Thread: JDM lines relating to panfish

Originally Posted by slowhand

I have purchased some braid from P-Line that is 8 strand coated with Teflon. I can get the braid to tie to itself using a Palomar or a Trilene braid knot, but cannot get a knot to hold to a Flouro leader. Have used surgeons, double surgeons, unit, double unit and Alberto knots. Anyone have any success that they can pass along?
Thanks

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Yesterday I floated a creek and brought three rods. One had fresh braid in it and the other two had braid on it from this summer. As usual, I tied new fluorocarbon leaders to all the main line braids with FG knots. The fresh braid held the FG knot all day. The two rods with older braided FG knots slipped right away, even though they were 40 turn knots. I think as braid ages from UV exposure, the FG knot starts to slip. I retired these two with FG knots again and the same thing happened. So I just decided to tie the leaders on with a triple surgeons knot and they were split the rest of the day. So the bottom line (no pun intended) is that a triple surgeons not may be just fine for attaching braid to fluorocarbon. The knot was a little larger in diameter but still cast well.


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Bob, I don’t want to comment yet, not enough time using them yet. What casting I have done so far has been above average but haven’t caught but a few fish and the conditions were windy. That said, I best be quiet right now. When I do have a better idea I’ll post about it. From what I’m hearing though, I think I need to try some of the Ester too. Looked through the lures Chris offers and a few of them caught my eye, might be a bigger order than planned.

Originally Posted by skeetbum

Bob, I don’t want to comment yet, not enough time using them yet. What casting I have done so far has been above average but haven’t caught but a few fish and the conditions were windy. That said, I best be quiet right now. When I do have a better idea I’ll post about it. From what I’m hearing though, I think I need to try some of the Ester too. Looked through the lures Chris offers and a few of them caught my eye, might be a bigger order than planned.

Skeet, if I remember correctly you used to wet a line up here in beautiful TN. Well as you know we are the World Record holder for Ol Smalljaws. I tangled with this joker a couple weeks ago using 2.3lb Varivas Red Eye Ester line, from the bank. It was an epic fight, but obviously the line and my nerves held.
Give the Esters a try when you can, I think you will be impressed with the bite detection and cast ability!!


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Wow Stan, what a bruiser! Congrats on a great catch!
Bob

That’s a bruiser Stan. I lived in Manchester for ten years and never fished Dale Hollow. Drove past it many times and felt the urge every time. I’m the kind of person that likes to experience a place like that the first time with someone that knows what’s up to shorten the learning curve. That opportunity just never presented itself and I didn’t go. Tim’s Ford, Woods res, and Normandy lake kept me busy with a trip or two up to priest. I’ve tied some jigs that worked pretty well for the smallies in Tim’s but never connected with one on UL gear. Those that I caught on 4lb weren’t line breakers but fun just the same. Now that I’m getting closer to real UL gear my thought processes are changing some. Got a 13” LMB a little while back on 2lb Nanofil, what a ball. Always ends too soon. Looking forward to this years prespawn and spawn, I usually get some crappie that break the 2lb mark. Thanks everyone for your patience with me and my questions. As you might have already figured out, when I’m following a passion I’m wound kinda tight.

Originally Posted by skeetbum

That’s a bruiser Stan. I lived in Manchester for ten years and never fished Dale Hollow. Drove past it many times and felt the urge every time. I’m the kind of person that likes to experience a place like that the first time with someone that knows what’s up to shorten the learning curve. That opportunity just never presented itself and I didn’t go. Tim’s Ford, Woods res, and Normandy lake kept me busy with a trip or two up to priest. I’ve tied some jigs that worked pretty well for the smallies in Tim’s but never connected with one on UL gear. Those that I caught on 4lb weren’t line breakers but fun just the same. Now that I’m getting closer to real UL gear my thought processes are changing some. Got a 13� LMB a little while back on 2lb Nanofil, what a ball. Always ends too soon. Looking forward to this years prespawn and spawn, I usually get some crappie that break the 2lb mark. Thanks everyone for your patience with me and my questions. As you might have already figured out, when I’m following a passion I’m wound kinda tight.

I’ve been doing the UL deal a long time for not only panfish but big Smallies as well. Found out a few things along the way. Since I started fishing true 2# test line I learned that those 18 months I fished 2# test NanoFil and was catching a ton of 18-22 inch Smallies I look back now and wonder what the actual break strength of the NanoFil was. It certainly was well above 2 pounds. I have a few videos on my channel where I was landing big Smallies with 2.5# test nylon. This past spring after catching well over 150 bluegill on the 2.1# test ester I decided to go home...I had been on the water a long time. But I decided to fish the rip rap in the bay back to the ramp. Smallies were in there for the spawn. First cast with the ester line had an immediate hook up with a very large smallmouth. He broke me off. I put that rod down immediately and picked up the Finezza Prototype with the 2.5# test Varivas Super Trout Sight Edition nylon. I landed several large smallmouth before I decided I had a long drive and I had to go. Using the nylon on those fish I never felt that the situation was out of control. But doing that with the ester was very stressful. Today I used the Troutist 3# test and caught around 200 white bass. Many of them 12-13 inches. Had it on the Corto and while I had a ball it was like I had no feel at all compared to the ester. Fishing the ester for so long has spoiled me for sensitivity. I did make a few cast and hook ups with the 2.3# ester on some nice stripes and I did get them in but I put it down after only a couple of fish. The Troutist line is superb....as far as nylon lines go. Like an idiot I left my rod with the 3# test Sunline BMS fluorocarbon at home. I will keep the reel spooled up with the nylon but next time I will bring the FC line.....it most assuredly is far more sensitive than any nylon. While I already knew the advantages of a sinking line it really hit home today. Even though I was using a 3 gram hard bait the nylon really slowed the drop rate down.....plus I had the nylon spooled up on a high speed reel.....not a good combination for fishing 24 feet deep. So next trip down I will have all the proper equipment and I also have a new low ratio reel coming which will give a total of 3.....and will probably order one more like I have coming after I determine the reel is as good as my research has told me. The Troutist and ester both are easily visible to my eyes.

Regards


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Got into a few White Bass myself this afternoon in a quick trip after work. Nothing over 11 inches for me and the water depth fished was less than 4ft. The Ester line was sufficient, only one break off to a bank bully, old Line Sided Fish probably. I have nylon spooled on a Luvias 1003, Varivas Area Master in 3lb. Diameter is .117. It is a good line, just feels stretchy. I may give it another shot on the Corto rod. What reel are you scoping out now, did you buy an Exist?

Thanks for the report, Randy. For my shallow streams I think the 3 lb Troutist Wild nylon will do the trick for me, but all of this info is valuable.
Bob