Fireline... Braids... Etc... Old Subject I know... but I Need to get updated...

[robsabloke]

I currently fish with 2 - 4lb  Hi Vis Gold Stren (old eyes) ... tied to a 6 ft length of 2lb Maxima or 2lb Vanish Fluorocarbon leader. I  fish with very small jigs 1/100th - 1/64th of an ounce... these jigs are normally tipped with a cricket, mealworm, wax worm or some other juicy enticement.

I tried Fireline years ago when it first came out. HATED IT.... coiled up on the surface of the water... didn't cast well ... cutting it was a nightmare... and knot tying was also very difficult. It just wasn't worth the hassle.

I have read comments on this site by fisherman I respect... that the new Fireline and/or new braids out there are a HUGE improvement over the stuff I tried all those years ago.

I fish ultra-lite... I want sensitivity and 'FEEL' , and something almost invisible, but I also need strength... I fish in somewhat weedy areas at times and some of the Bluegills/Readears located there can be big... 2 lbs plus.

Which knots should I use to tie the fluorocarbon leader to the Fireline/Braid. I normally use a surgeons knot...  is that still OK ?

Can I still use the Palomar knot to tie the Fireline/Braid to the Jig/hook ?

Can  I cast Fireline/Braid with a Shimano Sustain.  I seem to recall you had to use a special reel just for the purpose.

Which of the Firelines/Braids will give me what I want ? Color (Please remember my old eyes) ... Sensitivity... Knot strength... line strength ? Without the hassles involved with the old STUFF.

I know this is an old subject and has been discussed here many times and at great length... but lines are changing all the time and a re-thinking might not be bad for any of us... Especially me.

I am always looking for an edge over the best fighting fish in the world...  pound-for-pound... maybe these new  lines can give me that. 

Appreciate any help with this.

Rob

 

[Jeremy R. Mayo]

I use power pro specifically for spinning reels. It does a fantustic job. I even put it on my bait casters for a test and when I hit a my motor by accident and flipped a HUGE Bird nest I had it picked with in 2 min being very gentle. It works great for me. Ive threw beetle spins and some rooster tails for crappie and they dont seem to mind it one bit. The feeling is like no other I have ever used either. It may sound insane but Im using 20lb strength wich is equal to a 6lb diameter. I fish Heavy heavy structure! I have broken the hooks off jigs before I broke the line. I kept wondering why I was missing so many fish till the plastic came off the jig and I seen there wasnt a hook on there! Go figure. The other cool thing is I love to catch speckled trout and this gives me the availability to use my light tackle equipment to catch specks and not have to buy other reels and all the other line. With it being a 6lb test diameter its perfect for both but at the same time I have 20lb strength wich allows me to get in those monster specks to. Its bout $12 bucks a spool for..... I think its 120 yards wich is high dollar to me cause im use to using the 3 dollar roll on the bottom shelf with like 1000 yards on it but it lets me use that lite diameter with all the power of heavy line. Ive caught 3" crappie all the way to 25" speckled trout on the same rod and reel with the same line. You do the math. If the fish are biten there biten and if there not looks like BEEF~ Its whats for dinner!

[Richard Joseph Bowles]

Hi,
Don't know if this will help much but I'll tell you what I use for finicky shellcrackers here in Alabama.
My Ultralite pole has 10lb. powerpro moss green line.(it has the same diameter as 2lb. test.
I had the same problems with fireline and gave up on it 3 years ago. You won't have those problems with Powerpro.
I use a Uni-knot to tie the powerpro to a leader. The uni-knot is easy to tie after you practice it a couple times and offers 100% knot strengh.
Also the power pro will work with any reel, even a spin cast! but is the very best on a spinning reel.
For a leader I use 3 foot of Seaguar Flourocarbon. It's kind of expensive but extremely clear under water. I use 4lb. test. It is thin but you can see in when tying in daylight.

Hope this helps,
Richard

[Dan Gwaltney]

I'm sorta in Jeremy's camp in that I don't worry so much about the line size. I go more according to the tackle I'm using rather than the fish, and my catch doesn't seem to suffer from it. I like ultra-lite too, and use it where it is appropriate with light, cheapo line, but I also use heavier rigs with up to 15 lb and get pretty much the same results. As far as terminal tackle is concerned, it seems to me that 90% of the time where and when are more important than what.

Now, if you're fishing crystal clear water, your line choice may take on quite a bit more importance. My usual haunts tend to be a little on the murky side. ;-)