steel vs flourocarbon experiment

[aquarium234]

I love the comment why do you think they invented mono if not for the fish....lol I pretty sure it got invented because we learned how to make plastic from oil.....lol, Before that it was gut string, or stiff wire, both have advanced in their offerings, some steel leaders are more flexible then the mono leaders now especially if  you go up to 100lbs strengths. When fishing gigantic bait I personally find steel vs mono has had no difference in catch rates. With small bait I go with flouro 30lb test. I have pretied leaders and replace them at any nick in the line. But giant baits after 10 years of playing with them, I'm staying with steel just easier to not have to retire them, and they extra weight seems to hold them better to the bottom. the lakes are full of pond scum and seaweed, and thats all a leader really looks like when I'm scuba diving. I fish bright yellow mono in the summer and never have had any reduction in fish catch vs my friends using flourocarbon lines. I can see where my line is easily and can play it better with the visiablilty and the fish must just think its pond scum as they have never shyed away from it. and a bright silver steel leader just gives that little bit of a shine to get those big pikes and tiger muskies attention :-). Fish with what you want, we each have our specialty. I have a friend who swears you can't catch fish with treble hooks.....and thats all I fish with so to each their own :-)

[jigmaster5]

i posted a reply earlier, but somehow it got deleted or it didn't take....so i'll try again...

1st of all thanks for doing the expt + posting your results!

i know some people would have liked to have seen 50%/50% fluoro/steel in case the 20% of steel traps just happened to be in a bad spot.

i'm surprised that pike didn't cut thru 20 lb fluoro more often....so i'm wondering if you used a long-shank hook or an oversized hook or were they mostly smaller pike?  did you have to re-tie after every fish?

[striper50trout]

Ouch man, just trying to poke fun on a topic that always comes up. My post was meant to be humorous no reason to get offended by it.hope you get bit off using fluoro.........im kidding.. tight lines

I didnt mean to make it sound that way, my bad

[mikez]

I love the comment why do you think they invented mono if not for the fish....lol I pretty sure it got invented because we learned how to make plastic from oil....

Yes that was me. I spoke too hasty on that point.
Mono was cheap and easy to make. A quick google search does not turn up any evidence that they were looking for low vis line, nor why they made it clear.
It is fairly evident that low vis was one of the advantages of clear line that helped make it popular.

I do believe floro was marketed specifically for it's low vis.

One thing I never realized before I got googling for this thread is how many guys want to argue against line shyness. Whenever the topic comes up in a fishing forum, more argue against line shyness and often more vehemently. Reading forums you get the impression some of us are idiots for believing in it and that we are in the minority. Which is weird because out on the water actually fishing, those guys are mostly using mono or floro leaders.

Species of fish makes a huge difference and I think the argument against line shyness mostly comes from bass and pike fishermen.

Conditions also make a huge difference as well. Pulling bass lures through the slop in stained water is situation where the line visibility does not matter.

I personally do believe fish are line shy at least sometimes. I don't worry about it when bass fishing although I always use a mono leader or main line. I don't bass fish enough or very seriously to know if it matters.

I fish trout more often and strongly believe they are line shy although I still choose mono over floro for price. I just use the lightest line practical.

In saltwater I believe stripers are moderately line shy and very much steel shy. Just looking around at the experienced anglers who avoid steel for stripers is a better indication than how many want to argue on line.

False albacore is the most obvious line shy fish I personally fish for and the only one I insist on floro 100%. The number of times I have been able to observe albies approach my flies or lures has me convinced. As does the universal practice of the hundreds of guys I fish next to each year. There's always that guy who shows up on the jetty with mono and/or heavier than normal line, either out of ignorance or obstinate. Those guys don't come back without making the change. Although it wouldn't surprise me if they'd still argue against it in a forum.

Using what your confident in is the key to success. 

[Tuma]

I have played around with many different types of leader material and I am not set on just one.  If we are just talking about hard water fishing with tip-ups or dead sticks it will change depending on the water clarity and desired species of fish.  With dirty water it is steel all the way for pike.  I am not that big of a fan of fluorocarbon because I have lost some big fish that have bit off.  But there are times when I think it did result in more fish biting (but that all depends on the water).

[stitch]

Hey papa im glad you put the effort forward and shared with us.i belive fish do get leader shy especialy hear in the berkshires where pike water is limited.good job papa ,do it for science.

[esox_xtm]

I caught a tiger with 2 other trebles in its mouth
1 had a broken steel leader.
And been broken off with steel myself.
Gotta play the fish with flooro can't just pull 15# + fish up by the leader. I also caught 30 musky on flooro

And this is relevant somehow? And if you misspell fluoro again I might implode...

FWIW, steel, at least what I fish with, is still a "finesse" leader. There's no hooking it to the winch on your truck or ATV and hauling it out the hole. I've seen 40# wire by guys trying to haul a fish out the hole by the leader. Broken steel suggests to me that the sucker on the other end has no idea what they're doing. Broken leaders, line or rods with line still on the spool indicates an individual that doesn't check for nicks in lines/leaders, cracks in rod guide inserts or just don't know how to play a fish regardless of what kind of tackle is used.

Next...

[fordman]

Definently interesting but Ill be more impressed when you post one over 20lbs on flouro.  Id also agree that the experiment wasn't fair.  No surprise you caught 80% of the fish on flouro.

this was caught on fluoro
Never got a weight. She went back in fast

[lowaccord66]

Headless angler pike.  This blocking background crap is getting insane.

[THE JIGGER]

Headless angler pike.  This blocking background crap is getting insane.

Jon
it could be the headless horseman.

[lowaccord66]

Jon
it could be the headless horseman.

Im gonna take some images from google of pike caught...photoshop them and say steel!

[DR.SPECKLER]

Head could be up the pikes ass!lol

[esox_xtm]

I've said all I'm gonna...

[DR.SPECKLER]

I've said all I'm gonna...

i don’t believe you.lol

[lowaccord66]

I've said all I'm gonna...

Come on...you cant stop.

[fordman]

I've said all I'm gonna...

common can't spell fluoro and you think I  can photoshop. Real fish and fluoro

[SalmonAndStriper Stalker]

Im gonna take some images from google of pike caught...photoshop them and say steel!

can you put them on a tropical island as well

[lowaccord66]

can you put them on a tropical island as well

Sky is the limit.  I looked for the "floor" line...couldnt find it so steel it is.

[fordman]

I'm so good at photoshopping I added a little snow on the last trip

[fordman]

I've said all I'm gonna...

don't stop you make great post

[fordman]

Back to the original subject the last 3 years of my ice fishing for pike and tigers has put larger fish for me my self and l much larger fish on the ice with fluoro. Just my 2 cents not try to piss anyone off. Papa thanks for getting me to bullcrap

[striper50trout]

I'm so good at photoshopping I added a little snow on the last trip

Looks like a cool hike in to your spot. What state are you in?
 Ive been meaning to hit some remote spots in the white mountains for brookies that look similar to those trails.

[striper50trout]

Headless angler pike.  This blocking background crap is getting insane.

Nice looking pike though. Lol Most fishermen ruin the pic anyways

[striper50trout]

Floorow, floorough, floor-o, floro > steal, stihl, steele

[SalmonAndStriper Stalker]

I like to use stihl leaders for my pike fishing

[fordman]

Looks like a cool hike in to your spot. What state are you in?
 Ive been meaning to hit some remote spots in the white mountains for brookies that look similar to those trails.

ny

[sebago2jigtima]

I like to use stihl leaders for my pike fishing

[PikeKing23]

Like that pic

[lowaccord66]

Back to the original subject the last 3 years of my ice fishing for pike and tigers has put larger fish for me my self and l much larger fish on the ice with fluoro. Just my 2 cents not try to piss anyone off. Papa thanks for getting me to bullcrap

My tiger in steel is larger than yours on floor.  At the end of the day thats all that matters!   

[Jschumacher]

After seeing a friend of mine get cut off on #50 floro. I'll stick with the steel.