jaximus wrote on Feb 17^th, 2011 at 3:58pm:


I use a lot of FC but usually don't mess with it in canoe country although I am definitely a believer. I like the seaguar brand FC. I have also used Gamma FC with good results. I am suspicious of what you have being in the clearance rack. One might ask why? Perhaps it is really, really old. See if you can return it would be my suggestion.

Some thoughts on FC. You must snug your knots slowly and they should be wet. I like to alternately tighten and relax and then tighten some more. FC has a tendency to get hot real fast when you tighten a knot. That will ruin your chances. Take your time snugging it down.

I have had some "issues" tying FC to very small diameter wire like tiny spro barrel swivels. I dislike the polamar under any circumstances although it is a darling of some very good fishermen including tournament pros. I have seen a study where the polamar does not do well under sudden loads. Steady pressure good......sudden load bad.

If you are set on using the tiny barrel swivels try this. Double your line and tie a 3 turn improved clinch knot. Make sure all the loops stay organized. With the line doubled it will be actually 6 turns. You must have enough tag end to be able to tighten the tag and the running line together at the same time. This is an excellent knot and is usually 100% although it is a little bulky. This knot was tested as one of the very strongest for mono. I was surprised to say the least.

Have you considered a solid ring instead of a barrel swivel? I use that connection quite a bit. Works very nicely and the slightly added thickness of the wire makes for a little better tie and it is still fairly discreet.

Mostly I use a tie fast knot tool with FC. Works very well. If you are still having trouble even with the tie fast (use the gryp knot) then vary the amount of loops. More loops for thin line less for thick.

If after all this you can't get one to stick throw it in the trash and get some seaguar from some place where you know it is fresh. Yes FC can be frustrating until you get it down but when it's right good things can happen for you.  

Anybody have experience with Suffix mono?

New member catching up on old discussions and thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.
For trolling cranks, my standard set up is a med. action baitcaster loaded with 10# fireline crystal and a 24"-30" length of 12# FC leader material using a uni to uni knot.....no barrel swivel.
Counting wraps on the baitcaster allows me to take the guesswork out of line length / lure depth and quickly puts me back in the zone.
For the spinning outfit when fishing topwater or casting cranks I've always been an 8# XL guy however, 2 years ago started using 8# Vicious (low vis) and don't think I'll go back. If I'm finesse fishing clear water for eyes I'll switch spools and go back to 4 or 6# XL. This year I may try out one of the new flouros from P-line.

MA, thanks for the heads up.

The last thing I want during my treasured time in the Q is downtime or lost fish. I think I'll stick with my tried and true XL or XT as it's rarely (if ever) let me down.

I can't help but wonder if P-line has reformulated around the water absorption issue / tensile issues with their new FC offerings since your bad experience a few years ago. With all the improvements in the past several years to reduce memory, improve castability, etc., something tells me you weren't the only person to have knot strength issues related to waterlogged line, and maybe they've addressed that as well.

Regardless, I think I'll leave my evaluations to the trout streams until I know for sure.

first off, welcome aboard! its always nice to expand with new people! 

i am an XT guy through and through and this year i changed it up a bit. i moved up to 6lb from my usual 4lb and changed from clear/low vis green over to red. this is mainly because at the end of may i will be graduating college and moving to my new home with my lovely new wife (in august) along the wisconsin river. the red line really blends into the water well because the red spectrum disappears first because of the lack of light penetration in the stained waters of a river. first outing there with the new line i pulled in a 44 1/2" muskie on my ultralite rod. was quite the adventure!

one of the lakes my group frequents up in the Q, jesse, is quite stained as well. our favorite lake, oriana, is a bit more clear but i feel the red line wont really hurt me there either, seeing as most fish we pull out of that lake are in the 8-12' deep range.

i know a lot of guys that change their line all the time and use different stuff for different lakes, applications, etc. i usually go 2-3 years on one spool of mono and i just replaced the fireline on my baitcaster after 9 years and i still catch lots of fish. i never really have an issue with breakoffs, even at the 4lb test level. if you use the same line, you have a better knowledge of how it reacts in certain conditions whereas if you are always changing lines, you have to be constantly changing how you fish it.

my personal opinion has always been and always will be that if you have to change line for every application, then you arent fishing right. if you break your line off in big fish, you arent doing your best job. im a huge backreel kinda guy and i really dislike the drag, so its a style thing maybe. all the new lines that are coming out that are better for this style or that style, remember that people used to catch huge numbers and big fish back in the day with super thick mono/braids. if you are using the right lure and presenting it properly, im a huge believer in the fish will bite no matter what line you have.

so the bottom line is, use what you are most comfortable with because then instead of worrying about your line, you can worry about which lure and how to present it. but up in the Q, in the famous words of our own solotripper, "For the casual/meal fisherman, just keeping a line in the water as much as possible will do the trick 99% of the time. " you cant catch fish if you are always changing spools of line or tying new stuff on because you listened to someone else and used line that you arent comfortable with.