Is florocarbon leader REALLY better than mono leader?

[Bernie66]

Same bait , same set ups for finicky crappie or trout, that fluoro leader definitely makes a difference. When the fish are active, you can go with 20lb line and it wouldn't matter but when conditions are tough, any advantage helps. Before the days of fluoro, guys with the noodle rods used to go down to 2lb leads up in some of the GB tribs and they will out fish you everytime even with a hook and land ratio of 5-1. Now with fluoro leaders you can fish 5-6lb break strength with that 2lb visible, so why not. I agree fluoro is not necessary in most situations, bottom bouncing niagara or float fishing some of the eastern tribes (most days). but I always have a couple of spools of flouro in that vest pocket. Like someone else had said up top, it is just another weapon in the arsenal.

[jdmls]

I use fluoro mainly because it take more of a beating than mono...... Enough times I have landed fish , checked my 5lb Dennan and noticed its frayed up , but still holding.... It's more of a confidence issue for me when turning big fish, than anything.

[CLofchik]

Another +1 for abrasion resistance. If you're fishing anywhere there's zebra mussels a few feet of Seaguar make a huge difference in nicks & breakoffs. Fish like pike, laker's & coho's that just love to wrap your line you don't have to worry about so much.

 

I don't care about the visibility so much as keeping my tippet nick free.

[okumasheffield]

I guess it is worth the money to keep breaking off my FC leaders in snagging areas ...

instead of cheaping out to use monos

[Canuck2fan]

I wish I could truly believe that fluro makes a difference... but I just can't. I have sat beside anglers using the EXACT same setup as them and got nothing all day while they could NOT stop reeling in fish after fish. I have also seen it go the other way. That is using mono or fluro leaders so for me the verdict is still out.

 

I have found though that using fluro does one thing it gives a little more confidence in really clear water because the science says it should be better and it costs at least twice as much. And I don't like wasting money so I just THINK it is better LOL.

[Raf]

don't care about the invisibility.

 

do care about its toughness.

[Guest gbfisher]

what do you care about Raf.....

Edited March 26, 2009 by gbfisher

[MCTFisher9120]

I have fished many clear water lakes before and never have I used a fluoro leader and i still caught fish. Untill now all i have used is mono line. Since hearing that everybody is using these expensive fluoro lines and leaders i guess it's natural for us fisherman to follow their path, to say the least if what you have been using has worked for you then why bother changing Unless you are using braid as your mainline then you should use a leader but if you ask me mono works well and its a fraction of the cost. I know if i come across some clear water, my braid setup will have a few feet of mono on it but in my mind braid lines are good for those weedy areas of the lake so in that situation you would be fine..

[Raf]

whether the ice will be safe this wknd andy

 

other than that. not much

Edited March 26, 2009 by Raf

[elusive]

My friend caught one 2 weeks ago using his crappy pier rod with 20 lb line, we watched his float go down and a fresh steel with his pinky....presentation IS key. I agree with silvio.

 

 

Regardless, 4lb ultragreen

[Mark Kulik]

Whether I'm steelheading or bass fishing -I totally believe in flouro-leaders, durability and invisibilty with lower stretch.

[solopaddler]

So many of you guys have chimed in saying that the fluoro is tougher, more abrasion resistant.

I'm guessing you're talking the heavier lb tests for pike, musky walleye etc?

'Cause that's definitely not the case with the lighter fluoro used in a steelheading application.

When light fluoro is nicked it's strength is dramatically reduced and there's no way no how any fluoro on the market is more abrasion resistant than Maxima Ultragreen.

Even when that stuff feels like it's been through a cheese grater it maintains most of its strength.

[Guest gbfisher]

Maxima Ultragreen.

Even when that stuff feels like it's been through a cheese grater it maintains most of its strength.

 

I hear the same thing about Floro. The only time I would use it in a river would be the Niagara...feeling the bottom/fish is what its all about. Then again, its why I use it ice fishing with braid of course. Its all about feel in these situtaion and no stretch.

I use the heavey stuff for Musky just because the leader lasts for many caught fish before it gets wrecked. No leader kinks. Wire is way more expensive to use after even one pike.....did I say I pike?!?!.........huh..thought I was fishing for Musky...

Edited March 26, 2009 by gbfisher

[steverowbotham]

I am definitely a believer in fluorocarbon line. Most of the lakes I fish are clear with pretty heavy fishing pressure. That fluoro line is just a small tweak to the presentation that I believe puts more fish in the boat.

[bigfish1965]

If you are around zebra mussels, flouro is a big piece of insurance.

[Drew_10]

Floro is also more sensitive than mono, making it easier to detect light bites and to feel out the bottom. This may not be all that important when float fishing, but if you're dragging tubes and trying to jig up walleye it can help.

[charlesn]

I've seen it help when fishing with 2 rods on Erie for bass. Same tube, same weight, one has a fluoro leader, the other does not because I was too lazy to re-tie the leader with cold hands after multiple snags. Now it could be the properties of the fluoro line and how it impacts the bait's action versus any "invisibility" stuff, but regardless, I'm a believer because I could even switch hands and the rod with the fluoro keeps on catching. But that's with braid main line (because I am lazy and cheap and only want to spool up once or twice a year). I don't buy "leader material" fluoro though, and since I'm only using 6-8 feet at a time on a several hundred yard spool it lasts a really long time.