Winter fishing

[Ham]

In my opinion, Fluro requires more of a load to cause that stretch though (it doesn't stretch under the light tug of a fish so it acts like a no stretch line in that situation) and because it doesn't float up (I've seen mono bowing upwards towards the surface and I think the fluro goes to the bait with a slight downward belly), I think you have a straighter line to the bait. Regardless of the particulars, I KNOW fluro is a lot more sensitive than mono or copoly. I had a day with two identical jigs, on equivalent rods with equivalent diameter lines. I could feel the bites on the fluro rod; I could not feel the bites on the mono rod. I caught 22 fish that day. It was 20 on fluro and 2 on mono so I think you can feel more bites with it. Because iof the extra expense, I didn't want fluro to be better, it just is. I didn't want to spend the extra money for it, but it is a better product and I want to fish with the better product.

I feel like I get better hooksets with fluro than mono too , but that is harder to explain. I seem to get to the fish quicker (less belly in the line?) and I can feel the fish load in the rod before the fluro starts to stretch a little.

Fluro is said to be a lot less visible to the fish. I really don't care about this in my bass fishing. I do care about it for my fly fishing leader material. I use fluro for leader material on my nymphs and a non fluro for my dry fly offerings.

I've yet to have anyone explain why I should be using fluro for leader material on my braid or nanofil spinning rod setups. I've said I am not concerned about visibility. I don't think that abrasion resistence is gonna be great on those light lines (6.8, 10 lb) anyway. The short length of leader renders a lack of stretch in the leader less important that the stretch in a main line. To me, fluro is picky about how it is tied(more prone to knot failure), it is more expensive than a quality mono or copoly, and has a larger diameter than equal strength mono which affects how the finesse bait behaves. So someone PLEASE make the case for fluro as that bass leader.

I can see in the future me setting up a Ned rod with 6 lb Invis X for windy days. I would do it now , but money is a little tight.

[fishinwrench]

Another not touched on plus for flouro is that it has a much longer shelf life than mono.   I can spool up a reel that doesn't get used much and know that the line is still as good as new 6-7-8 months or even a year or more later.  The copoly that I currently use is the same in that regard, it just doesn't deteriorate with age or with exposure to sun/heat/cold ect.

Ham, the abrasion resistance of the lighter lines is just as (or more so to me) important as it is on heavier lines.  I check my line for nicks pretty often and I'm always amazed at how tough that outer skin is.  I mean when you can wrestle a fish over a rusty old steel cable and then can't even find a single Nick on the line....That's pretty amazing.

[Dutch]

justfishing,  back to your original question about winter fishing.  I can usually find bass shallower than 30'.  Saturday the ones I caught were in 10-15 feet of water.  Crappie I normally find in  less than 35 fow but I catch walleye out to 50 fow.

[Walcrabass]

Ham,

  Gotta say I agree with a lot you are saying. I can see my FLuoro line sinking in the water column. I will do more research as to exactly why that is.......

  For the sensitivity? It is definitely more sensitive. I feel bites that before using it I would have never known they are there. I catch fish today in the dead of winter while Jig fishing that weren't possible for me to catch some years ago. I have noticed  when fishing with others that I am getting more hits than  them by quite a bit. Most of it I attribute to my set up.

  As for the visibility..... I remember reading that FLuorocarbon was used by Tuna fishermen because it was more invisible to their unbelievable eyesight. Sounds good enough for me !!! I need all the advantages I can get.

 Fishnwrench:  Durability and Longevity??? I have to say too that it lasts and lasts. Don't know if they make a line lube just for it but I use Reel Magic on mine and seem to get good results. I regularly leave my 14 pound on up on my reels for a year. Yes, I use it in other sizes like 20 pound.

 

Walcrabass

[Ham]

Fluor is heavier than water. It sinks. Jerkbait fishermen go away from Fluor on jerkbaits when the water gets cold and you really have to slow down because the Fluor will take the jerkbaits to the bottom if you wait long enough. 

[Walcrabass]

Ham,

  Thanks for your knowledgeable input. I believe you have saved me from using an underwater camera ( which I don't own ) or something else to find out why my Jerk Baits keep sinking lower and lower. I do fish when it is very cold. In fact there are times when I don't see another angler on my part of the lake. Kind of like it that way.

Walcrabass

[Skeeter ZX190]

Winter fishing is officially totally screwed up.

[Walcrabass]

Skeeter,

  Was your comment because of the recent rain or just in general??? I can almost bet you there will be Bass caught in VERY shallow water from all this. I have caught them in less than 5 feet in normal cold winter weather before as they were hanging on some giant rock bluffs warming up on the sun drenched rocks.

Wally

[Skeeter ZX190]

Walcrabass:

I am mainly referring to all of the rain, high water, and now very cold air temps.  Maybe the bass will relate to the new structure like flooded picnic tables and out houses!    The latest forecast has Stockton at 17 feet high by Thursday.  Pomme 25 feet high.  I wouldn't begin to know where to find them.

[Walcrabass]

Cold water sinks.......... hot water rises.......... I am saying shallow.