Fluorocarbon Leader Material??

[Poenskop]

What do you guy's use. I've always used the Double X Flourocarbon but can't seem to find any in the shops. I will only use it for hook snoods.

[MIKE PIKE]

I normally use the kingfisher leader line for eds and from 1mm on the Shogun leader , sometimes use Maxima ultragreen as well as they have different sizes like .77 and so on .Flourocarbon i only use on spinning set up and the double xx as well knots well and very supple , if u can find it.

[Poenskop]

Thanks Mike.

I am actually looking for a replacement for the Double X to use as hook snoots. I can only find the Double X Superior. It is too stiff and is a bastard to tie a proper knot in it. I was thinking of using the Ultra Green but I am woried it will affect my catch rate negatively when fishing clear water like Moz.

[REEFMAN]

Double X Fluoro for Hook snoods is the best Louis, don't compromise! MIAS should have it in stock?
Other good Fluoro's are Varivas (very expensive) and Ande.

[Poenskop]

Mias don't have Tony.(unless I am blind ) They only have the Double X Superior. That stuff is not that nice to do knots with.

What do you guy's think about Sufix Zippy? I know it isn't Flouro but it is totally clear. I am worried about the abrasion resistant abilities of the Zippy.

[REEFMAN]

If you can't get Double X or another Fluoro, then Suffix Zippy is the way to go. I use it on my 9m ordinary leaders... lovely soft supple, easy to knot!

The Double X Superior Fluoro is the REAL DEAL FLUORO, very stiff and about R3 per metre  - I use it only for Hook snoods when I'm popping off a boat.

[Poenskop]

Thanks for the info guys. I will see if I can't find some of the orginal Double X Flouro somewhere.

[SAfish]

Here is my 2c worth.
I also used the Suffix Zippy in the past and it worked for me. When it was time to buy some more I could not get any. I opted for the Maxima Ultra green because the colour blends in well with the water in the lagoon. It is also has got a better resistance to abrasion than the Zippy. I only need to change my leader after 4-5 sessions and I make 150 - 200 casts per spinning session. The Zippy is easier to tie than the Maxima. If I have to choose between the two for the clear water in Moz I would go for the Suffix Zippy.

[Poenskop]

Thanks for info SAFISH.

[Tommo]

my 2c worth as well: I am mainly lure fishing, but I have really grown to enjoy the Sufix Zippy. It is pretty tough, very clear and just the right amount of suppleness for knots to seat well and to make it user friendly for long casting leaders. These days it is what I use for most of my leader needs. The Double X fluorocarbon is best for when you really need that extra toughness at the business end, also an excellent product in my opinion.

So my wind ons and twisty leaders are made from Zippy and my short "bite" section is Double X fluor when needed.

[steve m]

Guys which double x flouro are you guys talking about? the only one ive seen in cape town(that i can recall) is the flurocarbon coated line?

I normally use maxima in clear water and it is very close to invisible! it is my favourite line for hook snoots and leaders the only reason i dont use it all the time for my leaders is the price but use it more often than not on my hook line...

[REEFMAN]

Steve
Double X make a Fluorocarbon coated leader material, which is soft supple and easy to knot. See pic 1. I use this as my standard Hook snood leader. Branded as SUPER SHOCK LEADER - FLUOROCARBON

They also make a Pure Fluorocarbon, which is stiff, difficult to work with, but has incredible abrasion resistance. Also triple the price. It's branded as SUPERIOR FLUOROCARBON LEADER. The Jigging and Popping guys use this when targetting big fish... and also for Big Game fishing

[Poenskop]

my 2c worth as well: I am mainly lure fishing, but I have really grown to enjoy the Sufix Zippy. It is pretty tough, very clear and just the right amount of suppleness for knots to seat well and to make it user friendly for long casting leaders. These days it is what I use for most of my leader needs. The Double X fluorocarbon is best for when you really need that extra toughness at the business end, also an excellent product in my opinion.

So my wind ons and twisty leaders are made from Zippy and my short "bite" section is Double X fluor when needed.

Thanks for the info. I will feel better using the zippy if I cant get my hands on the Double X.

[steve m]

Steve
Double X make a Fluorocarbon coated leader material, which is soft supple and easy to knot. See pic 1. I use this as my standard Hook snoot leader. Branded as SUPER SHOCK LEADER - FLUOROCARBON

They also make a Pure Fluorocarbon, which is stiff, difficult to work with, but has incredible abrasion resistance. Also triple the price. It's branded as SUPERIOR FLUOROCARBON LEADER. The Jigging and Popping guys use this when targetting big fish... and also for Big Game fishing

thanks i have actually seen both here 

do you think that it is worth useing fluorcarbon coated line as hook snoot over normal mono? and if so is it less visible or is there another reason?

[REEFMAN]

The pro Big Game fishermen in the States swear by Fluorocarbon - there are many articles on the net stating that they improve your chances of catching...

Whether Fluoro coated has the same benefits as pure Fluoro...? Sheesh, I couldn't say for sure, but I'll use it if it until it's proven otherwise!

Here's an article I wrote on it some years ago....

The Fluorocarbon Advantage
 

Experienced fishermen understand the advantages of fluorocarbon leaders and willingly shell out the extra money for it. However, others remain unconvinced over the exact benefits of this low-visibility material.

Numerous Benefits

Invisible?

As a leader material, pure fluorocarbon offers several advantages over nylon monofilament. Manufactured from extruded polyvinylidene fluoride, fluorocarbon’s number-one selling point is that its refractive index — the degree to which light bends, or refracts, as it passes through a substance — is very similar to that of water. That makes it more difficult for fish to see. For example, some fluorocarbon formulae have a refractive index as low as 1.42, with water registering around 1.3. By comparison, the refractive index of nylon monofilament is around 1.52.

Diameter
Also, depending upon the brand, fluorocarbon has a diameter that’s generally smaller than that of nylon mono of the same breaking strength, which makes it less noticeable.

Abrasion Resistance
In addition to low visibility, fluorocarbon has a hard, smooth finish that is extremely abrasion resistant. And fluorocarbon’s tough finish stands up better to the abuse of structure and the raspy jaws and scales of certain game fish.

Heavier & waterproof
Fluorocarbon also contains more material, ie – is denser than monofilament and is non-porous. Since it’s denser than water, it sinks. And since it doesn’t absorb water, it maintains its rated breaking strength wet or dry. Interestingly, by comparison, a nylon monofilament absorbs water and can lose as much as 15 percent of its rated breaking strength when saturated. This doesn’t happen with Fluorocarbon.


 

NOT CONVINCED? READ ON… from an article by George Poveromo

I have been a staunch believer in fluorocarbon leaders for a number of years, although initially I was a bit skeptical as to how much of an advantage they would offer. That was before I put them to the test on a trip to the Bahamas six years ago. While fishing for mutton snapper, a notoriously keen-eyed bottom fish, a friend and I fished identical outfits spooled with identical line of the same breaking strength. We used identical hooks and weights, as well as leaders of the same length and strength. The only difference was that he used a fluorocarbon leader while I went with nylon monofilament. The results? My friend boated roughly three fish for every one I landed!
Later that afternoon we switched rods and the action followed the fluorocarbon. We kept up our little experiment the following day, and over the next four consecutive trips to Bimini. The results were convincing. When the bite wasn’t red hot, the fluorocarbon leaders made all the difference in the world. Furthermore, there was a marked difference in abrasion resistance. The fluoro material held up much better than the nylon mono when dragged across the reef by a big snapper or grouper. Even though some of the leaders came back heavily damaged, I’m convinced that the fish were less able to break us off because of the material’s hard finish and durability.
After the Bimini experiments I switched to fluorocarbon for just about all my fishing.


Expensive

When you look at everything else you spend money on in fishing, and what it costs for just one fishing day, a spool of fluorocarbon isn’t much at all, especially when you consider the edge it will give you. While it's expensive stuff, you don't need to use it for your whole leader. Use ordinary leader material from your mainline…. the 1m hook snoot that you use from swivel to hook is the only bit that needs to be Fluorocarbon. That way, a spool of FC will last a long, long time... 50 lost traces to be exact!



Memory issues

Fluorocarbon does have memory, especially the earlier types that were hybrids. The latest Fluorocarbons (which are claimed to be 100% Fluorocarbon – and  "pure") tend to have "less" memory than the older types; but that’s all relative, they still have memory.
(Braid is the line that has NO memory whatsoever.) Beware of some "claims" of being 100% FC - many of the cheaper FC's are not - these are the ones which have more memory, because of the use of monofilament or copolymer as a hybrid.

I found this tip on the Internet....

Like other captains who swear by fluorocarbon, Bogdan does a little “tweaking” to maximize its potential. Whether he’s live-baiting for sailfish or chunking for tuna, he stretches his leaders to remove any memory. “Fluorocarbon has memory. You can see the coils in the line as you remove it from the spool,” he says. “Fishing a leader that lays completely straight in the water is super important. We’ve doubled our tuna bites by stretching our leaders and removing the memory.”

For most of his tuna fishing, Bogdan uses between six and 12 feet of leader. To straighten the leader, he places the rod in a holder and strips off line until the entire leader is outside the rod tip. He then hooks the bitter end of the leader to a fastener somewhere on the boat, tightens the drag, reels in the slack and keeps the leader under heavy tension for about five minutes.