Great point on line diameter, that is extremely overlooked. Another similar deal that gets overlooked is IPT (inches per turn) on reels. People just look at gear ratio but that's irrelevant if the reel has a different spool diameter / if the spool is full or half empty.
Good video, I think many people fish a lot of flourocarbon simply because pros do. I’d say if you aren’t a hardcore, every weekend and tournament kind of guy, mono probably is a better choice. Especially if you are learning to skip docks, no need to burn up spools of flouro. Thanks for the fg knot demonstration, but that knot is the devil. Alberto for life lol
Great video. I’m not downing the other guy. But I don’t use mono for anything period. Braid to fluro for every except my crankbaits and those are 💯 fluro.
I fish a lot of night tournaments and use black lights so I use strictly clear blue mono with the exception of my frog setup that has 50# braid. I've been searching for a better quality mono because the 2 brands (not naming names) that I use are really inconsistent with their quality from 1 spool to the next. My question is, does Sunline make a clear blue that glows in a blacklight? If so I'd like to try it. Locally I can only find the 2 brands that I use and it's really all I can find online.
Ok. So i love braid and mono. But floro drives me crazy. I been working in my jug skipping and trying to use floro but havnt found one that doesnt coil up. What floro line do you recomend cuase what ive tried sucks.
I still love mono, I was late to the fluorocarbon party but I love 18 lb sniper now for my worms and jigs. Do you think because of fluorocarbon (braid as well) we are seeing more rods with a moderate fast to moderate taper? I love the feel of moderate fast on everything but worm and jig fishing. Thanks for the knot tutorial
Looks like you could circle the earth twice with all that line behind you !! I keep all my line in a big cooler ! And keep it in the basement ! Nice and cool ! Mono ! Is my choice ! Do use sunline leaders! 25 - 30 yards ! Only have 1 knot to worry about ! On my flip n rods only !
I am not a tournament anglar but fish as often as possible, with that being said I use braid to leader on most of my gear because of budget purposes. I just like the option of being able to put whatever leader I want on. For the most part I use 8 or 10 pound ultra green Maxima with a blood knot, because of my old eyes. It has yet to fail me and is simple and you can visibly see if it is tied correctly. Another no nonsense video. Thank you.
Dang Brad you brought back some great old school memories with the slack line hook set flippin the flooded willows and buck brush in horse creek in the 90’s
i would always use BPS Excell 17 ib test for worms and jig fishing, one problem was if i got hung up and tried to break off, i had to put the trolling motor on high otherwise i would just pull the boat up to it.
That cinch is soooo important u have to pull it until u hear it kinda pop. I tried an tried an tried to tie this knot and I just wasn't cinching it hard enuff to create that knot but nobody in the hundreds of videos I watched emphasized that part. Swindle an Defoe videos helped me that do it just like u showed.
i have been using bass pro shops blue mono for 45 years or more. never one problem with breaking or problems with hook set. friends mess with braid and floro leaders and waste a lot of time with broken leaders and knots. never have i noticed they have a advantage over me.
Do you ever use copoly instead of mono? Also not sure if you have ever seen a risotto finish on the FG knot instead of the half hitches, but it is a lot cleaner. I tie 2 half hitches and then it's like doing a uni knot but you unwrap the loop. This causes the braid to hide the end of the fluoro and also braid end. I find it easier than half hitches.
I throw mono with topwater and squarebills and I still throw a chatterbait from time to time on mono with a mod fast rod. I still haven't decided whether I like a faster rod and mono or a slower rod and flouro for a chatterbait.
Send me some!!! LOL. Actually this was my question. I've been so frustrated with the memory of the fluorocarbon I'm using. My boater was telling me yesterday there is a difference in the softness which determines the memory.. can u please explain. Thank You in advance
Sorry you couldn't make it this morning with Upshaw, Pangrac, and the "Nature Boy" I mean Castledine. Great video here with the line differences and the "FG" knot demonstration. I will be looking for a video this Fall using it on some type of top water presentation.
YESSSS......I am kinda a weirdo line junkie. I still throw good mono because I almost exclusively fun fish these days. Thanks for showing off that awesome Sunline stash.😀
I see you have some Defier on the wall. Best mono I’ve ever used. A little too pricey though. Supernatural still gets the job done though! P.S. You gonna do some NIL deals with some of the Football players who like to fish? Would make for some good content. Boomer!
While I prefer braid with a small tube (a few inches long) pegged to the terminal end of the bait for just about all topwaters, Sunline Defier Armilo is amazing stuff. There is very little stretch in it. Bradley, if you haven't yet the new D-braid with D-leader or V-hard is the best spinning stuff on the market.
I learned yesterday that I have to have a rod with mono because of top waters like a buzzbait. My fluro kept sinking that sucker. I still caught one but goodness it was harder than it should’ve been. Also, SUNLINE for the win.
Really good video man,as I've said before all I use is mono,I just feel like it's more trouble than it's worth,but I get why guys use floro and braid,especially fishing for the amount of money you guys do,it really is way more sensitive,I just buy nice rods and tungsten weights and that helps a ton,gunna have to try that fg knot braid to mono just to try it out thanks for sharing buddy
I still use mono on alot of my spinning rods. I don't normally "cheap out" on line but a 1000yd roll of bass pro mono will go a long way for the weekend warrior
In the spring I fish a floating jerkbait a lot, the problem is they are light weight and you need a topwater rod with a small line diameter. I love 20 lb senseii mono for this, because it has the diameter of 12 to 15 lb line but it is very strong and castable, and I tend to be around heavy cover when I'm fishing this way. I'll also fish mono with a carolina rig hoping that my bait will float a little better.
Aa usual another great and informative video. I do use mono but only sparingly. I use floro for all my moving baits with the exception of most topwater where I use braid exclusively and braid for a swimjig in and around grass. The only time I use mono for topwater is when I'm using a Pop R or a prop bait. In that instance I use a braid to mono leader about 12 to 14 inches. I use a line conditioner to treat my floro to help it be a little more supple and to eliminate coils.
The 0,40 millimeter is what they call fifteen to sixteen thousanth's of an inch in Imperial (the American fly anglers when they talk about the leader formulae, where they step down several diamenters to create a tapered leader). Always talk in thousands of an inch. At 0,50 millimeters, you're getting up to twenty thousanth's of an inch. 0,55 millimeter is around twenty-two thousanth's of an inch. Zero point six millimeter is getting towards twenty-four thousanth's of an inch. The size 0,35 millimeter is around fourteen thousanth's of an inch. 0,30 is only eleven thousanth's of an inch. At point two-five millimeters, a quarter of a millimeter. You are then getting below ten thousanth's of an inch. And really what that is all about. Below ten thousanth's of an inch. Is about allowing the lure if needs be. To have some action (action, or motion, or freedom it wouldn't otherwise have if you tied it direct to 0,35 line for instance). Conversely if you tie too bulkly or large of a lure. To too thin of a line diameter. You won't be able to manipulate the lure either from the fishing rod end. So there's always a trade-off there. Between the in-built and automatic kind of action. That the lure itself my possess. Or the amount of life and action which the angler will be expected to introduce. By means of working the line, to create action in the lure. And that's why 0,40 millimeter is a crucial. The sixteen thousanth's of an inch. Because it's right at that point at which, it goes one way or another. Zero point four is just stiff and bulky enough as line diameter. That you can put some manipulation on the lure, from the fishing rod end. And still not too thick that the action of the lure is deaden-ed altogether. They talk about 'finesse', when in reality all finess means is reduction of line diameter. To the extent to which the lure or bait. Has it's own maximum capability to swim and act, as it wants. Without influence from the angler's end (it's very hard to do anything to the lure, as you go down that diameter line size scale).
What fluorocarbon did, apart from anything else. Was it almost sliced the line diameters into half. Without sacrificing strength (except it introduced new problems like knot breakage and weaknesses where lines got cut slightly). Monofilament could be in diabolical condition and still survive. If fluoro does get cut at all. You're toast. The argument that it battles against abrasion up until the point it get's slightly damaged. Is not much good. Monofilament does seem to be strong when damaged. What fluorocarbon did though, was it enhanced the capabilities of those anglers (finesse anglers etc), who were able to catch fish. In a method in which the angler did very little manipulation of the lure. The bait itself, be it the 'roboworm' or whatever it was. Was able to act and behave all by itself. And that was the trigger of that bait to the fish.
Like in making those fly leaders, the part they add to the end is referred to as a 'tippet'. And there you're talking five or six thousanth's of an inch (0,15 millimeters), as being on the heavy end of the scale. Guys will go down to lighter diameters even than that (and using fluorocarbon, still be able to main a couple of pounds worth of 'breaking strain' capability). The reason to go down to five thousanth's of an inch or smaller in diameter. Is to get to the ultimate point at which. The lure is basically free and detached to do it's own thing. There's very little manipulation, if any. That the angler can do to the lure at that point. None. And in fishing for some species that are what is called 'spooky'. A species of brown trout in low, warm water conditions in Spain. Called the 'Ferrio' trout, are said to be very spooky. In other words, you can't come within a mile of them. Or they run away. That's where these line diameters are necessary. In order to give one a chance at all. With the spookiest fish on the planet. Hence, the reason why the guys have to work on those 'tapers' as well. So they can cover distance with a cast (you're able to hold energy in the cast longer if the line is tapered down). So the line straightens itself out at the end of a cast. That is very long with a very light bait.
I'm definitely amazed though. That some bright guy on the conventional tackle angling side. Has not decided to chuck some kind of heavy braid line. As a main line. And attach something like a ten or fifteen foot length. Factory-made tapered fluorocarbon or monofilament leader on it. Which would step down their diameter. From even 0,70 millimeters or twenty-seven thousanth's of an inch in diameter. For the braided line. To something like 0,30 millimeter or less than twenty thousanth's of an inch. Where it connects to the crankbait, casting jig or swimbait. What you've got there is a fairly lethal combination of things. Where the thicker line at the back can be used by the angler. To do all of the normal manipulation of the lure in water. And at the same time, achieve some degree of freedom of motion. Or action of the lure. At the end at the line-tie of the lure. The 'tippet' part is the sacrificial length that is tied to the end of the tapered leader. And it starts at a foot and a half. And gradually whittle's away, to a point where it is replaced again. A factory-made monofilament tapered leader might be interesting. As they could prove very robust and long lasting. Some of the French nymph factory-made tapered leaders. That anglers use in France could be interesting.
For anglers in bass such as Bradley Hallman (who are more into bait casters and throwing jigs, than throwing finesse worms). It might look a bit strange tied to a baitcasting reel and rod set up. Hends tackle took over the Camou company, and are still making the 'knotless' monofilament French nymph leaders. Which step down from 0,55 millimeters to 0,18 millimeters. They are actually fifteen feet in total length too (double the length of most bass fishing rods). So the tapered leader goes from the reel to the top ring. And back down to the reel again in length. If you could pair that with a nice braid of large enough diameter behind it. It would amount to a very different way. To throw a weight-less plastic worm bait. In shallow water. A sort of compromise between the strictly 'vertical' approach of the finesse angler. And the horizontal casting approach of power fishermen. What you might be able to do with that tapered monofilament leader. Is to chop the back end off of it. Until you get down to 0,4 millimeter. And chop the front end off, until you got to 0,25 millimeters. Then add some 'tippet' as sacrificial line to the front in that 0,25 millimeter diameter. And FG knot or whatever you do, to your braided line at the rear. You'd end up still with a leader that was tapered and still around fifteen foot in length.
I most definitely use MONO. I like it for a lot of applications, up to and including chatterbaits. It keeps fish pegged better than any braid I've ever used. I'll use 10lb on a wacky rig spinning outfit and just go to town on em.
Cant wait get off work to get home and practice that fg knot! Easiest for me to tie on a leader is think called Albright knot. Decently small and have had no issues. Always heard fg was the deal, always get pissed when attempting!!
Nice demonstration of an easy way to tie the fog knot. I like that brain to mono especially for the devils horse type propeller baits where the braid tends to get caught up far more with braid than a 15 to 20 pound test mono around the propellers.
What I appreciate most about your channel, and Todd's channel, is I never feel like you are trying to sell me something. I feel like you are as candid and direct about the topics you cover regardless of brand and I sincerely appreciate that. Good video and thanks again for keeping things real.
Spot on with the knot... I did a lot of practicing last winter and the way you're doing it is so much easier than any other. My only difference is I go around my hand and then around my bottom two fingers (pinky and ring) so I can use those for tension as I tie... One other thing I've recently found out is you don't have to cut the tag on the loop knot, if you bite it and pull it'll slide right out
Great video I've been trying to learn more about all the mechanical aspects and just anything that can help me get a Lil edge because I'm way behind at 47 and just started really learning to fish last summer. I have been hooked to say the least . Thanks for all the information
I been tying the fg pretty much the same way except I trim the leader tag end off before the last set of half hitches. I keep finding myself throwing more and more leaders. Oh and sunline all the way.
Dude you're right on time, I'm at the beginning of the video but I've been doing some checking and comparisons myself lately. Fluoro tends to weaken easier if kinked or stretched or anything of the sort. Ive broke off a lot on fluoro on hooksets. Even Shakey heads I've went from 10 to 12 because of it, and will say the 12 is much better in that front
I've recently paid attention to the fact that fluoro of the same lb test tends to be much smaller diameter.. I'm experimenting with braid to mono so I can get the stretch I want to pin the fish but have the same amount a stretch on a 100ft cast or a 10 ft pitch
Been using mono to braided line for years! Fluro is amazing at flipping like you said. I tried it once as a top water, threw it in my rod locker and was out a rod for that day. Talk about a nightmare! In clear water bass can see mono better than fluro. Small mouths are big on sight when the water is clear. Both lines come across line glass to smallies. Largemouth are triggered more by vibration and really don't care so much about the difference between the 2 lines. What i learn in fish biology class in collage. Reason I and many others fish mono is cost. And thanks for always pointing that out in your videos. Now off to try and tie OD knot! Thanks for that as well!
As far as monofilament leaders goes in fishing with lightweight cast-able lures or baits. The biggest things was the taper (and the only reason why we took advantage of tapers in our leaders in fly fishing, is we had capability to have a lot of line outside the top ring of our rods). That enabled us to have these longer length tapered leaders that we made ourselves, based on our own preferred formula. Of what diameters to use, and when to step them down in size. It relates to an aspect of fishing that lots of anglers don't understand. How the bait or lure lands on the water and the first impression that fish have of lures. Is an important thing. Bass anglers regularly talk about the bass fish as a population. Becoming use to the sound of a 'whopper plopper' lure. Or used to the vibration made by a certain crankbait. Or something. What's probably more accurate to say, is that fish make up their minds the instant that lure lands on the water. They learn how to recognize the sound of it. When it arrives.
It is sort of like when you're house is near to a railway line. Or the neighbor's pet dog next door is let out. At a certain time each day. The person who lives in the neighboring property. Just gets familiar with the routine of that. And to an extent that they don't notice it any longer. I recalled that when I moved eventually. After twenty years from the center of Dublin city. A noisy, dirty, dangerous kind of place. Where anything could happen, any time. To a regional town. And a co-worker said to me, the traffic and noise in the regional town had gotten very busy. I thought to myself, heck this place does not know what busy is. I remember for the first number of years. I really had a hard time fitting in there. Why? Because for some reason you start to miss all of the hussle and bustle. The danger, the screaming and roaring that happens. In lots of these large cities. After a while, when you live in those places. As chaotic and crazy as that seems. It's surprising how much it fades into the background. That is not to say, that people who live in busy urban places. Are not vigilent. You notice something instantly, that is 'out of place'. Or out of the normal routine. Normally it is signified by 'lack of noise', rather than presence of it. Such as the riot I witnessed in Dublin in 2006. The thing that turned on my 'Spiderman' sense straight away. Was that sitting in a restaurant in a main shopping street in Dublin on a Saturday in summer. The street was suddenly very quiet. The next sound that I remember was the sounds of hundreds of feet running in the center of the street. And followed after by the sound of rubber bullets and real gun fire going off. None of these sounds were normal. They were 'out of place'.
Bass that live in lakes are pretty used to the sound and presence of bass boats. And the lures they tend to throw from those boats. And what happens in fishing, is that using the tapered monofilament leader. The lure or bait tends to arrive into the environment of the fish. In a different way. Than if it were thrown using normal tackle. That can be a trigger, to activate the attention of the bass. In a different way, compared to normal tackle and lures. In the same sense, I thought about the anglers who fish using 'drop shot' systems in bass fishing. And in saltwater angling. There was another component that was used in fly fishing. It's called a leader ring, made by names such as Riverge (it makes fluorocarbon leaders and lines, which some anglers in Europe like to have). The competition anglers in the west of Ireland used it for a while. Amongst some other brands. I've used their leader ring components, which are a small stainless steel ring. That come in a few different sizes.
One of the things that I couldn't understand with conventional tackle angling. Was when the anglers figured out, they could terminate the ends of their fluorocarbon or monofilament main lines. Using a Riverge leader ring component at the end. They could then tie a short length of fluorocarbon from that leader ring. As far as a tungsten drop shot weight or something (my own preference I think, would be for a light strand of braid, perhaps doubled up and simply threaded through the leader ring). So you had this loop of lightweight braided line. And a couple of 'clacking' tungsten small weights threaded on the braided line loop. So now what you have at the end of your 'drop shot' system. Rather than a straight fluorocarbon leader line. You have a few strands of braided line instead. In green color or whatever color braid you wanted. Instead of having something that was stiff and tended to lift the drop shot bait above the bottom. In the way that a stiffer fluorocarbon 'drop shot' leader does. One could try to present the drop shot bait to the fish. In a way that was different.
I often thought about this with the 'drop shot' system. Because anglers look at drop shot-ing as a system. And they don't see many variations or adjustments with that system. Except for the length of the leader line, or the type of bait used on the drop shot hook. What I would recommend trying. Is to change the material used to make the 'leader' component for the drop shot. Using different materials. Such as braided line leaders for drop shot systems. Or monofilament leaders. Or fluorocarbon ones. They all have different properties when used as a drop shot leader (the obvious point, that with thin strands of braid used for drop shot leaders it gives the bait a different action than with fluorocarbon). For example, using the Riverge leader ring component, as termination to your main line. Fishing around areas of deep grass cover on the bottom. One could extend the leader down sufficient distance. In order to make the bait swim above the grass line. And at the same time, using the braided line as a drop shot leader. You can enable the bait to swim in and out of that grass cover. Why? Because now you have introduced more freedom of movement into your leader system.
@@BradleyHallmanFishing me and my team partner have been talking about this very thing. We been saying shop lines by diameters but we are not sure about the breaking strength per diameters mono vs florocarbon. Its been a topic in my boat for a few weeks.
Long story short without getting into the weeds to much here in the coments section. We were saying if back in the day you were using. .14 diameter lines for a technique and you switched to florocarbon would you expect the same strength line. We were thinking yes.
@@BradleyHallmanFishing when you was talking walking baits do you think dropping down to 14 lb test mono instead of a 17 or 20lb mono will it walk easier/wider and do you think mono absorbs water and it will get to where it slowly starts to sink
