I tried some Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon earlier in the year. The line snaps a few feet from the hook every time I have a fish. Has anybody found a fluoro that doesn't do this? Is Gamma a good choice?

From my experience and by reading those of others, any other fluorocarbon line is better than Vanish. I use XPS and don't feel that I need to try any others.

Yo-Zuri Hybrid and Hybrid Ultra Soft are a bonded (not coated) fluorocarbon/nylon blend. They are not a perfect match to the refraction index of water, but they are stealthy. If you set your drag properly, you will not be broken off by a fish.

I used 1 spool of 6lb Gamma Edge all season long and NEVER broke off a fish. I mainly used it on a drop shot rod and drop shotting smallies in Lake Erie. Also used it for largies in a variety of situations, mostly 10, 12, 16 lb tests. The only line I have any more confidence in is braid.

Lake Erie is infested with zebra mussells which will trash line in no time. I landed several fish with nicks in my line.

Gamma is a little pricey compared to other floro lines but well worth it imho.

And, X2 to roadwarriors comment about properly setting the drag!

Hi,

I fish with 8lb Seaguar Inviz-X on my spinning gear without any issues at all. I skip docks with this line with no break offs. I have nothing good to say about Vanish after witnessing this line snap several times on open water smallmouth.

I like Berkley Trilene Fluorocarbon.  It has worked great for me so far.  

I tried some Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon earlier in the year. The line snaps a few feet from the hook every time I have a fish. Has anybody found a fluoro that doesn't do this? Is Gamma a good choice?

Good fluorocarbon cost $$$$$$, just compare the price and quantity of line you get when you purchase a spool of Vanish vs a spool of let 's say Sniper ( just to mention a brand ).

The Vanish had nicks in the line after the first few times I threw it. I don't need to respool the line after every fishing trip. So the more $ I spend the more durable the line is?

So the more $ I spend the more durable the line is?

All of the money you spend on rod, real, lures, and boat & gas if you have one, is pointless if your line fails. Don't skimp on line.

Segar InvisX is another Floro line some of guys on here and I trust. Yes its pricey.

Durability is not the only quality of importance. Unfortunately durable and castable work against each other.

Durable (knot strength, abrasion resistance, Lb test)

Castable (limp, thin)

Invisible (thin, water refraction index and / or color)

Sensitivity (stretch, thin, density)

There are other things that can be considered too, but these 4 things seam to be the primary concerns when first becoming familiar with a line.

The only link between you and the fish is the line ------> don 't purchase "EL CHEAPO" !!!!!!!

i've never really had too many problems with Vanish..

Vanish is not a terrible line, but it's not great.  I used it quite a bit before I knew about different flouro options, and it was ok.  I never had problems with it breaking.  However, it's not particularly strong, not very manageable, and the worst part: it's not very sensitive.  

I haven't tried too many flouro-type brands, including the bond-type combos, but the three I've become very familiar with are Vanish, P-Line flouroclear, and Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultrasoft.  Ultrasoft  is way better for what I'm looking for in a line.  It's probably less stealthy than the other two I mentioned (but that's not to say it's not stealthy), but it's stronger, thinner, and noticeably more sensitive.  However, it is less manageable than P-Line, and about as manageable as Vanish (maybe a little more than Vanish).  It's definitely stronger and more abrasion-resistant than the other two.

So my review:

Vanish: not bad, not too manageable, quite stealthy, not too sensitive, relatively strong (I still use it for leader sometimes with no issues).

P-Line: the softest flouro I've used, most manageable, but the least sensitive, and also quite stealthy.

Yo-Zuri: not too manageable, not as stealthy as 100% flouro, but very sensitive.

I can't speak for Gamma or Seguar, but I hear they're really good, and I'll definitely try those after ice-out.

So if you're looking for stealth and manageability, P-Line flouroclear is good, but you'll sacrifice sensitivity and abrasion resistance.

If you're looking for stealth and value (I think Vanish is cheaper than P-Line and Ultrasoft right?), go with Vanish.  It's not a bad line.

If sensitivity and strength are more important than manageability and stealth, go with Ultrasoft.  This is where my preference lies.