Fishing Line Query

Recently, thinking that my mono-line was getting old and maybe needed replacement, I bought the most-expensive-new-thing-that-was-on-the-shelf:  Berkeley "Fireline"......which is offered in two models: "Crystal" and "Red"....I bought "Crystal."

Well, yesterday I went fishing with my new line and the "Crystal" did not become anything like "invisible" when immersed in water.....it stood out like a chalkline.   I caught bass but only very small (inexperienced??) ones in an area that just reeked of HUGE Monster-bass.

My first thought was that:   "Man.....I'm gunna throw this stuff away and go back to standard mono."

My second thought was:   "But......this new line (which is a varient of generic 'stren' material) has some very fine qualities.   Most important is that it "lays" on the drum of a spinning reel far better than mono.   

As you know, spinning reels put one full 360-degree "twist" in line for every time the bail does a complete "wind" on the drum.   When the line is cast out...all of those "twists" un-twist.   It's just the nature of the "SpinningReel" beast.   

But this "stren-type" line (being a multi-strand-woven-product) handles those twists way way better than mono (a homogeneous solid-fiber that resists twists)...
and the bottom line is, that anything that lays well on a spinning reel drum...HAS A LOT GOING FOR IT.

And proof-of-the-pudding.....this new line CASTS.....like a dream.

So......my most-recent-thinking...
And......my query-to-you.......

Maybe I should keep the Berkeley "Fireline" on my reel and just "piece it out" with say, 6-10-feet of mono-leader...????....     

D'u think that 6-10 feet of mono at the END OF A HIGHLY VISIBLE LINE....would have the same "total-invisibility" effect of...100% mono line?

And Query:   Did I buy the wrong kind (crystal) of line???   Should I have bought the "RED" variety???

D'u think that I only got those small fish because the bigger-smarter ones were seeing the line?

One of the most corrosive things that can attack a fisherman is DOUBT ABOUT THE ADEQUACY OF HIS EQUIPMENT. 

Right now I've got serious doubts.....and serious uncertainty whether just adding 10-feet of mono leader will "do the trick"....

Or....should I throw this expensive new stuff away and just go straight back to high-quality mono?????

Judd

jwsmith,

Although I don't use the Berkley crystal line, I have been using Hi-Vis braid for all my bass fishing. I do use a 6' leader but my feeling is that bass are more turned off by feel than sight of the line. The thicker, stiffer the line is the more it turns of the bass. I use 10 lb braid with a 10 lb mono leader and I am sure the fish can see my leader just fine. But I don't think it makes them wary at all. Manufacturers make claims of invisibility to their lines but I am sure the bass can see them. Why use the leader you ask? Because braid is easily cut by the sharp rocks that I fish in.

The fact is this, even when using 6 lb fluorocarbon line, I found that the fish would manage to rap around the line on my second pole every time if I let the second line in the water. They will seek it out without any problems. So I stopped buying fluro for good.

I fish w/braided line and DO use a FLUROCARBON LEADER MATERIAL (2.5-3ft)as a leader(best for anti nicking and low-visibility)   some guys tie a UNI-TO-UNI knot to attach a leader to a mainline w/o the need of a swivel.  it works too.
Keep that $$tuff and top it off with a lighter leader

i use braided all the time if im finesse fishing i always use a florocarbon leader attached uni to uni knot, but if im fishing reaction type bait or of the water is real dirty i just tie strait on to the braid imo using a leader is only required when the water is super clear and your finnesing the bass other then that i tie strait on and have never had a prob catching fish

I agree wit cha.  Clearwater=fluro    dirty water= straight to lure/hook

In addition to being very limp and castable with a spinning reel, you should notice a marked improvement in sensitivity with spectra line since, unlike mono, there is virtually no stretch to the stuff. 

I don't do much bass fishing, but I'm a big fan of spectra for the majority of my fishing these days, and I also top it off with a mono or fluoro leader for situations where I am either concerned about line abrasion or about visibility of the line.

EK

 I don't know anything about the "crystal" line your using, but I wonder if you were using in the wrong waters?  Perhaps it's designed for "stained" waters?  Don't know, just a thought.

Troy

You definitely want to use a mono leader with braid. Use whatever type of mono the situation requires. For rockfishing, I use a 10ft topshot of Berk Big Game. But bass fishing only requires about 3-5ft of mono. I like the uni-to-uni knot. Or a surgeons loop type of knot.
And you don't have to use the same weight mono as the braid. For example, I'll use 20lb power pro braid for bass and top it off with 8 or 10lb mono. Usually Spiderwire XXX suupermono because it is strong and abrasion resistant (although kinda stiff...but that doesn't matter when only using 3-5ft of it). I only use flouro for steelhead or trout in gin clear water. Flouro is not biodegradable so you should only use a few feet at a time...no need to fill your spool with the stuff.

Another good reason to use a mono leader is for the shock-absorbtion property of mono. This helps you from ripping the lure/hook out of the fish's mouth. This is especially good for somebody like me who likes to play Bill Dance on the hookset! IF I tie braid directly to my lures (especially true with plastics w/embedded hooks), I miss a lot of fish because I get excited and set the hook too hard...BAMMM!

I plan to get some Fireline Crystal eventually. Although, I mainly wanted it because its supposed to be "clear" braid. But I sure as heck won't buy any if it looks like the third-base chalk line!
PK