Flourocarbon or Braided?

I have only ever used fluorocarbon line, but my fishing buddy will swear by braided line. He catches more fish than me sometimes, and sometimes I catch more than him. Since my buddy has more experience bass fishing, I just assumed that braided line was better and when my supply of fluorocarbon runs out I decided I would go buy some braided. I have seen a lot of debate about whether braided line gets less bites or not. Thoughts?

In cover I'd use braid, in open water I'd use flouro

I have braid on all my poles since I usually fish in wooded cover. I think to each his own. They all catch fish.

You will be surprised at how much you feel with braid. You definitely should try it and see what you think. I use it on a light finesse rod, I love Texas rigging soft plastics on it. I do think I get more bites when I attach a florocarbon leader. My favorite braid is power pro.

I use both, I don't see much difference sometimes, but there are times when it probably matters more. Dirtier water, windier days, cloudy days - braid has to be less visible than it is otherwise.

On those bright sunny days, in clearer water, and no cover - no way I wouldn't use floro -

I also use floro more off shore, deep structure applications. I tend to use braid more in shallower water around cover. Jigs, frogs, etc..

Seen it matter a few times, but 95% of the time I don't think it does. I use both, I don't have anything but braid or flouro. Honestly a lot of it has to do with the cover, grass is braid, wood is mostly flouro, on wood braid tends to blow more in the wind and "velcro" To the wood. Flouro isn't as effected by the wind When flipn.

I use power pro and samurai braid, abrasx sun line and x ps flouro.

Got buddies who HATE braid and are pretty good. Got a buddy who is braid 100% nothing else and he is dang good... more important is your confidence in the line and your knots imo

Mono. Big Game.

The reason I brought this up was because I was fishing a pond the other day and got my biggest hit of the year. I would estimate it at about 10 pounds of bass. I had 8 pound test line on and when I set the hook it didn't set well. I got her to the side of the boat, but she spit my hook before I could bring her in. My friend says if I had had braided line there would have been less stretch and I would have set the hook better.

Braid has it's place in my boat but I have really gained confidence in fluoro and it's about all I use unless it's topwater!

I use braid with a fluro leader pretty much exclusively, a no brainer for me.

I Really prefer #20 floro when fishing off shore. I do use #30 braid as my main line on my C rigs.

The other times I use braid is flipping cover and frog fishing. #50 Or #65

I use #15 floro with spinner baits, crank baits, square bills, traps , small T rigs, etc. #17 floro on chatter baits, traps in grass, square bills in heavy cover.

I think this is what I will do. I will at least try it and see if I like it.

I recommend using flurocarbon leader material and not just flurocarbon line

I agree

can you explain why? Are they not the same thing?

I use braid and fluro. Fluro leader as well. Works fine 4 me.

I'm not sure why it makes such a differnce, but from experience it does. Especially on smaller diameter lines.

I believe the leader line is stronger, not sure but it is what I use as well. If you have micro guides then the knot will like to hang on the guides, I have no use for micro guides.

stronger is a relative term... Most of the time the actual measured diameter of leader material versus floruo "mainline" is larger in the leader material. Because of this you inherently get more "streagth" some companies do you a slightly different formula for their leader material. Most of the time is a harder flouro. It doesn't need to wind around the spool because it is a leader so it can be stiffer.

We would probably complain about leader material having bad memory if we used it for main line.

Knots can be a PAIN with micro guides... but its all about leader leagth, keep it short and its a non issue. I typically cast with 18-24 inches hanging off the end on a big long cast, on shorter work is more of a pain.

Well. My rods that are designed for braid don't have micro eyes. So the knot doesn't bother me when casting. The rods that I have with micro guides aren't designed to resist abrasive braid, so I only use Flourocarbon on those. Common sense. Most rods are not designed for braid. It needs SiC guide inserts for braid. Most all micro guide rods, and most less expensive rods, use alconite inserts. Alconite will groove over time with braid. Also to consider is the reel line guide. It needs to be a material that is resistant to grooving as well.

Again, use the equipment within its design parameters and all is good. Also, using an Albright knot to Albright knot when tying lines together helps to make the knot a little "slicker" to the guides making casting long leaders a little easier.

For leader to braid connections, I've started using a Yucatan knot. It seems to be a much faster knot to tie with these old stiff fingers and failing eyes. It also makes a slim knot and I haven't had a failure yet.

Is there a link to a picture tutorial? I've never heard of the knot.

http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/yucatan-knot/

and MONO for topwater!!

Looking at the pictures, it seems the tag end would have to be left a little long to keep the knot from coming untied. And if kept long it seems like it would be like a "snell" on the line and would cause line to snag. What's your experience with how short the knot tag can be trimmed?

I've been trimming it as short as possible - right up to the knot. I haven't had any failures, but to be honest I haven't used it a full season yet. From what I've read, the people who test such things rate it at 110%.

I like the crazy alberto knot, it may be the same as the improved albright, it makes a cylinder shaped knot, really like it a lot, never had a failure when tied correctly.

I'm not a leader fan at all- just about never use them.
Use braid if you have to to get em in, otherwise don't- over time less strikes- maybe not always, but over time less strikes. Don't use in wind.
Use mono for short hard hook set stuff and top water.
Use fluoro for deeper water stuff, or a lot of line out, be careful with kinks and tie the right knots.
If you can't decide or don't really want to get too serious and don't want to spend a ton of money just get big game and use for everything.
Just my two cents, I'm just another guy fishing so disclaimer on all that!

Fluro will let you down if you don't keep any eye on it and take the time to retie it. If you catch a big fish or are fishing in heavy cover on fluro, retie it at the first sign of fraying. I usually run fluro between my fingers from the hook up several feet to make sure that I get rid of all the bad because my vision isn't what it use to be. Twice on 2/14/15 I had my line broken, the first time was from cover on a two to three pound fish. I retied it several times that day to insure it didn't break while reeling in the big one. The refraction rate of fluro is nearly the same as water making it almost invisible and under certain curcumstances makes it the best line of choice. If I had been fishing braid I may or may not have gotten those bites that were in shallow water that was pretty clear. I fish braid also on many of my set ups, some with 20 lb. fluro leaders and some tied directly to the lure, with success on all.

That's true Larry. One thing I have noticed is that all of these things work, like pretty much everything the guys above said is really good advice. I have had advice from pros saying opposite things on this subject. One pro I fished with always uses braid with a mono leader for top water- he caught an 8 on a spook that time so I guess that worked well. Another uses only mono for everything even though he touts other stuff, and another uses only fluoro and a palomar knot, while some other one uses fluro but never that knot for fluoro. It can be confusing! That's why I just keep it simple and rely on personal experience. That's all we can do without better science on this stuff. I hate losing fish, esp bigguns- that is why I use one knot, fresh line, bigger diameter line, and sharp single or substantial treble hooks at all times. It is one thing if they just come off, but if I lose them because of equipment error, well...insert string of cuss words here.

Use both. Had a pro tell me that braid will catch fish but will cost you bites. Most all I have talked to seem to believe braid is visible to the fish. I think they all have their place so I say use the best line for the job.

Interesting subject. I was a 100% flouro guy until I went bay fishing. The saltwater guys are mostly braid users. I was using my bass rigs and the guide was saying the flouro has too much stretch. After breaking off, I used one of his braid rigs and the difference in sensitivity and hook set was night and day. The Flouro really did feel like a rubber band after using braid. Now remember, bay fishing means casting extreme distances, so the stretch on a long long cast using flouro is magnified.

I went home thinking that on long casts (i.e., deep fishing) the braid was more important to avoid stretch. I'm talking about single hook baits now, not moving treble hook baits. I found that SpiderWire makes a sinking braid that is much better ("FlouroBraid") to avoid the dreaded bowed line. It uses 2 Goretex strands which are dense, along with 6 Strands of Dyneema (which float) to make a sinking line. I tied the leader using flouro. On a CRig, the swivel is the leader tie on point. On a jig or Trig, I learned the Yucatan knot that was already mentioned. it is very small, and very strong.....no breaks and no guide friction. You'll need to practice it. I sat at the kitchen table tying Yucatan knots for a week until I had the subtleties down.

Now, for shallow presentations, I still wanted to use braid. But the sinking "FlouroBraid" only comes in moss green and I cannot see that color line when retrieving. So I found the Suffix 832, it only has one Goretex strand, but it's better than pure Dyneema and still sinks, albeit slowly. The best part is it comes in flourescent green.....very easily seen. I tie on a 3 foot leader of Flouro (Yucatan knot) and the fish are none the wiser. Incredible sensitivity and hookset. Use 15# or higher for leader or you'll snap that leader when you hookset......sounds like a 22 rifle going off. I have caught many fish using this setup, and feel like a stud having such a high tech setup. You will feel them smell your worm or jig. Give it a shot and you'll like it, I promise.

I still use flouro on sinking moving baits and mono on topwater baits. Things have gotten more complicated, but it all makes sense once you think about it. Good Luck!

Braid on top in the muck, or as a main line with a leader.. I use 20 to 25 flouro for jig fishing or thick slop..15 pound flouro for plastics and some finesse plastics, cranks..15 pound Big Game Mono for top water or bigger if necessary..8 pound spiderwire mono for finesse as well..I dont like flouro below 12 but some people swear by it down to 6-4 for drop shot, other techniques. Big Game is my all around, and Pline floro-coated...Braid is for Frogs, punching...Cover that you need to cut, or that will cut line..Braid is about wating to feel the fish, and getting them on top, before they bury, leverage you.

You would have gotten a better hook set with 15-20 pound line. Use 8 pound test for crappie fishing.
If you were using 8 pound test and a light action rod, it would be very difficult to get a good hook set on a bass.
What bait were you throwing, and what rod power are you using?

I use it on a spincast reel, but the rod is a old im6 medium I bought at Academy..It is my finesse worm teaser..Like a small c-rig..And it is the finicky or post spawn, ring fry rig..As far as hook set goes, i use smaller well sharpened hooks..I dont hammer negative fish..I lean in and real into them, and yes saved my azz many times..

I always carry reels with both, but let the water clarity, cover and bait I am using dictate which one I throw.

I use braid sparingly but only because of water clarity..or technique..Last 5 years I use 20-25 pound floro..Anything that stout that has the DIA of 15-17 pound line, with the water hiding properties is greatness...Case in point, in 2010-2011 on Fork water conditions about what they are now in July August..With grass limited from the 515 bridge on down, my partner and I concentrated on that part of the lake..When the rest of the field was out in 15 to twenty, we found the fish on swim jigs in 2-5 on the main lake with fish up to 9.5 pounds on grass and docks..They would hit nothing else...One jig color, with 20 pound floro..heavy rods and abus, and jigs in August..We didnt win, but we had a shot..We didnt get manned by any slaunches but caught several close slot fish in August to 9.5..

Thats wise catfisher...My partner refused to throw a spincast and seldom does..More out of fear of being overpowered..I match the rod, reel,line to the need..You can get some of the results with 15 pound floro, but light baits and finesse tactics on tourney day always a need..Drop shot, shakey head, the pinch teaser, french fry all have a place when bait action, or non action is key...Trust me, I would always rather break necks, but sometimes a check, or five fish is a good compromise..Tight lines..

Flurocarbon leader is stiffer and generally a more durable material than just fluro line of the spool. The line is meant to be casted of the spool and is more supple, while the leader is stiffer and less abrasive because it is meant only to be at the end of the line.

I use either for specific applications more than anything. I don't concern myself with timber. I use what I feel helps me get bites by what bait I am presenting.

One other note. Braid is very sensitive and those days that your partner out fished you might have been a light bite day.

I think bait selection & presentation are the most important factor. Good grief, the A-Rig has been outlawed in major tournaments because of it's effectiveness. And it looks like a wad of coat hangers coming through the water.

True but that is a reaction bite.

I fish alot of 8lb Fluoro. The size of the hook makes a big difference. A 3/O EWG is on the big side. A 2/O or 1/O is a better choice. That was my first thought when the poster said he didn't get a good hookset.

8 lb fluoro!,?? Wow!
You are tougher than me that's for sure.
Yes you need a really skinny hook for that lol!
I don't know much about lines below 12 lb.- probably need to learn.

Braid with a fluoro leader, beat that!!!