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Angling Fish - by James Rickard

Using fluorocarbon line

November 6th 2008 00:26
You can't talk about "superlines" and not mention fluorocarbons! This is another spool of line that can end up costing a few bucks so, read this and know what you're getting into!

Monofilament used to rule the market when it came to line. In the past few years, however, mono has slowly fallen out of favor with tournament anglers and they're turning to fluorocarbon line.

Fluorocarbon line originated in Japan back in the 70's but, it didn't REALLY catch on until the 90's when it was introduced as leader material for saltwater fishing.

When they first started out, fluorocarbons were stiff and expensive--often nearly a $1 per yard! (No wonder it took a long time to catch on.) After some tinkering, manufacturers discovered ways to make the line more flexible and affordable so that more anglers, not just professionals, could use fluorocarbon lines.


There's no use in dancing around the topic of cost. You'll be spending around $20 or MORE for a spool of fluorocarbon. Considering you can get a decent spool of mono for half that, let's talk about the fluorocarbon advantages.

Near invisibility is probably the chief advantage of fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon line is pretty close to the light refractive index of water so it is practically invisible under water. This alone makes it useful in clear water applications.

Despite its cost, fluorocarbon line is a strong and durable line because of its chemical composition. For the most part, fluorocarbon lines don't absorb water like a lot of mono line out there and, as a result, will maintain its strength better than most mono lines. Another plus when it comes to strength is the fact that fluorocarbon is generally unaffected by the sun's ultraviolet rays which cause mono lines to decay. For that reason, fluorocarbon line usually lasts longer than nylon monofilaments, resulting in an excellent choice for anglers who are looking for a good value in fishing lines.


Like braided line, fluorocarbon has less stretch than monofilaments. Actually, the stretch of fluorocarbon line is more like that of braided lines than monofilaments, but without the "give away" dark thread look.

Speaking of braided lines, another advantage of fluorocarbon over braided line is that fluorocarbon line sinks quite a bit faster than braided lines, To some, the fact that fluorocarbon sinks rapidly makes it a better choice for baits that dive or sink.


If you think I'm just here to sell fluorocarbon line, think again because here are some DISadvantages!

The thing you have to remember with fluorocarbon lines is that you need to be very careful when tying knots. Too often the importance of knot tying with ANY line is discounted but this is a mistake we can easily remedy. Poor knot tying is a common reason why anglers lose their favorite lures. Although I don't want to dwell on the topic, there's always room for improvement when it comes to knot tying!

When tying knots with fluorocarbon line, important things to remember are to go slow and use plenty of lubrication. Since fluorocarbon is stiffer, it's going to be easier to kink your line and that kink will result in a weak place.

Fluorocarbon is tough for beginning anglers to use on spinning reels because it often "springs" off of the spool although it usually works okay with bait casting gear.

A lot of anglers, myself included, use fluorocarbon as a leader while depending on mono or braid as their main line since it's easier to use these lines on spinning reels.



Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!


NOTE--In yesterday's video a spinning reel was being used.

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Some braided line tips

November 5th 2008 00:49
If you're not totally confused about line yet, here's a video from YouTube talking a little bit about using braided line.


[ Click here to read more ]
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Mono vs. Braided line

November 4th 2008 00:40
Although we've been discussing fishing line and decided there is no "best" line, we'd be making mistake not to mention braided line.

As mentioned in the last post, mono definitely has its place but, sometimes situations call for a good braid.

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Mono line is the way to go

November 2nd 2008 00:54
fishing lines
This is just a small representation of lines on the market today.

All you have to do is look and you'll know there's a lot of fishing line out there. Nobody is paying me to promote their product so, I hope you believe me when I tell you every company makes at least a few good lines. I'm not going to go so far as to say you should use one over the other because, although I've used a lot of them, there's still a lot I haven't tried.

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Get fishing line for what you need

October 12th 2008 00:40
I was watching a football game yesterday and organizing my fishing equipment during slow periods when a neighbor came over to chew the fat.

He saw a box of Trilene line sticking out of a pocket on my tackle bag and I guess that set him off. "You use that crap?" he asked. "I thought you knew your stuff!"

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Some tips to prevent line twist

September 19th 2008 00:17
Since I've been putting line on a few reels lately, the prevention of line twist is something that has been front and center for me.

Here's a video that always helped me!

[ Click here to read more ]
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Time to change line?

September 14th 2008 01:09
fishing line
It's not really time for me to change fishing line yet but since I got a bunch of reels at a sale a couple of weeks ago, I though it'd be a good time to say something about changing line.

When It comes to changing line there are no hard and fast rules! The only advice I run across with any regularity is that it should be done at least once a year. After that, it becomes a "let common sense be your guide" kind of thing!
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Why you should use a leader

July 27th 2008 00:55
A leader for fishing is a length of line or flexible wire between your main line and hook or lure. The leader can be the same type of line you are using or can be monofilament, fluorocarbon, or even braided line. Usually, the leader is different or, at least a lighter weight, than your main line.

Although I prefer lighter line, situations dictate that I usually use 10 or 12 lb. test line. I always use a lighter leader with doing this although many "experts" say to use a leader heavier than your main line. This comes in REAL handy when I'm fishing live bait or soft plastic. Whenever possible, I like to place the sinker above the leader. If it snags on something and gets hung up, the leader may break off but the main line and sinkers always come back to me.

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Using snap swivels

June 12th 2008 00:34
Unless you're on the tournament trail, I'll wager that you probably use a snap swivel at the end of your line.

Breathe easy if you do because I'm not going to slap your wrists. I do it too!

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There's no getting around the fact that cracked or chipped line guides can lead to line deterioration.

A quick check of your guides can be made with a piece of nylon stocking.

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Removing line from your reel

April 16th 2008 00:18
Since yesterday's post was about line that goes ON your reel, I suppose it's appropriate to have a bit about how to take line off the reel.

I have my doubts about the product in this video. It wouldn't take a genius to make one of these things!

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EZ Spool line

April 15th 2008 00:49
How often have you been spooling your reel and when you decided there was enough line on the reel you didn't have a knife or scissors handy?

EZ Spool fishing line
That problem is solved with EZ Spool fishing line!

[ Click here to read more ]
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How much line is on your reel?

April 8th 2008 00:47
line counter
Have you ever made what you thought was GREAT cast only to have the lure snap back at you because you didn't have enough line on your reel?

Granted, you can tie your line to a tree and walk off a distance that should cover any cast but, what do you do if it snows, rains or is dark?

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