Fluorocarbon Lines- Ontario Angler

Guide to Fluorocarbon Lines and Tackle

Fluorocarbon Lines

Fluorocarbon fishing lines gained popularity with fly fishermen and saltwater anglers early on but are being embraced by bass and toothy fish fanatics more and more every day. Fluorocarbon line is made by combining a carbon base and other materials to form a line that is almost invisible underwater making it more effective in clear water and on highly pressured fish.

In the beginning many fluorocarbon lines were stiff and keep the shape of the spool, especially when cold causing reel blow off, especially on over filled spools. This causes casting problems, birds nests and general frustration especially on spinning reels. The lighter versions show these problems less than heavier test lines but can still be a problem if not spooled properly. Fluorocarbon lines for spinning reels are best when kept at 10 lb test or less and for baitcasting 10 lb test and above. Today, newer processing has developed some very manageable lines that have incredible resilience, abrasion resistance and virtual invisibility... all properties that make fluorocarbon the choice for fishermen whether you are using a 3 lb leader for Rainbow trout in a river or 8 lb test for drop shotting smallmouth bass. Even the heavier fluorocarbon lines excel when used for cranking (10-15 lb test) or even flipping (17-25 lb test).

Pike and Musky fishermen have also started using 80 and 100 lb test pieces to create leaders for their toothy targets making them with crimps, high quality swivels and snaps.

Common problems associated with the introductory version of fluorocarbon included knot strength which was the weakest part of fluorocarbon. With today's technology, knot strength is not as much of a factor if any with some brands. Industry leaders in manufacturing fluorocarbon lines include Seaguar, Berkley, P-Line and Sunline but with over 50 manufacturers putting fluorocarbon for sale on the market the choices are endless as are the personal preferences,