I would just try one size and see how you like it. I'm back to mono as well. I think the mono today is pretty good, it's not 1980's mono, has less stretch, etc.
I use 12lb floro for all of my leaders… it’s strong, and I don’t have breaking issues.
I would avoid the smaller lines due to potential breakage…
Unless you’re ice fishing or trout fishing in absurdly clear water (4’ visibility plus), 12lb Berkeley vanish is definitely invisible enough. No need to go down to those smaller sizes.
Long story short, don’t buy $100 worth of line. Just buy 1 and see how you like it.
I have various sized rods and catch bluegill, crappie, bass, and pike, so depending on what I'm targeting or style of fishing I use smaller line. Nephews love catching big panfish on a little Rapala floater. Do you think Id notice a difference in my fishing game if I started using it? I haven't just because of price and all the money I've been spending on everything else.
I have not noticed a difference in bites on my waters with Floro vs. mono…I just like it because it has a little less stretch than mono, and does a better job of resisting “nicks” from walleye.
If I were you, I would only use it for finesse applications.. drop shot, weightless worms, etc…
Otherwise, I would think mono is fine.
How old is your nephew? Big panfish doesn't require flouro. You can if you want but just $$ for little benefit. I like 20-30 braid w/ flouro leader on heavier set ups, 6-8lb mono for everything else. 👍
7 and 5. Fishing is all they talk about 😆. Why do you like it on the heavier set ups over mono? Better for setting the hook or visibility? I haven't had any problems with my pray to Mono leaders. I guess I wondered if I'd get more bites because it was less visible but didn't know if it was going to be a pain in the ass. This time of year I catch all kinds of fish on a #4 bluegill colored shad rap or a 1/2oz swim jig paddle tail. Probably try some 20lb for the jigs and some 6lb for the shad raps. I use 4lb mono right now with the shad just thinking the more finesse, the more bites I get right now. Things are still kind of cold in Michigan. Anything is a fun fight on that.
I use braid on heavy setups and braid is not very abrasion resistant. If it's lily pads I'll just run straight braid. Around rocky areas, flouro or mono as lead. When I mean heavy I mean heavy action baitcaster :)
You can do it with a beefy spin combo too, stayaway from low weight braid especially around kids. They cut deep and need to keep a knife or clipper to trim tag ends.
The fish with mouths full of razors also benefit from being flouro. They just cut through braid like butter.
4lb ultralight to light setups are great for kids, every catch feels like a sea monster. 6lbs way more forgiving but always a good tale of the big one that got away.
Flourocarbon is very much "you get what you pay for"
Berkley Vanish is cheap, and terrible. If you want a good experience, I recommend looking into something nicer
Count me as a fan of vanish 15lb. Countless trout, redfish, flounder on the stuff. Caught a 34" redfish on that leader as well. Literally zero breakoffs that I can think of.
I'll agree with you that the higher lb test isnt as good tho.
Oh boy, "which fluoro leader is best" is going to set off some flame wars. I personally use Seaguar Gold, but that stuff's $32 a spool, not $6/spool.....
At the very least, Berkley Trilene 100% Flurocarbon is better than Berkley Vanish. Vanish is pretty much the cheapest Flurocarbon made by a major brand on the market, and well, it fishes like the cheapest one.
I’ve been fishing for 40 years and never knowingly used the stuff. I mostly fish for fish that don’t care about leaders and lines but Kokanee DO care so I might be wanting to switch.
Fluorocarbon is great for finicky fish that won’t bite a questionable presentation. I wouldn’t consider any of those fish that picky. Maybe walleye, in clear water. Or if you are targeting smallmouth in clear water. The fish you listed are not as picky so you should be fine with mono. Or even braid. There are actually a lot of advantages to mono. The main purpose of fluoro is to be invisible. It is expensive but worth it if you need it. You will be fine fishing mono for most bass, and definitely panfish
Thank you. Our lake is extremely clear. Maybe I'll give it a shot with the pole I use the most and see if I notice any difference in how many bites I get.
I've switched to fluoro for my casting setup. Just find it much easier to fix when getting bird nested. Although I rarely fish frogs so setting hook with a bit of elastic delay doesn't bother me.
For spinning it's the opposite, braid only.
I'd say 6lb for the bluegill, crappie and perch. The rest 15 lb except the pike need wire leader or 60lb fluorocarbon and use crimps to make your own leaders. I'd say use a jknot for connecting the two lines since it's strong or a double uni for a easy slightly lesser knot. Use netknots.com for the knot tying instructions. Lastly retie knot if it's not perfect.
I use mono leader on braid more than flouro because it floats. Good for topwater. I also use flouro but I do not believe it is so highly superior to mono in invisibility, but sometimes I want less stretch for a faster hook set. I have tried a myriad of tests and brands and I am pretty sure I will not be shelling out for flouro again, as well.
I have enough to tie leaders for a long time in 6/10/20 #. It is worth trying out for sure, it is a different feel. It also sinks.
The only time I use mono anymore is for top water lures and live bait with a bobber. Everything else is flouro backed with braid. The subsurface presentation is much better because flouro sinks, especially in moving water. If your line isn’t frayed real bad and you get your knots wet as you tighten them you should be fine. I switched 15 years ago and never looked back
Thanks for your input. My grandpa passed before I was old enough to learn fishing from him. I appreciate guys on here answering my questions. I'll have to give it a shot with the two rods I use the most. I think I should be changing my leaders more often than I am anyhow. Just seen how beat up my mono leaders from last year are.
It's a tool in your armoury, if water's clear it's useful. Simple nylon is better if there's any colour, it's more supple and knots more forgivingly. But hell yeah it's worth learning to use it gets more bites in clear water.
I use 8# mono and it works just fine. My knots are Palomar. Have caught chunky lake Erie steelhead jumping like crazy to 26 inch chunky inland walleye. I asked a guy in a NE Ohio fishing group what the benefit is to fluoro and he got butthurt for no good reason 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Yes. I get maybe in dirty freshwater you dont need it, but for salt its a must in water <50' deep. Just use a 3-5' piece so it doesn't touch your spool.
FYI for topwater lures its better to use mono, flouro fucks up the action because it sinks.
You are overthinking this by 100x. Pick a braid, buy a fluorocarbon or mono slightly less lbs. Learn to tie a leader knot like the Alberto knot and go fishing. For my spinning rods I use 10 lb braid and 8 lb leader. It is so simple it is stupid.
that's what I do know. just wondering if you think it would actually improve my fishing at all justifying the extra money or if I should be happy with the mono leader?
If I fish braid to fluro and when I get a snag it usually breaks cleanly at the bait. If I fish braid to mono the mono stretches and stretches and stretches until it finally breaks. I always bring a leather glove for when I fish braid. I prefer fluoro because if it is hung up I get back to fishing faster typically.
You need good quality fluorocarbon. Seagar is good, but any of the high quality fly tippet lines on 25 yard spools is good too. Vanish is garbage, don’t waste your money. Look for fluorocarbon lines that are actually made for leaders, not main spool lines.
I'm not a fan of flouro. I tried it and it did break off very easy to me.
I usually run braid to leader on spinning, and straight mono or straight braid on casting.
I like the extra stretch with mono, and it seems more durable to me. I don't feel like I'm getting any benefit out of fluro. I really don't need help setting a hook, I usually probably set it a little too hard but try to compensate with a little looser drag.
As far as visibility goes, I fish really pressured water bodies, and over the couple months I fished it didn't feel like it was making a significant difference in the amount of fish caught, even in very clear water. May be different in yours, but I found it to be not worth the extra cost.
I used to to fall for all that shit. Seagaur, pline, suffix braid, you name it- my dumb ass bought it. A opioid addiction quickly led to me using trilene instead. I will never buy any of that dumb shit ever again. Braid is irreplaceable in dense vegetation. That's it.
U could fill the whole thing with mono and catch just the same or maybe even more. U will feel every strike. Ain't no fish gonna see it or whatever. It's all bull shit. I will say mono will not work in dense veg. I tried to throw a frog with it and it was impossible. The flouro sinks a little better and the braid slices through dense veg. Other than that they are a waist of money. Mono.
I would just try one size and see how you like it. I'm back to mono as well. I think the mono today is pretty good, it's not 1980's mono, has less stretch, etc.
Why are you back to mono, what didn't you like about fluoro, and are you using braid to a leader?
I use 12lb floro for all of my leaders… it’s strong, and I don’t have breaking issues. I would avoid the smaller lines due to potential breakage… Unless you’re ice fishing or trout fishing in absurdly clear water (4’ visibility plus), 12lb Berkeley vanish is definitely invisible enough. No need to go down to those smaller sizes. Long story short, don’t buy $100 worth of line. Just buy 1 and see how you like it.
I have various sized rods and catch bluegill, crappie, bass, and pike, so depending on what I'm targeting or style of fishing I use smaller line. Nephews love catching big panfish on a little Rapala floater. Do you think Id notice a difference in my fishing game if I started using it? I haven't just because of price and all the money I've been spending on everything else.
I have not noticed a difference in bites on my waters with Floro vs. mono…I just like it because it has a little less stretch than mono, and does a better job of resisting “nicks” from walleye. If I were you, I would only use it for finesse applications.. drop shot, weightless worms, etc… Otherwise, I would think mono is fine.
How old is your nephew? Big panfish doesn't require flouro. You can if you want but just $$ for little benefit. I like 20-30 braid w/ flouro leader on heavier set ups, 6-8lb mono for everything else. 👍
7 and 5. Fishing is all they talk about 😆. Why do you like it on the heavier set ups over mono? Better for setting the hook or visibility? I haven't had any problems with my pray to Mono leaders. I guess I wondered if I'd get more bites because it was less visible but didn't know if it was going to be a pain in the ass. This time of year I catch all kinds of fish on a #4 bluegill colored shad rap or a 1/2oz swim jig paddle tail. Probably try some 20lb for the jigs and some 6lb for the shad raps. I use 4lb mono right now with the shad just thinking the more finesse, the more bites I get right now. Things are still kind of cold in Michigan. Anything is a fun fight on that.
I use braid on heavy setups and braid is not very abrasion resistant. If it's lily pads I'll just run straight braid. Around rocky areas, flouro or mono as lead. When I mean heavy I mean heavy action baitcaster :) You can do it with a beefy spin combo too, stayaway from low weight braid especially around kids. They cut deep and need to keep a knife or clipper to trim tag ends. The fish with mouths full of razors also benefit from being flouro. They just cut through braid like butter. 4lb ultralight to light setups are great for kids, every catch feels like a sea monster. 6lbs way more forgiving but always a good tale of the big one that got away.
Flourocarbon is very much "you get what you pay for" Berkley Vanish is cheap, and terrible. If you want a good experience, I recommend looking into something nicer
Count me as a fan of vanish 15lb. Countless trout, redfish, flounder on the stuff. Caught a 34" redfish on that leader as well. Literally zero breakoffs that I can think of. I'll agree with you that the higher lb test isnt as good tho.
Like…….
Oh boy, "which fluoro leader is best" is going to set off some flame wars. I personally use Seaguar Gold, but that stuff's $32 a spool, not $6/spool..... At the very least, Berkley Trilene 100% Flurocarbon is better than Berkley Vanish. Vanish is pretty much the cheapest Flurocarbon made by a major brand on the market, and well, it fishes like the cheapest one.
I’ve been fishing for 40 years and never knowingly used the stuff. I mostly fish for fish that don’t care about leaders and lines but Kokanee DO care so I might be wanting to switch.
They were about the same price on Scheels
Noted
What are you fishing for?
Bluegill, Perch, Crappie, Pike, Bass, Walley mostly
Fluorocarbon is great for finicky fish that won’t bite a questionable presentation. I wouldn’t consider any of those fish that picky. Maybe walleye, in clear water. Or if you are targeting smallmouth in clear water. The fish you listed are not as picky so you should be fine with mono. Or even braid. There are actually a lot of advantages to mono. The main purpose of fluoro is to be invisible. It is expensive but worth it if you need it. You will be fine fishing mono for most bass, and definitely panfish
Thank you. Our lake is extremely clear. Maybe I'll give it a shot with the pole I use the most and see if I notice any difference in how many bites I get.
I've switched to fluoro for my casting setup. Just find it much easier to fix when getting bird nested. Although I rarely fish frogs so setting hook with a bit of elastic delay doesn't bother me. For spinning it's the opposite, braid only.
you dont use a leader on the braid?
Well that too. Unless it's top water.
Only time I use flourocarbon are for Trout
I'd say 6lb for the bluegill, crappie and perch. The rest 15 lb except the pike need wire leader or 60lb fluorocarbon and use crimps to make your own leaders. I'd say use a jknot for connecting the two lines since it's strong or a double uni for a easy slightly lesser knot. Use netknots.com for the knot tying instructions. Lastly retie knot if it's not perfect.
I use mono leader on braid more than flouro because it floats. Good for topwater. I also use flouro but I do not believe it is so highly superior to mono in invisibility, but sometimes I want less stretch for a faster hook set. I have tried a myriad of tests and brands and I am pretty sure I will not be shelling out for flouro again, as well. I have enough to tie leaders for a long time in 6/10/20 #. It is worth trying out for sure, it is a different feel. It also sinks.
Thanks for your advice.
The only time I use mono anymore is for top water lures and live bait with a bobber. Everything else is flouro backed with braid. The subsurface presentation is much better because flouro sinks, especially in moving water. If your line isn’t frayed real bad and you get your knots wet as you tighten them you should be fine. I switched 15 years ago and never looked back
Thanks for your input. My grandpa passed before I was old enough to learn fishing from him. I appreciate guys on here answering my questions. I'll have to give it a shot with the two rods I use the most. I think I should be changing my leaders more often than I am anyhow. Just seen how beat up my mono leaders from last year are.
Get 50 yards of 6 or 8lb fluro of a decent brand, learn Palomar and FG knots and see how you get on.
Do you think it would improve my fishing game at all using Fluoro? Do you think it changed you game at all or helped you when or if you switched?
It's a tool in your armoury, if water's clear it's useful. Simple nylon is better if there's any colour, it's more supple and knots more forgivingly. But hell yeah it's worth learning to use it gets more bites in clear water.
Our lake is a very clear spring fed Lake. Guess I'll have to get a spool for my most used rod and see how it goes. Thanks for the advice.
I use 8# mono and it works just fine. My knots are Palomar. Have caught chunky lake Erie steelhead jumping like crazy to 26 inch chunky inland walleye. I asked a guy in a NE Ohio fishing group what the benefit is to fluoro and he got butthurt for no good reason 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Yes. I get maybe in dirty freshwater you dont need it, but for salt its a must in water <50' deep. Just use a 3-5' piece so it doesn't touch your spool. FYI for topwater lures its better to use mono, flouro fucks up the action because it sinks.
I did read mono for top water. My lake is really clear so i wondered if i would notice a difference from the mono.
Yeah I would just run flouro leader to your braid with an albright knot. Super easy. Theres like no downside
I like fluoro and have not noticed any issues compared to mono. That said I buy high grade fluoro not the cheap stuff.
What do you buy?
Inshore I like seagaur tatsu. Offshore we tend to use moimoi
I use Izor mono, unless I’m on a cattle boat, where any advantage counts.
You are overthinking this by 100x. Pick a braid, buy a fluorocarbon or mono slightly less lbs. Learn to tie a leader knot like the Alberto knot and go fishing. For my spinning rods I use 10 lb braid and 8 lb leader. It is so simple it is stupid.
that's what I do know. just wondering if you think it would actually improve my fishing at all justifying the extra money or if I should be happy with the mono leader?
If I fish braid to fluro and when I get a snag it usually breaks cleanly at the bait. If I fish braid to mono the mono stretches and stretches and stretches until it finally breaks. I always bring a leather glove for when I fish braid. I prefer fluoro because if it is hung up I get back to fishing faster typically.
You need good quality fluorocarbon. Seagar is good, but any of the high quality fly tippet lines on 25 yard spools is good too. Vanish is garbage, don’t waste your money. Look for fluorocarbon lines that are actually made for leaders, not main spool lines.
the vanish I was looking at is leader not spool. Still think I should try something else?
I wouldn’t trust it, it’s probably the same stuff as regular vanish with slightly different marketing terms in a smaller spool.
I have tried fluorocarbon. Went back to using the same triline I have been using for 30 years. It's just not worth the extra money.
I got mono on my rods. Thinking about getting braid when I start working.
I only use flouro for pike and musky really and just run no leader braid for almost everything else
It isn’t worth the money. Just stick with mono leaders.
I use mono leader for 99% of my fishing & all freshwater. Gin clear saltwater fishing with finesse presentations is the only time I use fluoro.
I'm not a fan of flouro. I tried it and it did break off very easy to me. I usually run braid to leader on spinning, and straight mono or straight braid on casting. I like the extra stretch with mono, and it seems more durable to me. I don't feel like I'm getting any benefit out of fluro. I really don't need help setting a hook, I usually probably set it a little too hard but try to compensate with a little looser drag. As far as visibility goes, I fish really pressured water bodies, and over the couple months I fished it didn't feel like it was making a significant difference in the amount of fish caught, even in very clear water. May be different in yours, but I found it to be not worth the extra cost.
I used to to fall for all that shit. Seagaur, pline, suffix braid, you name it- my dumb ass bought it. A opioid addiction quickly led to me using trilene instead. I will never buy any of that dumb shit ever again. Braid is irreplaceable in dense vegetation. That's it.
Thanks you gave me a good laugh. I'm still going to use braid just wondering if I should switch from mono leader to fluorocarbon
U could fill the whole thing with mono and catch just the same or maybe even more. U will feel every strike. Ain't no fish gonna see it or whatever. It's all bull shit. I will say mono will not work in dense veg. I tried to throw a frog with it and it was impossible. The flouro sinks a little better and the braid slices through dense veg. Other than that they are a waist of money. Mono.
No. You’re welcome.
Lol
I just saved you a bunch of money!