Fluorocarbon vs. Monofilament Lines - Visibility Test Underwater

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Fluorocarbon vs. Monofilament Lines - Visibility Test Underwater

Рет қаралды 35,492

Күн бұрын

Fluorocarbon fishing line is more expensive than monofilament line, and one of the main marketing bits is that it's invisible underwater. Monofilament has low visibility underwater too, so how much difference is there between the two lines? Is fluorocarbon really invisible? We take several weights (6/30/50lb) of fluorocarbon and monofilament lines underwater to test their visibility side by side in a variety of water and weather conditions to find the truth.
Lines shown in video:
Spiderwire 6lb fluorocarbon
Seaguar blue label 30lb fluorocarbon
Yo-Zuri HD 15lb fluorocarbon
Yo-Zuri HD 50lb fluorocarbon
Berkley Trilene XL 6lb clear monofilament
Berkley Big Game 30lb monofilament
Berkley Big Game 50lb monofilament
#fishing
#howtofish
#bassfishing
#learntofish

Пікірлер: 138

@2061526 11 ай бұрын

this video is far more informative for me than that nightly news i watch every night even for a whole year combined.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks - I appreciate it and I'm glad you found it information-packed.

@2061526 11 ай бұрын

it's very useful for my tackle store, i can confidently make recommendations to my customers@@FishingwithNat

@joevasquez1776 5 ай бұрын

Yup ,fake news vs observable facts/texts ❤️

@TheJacobshapiro 11 ай бұрын

I really appreciate these tests. In the fishing community there are so many things that are taken as gospel without any of us really testing any of it. It’s nice that someone actually takes the time to test these things.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks - I appreciate you taking the time to leave this feedback!

@wingnutbert9685 11 ай бұрын

THIS!!!! Just started fishing and boy-o-boy is there a lot of nonsense! Definitely enjoy these test vid's. 'Fish Mythbusters'

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

@@wingnutbert9685 Yes there is. Thanks for the comment.

@7michael7getachew7 2 ай бұрын

@@FishingwithNat Fluorocarbon is especially invisible to a bass when it swims up to your lure and is a few inches from it in super clear water. Definitely worth the insane price hike compared to mono.

@simonedatola3353 10 күн бұрын

In 2 minutes you've debunked years of debate about nylon vs fluorocarbon and you've cleared my mind too. Amazing content

@FishingwithNat 9 күн бұрын

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks

@frankwestphal4525 11 ай бұрын

This video was really informative. I really appreciate it when creators use underwater footage because it makes it much easier to make a decision rather than just going off what the package says. It might be interesting to look at line color too.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks. I agree - the package can say whatever the company thinks you want to hear. I tend to be a bit of a skeptic.

@TheStaniG 11 ай бұрын

Fantastic and to the point underwater testing in REAL conditions! This is why I found and subbed to the channel.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

@freemansame8062 4 ай бұрын

Monofilament has been working for me for thirty-five years, a winning horse that is hard to kill and certainly replace.

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

If it's working for you, there's no reason to change.

@WhiteGhost21 4 ай бұрын

try pink mono

@tripplebeards3427 4 ай бұрын

Plain old purple box 17 pound stren mono has been on my bait casters for decades with zero issues. Started using red lable Seagar florocarbon for leader material on my braided line in years past. Pretty tough lines.

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience. I appreciate the discussion.

@deucemoose7852 11 ай бұрын

Great setup! I've generally heard that the advantage of floro leaders comes down to invisibility plus lack of stretch so you can feel bites and set hooks just that little bit better than with mono

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Yes, fluoro does tend to stretch less and generally has better abrasion resistance due to its higher density. These are still good reasons to use fluoro. The invisibility claim was the focus of this video. Thanks for the feedback!

@deucemoose7852 11 ай бұрын

@FishingwithNat oh yeah for sure

@artvandelay418 5 ай бұрын

@@FishingwithNatIt's been debunked numerous time from Salt Strong and other third party youtubers. Mono is more abrasion resistant than fluorocarbon. If you don't believe me. Search Salt Strong mono vs fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon could be the biggest scam in the fishing industry ever.

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

@LisaBlooper I use fluoro leaders over mono for better abrasion resistance. Either one is much less visible than braid, and either one will be substantially thicker than your braid at the same weight. If you expect to be making really hard hooksets, I would recommend a longer leader to help absorb that shock and preserve your line-to-leader knot.

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

@LisaBlooper When I troll for browns/rainbows/salmon in Lake Michigan, I typically use about 8ft of 15lb fluorocarbon leader behind my braid. The water is very clear and the trout/salmon have very good vision.

@JoshFlowers1995 4 ай бұрын

Trilene Big Game Monofilament is the best line out there, in my opinion! Affordability , strength, and abrasion resistance are what you get with it . I've used Seaguar invizx and big game side by side same lure and rod and reel and have noticed little to no advantages to the floro

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

I like the Big Game mono too. I use it often for leaders.

@rockyparent9085 11 ай бұрын

Very informative. I enjoy fishing even more thanks to you.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Awesome - thanks for the comment.

@user-up8yo5ek9z Ай бұрын

Brilliant! Thanks for this very informative and well produced video. It's the final stake in the heart of the great fluorocarbon RIP-OFF. Fluoro - already proven to have lower knot strength, less durability in general and lower abrasion resistance. Regards from a new subscriber.

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

@Matty_04 21 күн бұрын

Very informative❤ thanks for best choices

@FishingwithNat 20 күн бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

@patdarling2036 Ай бұрын

Very good test a picture worth a thousand words

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video!

@davidwilliams1805 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing another great informative video! Enjoyed watching! Keep up the good work!

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks

@jake9705 11 ай бұрын

Great video with great editing as usual! I need to save money big time in this economy so this video is perfect timing 👌

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks

@JohnRitson78 11 ай бұрын

An honest answer to many of my questions regarding fluorocarbon, now I know it would be a waste of my money to jump on the bandwagon of expensive fluorocarbon, and I was on the verge of splashing out on some in a last ditch hope that it would improve my catch rate but so far I can catch fish on mono and I think presentation of the fly or lure is the key part of it all. Thanks.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

I agree that lure choice and presentation are more important. Glad you enjoyed the video.

@samroot 11 ай бұрын

Great test. I was never a believer in the Invisible concept. However, I do use Fluorocarbon due to the fact it's much more abrasion-resistant. I fish for snook and tarpon and it's definitely a big difference in that department.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

That has been my experience too.

@exitar1 10 ай бұрын

Fluorocarbon is much less abrasion resistant than nylon monofilament..there’s many tests of this on KZfaq.

@FishingwithNat 10 ай бұрын

@@exitar1 I think it depends on the brands. I've used some fluoro that is very soft and some that are very firm. The firm stuff is hard to cut even with a knife or scissors. I don't have nearly as much trouble cutting mono of the same weight.

@jacobbaldwin9707 10 ай бұрын

This is absolutely false. In abrasion testing, conventional Monofilament is considerably less prone to breakage from abrasion using multiple different types of tests... 100% of the time. Lots of videos on the topic.

@samroot 10 ай бұрын

@@jacobbaldwin9707can I get a link to the testing ? (Mono vs FC) thanks.

@michael2one 11 ай бұрын

Mind blowing! Ive seen a lot of mono vs fluoro but never from below which is the fish's perspective. Thanks for this video.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Running this sort of test in an aquarium or glass of water just isn't realistic in my opinion.

@tnoutdoordudes 4 ай бұрын

I tried fluoro of multiple brands all I know is Berkeley big game trilene mono is way tougher than any fluoro.i like having less break offs on baits that ain't cheap

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

Big Game trilene is good stuff

@gypana 4 ай бұрын

And to add there's tests that prove mono leader is as tough and even slightly better than flouro leader so anglers are getting severely ripped off with flouro.

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

I'm still using both as leaders but once my fluoro runs out, I'll have to give it some hard thought whether I'll buy more.

@liliandthecoolstuff Ай бұрын

Exactly what i need, thank you!

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

Great!

@Northstar-Media 9 ай бұрын

I've noticed that when fishing for carp with mono & and braid, the carp will sometimes roll on the line, knocking you bait from the hook, then slurp it up after doing so

@FishingwithNat 9 ай бұрын

Smart little fishies...

@Demolitiondude 11 ай бұрын

Clear green blends in the best.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Clear green lines blend in very well with green water. I used all clear (no green) lines for this test.

@Demolitiondude 11 ай бұрын

@@FishingwithNat that's fair. Something for the next test.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

@thegoods2240 Some lines are marketed as "disappearing pink" color which is interesting. Red (pink) wavelengths of light are absorbed first by water, so the red color does in fact disappear pretty quickly as the line sinks. But then you're still left with clear line.

@the_game 10 ай бұрын

Very interesting & Thank you so much for sharing this experiment with us! 👍

@FishingwithNat 10 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback.

@URBJK Ай бұрын

I tried braid to fluorocarbon leader and ending up going back to braid/mono leader. I caught more fish with the mono leader. Mono has less stretch and better abrasion resistance.

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience

@appalachiangunman9589 Ай бұрын

I was thinking about trying some fluorocarbon, I’ve never used anything but mono but I thought fluorocarbon might be worth a try since it has less stretch for more positive hook sets. I fish rivers mostly and fish the bottom some with hellgrammites and I also have some soft Nikko craws I’m wanting to try.

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

If you want less stretch, braid might be the way to go with a fluoro leader. Spooling a reel entirely with fluorocarbon is expensive.

@i1bike 11 ай бұрын

Sufix 0,15 invisiline fluorocarbon, when put in a glass of water is invisible, i can not see it. But it is irrelevant, it was not made to be less visible, it was made ro strech less, to sink and to hold more while being thinner, cuz thinner line cuts water better and gives better feel of the lure. It is slightly less visible to mono simply cuz of its construction, but thats not its purpose. I use mono, not because it is cheap, but because it gives shock absorption with its stretch. It never broke on fish retreival, never ever

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Makes sense. Thanks for sharing. Do you use straight mono or braid to mono?

@i1bike 7 ай бұрын

@@FishingwithNat 8× sufix multicolor braid to any high-stretch mono. Even tho, nowdays its hard to find high-strech mono. Since all brands fight to have less stretch. Believe it or not, fluoro stretches more than mono. But mono streches under much lower load so it gives illusion that is more elastic. Which is exactly what i need when tying knots. If u know any high-stretch mono feel free to share. Recently i bought Mustad default mono, never saw worse line. Its super hard and super dry, like some turbo fluoro, impossible for tying knots. And if not changed every few trips, it can snap in casting

@FishingwithNat 7 ай бұрын

@@i1bike I use Trilene XL mono in various weights and it has a lot of stretch. That's what I use when I need a good shock leader. The Mustad line you mentioned sounds awful and frustrating. I haven't tried that one and it sounds like I don't need to.

@i1bike 7 ай бұрын

@@FishingwithNat I know from youtube videos that berkley has good quality cheap stuff. Unfortunately, its not sold here so i never bought it. But i will try it, i have to order it online. Our fishing stores are tiny and they live from selling the "premium" stuff to spoiled brats. We call it "the gear that will never see the sea" haha. You can also try one of mine, try finding Varivas monofilament. I use the treated one for the saltwater, but i think they have some clean versions for freshwater finesse fishing that you like.

@FishingwithNat 7 ай бұрын

@@i1bike I have a large sporting goods retailer about 40 minutes from home. That is definitely nice to browse around once in a while. I haven't heard of Varivas line but it looks like I could get it online. The Trilene XL has been my tried-and-true mono in various sizes.

@davidcox9674 11 ай бұрын

Just wondering whether fluros thinner diameter at the same breaking strain would be slightly less visible and give it a small advantage.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Maybe slightly, but the difference in diameter between fluoro and mono of the same weight rating is only 1/1000th to 2/1000ths of an inch.

@dylanclay2741 8 ай бұрын

Im 1 of the few modern fisherman that has never and will never try flouro. Its just a gimmick. Clear mono is all i use. Its worked for decades and still works great today. The presentation of your bait is more important than anything. What bait youre using and how youre presenting it.

@FishingwithNat 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I use both but I agree that fluoro (and even other lines/lures/everything for that matter) is heavily marketed to convince you that your current setup is obsolete and needs to be replaced.

@seanpalmeter 11 ай бұрын

Awesome information. Based on this, I'm going to pick my leader based on whether I want less or more stretch. Since visibility isn't dramatically different between mono and fluoro, I'll let the other factors be my reasons for choosing one line over the other.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Agreed. Abrasion resistance would be another thing to consider.

@kunaiwithchain5278 6 ай бұрын

I assume this was done with clear mono? I wonder how much more visible colored mono like berkley solar collector or “low vis” mono appear underwater

@FishingwithNat 6 ай бұрын

That would be an interesting comparison and it would probably vary depending on water clarity and color.

@brettellis1837 11 ай бұрын

Note it was made for squid for fishing at extreme depth has no stretch .

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

No stretch would definitely be important with that much line out.

@brettellis1837 11 ай бұрын

@@FishingwithNat DONT FOR GET SENSITIVITY.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

@@brettellis1837 Absolutely

@lenrichardson5183 Ай бұрын

Now my next question is does this also apply to the low visibility green mono that I use? Do get me wrong I already figured out that floro was a bit of a scam. The first key was how many pro fisherman just jumped on the band wagon.

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

In greenish water, I find that the lo-vis green mono is less visible than the clear mono. In clear water, I think the green is slightly more visible.

@alejandrocota5949 8 ай бұрын

First Great videos, I use fluorocarbon for live bait casting jigging some trolling I use gold label seaguar good stuff i Never use fluorocarbon for night jigging or bottom jigging bottom fishing or kite fishing no need

@FishingwithNat 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

@johanwithag2432 10 ай бұрын

Yeah, "the same reflection index as water", that was a briljant marketing idea to sell fluorocarbon fishing line to fisherman, so that they can ask big money for it. Absolutely briljant.

@FishingwithNat 10 ай бұрын

Clever marketing brings in big money. Doesn't matter if it's with fishing line, cars, or bottled water!

@BradinManheim Ай бұрын

Straight mono for me

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

Thanks for adding to the discussion

@ablacksquare 11 ай бұрын

Question so would the fluorocarbon and monofilament lines work best for fishing 2+feet below water level? ( I’m thinking of your sky example)

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

I think you should count on any line being more visible than you think when fishing near the surface, and most of your strikes will come from below. Reducing your line weight would be a way to make the line less visible. If you're using an obnoxious reaction bait like a chatterbait, it may not matter even if the fish does see your line because they will likely be striking out of pure instinct and aggression.

@ablacksquare 11 ай бұрын

@@FishingwithNat ok Thank you for the reply. Your videos are helpful.

@tshaw150 9 ай бұрын

Agree, there's not a significant difference. Great test.

@FishingwithNat 9 ай бұрын

Thanks

@gecko1406 19 күн бұрын

What size fluro woudl you recomend for 30lb braid i heard go equal weight but that seems to thick imo and ive heard go for like a 20lb so if youbget snagged your leader fails before the braid does 🙏

@FishingwithNat 19 күн бұрын

I often use equal weight leaders but there are times to use a different weight. Like you said, a lighter leader can cause a known breaking point so you don't lose a bunch of your braid. It also depends on how toothy your target fish is. When I'm around a lot of pike or musky, I sometimes use 15lb braid with 30-50lb fluoro leaders. Check out my quick video all about leaders for more tips: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pbuKeKegyZ6pmKc.html

@gecko1406 19 күн бұрын

@@FishingwithNat bet thank u will check out vid also but say would fluoro be the same diameter as mono just more abrasion resistant and less stretchy and tends to sink better ?

@FishingwithNat 18 күн бұрын

@@gecko1406 It's about the same diameter as mono. It tends to have less stretch and sinks a bit faster. I have found it to be more abrasion resistant than mono but others will disagree. I think it depends on the brands of line.

@ikon.gdragon4939 21 күн бұрын

You cant use a camera for this test. Wear some goggles and dive in the water and youll clearly notice rhe floro is much harder to spot then mono. Floro will always out fish mono when the fish is line shy. Thats why every fishing capt use it.

@FishingwithNat 20 күн бұрын

Thanks for the comment. I have snorkeled along these lines and saw the same result as my camera showed.

@aliendawg2 Ай бұрын

Whats your go to line?

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

For braid, Sufix 832 alnk.to/8EJm9AE Fluorocarbon leader - Seaguar blue label alnk.to/btnxgHL Mono main lines - Berkley Trilene XL alnk.to/g3bf0Pt Mono leader - Berkley Big Game alnk.to/aLIvAmJ

@andyclement40 12 күн бұрын

Today was the last day I bought fluro

@FishingwithNat 11 күн бұрын

I'm running low and I'll be thinking hard about whether I'll buy any more or just stick with mono.

@tonnyberben1770 8 ай бұрын

I like it to be invisible to the fish not to me 😅

@FishingwithNat 8 ай бұрын

Makes sense

@wingnutbert9685 11 ай бұрын

Stumbled on this vid looking up quick release kayak anchor systems. Nice comparison! I'm not even sure how much visibility of the line matters. After all, it's hauling a bright pink and yellow lure spinning and swinging off it like Danny Kay on meth. With a bunch of spheres and shiny wires. Long, sparkly hair like Ziggy Stardust. Little plates clacking away on it's head. And a night-crawler chasing it like a cop in an F-18, smelling like corn and garlic farts! Somehow, a bit of visible thread doesn't seem like it would be the "A-ha!" giveaway in this movie! 🤣🤣🤣😁

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

That's a fair assessment. Sometimes a fish is so aggressive that it'll bite a tin can (pike in particular).

@MrOmarkiam Ай бұрын

Flouro is basically a marketing scam, although I have caught more finicky small tuna with it.

@FishingwithNat Ай бұрын

Thanks for adding to the discussion

@kylefishing21 4 ай бұрын

Mono>flouro

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your feedback

@lansiman 9 ай бұрын

so as far as visibility goes, fluoro is a waste of money?

@FishingwithNat 9 ай бұрын

I don't think the difference in visibility justifies the cost difference.

@URBJK 2 ай бұрын

On my boat. Mono and braid out fish fluorocarbon every time. I wasted a lot of money over the years.

@m1p84 4 ай бұрын

I don’t think bass care if the line is visible.

@FishingwithNat 4 ай бұрын

How much they care may change depending on the conditions, their mood, or how hungry they are.

@Jess-rt1uz Ай бұрын

Yeah, they don't. Alabama rigs with all that metal showing, and they smoke 'em. So yeah, don't think the line will bother fish if they're hungry.

@brettellis1837 11 ай бұрын

No it is not it can reflect light back at a fish like a mirror to the sun that flash is a no go. Most of the trophy fish I have caught in last 45 years have been on dark green mono Ora blue mono or red.

@FishingwithNat 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience.