Lets talk Line????

[Central Bassman]

Hey all... My question for all of you guys is what do you guys think of the different kinds of line. You hear a lot of the top pros on the tours today talk about using flourocarbon line for everything, flipping, pitching, and even cranking. Why is that??? I use flouracarbon for a lot of my finesse fishing but not for cranking for flipping... What do u guys think about this???

[Deitz Dittrich]

CB-I use it in a lot of situations where there is a chance for abrasion. The Floro has better abrasion resistance. I use it for flipping and crankbaiting.. the reason for crankbait floro.. floro sinks, and may or may not help get that bait dow a few more inches. Floro is also fairly hard to see underwater.. which is also a plus!

[Central Bassman]

Hey Deitz what kinda of Flor do u use for cranking and what pound test???

[Daze Off]

Generally I use Flouro for drop-shotting, spinnerbaits, and cranking, superbraid for flippin and anything in the weeds/pads, and mono for topwaters and buzzbaits and everything else. I don't believe line visibility makes any difference whatsoever in a presentation where the fish encounters the bait before the line (as in pitchin' or flippin). I use either mono or flouro for skipping but have used braid on occasion.

I use Berkley Sensation mono and Vanish Flouro, and Stren Superbraid. I tried PowerPro this year but have not felt as comfortable with it as the SuperBraid.

Daze Off

[Deitz Dittrich]

For most of my crankbaits.. I use Gamma Florocarbon, in 10 lb test... I will varry from that if I need the bait to dive a different depth...But will use the 10 lb most of the time.

[Central Bassman]

Hey Daze Off, Why do u use Berkley Sensation they any other momo. What is so good about that then like xl or xt???

[Daze Off]

I find that it has a better feel than either XT or XL and I think it may even be thinnner - and, like the name says, it is more "sensitive" - at least in my mind. Maybe the best way to explain it is to say that it seems to have the best qualities of both XL and XT in one line.

Also, all of my mono is either 10 lb or 12 lb in the lo-vis green. Since I use braid for the nasty stuff I can't find a reason to use heavier mono unless I wanted a crank to run shallower for some reason. Even just moving up to 14 lb seems to reduce the action on some topwaters like the walking baits of various kinds.

Daze Off

[RK]

Hiya -

I use Sensation too for stuff like jigworms and tubes, and casting swimming grubs for smallies. Like Daze said, it's a mid-point between XL and XT. Love the stuff. Berkley is coming out with a new line this year (haven't seen it on shelves yet but I guess I haven't looked - it may be there) called Trilene Maxx. Supposedly handles simlilar to Sensation but even better abrasion resistance. Some of the Berkley guys say it's the best mono they've come up with.

I use Fluoro for spinnerbaits and some cranks, superline like Cortland Master Braid for big deep cranks where I'm ripping it through the coontail, for Jig & Pig (usually with a fluoro leader), and #14 fireline with a fluoro leader for jerkbaits like Rogues or for soft stickbaits. My flipping sticks all have #17 or #20 Berkley Big Game. Very abrasion resistant mono. I fish rushes a lot and when fish wrap you up in the rushes a little stretch isn't all bad. Keeps the hooks from tearing out while you're chasing the fish down...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[st.crioxfishin]

Deitz,

When you flip with flouro what pound test do you use? I read a lot about the pros using it for this presentation and I've always stuck with braid, but I want to try it next year on some of the more pressured lakes in the metro. I'm assuming maybe 20lb test would be good to start with? And also what do you feel are some of the advantages of this line over others...sensitivity? clarity? abraision? thanks for any replys, just trying to up my angling skills

[Deitz Dittrich]

The champ asking me questions?... LOL

Bob- I use both 17 lb and 20 lb.. When I was using braid I was bending hooks and ruining jigs like crazy.. I also would rip a big hole in the basses mouth and loose a lot of fish because of this. Since switching to floro, I have had a lot less of this issue. Floro is nearly invisable underwater, it sinks, and doesnt have a ton of stretch, and also has very good abrasion resistance. This is what works for me.. for others it may or may not work.

[Ray Esboldt]

RK,

I saw Trilene Maxx on the shelves tonight. I might have to give it a try, but I really do like that Gamma stuff that Dietz turned me on to.

The one thing I might suggest to Berkley is get some different packaging for it. The packaging makes for a poor presentation of what might be a good product.

[Central Bassman]

I was talking to a kid at gander im MG this morning about that new Maxx stuff and alot of people are buying it so we should hear some results soon..

Yea thanks for all the tips, i think im goin to try cranking with some flor next year.

[st.crioxfishin]

Deitz,

I like your theories and explanation, I'm definately gonna have to give it a go next season

[cjac]

If you hurry Thorne Bros has some spools of the Gamma flouro at 1/2 off. Picked up an extra 10lb spool to put on the smaller crank set up.

[RK]

Hi Ray -

The packaging isn't super flashy that's for sure. I actually asked them about it when I saw it at ICAST this summer. Turns out it's actually a pretty cool deal... The packing is recyclable plastic. They're the first company to do that apparently... I'm pretty excited to try the stuff. Berkley guys I know that had samples raved about it.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Ray Esboldt]

RK,

I see. Well, I forgive them on that one.

[Jig Master]

One thing about Berkley is they always have "the greatest line ever" and it comes out every year. Funny how it doensn't seem to ever last more than a year or two. From sensithin to sensation to trimaxx to vanish, to reformulated vanish, to ironsilk to reformulated ironsilk, to that "tournament" line they had in the gold box. I just stick to XT for most bass fishing with a very small dose of XL mixed in here or there. Gamma does seem to be some great stuff, I really like the copolymer. As a guy at Joe's once told me, "Use Vanish, and your fish will vanish"

[Central Bassman]

Hey Jigmaster, just wondering what you like about that copolymer gamma??? and what lb test u use??

[Deitz Dittrich]

I can answer that as I use the Gamma as well.. the Coplimer is ULTRA limp.. the most limp most easy to cast line I have used in a long time.. THis last year was my first year with Gamma.. Way impressed! Its casts like a dream, great knot strength. I was able to up my pound line I was using because of the diam and limpness with made for breakoffs to go away!

I will have gamma on my rods again next year.

[DougSpringBay]

I too, cannot say enough about Gamma Line. As Dietz put it, it is so limp. As for castability, it cannot be equaled. I have a friend who loves Berkly Iron Silk because of its castability. I have converted him over to Gamma. It also has greater tinsile strength over other mono lines. This will be my second season Pro Staffing for Gamma. They have a great product, and it is really worth giving it a try if you have never used it.

Doug

Spring Bay Resort

[RickyBobby]

How does Gamma rate for line stretch??

[Deitz Dittrich]

RB- Welcome to FishingMinnesota.com.. I'm happy to see your first post is in the Bass section!

Gamma has 2 different lines out.. a co-polimer and a Florocarbon... I used both, the floro had very little stretch.. the Co-pol had some stretch.. but then again, all mono does.. I felt it was a very sensitive line, and didn't stretch any more than any other line.

[RickyBobby]

Thanks Dietz..... Does the Gamma fluoro carbon have the same degree of limpness and castability as the co-pol version? I'm looking to try something that has intermediate line stretch when compared to mono and the super lines (fireline, powerpro, etc.) but would have castability that is an improvement over mono, perhaps allowing me to increase the poundage of the line that I currently use.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Floro is a bit stiffer just by nature.. the gamma stuff is limper than any other floro I have tried..

buy a spool of the Mono Co-poly... I bet you buy more. The floro stuff is expensive( $25 ish bucks a 300 yard spool?) The co-poly is about the same price as everybody else if I rmember. I would equat ethe stretch of the mono as the same as P-line. but limper.

[Central Bassman]

All this talk about Gamma line makes me want to get out and try it asap.. I know for a fact that im going to try the Floro for my finesse fishing and cranking!!!