Guest avid Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 Bank fishing was excellent this afternoon. Landed about 10 with less than half dinks. and two in the two pound class. Bank fishing by me is tough on line because of all the shorline cover. I broke off twice duirng hooksets with the 6 lb yo-zuri hybrid so generously supplied by RW when he graciously loaned me this excellent reel. My question is this. Is this line a poor choice for bank fishing because of poor abrasion resistance? would similar abraision occur with virtually any 6 lb line? Or should I stop being stupid and lazy and retie more frequently? Otherwise the line is MOST impressive. Casts beautifully, does not seem to retain memory, and maybe it's the quality of the stradic reel, but it definitly seems to twist less than any other line I can remeber using on a spinning reel. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted December 8, 2006 Super User Posted December 8, 2006 Avid, Man, that sucks! Maybe we can turn something bad into something useful. This thread brings up a helpful hint to all fishermen, but I don't want this to come across as just defending Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft. These comments apply to all brands. All equipment must be "matched." The breaking strength of any line should be compatible with the suggested guidelines of the rod. The drag should always be set at 25-33% of the line's test pound strength. When the line and the rod are "matched" neither should break. This particular brand is HIGHLY abrasive resistant which is one of its greatest attributes, especially when fishing the Rocks from Hell on the Tennessee River. Retieing is always important, but less so if you are catching fish as opposed to rocks. So, what is the problem? Number one, I think the line is #4 (8.5 lb test). I spooled it up for trout fishing on the White River, but I got a new Stella 1000 about that time and never used the Stradic. I don't think it has been used since ReelMech serviced it earlier this year. Number two, 8.5 lb test just fits into the minimum required strength for rods rated Medium Power. This line may simply be too light for your style of fishing and your hook-set specifically. Number three, I wish I had spooled up some #6 (11.9 lb test) and you probably would not be having problems. However, line breaking is TOTALLY unacceptable for anyone using any line. The line on the reel is not "old" ( the fluorocarbon composite lasts forever), but still, I think new line is the answer. You will never have any confidence in the line you are using and you will need it when Miss Florida is hooked up. I don't want to hear a story about the 10 lb monster that broke your line and got away! Quote
earthworm77 Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 Avid, I've been using the "Soft" down here and I have found it essential especially in clear water. It is not as strong as standard Hybrid but break offs are few and far between. Quote
Super User senile1 Posted December 8, 2006 Super User Posted December 8, 2006 I've used the hybrid soft on a couple of my reels since the beginning of summer and haven't had any problems with break-offs as well. After a period of time on the reel, I do notice some iritating memory, however. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted December 8, 2006 Super User Posted December 8, 2006 I have often used the phrase "virtually no memory in use." Storing the line, especially on smaller reels and for extended periods of time, results in coiling. If you troll the line the memory disappears immediately, otherwise it gradually straightens when you are fishing. Quote
Super User senile1 Posted December 8, 2006 Super User Posted December 8, 2006 I have often used the phrase "virtually no memory in use." Storing the line, especially on smaller reels and for extended periods of time, results in coiling. If you troll the line the memory disappears immediately, otherwise it gradually straightens when you are fishing. I have to agree with your description, RW. If it sits on a smaller reel for a few weeks, it does come off in tight coils. It does disappear after trolling it out. Quote
jb_from_texas Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 i tried this line (although not the soft version) after reading several good things here. My biggest and really only complaint is the memory. I expect some over time but this stuff was coiling the minute it was on the reel. It does straighten out if there is tension but when worming the slack line looks like a tight spring, coiled up the entire line. Did i get a bad spool or is the soft version that much better? Quote
justfishin Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 You are scaring me here gentlemen. Guide season starts up again in a few months and I was going to change over all my client rods to Yo-Soft. Now I am a little skeptical. I have guided the most razor sharp, rocky, nasty Susquehanna River in PA for over 16 years and only found one line that will take it. I know you are going to laugh but BPS Excel in green low vis #8 has been a real winner for me as well as a work horse and very inexpensive. I am talking the #8 test now, the #6 I have used in this line is terrible. You would not think that their would be a difference but, there is. When I use #6 ( personal use ) I use Super Silver Thread. I know, I know, BPS probably get new contracts from line makers and I have noticed that a couple of years its character changed but, all and all it has been great. One thing for sure. If you have a smaller spooled reel like a Stradic 2000 series you are going to get some coils if they sit in the warm house all week or it is in the -30's outside. I use Blakemore Reel Magic for this reason. It works. I hate to spool up a dozen stradics with line that is going to break when a 5lb smallie makes a run over the rocks. I backreel in this situation but, 90% of my clients can't do this. If they are depending on the drag and letting a big smallie run and the line breaks this is bad for buisiness. I am interested in this post so, I hope I get to read a lot of reviews. I have seen some of the other guides switch to other lines, there are about 15 of us whom are pretty close,and they always return to Excel. Looking forward to more post on this line. I just want to thank everyone for all I have read so far on fishing in general. It gives us all ideas to put in the hat and to form or own opinions. Great post. Quote
foul hooked Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 I had the same problem as Avid. I found that if I was lazy and just tied a sloppy palomar knot I would get some breakoffs. I started paying attention to my knots and the problem stopped. I find the YZUS to be very abrasion resistant. It handles cement bulkheads well. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted December 8, 2006 Super User Posted December 8, 2006 First of all, the Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft differs significantly from original formula. "In use" Ultra Soft has almost no memory. Second (Jim Blair), I assure you, this line is as resistant to abrassion as any line I have EVER used, including P-Line CXX and Trilene XT. I don't doubt that Susquehanna is "the most razor sharp, rocky, nasty" river environment in the country, but that's why you have all those beautiful brown fish! Believe me, some of the areas we fish on the Tennessee are just as tough. Third, a question about the strength of the line is what caused avid to start the thread, so let me address that again. Although I fish #4 on the river, I RECOMMEND #6 to most people because it is SIGNIFICANTLY stronger than #4. I have never been broken off by a fish using this line, but it is important to be able to break the line when you are hung up. Kind of a dilema, hun? That's the main reason I fish #4. Finally, With regard to your guide service: If your drag is set properly, you and your clients will rarely (never) lose a fish due to line failure. Also, you will only need to replace line as needed, it NEVER gets old. Quote
Vyron Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 Bank fishing is 100% braided line for me For spinning i go with 20lb Quote
justfishin Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 Thanks RoadWarrior. I am going to spool it on a half a dozen rods and give her a test. Yes, I loosen the drags on client rods. Personally I back reel them. I have heard that the Tenn. River is pretty bad as well. I am going to have to get some guys and make a trek one day to this river. Heck, I might as well leave some grey paint on a few rocks on the Tenn. from the old Jet Boat to mark my spots down there as well, lol. Any recommendations on where to fish this river? May your rods stay bent !!! Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted December 8, 2006 Super User Posted December 8, 2006 Vyron, How do you break it off when you need to? Quote
justfishin Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 Vyron, How do you break this stuff when hung up ? I fish a fast, furious river and hang ups are a pretty frequent problem. Like I said, and I apologize before hand, I do not like braid. Quote
Keithscatch Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 Guys, Is Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft and their original a Co-Polymer line? I ask because years ago my all time favorite line used to be Silver Thread AN40. For some reason when I was using it late 90's I didn't remember having any trouble. It sort of dissapeared from the market then came back on the market a while ago and I bought some more of it. To my dismay this line is crappy and nothing like it used to be. It coils horribly. The colder it is outside the worse the coils get. In the winter time in Texas I couldn't use it at all. It resembled the cord hanging off of a telephone. I fish a clear lake here called Ansin Garcia and was going to get Berkley Transition as recommended by a friend. That is a Flourocarbon line. But I have had hiddeous results with past Flourocarbon lines with line breaking on hooksets. So this Yo-Zuri might be worth a look. Oh, I also use Braid and when hung up I just pull hard untill the hook bends and I get it back ;D Quote
justtrying Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 my 2 pennies re: yo zuri all of my life, i've tended to "over kill." ..when i decided yz was my line of choice (at rw's rec) i bought LOTS of it. i even bought a soft sided cooler to keep the spools in. so, i've used most kinds of yz ..i even have yz hardcore. for avid's fishing, however, i strongly recommend Power Pro 10# (same dia as 2lb mono). i have my shakey head outfit rigged with it & it is GREAT! ...NO MEMORY, casts a mile & a half (you don't "Throw" it, you just aim & it flows off). it's strong enough to catch Very big fish (note my catch of yesterday - http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1165516695) ..plus the fact that you CAN break it off if necessary. yo zuri is great, i really like it, but, at times, braid IS the way to go. IMHO ronnie Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted December 8, 2006 Super User Posted December 8, 2006 Yo-Zuri Hybrid and Ultra Soft are a "bonded" nylon/ fluorocarbon blend. (P-Line Floroclear is coated). I think the main difference is in the component blend, Ultra Soft has more nylon and less fluorocarbon. The company does not specify exactly what their proprietary formula actually contains, so perhaps they are using a different nylon, too. justtrying, I agree! There is no "best" line, just "better" lines for certain applications and of course, our "favorites." Quote
Vyron Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 I always carry a glove with me but even if i pull hard i can break the line Quote
Valascus Posted December 8, 2006 Posted December 8, 2006 I agree with everything that has been said here about Yo-Soft. I use the #6 line recommended by RW. It is an excellent line that I have used ALL YEAR while bank fishing. The only break offs I have had were from hang ups, not fish. I fish some pretty gnarly areas in the shoreline cover dept. and do get hung up pretty regularly, but this is where the abrasion resistance of this line shines in my opinion. The line rubs against wood and sometimes rocks and still holds even the most energetic fish. A good example of how good the line is occurred while I was fishing backwaters of the Mississippi River over the summer with some friends. I had accidentally cast a Rapala DT-6 over a laydown and the line was draped through the branches pretty well. As I eased the crank towards the laydown to try to work it back through the branches a fairly large drum (in the 6-7 lb range) struck the bait. He immediately made a hard run directly for the bottom while the line was still firmly entangled in the branches. We eased the boat close to the laydown while I took up the slack in the line, with the fish fighting pretty hard to get free. The line never snapped. I was able to land the fish and retrieve my crank. After checking the line we continued following the shad schools. No more than 30 mins later I had hooked into this beast of a drum on the same line. Didn't trim off the parts that got entangled in the branches...I had just retied. He was easily 10lbs and fought much harder than the first making two hard runs to the bottom. The line did not give...something else did. The back treble on my DT-6 bent way outta shape during the fight with the fish. The line held beautifully. Now like RW said, I use a 6'6" BPS Bionic Blade MH rod that is rated for line weights between 6-17lbs that is paired with a Shimano Spirex SR2500RE. I have the drag as close to one third the breaking strength of the line as I can get. That particular rod, reel, line combo has done well for me. And the line has NEVER broke of from a fish. That being said, I think it is pretty important to pair the line you want to use with the correct rod that is made to handle said line. Makes the line that much better of a tool for you. Quote
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