ultralight freshwater fishing line?

[kzhlin]

Hey guys,

I was fishing Green Valley Lake for trout yesterday and out of a bunch of guys, only one guy was catching anything (in this little cove area).

I was using 4# Izorline XXX and he was using 2# mono (don't know which brand).

I always thought at the UL end of the spectrum, 2# and 4# shouldn't make a difference, but this guy was catching one after another on a jig while the rest of us were just looking at him... I fished an almost identical jig, same retrieve, etc. but still nothing!

So my question is: Should I use 2# mono or 4# fluoro? I don't have much experience with fluoro other than as leader material.

[Frequent Flyer]

It doesn't matter if you fish 2 or 4 lb. There are a lot of other factors that could be why he was catching them. Most of the time it's because the school will be doing a tight circle, or he could have been adding scent. It could have also just been one of those days.

[kzhlin]

It doesn't matter if you fish 2 or 4 lb. There are a lot of other factors that could be why he was catching them. Most of the time it's because the school will be doing a tight circle, or he could have been adding scent. It could have also just been one of those days.

We were in a small cove and I was probably 4 feet away from him fishing an identical jig. I talked to him and he was fishing the jig without scent--just cast and slow retrieve.

We were able to see some fish swim around and they took his jig and never took mine. Maybe my presentation was not good, but out of the 6-7 guys that were in that cove, he was the only one catching!

[DEVOREFLYER]

Use the 2 or 4# Nanofil and you will never look back.

[Viejo]

"Maybe my presentation was not good, but out of the 6-7 guys that were in that cove, he was the only one catching! "

Perhaps you answered your own question? I believe that presentation might certainly play a large role in any fishing situation. It sure seems to in the Sierras.

[Matt44]

Setup has a big thing to do with it. The right rod and reel can go a long way in helping your presentation. Its all in your retrieve as well find what the fish want.

We were in a small cove and I was probably 4 feet away from him fishing an identical jig. I talked to him and he was fishing the jig without scent--just cast and slow retrieve.

We were able to see some fish swim around and they took his jig and never took mine. Maybe my presentation was not good, but out of the 6-7 guys that were in that cove, he was the only one catching!

[kzhlin]

Setup has a big thing to do with it. The right rod and reel can go a long way in helping your presentation. Its all in your retrieve as well find what the fish want.

I"m fishing a 7' Phenix Elixir with a Shimano Symetre. I think setup is alright, but as for presentation. I talked to him and he showed me what he was doing. Attempted to copy him exactly, but no results...

[kzhlin]

Use the 2 or 4# Nanofil and you will never look back.

I've seen nanofill on the shelves, but what exactly is it? Is it like braid?

[Matt44]

Thats a nice setup! Tip your jigs with meal worms the trout love them. And look at your skirts make sure it swims right!

I"m fishing a 7' Phenix Elixir with a Shimano Symetre. I think setup is alright, but as for presentation. I talked to him and he showed me what he was doing. Attempted to copy him exactly, but no results...

[DEVOREFLYER]

I spooled 8# Nanofil on my finesse spinning reel for Bass fishing two years ago. I found I was throwing a flylined Senko further than ever with this line. The 8# is thinner than 4# mono and I have a difficult time breaking it for it weight. You will have to tie with a double palomar knot to keep from loosing gear as it is super slippery. I am in the process of putting it on all of my spinning reels (it will not work on bait casters.

Here is some info on it:
Winner of Best of Show overall and in the Line Category at the 2011 ICAST Show

Not a Mono. Not a Fluorocarbon. Not a Braid. Berkley’s NanoFil Uni-Filament Fishing Line is the next generation of fishing line - and in a class all its own. Constructed from gel-spun polyethylene, much like a superline, it consists of hundreds of Dyneema nanofilaments that are molecularly linked and shaped into a unified filament fishing line. Dyneema is one of the world’s strongest fibers, providing NanoFil with superline-class strength, as wells as zero-stretch and exceptional sensitivity. Berkley’s uni-filament process also makes it feel and handle like a smooth monofilament, while still allowing it have the performance characteristics of braid. The ultimate spinning reel line - Berkley NanoFil Uni-Filament Fishing Line is the longest casting, thinnest and most sensitive line Berkley has ever created.

-Ultimate Spinning Reel Line
-Zero Memory Virtually Eliminates Tangles
-Incredibly High Strength/diameter Ratio
-Zero Stretch Means Superb Sensitivity
-Berkley’s Longest Casting Line

And a review:

Back in early June, I wrote a glowing tech review here of Berkley’s new NanoFil spinning line. Since then, that product has won an “Innovation of the Year” award at EFFTEX, the European tackle-trade show, and a “Best in Show” award at ICAST, the U.S. fishing trade show. That combination generally marks NanoFil as the hottest new fishing product of any type for the coming year.

I’ve finally gotten extensive time on the water with this new line, which included the fat walleye shown in the photo, so here’s an updated report.

First, at ICAST I grilled Joe Meyers from Pure Fishing/Berkley intensely about just how NanoFil is produced. Meyers is a very talented process engineer, which means he figures out how to make things. Yes, he acknowledged, NanoFil is made from Dyneema filaments (gel-spun polyethylene) like other superlines but is fused into a single filament rather than being braided.

Because polyethylene is basically chemically inert, I suspected that Berkley’s marketing claim of “molecularly linked” fibers to be mostly BS. Meyers more or less acknowledged that, but at the same time would only say “heat, pressure, and some secret sauce” when I pressed further for details. He smiled. I smiled. And I left the Pure Fishing booth still scratching my head.

Next I took my sample of 8-pound NanoFil to Lac Seul in northwestern Ontario, which happens to be one of North America’s hottest walleye lakes. Here F&S Deputy Editor Dave Hurteau and I literally caught all the walleyes we wanted while fishing out of Anderson’s Lodge. Because most walleye fishing is all about sensitivity and being able to feel light bites, it was the perfect place to test a new line.

The new NanoFil was just exceptional. We used two light spinning set-ups; one reel spooled with 8-pound NanoFil, the other with 6-pound nylon mono. The NanoFil performed well on a spinning reel: No tangles, no fuss, no muss, along with definitely enhanced casting distance because of the line’s ultra-small diameter. As we jigged with either live minnows or Gulp! baits in 15 to 20 feet of water, the no-stretch NanoFil gave a superb feel for both the bottom rocks and the gentle tap-tap of a taking fish. By contrast, the other reel filled with light, stretchy mono felt like total mush.

When we chose instead to troll small, deep-diving crankbaits, NanoFil was again a huge advantage. First, the fine diameter gave trolled baits added depth because the line itself has less water resistance. Second, the line’s no-stretch aspect let me feel every wiggle of a waggling chartreuse Wally Diver along with every little rap from a striking walleye. Here again, light mono--while it still worked--was nowhere nearly as successful.

To say I’m sold on the new NanoFil would be an understatement. It’s just a fantastic product for use on light spinning tackle. It’s not cheap at $20 for a 150-yard spool, but it’s worth every penny.