Northwest Fishing Reports

Thinking of switching to flouro leaders. But am wondering how it holds up drift fishing, it seems downright deadly float fishing but I have heard it dosent take abuse like mono. Any suggestions?

It does alright drift fishing, although if you get your leader wrapped around your weight at any point it gets kinks/weak spots. I've experimented with it quite a bit for drift fishing, but have found that I would much rather use mono 99% of the time. The only time I use fluoro is in the most extreme low water and clarity conditions. Otherwise I would just as soon drop down to 5 or 6 lb. mono leaders when it is low and clear, as opposed to 8 which is what I normally use (for steelhead).

Hey spoonman This is Mike. Met you last sunday on the wallace. Flouro is hard to tie good knots with. Gotta take your time,tie your knots slow with a bit of lube (spit) Pull your line thru your knot slowly to avoid to much friction. Friction is what makes the knot weak. I sent you a PM

Thanks guys I think I might just use it for float fishing. It was good meeting you mike lfp we will have to go float the sky sometime.but right now I only have olypen rivers on my mind,cook creek,salmon river,and maybe the hump.

Flouro leaders for both drift fishing and float fishing for steelhead are fine. The knot issue is not an issue and has never been with me. Seaguar and P-line both make awesome Flouro. Seaguar blue label is by far my go to leader. I have lost almost no fish using it. I put my gear through it's paces and will only tie on fluoro for steelhead if given the option. Low clear to off steelhead green to muddy. It doesn't matter to me I will take fluoro over mono. Low stretch, less visible if you can its the way to go.

I also use Seaguar, but I use the GrandMax fluoro which is really fly tippet. It's smaller diameter (.011" is 16.5lb test compared to 12lb with Blue label) and a little more limp than blue label but more more expensive. They also make the GrandMax FX which is a tad stiffer but offers more abrasion resistance.

http://seaguar.com/products/grand-max.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://seaguar.com/products/grand-max-fx.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

+1 on the seaguar. I use the red label for both drift and float fishing. It's very stiff, almost like maxima. It's a very good fluorocarbon.

Sorry for the horrendous run on sentence in my previous post. I was hurried in my response. The one thing to remember, flourocarbon has progressed lightyears since it first came out. Here are the facts, flourocarbon is a low stretch, dense line that is more consitent in it's diameter than monofilament. It is also more abrasion resistant, mono will fray faster than flouro. I do still use mono where I need more stretch in the line or where cost is an issue. Steelhead are very visual fish often approaching your presentation and examining it before striking, if I can get one step up on my quarry by simply using a different line that is something I will do. For jigs, drift fishing and bait fishing under a bobber it's definitely worth your time.

+2 on the Seaguar and if I can't get it, Maxima flouro. I don't use anything but flouro, it's just that much better. I like to keep my shock absorbing in the rod so it's consistent, not in the line. Braid main line with flouro leaders.

Thanks for all the insight, I have always been hesitant to go floro because of all I have heard concerning durability, do you change out your leader after every fish? Or does it hold up well to multiple hookups on the same leader? I'm going seaguar blue label 8#.

I been using 8lb in Vanish it held up great to a big buck chum. I have had great luck with Seaguar also but in 10lb Knots where my issue until I read a thread on here about the Knots being the weakest link in the Fluorocarbon. Vahish is a lot cheaper...

I Have a bad habit of keeping my leaders on until they are to frayed to go another round I have fished light Mono 10lb for 3 days straight on the Puke without issue and limiting out each day. But some folks will change the leader out when they get snagged up on the bottom or after every fish.

Fluorocarbon sinks faster which makes it good for float fishing. Gets your bait down faster.

Mono sinks slower and has a little buoyancy which makes it better for drifting in my opinion. Helps keep your bait up in the "strike zone." These are pretty miniscule differences though....

spoonman wrote:Thanks for all the insight, I have always been hesitant to go floro because of all I have heard concerning durability, do you change out your leader after every fish? Or does it hold up well to multiple hookups on the same leader? I'm going seaguar blue label 8#.

Regardless of your leader, it's a good practice to change it after having a fish on.

So is a standard clinch knot insufficient? Or if just wet it before you snug it down and its ok?

Works great for me. I also use the Palamar knot now and then. I always wet every knot I tie, regardless what the material is. No such thing as too much spit.

I use 6lb flourocarbon for everything and I can land fish easy as long as you baby the big ones. Vanish and stren flourocast are my favs.

I use the Seaguar GrandMax '0X' size (16.5lb test but about the diameter of most 10-12lb mono) either behind 40lb Maxima UltraGreen or 65lb braid for big kings and silvers. I use the '3X' size (9.5lb test about the same diameter as 6-8lb mono) for chum and steelies, and the '5X' size (4.8lb test about the diameter of most 2-3lb mono) for trout.