Mono vs. Fluoro [We Finally Settled The Debate!]
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
Can this ONE video change the leader line you buy for the rest of your life?!
We love testing things to see what’s true and what’s not.
This video is all about leader line.
Don’t miss this one!
Mono vs. Fluoro [VIDEO]
Get Seaguar Fluorocarbon Leader
High-priced lines lead you to believe they are more abrasion resistant, they are stronger, and invisible underwater because that’s what all the marketing claims.
We’re going to test all THREE factors in today’s test and then you can be the judge.
Leader Line Basics
Why do you even need leader line in saltwater fishing?
First, abrasion resistance.
Leader line attaches directly to your hooks and lures which is where abrasion occurs most.
You also want leader line that is not visible to the fish.
Braid into leader is absolutely the way to go for inshore saltwater fishing.
Abrasion Test
Luke started out depending 100% on fluorocarbon leader.
He then realized he was losing out on a lot of snook.
They have tough jaws that are prone to rubbing through leader line.
The assumption then was to use a thicker leader line to prevent this.
Turns out, that isn’t necessarily true.
In this abrasion test, we put 15lb monofilament leader against 20lb fluorocarbon leader.
The reason for the difference in the two lines is because fluorocarbon is almost always thinner in diameter.
If even after this test you still want to rely on fluorocarbon, we would recommend to buy the bulk spools.
Knot Strength
In our previous knot strength tests, the 20lb fluorocarbon did beat the 15lb monofilament.
Additionally, we debunked another inshore fallacy – using saliva to cinch down knots.
All knots without added saliva performed better than those with saliva.
Invisibility
Neither mono or fluoro are truly invisible.
The science behind fluorocarbon being ‘invisible’ is that the material is a bit denser.
Meaning it’s density is a bit closer to that of water which is supposed to take away the refraction of light.
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
I am doing my science fair project and i need to find out what type of wood and sandpaper you guys used in the video. If possible please get back to me.
Hey Jacob, I’m sorry to report that I cannot remember the details on that assembly because I built it about 8 years ago. All materials were bought at a Home Depot store. For the sandpaper, I just felt the ones they had and went with the one that felt most similar to the rough texture of the lips of a snook. And for the wood, I just went with the least expensive option in the pre-cut wood section.
Could you upscale your testing to say 60lb test? I’d like to see if there is a scale factor to the differences. 80lb floro vs 60lb mono seems like a big difference even though they are roughly the same size.
You guys ate awesome!
The test may cover some fish’s teeth. However, it doesn’t test sharp things like a gill plate cover of a snook, the cutting action of a tarpon’s jawbone, large barnacles, oyster shells or the sharp teeth of something like a mackerel, in my opinion.
great infomation. always learning something new!!!
where can I buy the bulk spools of mono leader as you showed on this episode. I can’t find it anywhere local to me. Sebastian Fl.
We have some in our online tackle store: https://fishstrong.com/products/ande-premium-monofilament-bulk-spool?_pos=2&_sid=6ae9e1a3b&_ss=r&variant=42733959774382
Great informative and interesting video! Thanks and keep them coming!
great information thanks
Back to mono.
Thanks for clearing up the facts of choosing line.