Searching for a new fluoro leader line

[ChartreuseAbuse]

For the past 5 to 7 years I have been using Trilene 100% fluorocarbon XL line tied to 10lb Seaguar braid for my finesse spinning rod set up. It looks like Berkley has stopped making the XL version of their fluorocarbon and I will be running out of my stash by the end of the year. It's time for me to find a new leader line. What is everyone using as a leader line? I was hoping to find something that comes in a larger spool size vs spending $20 on 25 yards of line. Thank you for info fellas.

[JustALineWetter]

If I'm using FC for a leader....it's InvizX.

[PourMyOwn]

I use whatever mono or coploymer I have lying around. 

[Big Hands]

Daiwa Samurai 7 lb fluorocarbon (tied to 10 lb braid) in clear and green has been doing work for me the past couple seasons. It was a little over $20 for a 200 yard spool last time I bought it which isn't Big Game cheap, but it's not Tatsu expensive either. No plans to switch.

[MickD]

If you are using the same product for leader and line you are missing the specific advantages of each.  Everyone understands that line has to be manageable, and that means that for floro, it is soft.  But for leader, stiffness is better than softness.  Stiffer, harder, product likely is more resistant to cutting, less fragile, and its stiffness is an advantage with techniques like blade baits, with fewer tangles on the cast and the working of the lure.

 

And for fishing surface lures, mono is better than floro because it doesn't sink and adversely affect the working of lures like Pop R's, and walking the dog.

[Bird]

Been using Sunline Snyper for several years and have been very satisfied.

My setup is 15# Power pro braid to 8# Sunline via an Alberto knot.

[FishTank]

For leader, all I use now is Seaguar Gold Label. I got tired of fighting everything else. Best line I have found yet. 

[newapti5]

Seaguar Gold Label if the price is not a factor. Otherwise Seaguar AbrazX is a good one. For FC leader line, I mostly look at diameter and abrasion resistance. Unless running a long leader over 10', I don't think other characteristics matter much. 

[papajoe222]

Seaguar Blue Label has excellent abrasion resistance and is made to be used as leader.  I haven't tried it in lighter weights, but I've been using 30lb. braid to 15lb. Blue Label and love it.

[waymont]

Red label for me….6-20lb. Never have an issue of any kind.

[Susky River Rat]

I use Berkeley vanish 17lb. Just what i had laying around one time and it’s been good to me ever since.

[islandbass]

1 hour ago, Darnold335 said:

I use Berkeley vanish 17lb. Just what i had laying around one time and it’s been good to me ever since.

You are one lucky guy!!! Regrettably, my experience with “poof!!!” (What I call vanish) has not been as good as yours. 

 

I too would err on the stiffer side for fc as a leader. I’ve used invizx up 6-8# and it’s pretty limp relative other fcs, and because of this I would say for the tests I’ve used I use it as a straight up main line and no leader. 
 

Also, I’ve discovered from experience when I throw small cranks and other treble hook lures, that limp was can and will get caught up on the trebles. This can be irsksome and worse compromise the line. 
 

Hopefully those who have used invizx in higher strengths can let us know the it gets stiffer or remains limp. 

[Susky River Rat]

2 hours ago, islandbass said:

You are one lucky guy!!! Regrettably, my experience with “poof!!!” (What I call vanish) has not been as good as yours. 

I don’t really use the leader because of the fish being line shy. I used it because of all the rocks I grind against. Where was it failing at the knots or in the middle?

[Junk Fisherman]

I've tried a bunch of fluorocarbon lines for my finesse fishing leaders and Gamma Edge in 6 lb is the best I have found so far.  It has the diameter of 8 lb line.  I fish around a lot of busted up rock, concrete, steel breakwalls with zebra mussels and the Gamma holds up well.  I still have to retie a lot and break off often but that is due to the water I fish.  I lose probably 3x as much stuff fishing around the breakwalls of Chicago than I do when I fish natural lakes.  I've used a couple leader lines before, can't remember which ones, but they didn't really stand out.  But I go through so much leader line fishing the waters I do that it would get quite expensive using Gold Label or any of the other higher priced leader lines.  

[Jar11591]

18 hours ago, MickD said:

If you are using the same product for leader and line you are missing the specific advantages of each.  Everyone understands that line has to be manageable, and that means that for floro, it is soft.  But for leader, stiffness is better than softness.  Stiffer, harder, product likely is more resistant to cutting, less fragile, and its stiffness is an advantage

Agree completely. Fluoro as a mainline I want to be soft and supple and manageable. The fluoro I use as a leader I want I want to be stiff, hard and abrasion resistant. Because it never touches the spool, manageability is a non-factor. I use Yo-Zuri HD Carbon 100% Fluorocarbon leader material. Everything I want in a leader line. 

[waymont]

13 hours ago, MickD said:

If you are using the same product for leader and line you are missing the specific advantages of each.  Everyone understands that line has to be manageable, and that means that for floro, it is soft.  But for leader, stiffness is better than softness.  Stiffer, harder, product likely is more resistant to cutting, less fragile, and its stiffness is an advantage with techniques like blade baits, with fewer tangles on the cast and the working of the lure.

 

This is why I prefer Red Label from Seaguar. It's slightly stiffer than InvizX

[A-Jay]

While I do use Straight FC on most all casting gear,

I use braid to leader on all spinning gear.

My leaders are long 20-25 ft and I change them often.

Mono (Big Game green or Maxima Ultragreen ) for topwater, FC for just about everything else.

I understand and believe in the advantages of a leader, just can't justify the cost 

of using specific FC leader material for the way I fish. 

So I use the same Tatsu & or InvisX FC for leader

that I use as mainline on my casting gear.

Since standard non- leader material FC works pretty good as a mainline on my casting gear,

adding a length of the same stuff to the end of my spinning rigs main line,

sort of feels like the same thing to me.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

 

[islandbass]

4 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

I don’t really use the leader because of the fish being line shy. I used it because of all the rocks I grind against. Where was it failing at the knots or in the middle?

Two places. At the knot. I happened 2-3 times. First time, I chalked it up to being too quick and careless making the knot. Second time I carefully and patiently tied the knot (improved clinch) and it broke at the knot. Tried the palomar, same result. 
 

now I’m really beginning to question the line. So I took a small piece of line maybe 18” long with a hand on each end just pulled it. No knot. On the pull the line broke as easily as a single strand of sewing thread. 
 

I am just sharing my experience with it, I am not bad mouthing vanish or “poof!!!”   It is clear that I had a bad batch and with that said, I am not willing to risk the loss of a fish of a lifetime where the line breaks with my PB on the end of the line and then the fish goes, “poof!!!” That’s why I call it poof. It along the longs fool me once shame of the line, fool me twice, shame on me. 
 

I forgot to mention it was 8# line. 

[Team9nine]

56 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

While I do use Straight FC on most all casting gear,

I use braid to leader on all spinning gear.

My leaders are long 20-25 ft and I change them often.

Mono (Big Game green or Maxima Ultragreen ) for topwater, FC for just about everything else.

I understand and believe in the advantages of a leader, just can't justify the cost 

of using specific FC leader material for the way I fish. 

So I use the same Tatsu & or InvisX FC for leader

that I use as mainline on my casting gear.

Since standard non- leader material FC works pretty good as a mainline on my casting gear,

adding a length of the same stuff to the end of my spinning right main line

sort of feels like the same thing to me.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

 

THIS ^^^ for me, too ?

[Skunkmaster-k]

10 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

I use Berkeley vanish 17lb. Just what i had laying around one time and it’s been good to me ever since.

I’ve read a lot of bad reviews on vanish, but never had a bad experience with it myself. Then again I only use 20# on a baitcaster for jigs, Carolina rigs, stuff like that. 

[Lead Head]

I use Sunline Sniper for leaders on spinning and casting gear. I would likely be happy with several alternatives on the spinning gear, but Sniper has held up better than anything else on big hooksets with casting gear (for me). The sharp rocks I'm in force me to retie so often that small "leader specific" spools are not attractive to me at all.

 

 

[Susky River Rat]

3 hours ago, islandbass said:

now I’m really beginning to question the line. So I took a small piece of line maybe 18” long with a hand on each end just pulled it. No knot. On the pull the line broke as easily as a single strand of sewing thread

I set my drags so that if I set the hook into a rock it slips. I also used 10lb sniper as a leader and it snapped wayyyyyyyy easier then the vanish. It was 7lbs lighter though.  

[WIGuide]

22 hours ago, ChartreuseAbuse said:

For the past 5 to 7 years I have been using Trilene 100% fluorocarbon XL line tied to 10lb Seaguar braid for my finesse spinning rod set up. It looks like Berkley has stopped making the XL version of their fluorocarbon and I will be running out of my stash by the end of the year. It's time for me to find a new leader line. What is everyone using as a leader line? I was hoping to find something that comes in a larger spool size vs spending $20 on 25 yards of line. Thank you for info fellas.

Why not just use the regular 100% fluorocarbon then? The XL seems to have a bit more of a rubber band effect than the regular 100% but otherwise they seem pretty similar in my experience. 

[killobet]

Sunline fc sniper..Cant go wrong.

[Bankc]

I bought some Yo-Zuri Top Knot fluorocarbon mainline (they make a leader version that I've never tried) to use as my mainline because it was dirt cheap.  I found it way too stiff and unmanageable for a mainline.  However, I've found it to be a pretty good leader material!  I think it's a 100% Fluorocarbon, like the old Trilene stuff, which I also have used as leader material (for the same reason).