skeletor6

Can someone school me on some Mono? I know quite a bit about FC and Braid, but I am lost when it comes to mono due to lack of research. I am looking to put this on my jerkbait/topwater/crankbait rod and I would like to know the pros and cons of Seaguar Senshi and Trilene XL. They both do not seem too expensive and I will probably using 10lb for the task. Thanks! ~Skel

I used the line and have found some pros and cons in regards to its usage. Pros Price (this stuff is CHEAP!) Strength (very strong line) Knot Strength (haven't had any breakoffs) Versatility (can be used for many applications) Usage (Although I now use other line, this still remains a great spinnerbait line for me because of its strength) Cons Manageability & Memory (I found it coiled, and did not lay as flat on my spool as I would have liked) Sensitivity (this varies between individuals, but the line felt rather dead to me compared to mid to high grade fluoros) Longevity (I felt I had to replace the line too much, but then again, its so cheap it does not break the bank) Conclusion: This line is great for someone on a budget who does not have a lot of setups. It is very versatile and can do pretty much anything you want it to. It is extremely strong so you can use smaller diameters to accomplish the same tasks. Also, I found it great to use for spinnerbaits as I don't want to go out and buy 15lb fluoro, and the 12lb YZH has plenty of strength to pull a 3/4oz spinnerbait around. Crankbaits are also something that can be used too. Also, I am now using high grade fluorocarbon, so it is not a really fair comparison as the price ranges are not even close. Although I have parted with the line for most of my usage, it still has a place for using spinnerbaits and I could see it being a good choice for those looking for a highly versatile line who are on a budget. I do not recommend getting low grade FC, and this is a good option if you are on that kind of budget, do not like braid, and are looking for an alternative. Its performance is much better than cheap FC IMHO. NOTE: Take my information FWIW. It is just my experiences with the line (YZH 12lb).$12 for 600yards of some decent line is tough to beat. I know many people on the forum have a limit to what they can spend, its a good way to get a lot of line for cheap. Also, it saves a lot of lures with its strength which also saves $.

What is more important to look at is Inches Per Turn or IPT. I agree with the other members that 6.4:1 is the most versatile of the Gear Ratios concerning the main three are 5.X:1, 6.X:1, 7.X:1 6.4:1 will have more torque than a 7:1 gear ratio. Nontheless, there won't be a large difference especially if the IPT's are within a few inches of each other.

Braid is going to act much different than yozuri. I have found it strengths are for heavy weedy/grassy applications and for frogging. I have used Suffix, Powerpro and Daiwa Samurai. They are ranked in the following order PP < 832 < Samurai. I found a large jump in performance when I switched to samurai. The line is special and is my favorite braid thus far. I do have some seaguar Kanzen that I will be trying out and it is likely going to be a strong competitor with Samurai. Daiwa Samurai is closer to the price range of 832 and for only a few bucks more on eBay you can have a line that I consider superior to 832. For reference, I removed a few hundred yards off a few spools of 832 just so I could convert to samurai. I still have brand new 832 that will not be used, because Samurai is that much better IMHO. On a completely different note, a fluorocarbon will act more similar to Yozuri but will be much better if you are fishing sinking techniques. The line casts great in the wind, does not belly and has great abrasion resistance. For the same price as 832 you can get FC sniper/ Seaguar invizx or abrazx, and for less BPS Fluoro. All of these will give you an overall greater feel as braid transmits sensitivity fantastic, but only on a tight line. Overall feel is higher on Fluoro. Not trying to start a debate, you just opened up the option of choosing a line to replace YZH. I recommend a mid-grade or better FC. I understand it is not for everybody and most people on this forum prefer braid so If you choose braid I would spend the $25 and get Samurai, you won't be disappointed.

He's been saying this for quite some time. I bought some per Hooligan's recommendations and I am very thankful for it. I own both Shooter and Tatsu. Shooter does not have the phenomenal handling that Tatsu does, it is a much stiffer line with less stretch. Thus, it will be slightly more sensitive, but taking into account all of the qualities that one looks for in a fluorocarbon line; Tatsu easily wins across the board scoring high markings for everything you would look for. Also, Sunline does not control all of the manufacturing processes and Seaguar does, this leads to very consistent lines. I was told Seaguars diameters are within millionths of an inch diameter of each other...Phenomenal. For all that think Tatsu is way overpriced. You should take into account that this line has much longer longevity. This alone cuts the price down and people who spend $300+ on their rod/reel combinations, why would you cheap out on your line? The line is very important for a number of reasons and not something that should be overlooked.

Balance depends on the rod, reel, and how you grip the rod/reel combination. A balanced combination will feel lighter than one that is out of balance. When deciding if a combo is balanced it is fairly simple. While holding horizontal, does the tip feel heavy and like it wants to pulll down? Does it feel butt heavy and that the reel tip floats up? Or is it completely level in your hand? Usually, perfect balance is not achieved, but the main advantage to a balanced rod is that it will feel lighter and cause less fatigue. Perception of balance usually changes because of how an individual grips the reel. Hand placement can change the fulcrum, or the point of balance and grip pressure can determine the degree to which one feels a rod is out of balance. This is usually why people will say how the rod/reel combo feels to you in your hands.

This is definitely possible. Choose a nice 10lb mono and it is perfect for jerkbaits, topwaters, spooks etc. You really won't be sacrificing anything, that is my line of choice for those techniques.

A very nice rod at a great price indeed. But that will have way too stiff of a tip and be too powerful for dropshotting. Given the price though I would take it over an avid in a heartbeat even if it did not fit what I was looking to do perfectly. Junkyard, go to the bargain room and pick up Daves suggestion. At worst, you sell the rod and make a profit, that rod is two series above an avid and is comparable to a glx.

I know the crucials are good drop shot rods. Actually, the old cork grip crucials I prefer, but ive heard great things about the new version too. Id say save up and get the crucial. The sensitivity added will be worth it.

Go with trilene 100% instead of vanish. Unless you can spend some more money a get a mid-grade fluoro.

I prefer a Shimano Cumara for your price range. You can find one for $150 fairly easy. Some people are stealing them for less. . The 6'8'' MXF, or 7'2'' MXF are solid choices.

Good choice with the 2500 size, that is what I was going to recommend. Furthermore, I would go with the 723, it should be more versatile fishing as a medium rod as opposed to a light powered 722.

Propulsion line management system and x-ship is where my money would go. Reels without feel far inferior in casting and smoothness imho.

Yes it will, you will need more breaks on and a more talented thumb. Since the spool will spin more freely and faster it is more prone to get spinning too fast which is the main cause of a backlash. You probably wont see huge differences in casting distance but it will be easier and require less effort to cast similar distances as it did without the bearing upgrades.

Looks like you took your infatuation with lews a step further with the "teams". Slick looking setups BTW

Lets see... Rods 1.) Green NRX 893c 2.) Blue NRX 822SYR 3.) Shimano Cumulus 7'1" MHXF 4.) Shimano Cumara CUSDX72M Reels 1.) Shimano Chronarch 50mg 2.) Shimano Stradic 2500fj 3.) Shimano Stradic 2500 Ci4 In Michigan theres nothing else to do but buy gear. No ice fishing for me.

Inspect your line very closely water likes to freeze on braid and frozen water is sharp. Braid is not very abrasion resistance so look for possible places where it got scraped or damaged. If no areas present, keep your line on. Braid lasts an incredibly long time in most circumstances.

Shimano Sellus is also around $50 I have a 7' MH Berkley Lightning Shock Rod. It hauled in 10lb catfish full of muck weeds into a pontoon and held up fine. I have not heard many question the reliability of these rods. If anything, I have read of more Abu's breaking, especially the Veritas series. Search "Veritas Break" and you will find many cases. People usually beat up sub $100 rods, so the reliability of said rods is hard to accurately predict. For every case of a Berkley breaking I am sure you can find one of an Abu breaking. Do not steer away from the Berkley because of such an issue. Grab perhaps a Vengeance, a Sellus, and a Lightning shock & mount them to your reel and choose which one feels the best in your hand and fits how much you can and are willing to spend.

I overlooked that you were using an ugly stick in my first response. The rod's properties are somewhat what you would look for in a dropshot rod, but ugly sticks are plain out dead and insensitive. Without a doubt save up $100 go online and order the Fenwick Elite Tech SMallmouth 6'9'' ML/F off of Amazon. You will get 2 day shipping and you will have a very light and sensitive dropshot rod to go with your Solstace. This rod fishes more like a $150+ rod and you will be very pleased with its performance. It blows away every Sub $100 rod out there or at BPS. 6 or 8lb fluoro will work fine. Seaguar Invizx would be my choice.

Yeah it says that it is built for superlines, but I fished Trilene 100% and it worked just fine. GIven the lack of sensitivity in this rod, I might be inclined to use braid. I am a die hard fluoro guy though.

Yeah you can get by fishing a lot of techniques with this rod. Its more of a moderate fast action, but you can throw spinners fish t-rigs and jigs in mild cover...its not like your comparing it to a high dollar rod. When I had mine I needed it to cover techniques outside its range and it did the job. Did you get the 7 foot? I recommend that over the 6'6"

Second this. The previous cumaras are exceptional rods.They can be had really ccheap too.

Go 6 or 8lb line. The slower actioned rod should have a softer tip and be alright for dropshotting. Your reel is also fine too.i use a 2500 size shimano for the technique. Go out and try it to see if it's good enough for your tastes.

You do not need a large foregrip to do this either. It is an excellent tip to help balance out tip heavy spinning reels. As far as the lightest weight combo, that will depend very much on the length. The OP mentioned 6'6'', If there is a 6'6'' cumulus I would bet on that. Reels such as the Shimano 50mg's, MGX extremes, and other sub 6 ounce reels fit the bill. How I see it, if you are under 10 ounces with a rod of medium power or higher you have a substantially light combo. I don't buy into the balance idea as much as some others when dealing with these super light combos. If its a 15oz combo vs a 13oz combo, perhaps balance matters more than weight, but dealing with sub 10oz combos a little tip heavy is hardly noticeable and those weight savings usually result in increased sensitivity. Something I value more.

There are tradeoffs with all the mid-priced seaguar lines. Red label, invizx, abrazx all have properties that are give and take. Red-label is going to stretch less than invizx, but be less manageable. I recommend Invizx in that price range for spinning gear just because of its manageability. Fluorocarbon often puts people off because of its performance in that aspect, invizx is a great handling line. As far as the relationship between manageability and diameter goes, the higher lb test fluorocarbon, the less manageable the line is. It gets stiffer and the memory is higher. There won't be a large difference between 6 and 8lb line, but if you fish 20lb fluoro vs 12lb you'll get the idea. I would not worry too much about the starting cost of FC. Its a buy once cry once sort of deal. You can put 50 yards on at a time, get 4 spools out of it and that makes Tatsu cost $10 a spool and the mid-priced seaguar's less than $5. I have not fished red-label so I cannot give really good feedback on how well it fishes on spinning gear, maybe someone else can chime in?, but my recommendation would be to order invizx in that price range. If you want a stiffer line I would probably step up up to FC Sniper. If you want the best properties of all fluoro's in one line....that's Tatsu.