Fluorocarbon Disadvantage

I have become a big proponent of using fluorocarbon line for a variety of purposes. In fact, I am writing an article all about this unique fishing line for the August edition of the magazine.

I have however recently discovered a disadvantage.

Fluorocarbon sinks which gives an advantage over monofilament because it keeps better contact with your rod, thus enhancing sensitivity.

If you are fishing from the bank in a brushy area this can be problematic.

My father and I went crappie fishing Saturday and caught some nice fish and the sensitivity of fluorcarbon I believe was part of the equation.

The negative is the sinking line got tangled in the brush that was along the bank, just under the water. The fish were just beyond this brush but the line kept sinking right on top of it. Several times I had to deal with the line caught in brushtops.

Had we been fishing from a boat this would not be an issue because we could fish from the outside and cast toward the bank instead of from it.

If you are going to be fishing from the bank in an area with lots of brush or weeds and you have to fish in the vicinity of it you might want to use monofilament unless fluorocarbon is called for due to super clear conditions.

(Photo by Chester Moore, Jr.)
I told Dad I would publish a photo of him with the smallest crappie of the day. Actually, this is a great shot to illustrate how brushy this area was. Not only was there sticks in the water we had to get past this area had a sloping bank that had brush all around. Tangles, especially with the fluorocarbon, were the order of the day.

Posted in Uncategorized