Line question

[SuperDave336]

Looking to try nanofil on one of my rods and I guess I will try fluorocarbon leader as well. What is the difference between leader material and regular flourocarbon? Educate me please!

[deathb4disco]

Looking to try nanofil on one of my rods and I guess I will try fluorocarbon leader as well. What is the difference between leader material and regular flourocarbon?

Do you mean mono?

[SuperDave336]

No floro leader material vs floro. Why does some say leader material and other doesn’t? Is there a difference?

[Alphahawk]

No floro leader material vs floro. Why does some say leader material and other doesn’t? Is there a difference?

Yes there is a difference. What we don’t get to see here in the USA is the refractive index for the line we buy. Fluorocarbon line is not as “invisible” to fish as FC leader. I use the term invisible loosely as none of it is completely invisible. Now let me preface that by saying we have to compare apples to apples so to speak. Seaguar FC line to high end Seaguar FC leader. Plus pure FC is not going to behave very well on say on a spinning reel. I use a lot of FC leader. I trout fish quite a bit too. When the trout are super finicky when I’m drifting or twitching a Trout Magnet I’m subject to put on a much better brand of FC leader. Seaguar Grand Max is one of the best....it shows it in the cost also. So why don’t I use Grand Max Leader all the time?......well, the cost. I use a FC leader for all my fishing.....most of the time I’m using it for a shock leader and am not worried about the refractive index. So in a day I may use 30 feet or more of leader. My shock leaders are 5-6 feet and depends on how much I break off. But my shock leaders really should be about 14 feet long. Using Grand Max for that I would go through a lot of money in a week. So if I’m not trout fishing I use an FC leader that is about 1/4th the cost of Grand Max. I worked the Trout Magnet booth this weekend at the Nashville fishing show and my reward was an insane amount of Phantom FC leader to use as shock leader when I’m using braid....and or the polyester line. Far too many keep thinking the only reason to use FC line or leader is to hopefully keep from spooking line shy fish....but FC is used by many for shock leader.....a leader for abrasion resistance.....or use FC line because it sinks and you can keep a micro jig much deeper than if one used nylon monofilament.

Regards


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[Alphahawk]

Should have mentioned FC leader has a much harder coating than FC line.....thus that is why a spinning reel full of FC leader would be a bear to manage.

Regards


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[deathb4disco]

Should have mentioned FC leader has a much harder coating than FC line.....thus that is why a spinning reel full of FC leader would be a bear to manage.

Is it a thicker coating? Is 4# leader the same diameter as 4# non-leader?

[SuperDave336]

I googled it and got this.

Is there a difference in Fluorocarbon line and Fluorocarbon Leader. ... Even though they are both the same breaking strength and the diameter is the same, the process of how the fluorocarbon and its exterior is treated is very different. The leader is treated with a much more abrasion-resistant chemical process.

[SuperDave336]

But couldn’t one just use mono line as a leader or is that a big no no?

[Alphahawk]

But couldn’t one just use mono line as a leader or is that a big no no?

Sure you could.

Regards


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[deathb4disco]

But couldn’t one just use mono line as a leader or is that a big no no?

A lot of saltwater guys use fluoro because of its abrasion-resistance. They use it because they're fishing near bridge pilings and oyster beds.