Do you know if copolymers float better than mono?Originally Posted by bsp
Because trying to throw a topwater bait on flouro is pretty much a waste of time, as the flourocarbon sinks a bit faster than mono, and trying to walk the dog is like trying to bathe a cat.
I use P-Line CXX, a copolymer, for topwater and it works very well. I personally like the low stretch for walking the dog with my Lunker Punker and Sammy's. I might try Tory Polyamide to give me an idea of what a high quality nylon line is like, but at the moment P-Line works well for what I do. It can have memory issues, but that has gone away for me after the first few casts. Overfilling the spool makes the problem a lot more noticeable with P-Line, but that happens with every line company. Izorline XXX is a good copolymer too.
I know flourocarbon sinks, and that can be nice if you want to get jerkbaits deeper, windy conditions, deep water, etc. It does make flouro useless for topwaters though. I know that people like straight braid for topwater because of how there is no stretch (10in Plastic Punker comes to mind), but I have not yet experienced a situation that made me prefer braid to copolymers.
Disclaimer: I am talking about using line for freshwater bass fishing. Monofilament has its uses when fishing for trout, catfish, and stripers. Braid has its uses when tied straight, but the braid with a short leader idea seems to give the same results as other lines in my opinion.
Last edited by bsp; 03-30-2009 at 03:18 PM.
Bsp: "Also, any braid below 50lb has a tendency to dig into itself when under any kind of pressure."
Hence the lower drag settings. This will prevent that problem entirely. As for the flouro, I do use flouro topshots predominately when running braid, and prefer them for most applications. "Mono" refers to any monofilament line, be it flouro, nylon, or copolymer. Not just the old nylon stuff. If it is a single filament, then it is "Mono."
"The added line capacity is a moot point in freshwater. Since when did you get spooled by a largemouth?"
The deeper into your spool you get, the more resistance your cast will face. By having thinner line and less line come off the stack, you will get longer casts. Not to mention the lack of memeory the braid offers.
"Braid, IMO, is a lot more useful in saltwater. There, it actually saves money since you only have to change topshots, and it gives you the line capacity to handle large fish. It's kelp cutting ability is also very nice."
I agree. But those attributes are useful in freshwater too.
"If you have to try braid, get Daiwa Samurai or Sufix. I have had bad experiences with Berkley lines and Power Pro."
Like I said, i use spinning gear only. I've found the fused lines like fireline to be far more manageable in my situation.
Last edited by Skyler; 03-30-2009 at 02:22 PM.
I've been using that line for awhile. Good stuff, abeit a bit stiff. I like the CX a bit better than the CXX, but for pure muscle, you can't beat the CXX. P-line is the only mono i buy anymore.
Skyler, I want to say that you make very good points and have found a successful style of fishing with spinning gear that is enhanced by braid. But, I disagree because I have found that with baitcasting gear, braid tends to be more problematic and that is what the person who started this thread was asking about, casting gear.
Spinning gear with braid and flouro topshots makes sense because most flouro just does not spool well on spinning rods, even in the lower pound tests. So, braid is a good choice because it minimizes this problem. I still use straight flouro on spinning reels because I personally have not had enough problems with Seaguar and Toray to make me switch.
1. That works on spinning gear, but I have experienced this on light braid on casting gear. You can have a light drag, but if you get just one backlash the braid will dig in. Also, even on spinning gear, you might need to tighten the drag to saw the fish out of structure. Assuming that the low abrasion resistance of light braid doesn't cause the line to break, the braid will then dig in. Then, you have to strip off the braid and wind it back on the reel to get it out.
I'll stop using the term mono then, thanks for the correction!
2. I did not experience significant enough gains (1 yd at most) with braid on my casting reels to make the switch seem worthwhile. Maybe it is more noticeable on sinning reels.
3. The kelp cutting aspect of braid is only useful at higher tests, like 30lb and above. Then, you tend to be straight tying. At lower tests with a leader, you lose abrasion resistance because it is too easy for the braid to get nicked. Also, the money saving aspect of braid when changing line only applies if it is backing, meaning you are not actually fishing with it. If it is coming in contact with structure, it is best to cut it off because it will get beat up. Then, you will eventually have to replace the braid. As for handling big fish, when has a big largemouth bass ever come close to spooling you? I can maybe see the benefits when trophy striper or catfish fishing, but for largemouth line capacity is not an issue.
4. Fair enough. I have not had enough experience with braid on spinning reels to have an informed opinion.
I agree with that pure strength comment for P-Line.
the guy must be more confused than ever after this back and forth. he never mentioned whether he was using spinning or casting reel. most people do not consider all extruded lines to be mono, regardless of the composition. CXX is mono. flouroclear is the G.Pucci copolymer, and its still almost all nylon, and handles and streches about exactly like 100% nylon mono. unless its 100% flouro, its not going to act like flouro. these copolymers are the line company's attempt to get people to buy something that handles like mono (nylon) but has the visibility benefits of flouro. (which is pretty much impossible anyway). i don't know what happenned to the guy who asked the question, but his head must be spinning. i'd say DS has it about right.
lurk: There are no spinning reels with a 7:1 gear ratio. Hence, he's using casting gear. Copolymer is different line than nylon and handles differently, namely it has less stretch and tends to over test a bit.
does it float? is it mostly nylon? does it strech twice as much as pure flouro? sounds like mono to me. i'm not going to search the web for spinning reel gear ratios. you and skyler should just PM each other on the finer points when the guy clearly states he's a beginner.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote