Fluorocarbon vs Fluoro leader material

[rippinlipsfishingteam]

I know 'they say' that leader material is 'tougher' etc etc....however I cant say I am convinced.

 

I have used both for years now and hook just as many fish and land just as many fish with fluoro vs 'leader material'

 

I just have a hard time paying $12 for 30 yards when I can get 300 Yards for almost the same price.

 

If someone has solid evidence for me I would love to see or hear it.

 

Opinions also welcome

[vinnimon]

I know 'they say' that leader material is 'tougher' etc etc....however I cant say I am convinced.

 

I have used both for years now and hook just as many fish and land just as many fish with fluoro vs 'leader material'

 

I just have a hard time paying $12 for 30 yards when I can get 300 Yards for almost the same price.

 

If someone has solid evidence for me I would love to see or hear it.

 

Opinions also welcome

12 bucks?At BPS I saw the leader line for 25 plus.I pay 10 for frog hair leader and it stands up in the field.Mind you I only use that with my float set up.As for flouro line I am impressed but at the same time became fustrated over it.i.e nots breaking easily,undoing birds nests(what a horror).AS for fitting a fish with it Im impressed.

[MJL]

5-6yrs ago I emailed Berkley about the differences between their Vanish mainline and their Vanish leader material spools...Same line, you're paying more for convenience and something more pocket-able in a fishing vest. Originally I was complaining about the bad experiences I've been having with the mainline which I had been using for leader material

 

Got the same reply when I shot Seaguar an email (at least for Seaguar Grand Max which I inquired about).

[cheaptackle]

I changed to braid a few years ago for my main lines on all my gear but always used mono for 2 to 4 feet as a leader until recently (thanks to OFC posts!). I only use spinning reels so I can't say what behaviour may be expected with baitcasters.

Asked the same question at the local tackle shop (not big box). I was given a bit of a lesson on the fluorocarbon spoolable vs leader. Spoolable is supposed to be "softer" and the leader "stiffer". The spoolable is subject to some memory curl where the leader will stay straighter. That's what he said and what the packages also had on them.

The leader was also (claimed) to have a higher abrasion & bite off resistance than the spoolable. I wasn't too concerned about the memory issue for a very few feet of usage, but the abrasion aspect is one of the reasons I changed to braid for a main line, sooo....

I'm trying both as a leader to see if any difference is noticeable. So far, the only difference I note is the leader costs more. I've only got this current ice season in this "experiment", the soft water season may bear a different result.

 

Michael

[CLofchik]

There's a definite difference between Seaguar leaders & main line, it may be subtle enough you don't notice unless you compare them side by side. The leaders are stiffer & hard enough that I don't worry about nicks, which might not matter unless your casting around mussel infested harbour bottoms.

 

I tried cheaping out last season buying some PLine Floroclear to use as xtra long leaders, waste of money.

[Dara]

This is getting waaaaay too specialized for me.

[cheaptackle]

Dara, I'm just getting comfortable with it myself! I was a 10 lb test trilene guy (raised that way) up till about 10 years ago when I starting trying 6 & 8 lb. Transitioned to braid about 4 or 5 years ago (slowly!).

Wait until the Reverse Albright vs Uni to Uni splice knot argument starts!

[2jack2]

it is mostly marketing, fluorocarbon leader spool and big spool, it is the same line as long as it is 100% fluorocarbon. There are other lines on the market like the P line fluoroclear is not 100% fluorocarbon, it is mono coated with fluorocarbon. it is a different line, but when you compare Vanish to Vanish, or Seaguar to Seaguar, same line, different packaging.

[CLofchik]

it is mostly marketing, fluorocarbon leader spool and big spool, it is the same line as long as it is 100% fluorocarbon. There are other lines on the market like the P line fluoroclear is not 100% fluorocarbon, it is mono coated with fluorocarbon. it is a different line, but when you compare Vanish to Vanish, or Seaguar to Seaguar, same line, different packaging.

 

 

I meant there's a noticeable difference between Seaguar leader & Seaguar mainline, put them next to each other and it's easy to feel.

 

The Floroclear I found at half off for $5/spool, it should be burnt in the same wastebasket as Vanish.

[cheaptackle]

That 100% part is the one that is vexing me! Both the leader and spoolable claim the same. I'm sure that there will be input that will claim a difference between the 2, I'm going to let reality show me if there is one.

I did catch the difference with the coated lines, co-polymers I know them as. Stopped worrying about all that when I was convinced to use braid. Never tried them and don't think I will be. I'm liking what I have now quite a bit, and I can always go "old school" again!

 

Michael

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i use leader material extensively. fluoro mainlines are "fit for the pit". a mono or braid or whatever mainline with a fluoro leader is the way to go imho. i've had nothing but negative experience with f-line, both open water and ice fishing related.

[2jack2]

I am not going to suggest what is is better, but it you like Vanish leader, then buy the Vanish filler spool will definitely save you some buck. Seaguar line will be a bit tricky, they make a few different fluoro formula, you need to find out which leader you like then buy the same formula in the big spool. Some company only want to appreal to steelhead market only and they sell big spool, like Drennan, Raven, Red wind, Frog hair are all good leader material, they can sell the same line in a big spool and you all can save more money, but why would they? they are making good buck. If you are looking for 6 lb test leader, there are lots available in a filler spool in the market, berkley 100% fluorocarbon, P line fluorocarbon (not fluoroclear), BPS XPS fluorocarbon are all available in filler spool size.

[troutologist]

I understood that the leader material was run within more stringent quality standards. ie. there was less of a variance in the diameter.

 

Also it is stiffer and has less memory than the mainlines.

[hirk]

It is not the same line,leader material will not spool very well,mainline flouro is softer but not nearly as abrasive resistant.Take a piece of each and run it across something abrasive and see what happens.

[tonyb]

Flourocarbon leader material has a refractive index that is closer to that of water (line is more invisible in water) than any of the flouro/co-polymer lines that you see sold in 300yd spools.

 

It is also stiffer, sinks faster and is more abrasion resistant. Abrasion resistance is always a subjective topic, because certain things will sheer any kind of line (e.g. zebra mussels or pike teeth) The idea is that it is 'more' resistant than other monofilimant lines or co-polymers.

 

Flourocarbon leader material definately has a time and place when it matters (heavily pressured fish in clear water for example), most of the time it does not matter.

 

My $0.02

Tony

[MuskyGreenHorn]

I agree, floro leader material is different that floro mainline.

 

that being said it all depends what pound test your going to run. I use seager fluro as a mainline on my walleye gigging gear, but run braid with a floro leader on my bass spinning gear. I aslo use flouro as a mainline on my spinning gear that i use to target trout in streams.

 

Where the flouro leader material really comes into its own is when you use the heavier stuff. I run a 25lb flouro leader on my bass casting gear and use 30lb braid as my mainline. I up that to 40 or 50 mainline and a 30lb leader for flipping gear.

 

Finally my Musky gear. this is what I fish for primarily now. I use an 80lb braid mainline and a 80-130lb flouro leader depending on the situation.

 

all of this may sound like overkill, but with braid, its all about managebility. Lighter line is much more prone to backlash, wind knots, catching on guides and breaking when really launching heavy lures. And by launching i am talking about 3-10oz lures being cast 200 feet. I have snapped 100lb line doing this. The beauty of braid is that you can increase the strength significantly while still keeping the diameter managable. i always use a leader taht is slightly weaker than my mainline so that is al you will lose on a snag that just won't come off. The except being musky fishing as you always try and get your lures back when they run from $15-$50.

 

If you are going to use flouro as leader but don't need/want anything more the say 20lb, you can probably get away with buying a 300yd spool of mainline type flouro. Anything more than that you may want to consider the leader material. Its definately more abraison resistant and stiffer. The stiffness has an advantage over any other type of material except steel. Stiffer leader have a definate advantage when working certain types of lures, such as topwater or jerkbaits or inline spinners or any other baits that tend to tumble through the air during a cast. Limp lines will foul thse types of baist during the cast (in line sinners and baits that tumple) or during the retrieve (topwater and jerkbaits).

 

If you want to use a flouro mainline type material you will just have to change it a little more often. It should work great for cranks, spinnerbaits, plastics.

 

I use a uni to uni knotto attach the flouro to teh braid, its fast once you get it down and it never fails and works fine to attach lines of different diameters, no matter what anyone else says. Just remember to wet it while tying.

[BITEME]

PAHHHHH.... Bull Pucky all of it

JUST FISH MAN!!!!!!!

[Guest gbfisher]

I've put #30 floro up against #30 trilene big game when using worm harnesses. The difference was that the floro broke or snapped off on hook set.. and didnt compare to the big game for the amount of toothy fish caught.

Edited March 10, 2010 by gbfisher

[cheaptackle]

Are you saying the harnesses were made with the fluoro and big game, or that you were using as leaders? Interesting result either way, but I am curious.

 

Michael

[Guest gbfisher]

Are you saying the harnesses were made with the fluoro and big game, or that you were using as leaders? Interesting result either way, but I am curious.

 

Michael

 

Yes. I was using Big Game for harnesses. Meegs was trying the floro... I'll have to ask him what kind it was. Being a trout fisherman he uses leader material a lot...Just not the stuff he tried that day Im sure..

[cheaptackle]

Wondering if fluoro can't handle the blades spinning around as well as mono now? Were the bite offs such that you lost the hook part only & got the blades back? Might sound silly but your experience got me thinking.

 

Michael

[Guest gbfisher]

Nope. I use the quick change clevise or folded clevis and not the easy spin stirrup clevis.. The fish kept taking the last hook or both or the whole set up....lol.

I do know what you are talking about though. Had issues years ago after buying the wrong type of clevis (easy spin type) and using them with mono. I don't like using steel leader for harnesses.

Edited March 10, 2010 by gbfisher

[BIG FISH]

dont waste your money on 25 yard spools. i started buying 150-300 yard spools of flouro last year and im landing just as many fish.

[Guest gbfisher]

The floro he was using was......"P line"....... That explains it. I guess he coulda bumped it up to 50#...lol

[cheaptackle]

Nope. I use the quick change clevise or folded clevis and not the easy spin stirrup clevis.. The fish kept taking the last hook or both or the whole set up....lol.

I do know what you are talking about though. Had issues years ago after buying the wrong type of clevis (easy spin type) and using them with mono. I don't like using steel leader for harnesses.

 

Curious to say the least - fluoro is "supposed" to be more resistant to bite offs. If you were consistently just loosing the last hook I'd suspect something with the assembly like the knot at the next hook or something, but you're loosing 1 or more hooks or even the whole rig when using fluoro, but not with mono. Sure would like to hear what the scientists at the fluoro company would have to say about that!

Good input, gb, I've tucked it away in one of the cubby holes between my ears for thought while I'm experimenting this coming soft water season.

 

Michael