The Latest Lines Will Put More Bass in Your Boat This Year

While a 3-pound pull may not sound like much, try picking that weight off the floor with your flippin’ stick. I’d wager it takes a 5-pound largemouth to come close to that power. So, I maintain that while fluoros may stretch under such strain, they do not when setting hooks and feeling bites; thus, these advantages of fluorocarbon lines remain valid. But be warned that after a sustained battle with a big fish, or when pulling hard to break off a lure, your fluoro may well be compromised.

Knot Me

One common knock against fluorocarbons is that knots must be tied more carefully and they’re more liable to fail. In TackleTour’s knot test, all but one of the fluoros had knot strength less than 90 percent of its rated tensile strength when tied with a palomar knot. In a follow-up, they tested 5 knots (San Diego jam, improved clinch, palomar, uni-, and Triline). No knot rated above 90 percent of rated strength.

Tim Wiedow, Senior Polymer Chemist for Pure Fishing, says: “Compared to nylons, fluorocarbons are much more demanding in all aspects of handling. The extrusion and drawing process must be done more meticulously, and knots must be tied more carefully. That’s one of the features we’re trying to improve as we develop new lines.”

While we await the fluorocarbon version of Stren Super Knot, take care to lubricate the line with water before putting any pressure on the forming knot, to avoid burning the line. Viscous fish flavors work even better. When it’s completed, make sure the knot is snug on the hook, cleanly wrapped, and that the line remains straight and not kinked, all of which suggest line damage.

Today’s Fluorocarbons

As with monofilament and braided lines, manufacturers are continually fine-tuning the precise blends of fluorocarbons along with aspects of the extrusion process. Several companies developed a fluorocarbon line and have kept it in their line-up, including PRADCO Silver Thread Fluorocarbon, Triple Fish’s Fluorocarbon, Bass Pro Shops’ XPS Fluorocarbon, Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon, and Maxima Fluorocarbon. They remain popular choices, effective for a variety of applications. Some, like Gamma, are focused on promoting their lines among top-level pros—Gamma recently inked a sponsorship contract with the deacon of drop-shot himself, Kota Kiriyama. Similarly, Maxima has signed bass pros Chad Morganthaler and Ish Monroe, along with big-bass gurus Mike Long and Bill Siemantel, while also promoting its use in saltwater.

Three years ago, fluorocarbon pioneer Seaguar added Invisx to its line-up, designed to be supple and castable. They’ve now introduced Level Wind Technology to fluorocarbon in the U.S., promising increased strength and castability, since line is coiled precisely in rows. In 2001, the Japanese company Sunline added Shooter, a harder and more abrasion- and shock-resistant line, to complement the supple Sniper. The latest addition is BMS Sniper, essentially Sniper with inch-long colored markings to aid line-watching. The pink and orange strips function like bite indicators. The Japanese company Toray has added Super Hard Upgrade to its line, known as one of the hardest and toughest products on the market.

P-Line’s Halo, a co-fluoride product, represents a new development. “It’s a breakthrough in lines, just like the first copolymer monofilament that we introduced to the U.S. 26 years ago,” says National Sales Manager Don Newman. “We’re working with a new mix right now, designed with a bit more stretch so it will be ideal for use on spinning tackle.”