Sunline: fluoro damage from backlashing

[Team9nine]

Some FYI news from Sunline. They just released data after studying whether fluorocarbon line is actually damaged or not after backlashing a cast like has been discussed on this site before in posts, and the answer is largely ‘yes.’

 

From the news release;

 

“Anglers choosing to use fluorocarbon line with a baitcaster reel may experience backlashes or loops in their lines during use. Those errant casts cause the spool to overrun and that creates loops, kinks, and tangles in your line. Those overruns can cause a kink in the line when they occur or when an angler is working to remove them. You pull on the line when it is stuck, and a kink is created in the line in that spot. Those kinks can damage your fluorocarbon line and lead to failure later during your usage of that reel and line. The more kinks you cause in your line the more damage you are doing to it and the more likely it is that your line will break when casting or during hooksets.

These lines were also tested for straight breaking strength before and after the kink. The line that had been kinked showed a measurable decrease in breaking strength. The micro cracks from the kink had caused the line to break at a 5% lower strength on average after repeated testing. More kinks are only going to continue to weaken the line causing it to fail below the rated level. This can often be seen when fluorocarbon line unexpectedly breaks in the spool on a cast. The kinks from backlashes in your spool have weakened it, so that it breaks inside the spool on a random cast.“

 

 

 

No mention of them testing and comparing any of their nylon based monos in this regard.

 

[garroyo130]

IMO 5% seems extraordinarily low. You'd need a lot of backlashes to weaken the line to the point where it breaks off on a cast.

[Tennessee Boy]

Another good reason to avoid backlash.  That’s why everyone should invest in the best braking system ever invented.  The thumb.

 

[dodgeguy]

This is why I hate flourocarbon.

[garroyo130]

I wonder how the 5% lower strength compares to degradation caused by UV in mono? 

[Finessegenics]

5 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

This is why I hate flourocarbon.

 

I'm not trying to take a stance here, just playing devil's advocate.

 

Wouldn't mono also be damaged after backlashing? Heck, even braid too. Any line that is kinked seems to have less strength. Are there any studies like this done on monofilaments?

[Logan S]

Another example of how line is always getting damaged, if not by backlash then by abrasions, wind knots/kinks, etc...IMO the most critical portion of your line is the last 10 feet or so up to your bait, damage there is much more likely to cause failure than a kink from a backlash 75' deep in the spool so it doesn't bother me much. 

 

Still...Line is a consumable and these are examples of why it should be changed periodically.  FC needs it most frequently, mono less, and braid a lot less frequently.

[LrgmouthShad]

13 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

 

I'm not trying to take a stance here, just playing devil's advocate.

 

Wouldn't mono also be damaged after backlashing? Heck, even braid too. Any line that is kinked seems to have less strength. Are there any studies like this done on monofilaments?

I would think that it also true for mono and braid, yeah. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

I would have thought it was more than 5%. 

[Kev-mo]

42 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

 

I'm not trying to take a stance here, just playing devil's advocate.

 

Wouldn't mono also be damaged after backlashing? Heck, even braid too. Any line that is kinked seems to have less strength. Are there any studies like this done on monofilaments?

I guarantee my braid and mono gets damaged by backlashes

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I would think that it also true for mono and braid, yeah. 

Braid will only be degraded if the filaments are frayed, which won't occur when kinked. Mono will be damaged if kinked, but will not loose strength anywhere near fluoro.

[FishTank]

Any mono I have used has gotten kinks as well from backlashs. I'm glad Sunline made a statement regarding this. 

 

I would say it's just the nature fishing line in general and you would think it would be common sense knowledge that if you backlash,  you run the risk of damaging your line.

[cyclops2]

Why I use a spinning reel.

[fishwizzard]

Excited for next week when they will let us know that water is wet and beer makes you fat.

 

I’m a big proponent of changing out fluorocarbon fairly often and I’m always trying to see how little I can get away with spooling up for a given combo. Generally the lighter the line the less I want on the reel so that I’m wasting less when I replace it. I generally shoot for a good long cast plus maybe 10 to 20 yards. 

[dodgeguy]

2 hours ago, Kev-mo said:

I guarantee my braid and mono gets damaged by backlashes

Braid does not get damaged by backlashes.

[WRB]

If you see a shinny or flatten line it’s damaged being any monofilament line. 5% is very conservative but considering FC impact and knot strength is low to start with another 5% could be catastrophic.

Use a good line conditioner lubricant to reduce the possible damage caused from “professional over runs” known as a backlash.

Tom

[LrgmouthShad]

42 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

water is wet

I beg to differ. I think water is not, in fact, wet. It can make things wet, but is itself really wet?

 

Hmmm

[PhishLI]

4 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Another good reason to avoid backlash.

Another good reason to avoid Fluorocarbon

[FishTank]

45 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

Braid does not get damaged by backlashes.

I use to get kinks in 832 and Power Pro on occasion after some of the more nastier backlashes. If I wasn't mindful of how hard I was casting,  the line would break.  It was one the many reasons I stopped using it as my main line.... with exception of spinning gear. I now have a love affair with Sunline Xplasma with FC leader. 

[Tennessee Boy]

39 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I beg to differ. I think water is not, in fact, wet. It can make things wet, but is itself really wet?

I’m gonna be trying to figure that out all afternoon.  ?

[JustJames]

Once I see the sign of FC damage from clear to become none transparent, I remove the line right away. That a sign or weakest point and would brake off after next hook set. I wonder with those ppl who fix backlash by apply pressure while reeling tangled line in, that damage FC line quicker than anything else.

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, fishwizzard said:

Excited for next week when they will let us know that water is wet and beer makes you fat.

Exactly.

The kinks are obvious when you get them and I don't think anyone believed the line wasn't compromised at the kink... I'm with skeptics above.  I believe that even the least kinky kinks drop you more than 5%.   

[Catt]

39 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Another good reason to avoid Fluorocarbon

 

My thought exactly ?

[Bankc]

5% average?  It's like a friend mine says.  "If I put your head in ice and your feet in the fire, you'll have no reason to complain because they'll both average out, right?"  

[RDB]

I’ll take the other side as I must be the exception.  I don’t replace line often at all and can’t remember the last time I broke off a fish that wasn’t in the last 10ish feet.  And it’s almost always because I was too lazy to retie.  Most of the time a 5% drop in strength would be a blessing as I often find it hard to get the line to break when I’m trying to break off.