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

“I want to say one word to you—Just one word: Plastics!” —Mr. McGuire to Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) in The Graduate, 1967

Pop Quiz: What did the top 5 finishers at the 2007 Bassmaster Classic have in common? Time’s up. Using an array of different lures, they all fished fluorocarbon lines in this test of the best on Alabama’s Lay Lake.¶ The origins of fluorocarbon as fishing line are somewhat hazy, lost in the fog of offshore waters and the recollections of sea captains. Today, however, these products represent one of the keenest advances in the world of fishing tackle, as evidenced by the pros’ devotion, as well as skyrocketing sales.

Fluorocarbon in Focus

According to Dr. Sina Ebnesajjad of the FluoroConsultants Group LLC, fluorocarbons are chemical compounds that contain carbon-fluorine bonds. In 1938, Roy Dunkett of DuPont discovered this class of chemicals, and their use in plastics and countless other substances has expanded since. The fluorocarbon family includes an array of materials, including Teflon, sealants, oils, other lubricants, and many plastics.

As the young graduate was advised, the plastics industry boomed in the 1960s. Treatments with heat and pressure cause chemical bonds to form and break, yielding more unique materials. Conversion of one form of fluorocarbon polymer, Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), into fishing line is credited to the Kureha Chemical Corporation of Japan, parent company of Kureha America, Inc., makers of Seaguar lines.

Chemists there realized that this material’s resistance to heat, light, and chemicals offered advantages in fishing line. Tests by Kureha found that after 1,000 hours of exposure to UV light, their fluorocarbon line retained its original break strength, while nylon monofilaments lost up to 40 percent of theirs.

Offshore anglers found another advantage—fluorocarbon line tended to disappear underwater, so its use as leader material for line-shy predators in clear water gave anglers an edge. Optical studies found that its “refractive index”—a measure of light’s passage through a medium—was much closer to that of water than nylon, the substance of monofilament lines.

Early fluorocarbon lines were stiff, however, making it tough even to tie knots in the higher tests used for tarpon, tuna, and other keen-sighted gamefish. The line also was costly, due to limited production and the more demanding physical requirements of manufacturing this material. Since then, polymer chemists have been working on new formulations, extrusion methods, and drawing processes to increase the fishability of fluorocarbon lines, resulting in products designed to fill a reel spool.

Why Fish Fluoro?

In addition to reduced underwater visibility and resistance to UV rays, reported attributes of fluorocarbon lines include low stretch, yielding more powerful hook-sets on long casts; better feel of light bites and lure movements and perhaps enhanced manipulation of lures; increased density that sinks jigs faster and can pull crankbaits and jerkbaits to greater depths, while perhaps increasing casting distance; greater abrasion-resistance; and high tensile strength.

As we’ve reported before, Dr. Keith Jones, research scientist for Pure Fishing, tested Berkley’s initial fluoro offering, Vanish, for its visibility to bass. “Bass bumped into 10-pound fluorocarbon line considerably more frequently than 10-pound mono,” he reported, “suggesting they couldn’t see it as well.” Its effectiveness in finesse fishing in clear water also suggests it fulfills this promise. Similarly, there’s no question about its sink rate, due to its higher specific gravity. And while density and smooth finish allow long casts with fluoro, these characteristics also make it vulnerable to backlashes, unless centrifugal brakes or magnets are adjusted, or the angler has a highly educated thumb.