Kevin Van Dam Forums

mono is a fine line, it has worked for years. But there is a better tool for the job now and its floro line. You can do all the stretch test this and that, the ffact is if you rig 2 identical rods, 1 with floro and 1 with mono, the floro will give you better feel.

stick um - 15 September 2011 10:13 AM

mono is a fine line, it has worked for years. But there is a better tool for the job now and its floro line. You can do all the stretch test this and that, the ffact is if you rig 2 identical rods, 1 with floro and 1 with mono, the floro will give you better feel.

You know that might be THE deciding factor.  I can feel the “tunk-tunk” a whole better.

The XT diameter trick I think is a joke. I don’t see much point in using it when I can go up a size or two in XL to get the same diameter(and extra breaking strength) & have a line that handles 10x better. Big Game handles way better than XT IMHO as well. I don’t think I’ve found a line that handles worse than that stuff. It does live up to it’s tough name though, but that toughness comes with extra diameter & fluorocarbon like handling characteristics.

I don’t think anyone ever claimed mono & fluoro had the same sensitivity, just that the sensitivity of fluoro comes from what makes it sink, it’s density which transmits vibration much better than mono, not it’s “lower” stretch. To me the difference is about like the difference between lead & tungsten weights, you can still feel it with lead/mono, but it’s not as pronounced as it is with tung/fluoro & for contact baits that extra feel is very important. There’s still plenty of stretch when I set the hook on fluoro(I’ve been using Spiderwire, which has a rep for being a lower stretch fluoro), which is why I’ve started going to longer rods for contact techniques to give me more sweep on the hook set.

Of course this is all just my opinion based on what I’ve read & experienced, which is what everyone goes by. If you believe fluoro has lower stretch & it helps you stick fish, it does, since 99% of fishing is what’s going on in your head & if you believe it & think it makes a difference, it does.

RiverRat - 13 September 2011 08:32 PM

**RETRACTION**  In the spring I got a gift card to GM.  I figured I’d buy some FC to try.  Well, after fishing most of the summer using 17# and 12# FC I can say that it’s actually improved my fishing a bunch.  The key factor is sensitivity.  I really can feel the bite so much better.  Another thing that has improved is hookups.  I snagged a bait on a long cast using mono.  I couldn’t believe how much stretch there was as I was pulling against the snag!  Now, I use FC for everything but topwater

Good deal, anytime you can improve your game is awesome. Even if the change seems small, it could pay off big. Good luck with the FC, I know you’ll have fun with it.

i agree, fluoro will give you better sensitivity but the whole point of the original post was cost. if you can’t afford fluoro, IMO a good copoly is a good alternative or a braid with a fluoro leader. I don’t think i have any regular mono anymore, if i do it is old and will be used for backing. What stickum said about only putting on 30 yds of fluoro at a time is a good tip to keep the cost down. i have bought some fluoro but haven’t used it as yet. i got a gin clear pond that i will use it in, other than that i don’t really need it in the other ponds. so i’ll spool up a couple of reels to be used in the gin clear pond and the rest will have Silver Thread Excalibur or Sonic braid on them. I also have Liljake’s Yozuri hybrid, Pline CX premium and PLine fluoroclear to try out also, once i use up the other line i have.

I do buy into the low stretch!!  I haven’t lost but 2 fish this year on treble hooks.  Normally it would be a lot more than that.  Those were both on the same outing.  I do a lot of cranking.
Same combo’s as previous years, the BPS XPS or the Seaguar Invizx is the only difference.  I do prefer the BPS. Less memory!