Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

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MardukFIN
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Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by MardukFIN » Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:08 am

Why to use fluorocarbon as main line? I use it as a leader to avoid rock and tooth contacts, but otherwise it's so crappy line to use (monofilament also same..)

Fluoro minuses:
-Thickness compared to diameter
-It's like rubber band - no contact to lure as it streeeeeeeeeeeetchs
- It doesnt stay nicely on spool - massive birdnests if i get tension lose even a bit.
- shitty tensile strength compared to thickness
Fluoro cons:
-Invisibility on water
- Doesn't bring water to spool (on cold weather)

I've used braid since 1st generation of Fireline came. Never go back to nylon or fluor anymore! Braid's features are so superior compared to those others. I use 0,10-0,15mm diameter (10-15lb) for small lures and 0,20-0,40mm (20-80lb) for pike.
With very light lures thin braid (0,10mm) is way more better as THICK 0,20mm rubberband-fluoro.

Don't take this as offensive. :) We're just wondering, why americans use that fluoro so much? I know dozens of fisherman here in Finland. Guys who fish over 100 days/year. No one uses fluoro or mono. NO ONE.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by toddmc » Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:03 am

I don't know if you fish for bass in your country, but bass are the most fished for species here. We use a lot of bottom contact baits where fluoro gives better slack line feel. Also, that stretch that you complain about helps keep fish pinned on treble hook baits. You can get away with braid for all applications, and I certainly understand when anglers want the simplicity of one line, but it just isn't the smart choice when one fish could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in a bass tournament.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by Hogsticker2 » Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:45 pm

Once upon a time I was of the same train of thought. That was until I found a fluorocarbon I liked, and put my time in learning how to use it. Braid has no stretch, is a PITA to tie in the wind, must always be kept tight, and offers zero slack line sensitivity. To me, braid is the user friendly simpletons line, so I get it, but I see no benefit of it any longer other than horsing fish out from cover. Run to tight of a drag or try to free a snag, and it has the tendency to dig. So just as with fluorocarbon, it has some quirks the user must be aware of and pay attention to. I lost way more smallmouth on braid and treble hooks than I ever have on fluorocarbon. I run Tatsu and Assassin on all my rigs except my top water set ups. Couldn't be happier - no complaints or issues. I won't use braid again. Different strokes, but to say one is superior to the other isn't justified imo.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by BRONZEBACK32 » Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:47 pm

Braid to fluorocarbon leader only for me...

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by MardukFIN » Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:17 pm

toddmc wrote:I don't know if you fish for bass in your country, but bass are the most fished for species here. We use a lot of bottom contact baits where fluoro gives better slack line feel. Also, that stretch that you complain about helps keep fish pinned on treble hook baits. You can get away with braid for all applications, and I certainly understand when anglers want the simplicity of one line, but it just isn't the smart choice when one fish could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in a bass tournament.
Here is no bass. Too cold waters. They tried it someday 80's but bass's didnt survive over winter. Perch, zander and northern pike is our main species. Thanks for reply!

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by MardukFIN » Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:18 pm

Hogsticker2 wrote:Once upon a time I was of the same train of thought. That was until I found a fluorocarbon I liked, and put my time in learning how to use it. Braid has no stretch, is a PITA to tie in the wind, must always be kept tight, and offers zero slack line sensitivity. To me, braid is the user friendly simpletons line, so I get it, but I see no benefit of it any longer other than horsing fish out from cover. Run to tight of a drag or try to free a snag, and it has the tendency to dig. So just as with fluorocarbon, it has some quirks the user must be aware of and pay attention to. I lost way more smallmouth on braid and treble hooks than I ever have on fluorocarbon. I run Tatsu and Assassin on all my rigs except my top water set ups. Couldn't be happier - no complaints or issues. I won't use braid again. Different strokes, but to say one is superior to the other isn't justified imo.
Thanks for reply. In my opinion it's easier to read bites from braid as you can see it better over water.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by ogrich31 » Sun Mar 25, 2018 8:44 am

For me, fluoro has better slack line sensitivity, actually sinks and has some stretch. I usually use Sunline Shooter. I don't like the fluoros (or monos) with a lot of stretch like InvisX.

But it really just fits my style of fishing. I horse them in, and I feel like I lose less fish with fluoro. But I use braid for frogging and any time I need to cut through vegetation.

This is for bass fishing, but I may prefer other lines for other species or techniques.

Also, a connection knot is just another thing that can go wrong imo.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by poisonokie » Sun Mar 25, 2018 7:51 pm

I love braid with soft glass composite rods for all hardbaits, including topwaters (except walking baits and propbaits [they foul too easily]), swim jigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits, and obviously with a frog rod for frogs, a flipping rod for dense vegetation. You don't need line with 50# breaking strain. That's not really the benefit of braid. The lack of stretch, taut line sensitivity, and line capacity are the reasons for using it. It sucks using it in the wind and around rock and other abrasion prone situations.

Mono is best with a stiffer carbon rod for walking baits and propbaits. It's also great for cranking around rip rap, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and swim jigs, but then so is fluorocarbon. It just depends on the situation.

Fluorocarbon is great for everything except topwater, especially bottom contact baits, especially when it's windy. The stretch means you can use faster action rods. The fact that it sinks keeps you more connected to your bait, whether you're swimming it or dead sticking it. It has much better slack line sensitivity than other line (braid doesn't have any that I can tell.) When flipping around wood/rock it's a must. It's the closest thing to a do it all line, but it does take practice and patience to master using. Like learning to be careful when picking out backlashes and how to tie a San Diego Jam knot (that knot is your best friend with any line, double it over for braid.)

I hate using leaders and don't trust them at all, but it does open up options for increased versatility with a single setup, so ymmv with that.
Last edited by poisonokie on Tue Mar 27, 2018 8:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by toporanger » Mon Mar 26, 2018 4:19 am

For fish like Zander/walleye, perch and pike I see no reason to not use just braid. There arent any slack line fishing techniques for those fish really, maybe light weight jigging but then you would want to see the line anyway. The only time I see it being a negative is maybe trolling for zander? It may get your bait deeper but that bit of stretch would be nice in that situation.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by MardukFIN » Tue Mar 27, 2018 4:49 am

Thanks for replies. It seems some special techniques benefits using fluoro.

I use monofilament (should try better fluoro?) only in seatrout fishing under 3'C temperatures. It doesn't bring water to guides and spool. Guides and lineguide does not freeze so often. Also shallow rock bottom tears braid very quickly.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by poisonokie » Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:48 am

If you spent all your time bass fishing, it may take a while, but you'd get it.

Like Hogsticker said, many of us start out thinking we can get away with exclusive use of braid, and with the right rods some find it possible.

But after breaking off in rip-rap,

Or at the leader knot,

Or missing a fish altogether because the wind was blowing a big bow in your line and you had absolutely no idea what was going on at the end of it (like whether it sank at all or was being dragged all over the bottom like it's tied to a kite,)

Or getting an impossible to untangle knot from a hellacious backlash that sent your lure sailing into Oblivion because the knot that mattered broke from the shock of said backlash

...you realize that Fluorocarbon may be worth a shot.

Then it opens up a new world of lighter, better balanced, more sensitive, more accurate fast and extra-fast action rods for your fishing pleasure. My hook-up and landing ratios have increased dramatically snce making to switch to primarily using fluoro and reserving the braid for moving baits and frogs.
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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by Cracker » Tue Mar 27, 2018 11:28 am

I used to fish a lot with a braided line mainly because I used spinning reels, but when I finally switched to baitcasting combo's, I also switched to fluorocarbon and nylon lines.
Fishing mostly in clear water without vegetation I can't use a thick braided line, I will have less bites when I use a similar in physical diameter braided line (10lb fluoro equivalent to 40lb braid, 14lb fluoro equivalent to 60lb braid).
6,8,10, 12, 14lb (0.15mm to 0.30mm) my primary fluoro,nylon lines for all applications.
I have less backlashes when I skip a lure with a 14lb fluorocarbon vs 15lb braided line, like I said above I will have less bites if I use 50-60lb braid. Also, when I have a backlash with thin braid it usually really bad.
If your conditions let you use a 40lb braid and higher go for it.
Another benefit of fluoro - it sinks, most of my mid and deep cranking, bottom applications I do with a 10,12 lb fluorocarbon.
Also, fluoro and nylon stretches, I loose less bass and less lures get hanged in brush piles.
Spinning combo's - only braided line with a fluoro leader.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by DirtyD64 » Tue Mar 27, 2018 7:28 pm

Spinning is ALWAYS braid unless for some reason I decide to go with 7lb Sniper or less for a random reason. I do like having full fluoro on a ML spinning where I don't have to tie leaders over and over; I can also get away with a more powerful Medium spinning rod then too and not make the setup too soft overall.

Been having some issues with 30lb Sufix 832 on a casting reel recently. The line itself is great, but even though I use conditioner and make sure line is tight on the spool, I still have a crazy dig in/backlash crazy cast here and there. I use it on an old Zillion TWS with a 7'3"MH and the issues mainly occur with 1/2 FB jigs or slightly heavier lures. Senko's, lighter TX rigs, lighter 4" or less swimbaits, etc. don't really do it so bad. Just seems I would rather have fluoro now and I'm tempted to switch to 12lb mono on my topwater setup rather than the same mentioned 30lb braid.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by toporanger » Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:27 am

Marduk for the fishing you do I would stick to braid. For the sea trout if they are sensitive bite then I would try flouro at least once, you will probably get more sensitivity. if you are fishing rocks then definetly try flouro over mono for abrasion resistance. Now if your sea trout are like the sea trout I am used to in Florida..... it wont matter as tehre is no way you miss that hit due to lack of sensitivity.

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Re: Braid vs Fluorocarbon as main line

Post by poisonokie » Wed Mar 28, 2018 8:09 am

DirtyD64 wrote:
I use it on an old Zillion TWS with a 7'3"MH and the issues mainly occur with 1/2 FB jigs or slightly heavier lures. Senko's, lighter TX rigs, lighter 4" or less swimbaits, etc. don't really do it so bad. Just seems I would rather have fluoro now and I'm tempted to switch to 12lb mono on my topwater setup rather than the same mentioned 30lb braid.
First off, I'm sure you know all this, but I thought I'd lay it out there anyway.

It might help if you either flush your bearings or slap some hedgehogs in there. On reels with braid is where I see the greatest benefit from ceramics. I bet you're casting a lot harder and farther with that football jig, which increases the likelihood of a backlash from the increased spool RPM. Ceramics would smooth it out and help it maintain a constant speed.

Also 30# is pretty thin, which causes the digging. Going to 40 would help without impacting distance too much. It'd be great if they made a faster worm shaft for use with braid on the Zillion TWS, but afaik they don't.

As far as the line for topwater goes, you can go heavier. If you spool up all the way with 16#, you'll have plenty of line for bombing casts, plus it will help keep your lure on the surface since it floats better because it doesn't break the surface tension as easily. Also you have the added benefit of a more secure link to your pricey plugs. I use 16# super natural on a basically stock OG Tatula for a lot of topwaters and get hella distance and great action out of my lures.
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