my reel wth 12# available then I'll use that if I'm fishing in light cover.

[mcipinkie]

Hello Hack . . .

 

For a Massachusetts boy, you've got it pretty well figured out. 

 

You tool up largely for the cover you're fishing and your expected size of fish.

 

In water with nothing to hang you up, you can get by with light wire hooks, lighter line, and probably get more bites. 

 

If you're at Lake Truman in Missouri where you're fishing submerged cedar trees in 5 - 25 ft. of water, you need other tools.  Or Rayburn, or Fork, or Toledo Bend or a thousand other cover lakes.

 

Big flipping stick, Hack Attack jigs with anchors for hooks and 25 lb. mono, or 50 lb braid.  FC not needed.

[Boomstick]

32 minutes ago, mcipinkie said:

Hello Hack . . .

 

For a Massachusetts boy, you've got it pretty well figured out. 

 

You tool up largely for the cover you're fishing and your expected size of fish.

 

In water with nothing to hang you up, you can get by with light wire hooks, lighter line, and probably get more bites. 

 

If you're at Lake Truman in Missouri where you're fishing submerged cedar trees in 5 - 25 ft. of water, you need other tools.  Or Rayburn, or Fork, or Toledo Bend or a thousand other cover lakes.

 

Big flipping stick, Hack Attack jigs with anchors for hooks and 25 lb. mono, or 50 lb braid.  FC not needed.

 

Yup. I kind of know what I'm doing but I had the hardest time deciding between the two. I bought a single high end jig setup, which is a MH-H rod, so it's for jigs with full sized hooks. I ended up going with 20# line because it runs thinner than most fc line (still thinner than 17# InvisX) and I can throw that in just about any cover I'll come across. I ultimately ordered a 16# and a 20#. I ended up giving the 16# to my youngest son for an X-mas present. He can beta test it for me.

 

Areas with really thick weeds are very isolated and I do have a flipping stick for that, but sometimes I do find a fair amount of of wood.

[mcipinkie]

I'm not a line believer.  You can find multiple posts (rants?) from me about fluorocarbon line and how I believe it's a marketing hype designed to get us to buy line that costs 2 - 4 times what good mono costs and brings us nothing.  Don't bother replying.  I spit out that Kool - Aid a long time ago.  

 

That said.  I'm a braid chunker.  Typically with Big Game leaders somewhere between 10 and 25 lb test.  In heavy grass, straight 50 lb braid. 

 

Don't get caught up in numbers and Excel spreadsheets.  It's much more important to throw in the right place than anything else.

 

Where is North Adams?  I lived in Natick about 20 years ago.  Alright, 30 years ago.  I was in Boston for the South Station Rehab.  Almost 30 years ago.  I'm old !!

 

 

 

[Boomstick]

1 minute ago, mcipinkie said:

Where is North Adams?  I lived in Natick about 20 years ago.  Alright, 30 years ago.  I was in Boston for the South Station Rehab.  Almost 30 years ago.  I'm old !!

North Adams, is up in the northwestern part of the state, we're a town away from New York and from Vermont. I spend more time fishing in Vermont than in Massachusetts, partially because it's a much nicer and quieter drive.

[ChrisD46]

On 12/1/2020 at 9:14 AM, Team9nine said:

Go by diameter. Since this is also a  C-rig rod, I’d be more concerned about dragging through/over rocks and shells and stuff than anything your jig will be around. Based on your numbers above, go with the 20# first. Can always drop to 18# if things don’t seem right, later.

^^This^^  ... Definitely go by the diameter (i.e. Berkley 100% FC line is larger diameter than Seaguar / Sunline (the two most popular) in certain sizes . Here is a good comparison as Team9nine was eluding to :

 

Daiwa J - Fluoro : #20 lb. .373mm diameter

Seaugar InvizX / AbrazX :  #17 lb. .37mm diameter

Sunline Sniper FC :  #20 lb. .37 diameter

 

*Pick one of the above and you are in great shape for C-Rig and Jig combo set up - I wouldn't go lighter than .35mm FC diameter for what you want to do .

 

[rangerjockey]

10lb. on the 5/16 ball head rods and 12lb. on the 3/8 and up football and arky heads.

[Teal]

Cant remember at the his point but it's either 15lb or 16lb sniper assassin on one and 50lb daiwa j braid to same floro on other.  

 

 

12 lb sniper is good too.  

[Boomstick]

1 hour ago, Teal said:

Cant remember at the his point but it's either 15lb or 16lb sniper assassin on one and 50lb daiwa j braid to same floro on other.  

 

 

12 lb sniper is good too.  

Sunline would be 16lb.

[throttleplate]

i used 80lb 2 foot fluro leader on my jigs to combat the pike and works great.

[Sir Shamsalot]

Depends on the jig and rig I'm using. On my finesse jig rod I use 15lb Tatsu. On my heavier fluorocarbon hook jig rod, I use 20lb Tatsu. I love it. I can feel the bites even on slack line, and it is such a plus. I can even feel and tell a blue gill nibble when slack. I used these for docks and open water situations.

 

When I fish the weeds, I switch to straight braid and heavier braid jig hooks. 

[TnRiver46]

Seems like it would depend on which size jig and where you are throwing it 

[NOC 1]

On 11/30/2020 at 9:45 PM, Boomstick said:

So this is less of an I don't know what I'm doing but more of a I can't decide for the life of me what to do type of question. It's been bugging me for days. So I have a new dedicated jig & carolina rig setup and I got a good price on some Daiwa J-Fluoro Samurai and I've heard good things so I'm going to give it a shot. What I can't decide for the life of me is what pound test should I go with. Most heavy weed areas where I would need braid are fairly isolated and only in some lakes and I have a flipping rod and frog rod with reels with braid for that, but there are areas I could see myself fishing with a fair amount of wood.

 

I've been using mostly Berkley Trilene Flurocarbon 17lb and occasionally 15lb which is great for knot strength and pretty thick and quite strong and especially with the 17lb, in most lakes I fish I know I'm getting my lure back and a fish out with it if need me.

 

The Daiwa J-Fluoro is a bit thinner though. The 16lb is .013 inches. The 20lb is .0145 (which is still thinner than the Trilene FC 15lb) and 18lb is somewhere in between. I kind of feel like if I'm going to step up to the 18lb, I might as well go one more for the 20lb, but in many scenarios I know I'd be okay with the 16lb line.

So, please help me pick.

 

I wouldn't over think it. Over Thanksgiving I was in Texas fishing and I caught 6 Hybrid Stripers over 10 lbs. by dragging a shaky head across some flats. 4 of them I caught on a Medium rod spooled with 10 lb Trilene Flouro. The other two were caught on 12 lb Trilene.

 

I also caught maybe 6 or 8 nice Large Mouths, most in the 4-5 lb range, a couple more like 7 and 8.

All of them caught on 10, 12 or 15 lb Trilene.

 

As long as you are not fishing vegetation, you should be pretty good with anything over 8lb IMO.

 

Last year, my son brought in an accidental Flathead cat that weighed closer to 40 than 30 lb.s on 10 lb flouro.