Trouble With Fluoro

[NBR]

I've used "Vanish" for years with no trouble at all. I am in NH so as I'm sure you know the lakes are rocky so I do watch for abrasion carefully.

[G_money]

I've tried many/most fluorocarbons out there and can 100% tell you 95% of them are junk. And another thing I've found through trial and error is you get what you pay for.

Here is the LIST of the ONLY fluoro's I can confidently recommend:

1. Toray Superhard Upgrade Soloroam fluoro--expensive but the best and longest lasting fluoro available, and it's about 60% more abrasion resistant than it's closest competitor Sunline Shooter

2. Seaguar Abrazx--the original company that started fluoro this stuff is great and the abrasion resistant is great--also very managable on spinning gear

3. Sunline Shooter and Sunline Sniper FC Fluoro--they are both very good; the shooter is better but costs more

And the knot you are using is fine for fluorocarbon. A tip to help with keeping the line from cutting into itself when pulling the knot tight is too wet it with saliva and then coat with a little bit of carmex lip balm. Some other knots that work well are the San Diego Jam, Double San Diego Jam, and the knot that Shaw Grigsby uses you can find him showing it on youtube.

Uni knot also works.

Don't use the Palomar with Fluoro.

[J Francho]

Don't use the Palomar with Fluoro.

You must mean, "Don't use a poorly tied Palomar with fluoro," right?

Fluorocarbon will really show who can tie a knot and who cannot. If you're breaking off with a Palomar, time to practice your knots. If there's ANY kink or bend in the line after you cinch the tag end, then start over because it's gonna fail.

Smallie on 6# fluoro, with a palomar:

Brown Trout 8# Fluoro, Palomar:

Steelhead, 6# Fluoro Palomar:

Largemouth, 12# fluoro, Palomar:

Drum, 6# Fluoro, Palomar:

Invisx 6 and 8#, Trilene 100% 10 and 12#, Shooter in 20# all work well for me.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

You must mean, "Don't use a poorly tied Palomar with fluoro," right?

X2

A Palomar Knot, when tied properly, is just as good as almost any other knot with fluoro. I was having some issues with it before, then I sat down and tied it a bunch of times to figure out where I was going wrong. Watching how Denny Brauer ties it helped out a bunch also. I haven't had a knot failure with it in a long time. Practice makes perfect.

[G_money]

I'm not going to get into an argument over the best knot for fluoro...everyone has an opinion.

I've never tried the palomar with fluoro, but have seen it break too many times times with other people and heard directly from too many company reps for line not to use it.

If it works for you then that's great. Typically the two knots that are the most consistent performers and the strongest for flouro are the San Diego Jam and the Trilene knot.

i've never had a knot fail on me...but what many fail to realize is that tying the wrong knot (or not tying it well) can weaken the line as much as 10 feet from the knot so when it blows up on the hookset you blame the line when it was really the knot.

Tight lines...and do what works for you I'm not here to argue. I would suggest you experiment a little and find what works for you. And always take time to wet the line throughly and pull the knot/coils down slowly and deliberatley so as not to burn or crinkle the line.

Good luck.

[NCLifetimer]

As others have said, I would try and different flouro then vanish. I tried it and its ok, but it didn't cast well and would backlash a little on most cast. Thats just my experience thou, others use it and like it. I switched to Berkley trilene 100 percent professional grade and its made a world of difference, long smooth cast and doesn't loosen on the reel during every cast. its twice the cost, but in my opinion over twice the quality.

These are the only two fluoros Ive used, I can't comment on seaguar or the other brands. I can't image a flouro being much better then trilene 100 percent, might try some other brands out of curiosity thou..

[J Francho]

i've never had a knot fail on me...but what many fail to realize is that tying the wrong knot (or not tying it well) can weaken the line as much as 10 feet from the knot so when it blows up on the hookset you blame the line when it was really the knot.

I'm trying to get my head around this statement. What part of the knot affects the line further up on the spool?

I'm also a little cautious about claims about never breaking off. I rarely break off. I mean RARELY. Like 3-4 times a year. The break offs that I can't explain come one in one hundred of those break offs. They're almost always user error.

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

X2

A Palomar Knot, when tied properly, is just as good as almost any other knot with fluoro. I was having some issues with it before, then I sat down and tied it a bunch of times to figure out where I was going wrong. Watching how Denny Brauer ties it helped out a bunch also. I haven't had a knot failure with it in a long time. Practice makes perfect.

Good video!

I'm not sure why, but I've always bent my line over, and then inserted it into the hook eye, instead of one in, then loop, then back through.

So obvious.

I'm curious though. Why did so many people abandon the old fashioned Trilene knot? It is so quick and easy to tie, and tests as good or better than any other knot I've seen.

[Drop Shot Maniac]

Very true! That's why I shifted to Seaguar InvizX

Good choice. I've used Vanish but I don't like it. Never lost a fish with it, but it wears out quickly and twists. I currently have a spool of BPS flouro on my rod, but I don't like it either. The Seaguar is the best I've used (and also the most expensive). I'll be going back to it as soon as I'm done with the current spool. I also like the suggestion of using a colored backing. Good idea.

[johnD.]

I will never buy vanish ,I saw my buddy lose several big snook last year with vanish fluoro leader..Meanwhile I was steady pulling them in with seaguar blue label..I don't mind spending money on tackle , where he would rather go to walmart and save a buck , he paid for it that day.

[G_money]

I'm trying to get my head around this statement. What part of the knot affects the line further up on the spool?

I'm also a little cautious about claims about never breaking off. I rarely break off. I mean RARELY. Like 3-4 times a year. The break offs that I can't explain come one in one hundred of those break offs. They're almost always user error.

I never said I've never had line break....I said I've never had a knot fail or line break right near the knot. I'm super cautions when tying my knots. I hooked into a 41 lb flathead when bass fishing with 10 pound seaguar; and it ran towards a dock...well I don't need to tell you how that ended. Lost fish line snapped in the middle like a firecracker.

If a knot is tied wrong it can't twist or kink the line and weaken it right above the knot, but Fluorocarbon being more less supple than mono can weaken much further up the line that the physical kinking that you can see. My general rule of thumb with flouro is if you tie a bad knot or see a kink go up a minumum of a few feet and then cut it there. And if your knots are an absolute hack job get some mono and practice your knots before stepping up to fuoro or you'll lose a lot of fish.

[A-Rob]

I agree with a bunch of the guys.

10# is too light for a reaction bait like Spinnerbait (also has a lot of resistance in the water)

B/c of the way it feels and how easy it is to detect fish biting a spinnerbait you can get away with using mono or copoly. Same price and will not break.

I fish 15# maxima mono (amazing)

I've also beefed it up to 17# P-Line CX...I like how maxima handles better (casts further)

Finally, Trilene knot is good but I have fallen in love with the San Diego Jam knot. It cinches better for me and I dont get flouro breaking off on me. Best part is san diego jam works great for mono, copoly, flouro and braid! Just alter the # of wraps

[Packard]

I agree with a bunch of the guys.

10# is too light for a reaction bait like Spinnerbait (also has a lot of resistance in the water)

B/c of the way it feels and how easy it is to detect fish biting a spinnerbait you can get away with using mono or copoly. Same price and will not break.

I fish 15# maxima mono (amazing)

I've also beefed it up to 17# P-Line CX...I like how maxima handles better (casts further)

Finally, Trilene knot is good but I have fallen in love with the San Diego Jam knot. It cinches better for me and I dont get flouro breaking off on me. Best part is san diego jam works great for mono, copoly, flouro and braid! Just alter the # of wraps

Fluoro isn't just for sensitivy. It is the most abrasion resistant and if you slow roll spinnerbaits in rip rap like myself, you will need that quality. Fluoro also has great breaking strength to diameter ratio. I like to use Sunline Super Fluorocarbon and FC Sniper. I use it in 16lb test for everything except flipping, jerkbaits, and topwater. I step up to 20lb test for flip, pitch, and punch. I use mono or copoly for jerkbaits and topwater. But I have fluorocarbon on every setup except one.

[G_money]

Short fish if you like Sunline FC Sniper (I know I do)...you owe it to yourself to try Toray Soloroam Superhard Upgrade, long name serious performance. It's the most sensitive fluoro I've ever used. And it's WAY more abrasion resistant than other fluoro's. And as long as you don't get a lot of professional overruns it will seriously last a long long time...Give it a try you'll love it. JMO

[G_money]

Finally, Trilene knot is good but I have fallen in love with the San Diego Jam knot. It cinches better for me and I dont get flouro breaking off on me. Best part is san diego jam works great for mono, copoly, flouro and braid! Just alter the # of wraps

I agree on San Diego jam being the most versatile knot in fishing. I haven't noticed a difference in strength when tying it compared to the trilene knot. To be honest they both work for me. I was tying the double san diego jam with fluoro for a while when fishing jigs, but it takes way too long to tie.

[Craiger12]

Fluoro isn't just for sensitivy. It is the most abrasion resistant and if you slow roll spinnerbaits in rip rap like myself, you will need that quality. Fluoro also has great breaking strength to diameter ratio. I like to use Sunline Super Fluorocarbon and FC Sniper. I use it in 16lb test for everything except flipping, jerkbaits, and topwater. I step up to 20lb test for flip, pitch, and punch. I use mono or copoly for jerkbaits and topwater. But I have fluorocarbon on every setup except one.

I doubt you will have abrasion issues with 15# or 17# P-line CXX. No more than you would with flouro anyway.

[BasskingKeith]

That line is way too light for a 3/8 ounce spinnerbait. The second biggest bass I caught was on a spinnerbait, and I agree with "I Love Bass Fishing" up there ^. Mono is better for spinnerbaits, since spinnerbaits are easily thrown by bass, and thus, you know how that goes. Vanish is good line, that's what I use, just not for spinerbaits.

As for knots, I live by the Eugene bend for fluoro. I used to use the Palomar, until I read an article from Bassmaster magazine. Gary Klein was having the same problem while setting the hook (That's right, a well known pro) as I did, getting broke off and what not. So, someone recommended the Eugene to him, and now it's all I use.