Great topic PJ!  First off, I pack in 2 spinning reels and 4 spools.  2 with fire line and 2 mono.  I probably go 70/30 fire line.

Berkley Vanish is junk.  Really horrible stuff.  I would buy it every year forgetting how terrible it was, getting sucked into the invisibility feature, which is desirable in crystal clear Canadian waters!

Berkley makes a higher-end fluorocarbon that is much better under the Trilene name.  It is now what I prefer when jigging/casting in 20 feet or less.  I put it on my 6 foot medium St. Croix.  The problem is the chomp-snap! but there is no getting around that without leaders which kind of defeats the whole "invisibility" feature of fluorocarbon.  12lb super line is really tough but it gets sawed off all the time too. IMO the best feature of mono is the quiet.  It makes zero noise whereas super line is LOUD!


Keep in mind, sometimes stretch helps the fisherman land nice fish and it is easier to unsnag from rocks using the spool-flick method.