Fluorocarbon life?

[The Baron]

Was fishing yesterday and tying up a new dropshot leader.  Seaguar Blue Label 10#.  Tied, tested my knot and it broke.  Maybe missed a loop - retied and it broke.  So just look the length of line and pulled it by hand and it broke.  Same for another run off the spool.

 

I’ve bought a couple spools in the spring and they’ve been stored either indoors when not out on the water.  Is it normal for fluoro leader line to degrade so fast?

[A-Jay]

Can't speak as to the condition of your leader line. 

I run a FC as well as Mono leaders.

Use the FC until it's gone, usually 2 seasons.

The mono box usually get replaced every spring regardless of what's on the spools.

Big Game especially, but Ultragreen seems to last a little longer. 

A-Jay

 

[T-Billy]

43 minutes ago, The Baron said:

Was fishing yesterday and tying up a new dropshot leader.  Seaguar Blue Label 10#.  Tied, tested my knot and it broke.  Maybe missed a loop - retied and it broke.  So just look the length of line and pulled it by hand and it broke.  Same for another run off the spool.

 

I’ve bought a couple spools in the spring and they’ve been stored either indoors when not out on the water.  Is it normal for fluoro leader line to degrade so fast?

I've had this happen with brand new FC. Seaguar invizx, red label, p-line, BPS, Trilene... There's a reason I don't use it anymore. I get the slack line sensitivity, and sinking attribute, but it's just not worth the fragility trade off to me, especially as a leader where it's sensitivity is negated by the braid. Mono leader is a much better option IMO. XT and Siege are super abrasion resistant, and have great shock and knot strength.

[FishTank]

For main line, I have had Invizx, Abrazx, Shooter and Assassin last about 2 years and I use to use what was left over on a spool for leader.  Tatsu I have had last about 4 years and only replaced it because it was running low on a spool. 

 

For leader, I have tried Blue Label, went to Premier, and now I am on Gold Label. It will be my go to going forward. I never really had an issue with any of these three.  With Blue Label, it lasted OK. I used it with 40lb braid for topwater.  It wasn't the best match. Not sure why but I would miss fish on topwater but for everything else, it worked great. 

 

Pulled this guy in on 6lb Sniper Invisible on BFS gear using a San Diego Jam knot. 

 

 

I use Suffix Siege for mono. It's good stuff but for me, it doesn't last as long as FC. I change it about twice a year. Knot strength is ok but not great (using 10lb for cranks and jerkbaits though).  My lines of choice below for most treble hook baits. 

 

[GreenPig]

I buy the 1,000 yd spools of 6,8,10,12, and 15lb Red Label FC and have had no problems.

[WRB]

Fluorocarbon fishing line has very few advantages over monofilament line, 1 is storage life. Stored in ambient temperatures in a dark area FC will last decades on filler spools.

6 month old FC leader spool failing is unusual unless It was subjected to pro longed freezing temperatures or exhaust fumes. The other factor could be the line was crossed over tightly on the spool. Look for any flattened shinny spots.

Tom

[Deleted account]

22 hours ago, The Baron said:

Fluorocarbon life?

Only without the possibility of parole...

[TnRiver46]

21 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I've had this happen with brand new FC. Seaguar invizx, red label, p-line, BPS, Trilene... There's a reason I don't use it anymore. I get the slack line sensitivity, and sinking attribute, but it's just not worth the fragility trade off to me, especially as a leader where it's sensitivity is negated by the braid. Mono leader is a much better option IMO. XT and Siege are super abrasion resistant, and have great shock and knot strength.

You use leaders???? What was all that straight braid talk?

[Bluebasser86]

With any mass produced product, always a chance of getting a bad one. I've got the same 15lb Tatsu on one of my bottom contact rods as I had on it last year. Used it to catch almost all my fish in my last kayak tournament, pulling fish out of timber with a sprinkling of zebra mussels on it. Never had any problems. 

[T-Billy]

7 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

You use leaders???? What was all that straight braid talk?

I'll use a mono leader when fishing bottom contact baits on deep rock. Makes breaking off a whole lot easier.

5 hours ago, Deleted account said:

Mono curious...

Now that's funny right there. 

[Big Hands]

My own sample size of one has me wondering if leaving a spool of leader material out in the sun while I am fishing causes harm to the line, and my limited anecdotal evidence suggests that it certainly could be causing damage as I have line seemingly go bad, and I can usually point to instances of leaving the spool on deck as I am fishing. I have been trying different brands and models (?) of line, so that could be a factor.

 

Since I have stopped doing that, I haven't had that happen. Lately, my leader line of choice has been green 7 lb Daiwa Samurai (I'm well into my second 200 yard spool) and for whatever reason, it seems to be working for me for the finesse-ish tactics I use where I fish. Again, sample size of one presenting anecdotal evidence, but I now make it a practice to keep my leader spools in a pouch on my tackle bag while I am fishing.

On 10/2/2022 at 5:18 AM, A-Jay said:

Can't speak as to the condition of your leader line. 

I run a FC as well as Mono leaders.

Use the FC until it's gone, usually 2 seasons.

The mono box usually get replaced every spring regardless of what's on the spools.

Big Game especially, but Ultragreen seems to last a little longer. 

A-Jay

 

Do you keep that 10 lb spool in the right slot or the left slot?

 

There is a part of me that would contemplate that every time I looked at it.

[A-Jay]

5 minutes ago, Big Hands said:

Do you keep that 10 lb spool in the right slot or the left slot?

 

There is a part of me that would contemplate that every time I looked at it.

LOL

Depends on the barometric pressure.

Rising it's on the right.

Falling it's on the left.

Steady it's a total Krap shoot !

A-Jay