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Fluorocarbon fishing lines have been sold for more than fifty years. Once only used as a heavy-duty saltwater leader material, fluoro has become increasingly popular among many anglers for multiple fishing styles.
Choosing the right fluorocarbon line is best narrowed down to a few consistent manufacturers. Do not let cost compromise your choice; focus on quality and your application first.
In this guide, I will cover the top-quality options available in the United States and Europe.
Why Use A Fluorocarbon Line?
The primary reason anglers use fluorocarbon is its low visibility in the water, which provides a subtle presentation of bait for pickier fish and those that spook easily. This is especially true during the sunny months and dry periods when the water is clear due to the lack of rain entering rivers and lakes. In saltwater, sunny skies and calmer seas scare fish due to predator fish and unnatural elements such as fishing lines, tackle, and anglers.
In addition, several other vital properties make fluoro line an excellent hook-length material. It is popular with carp anglers as a mainline due to its ability to sink without back leads. It is also a great alternative to lead-core leaders because of its hard-wearing characteristics.
Due to its greater sensitivity and less stretch than nylon, bass anglers have migrated to using it as a mainline or short leader when spinning and baitcasting.
Lastly, since fluoro is less visible, it makes an excellent alternative to using wire traces for jerk baiting.
Pros of Fluoro:
- Less visible in the water
- Low memory
- Good abrasion resistance
- Sinks naturally, braid and mono float
- High strength vs. diameter ratio
- Excellent knot strength
Cons of Fluoro:
- It is more expensive than mono
- Slightly stiff
What Is A Copolymer Fluoro?
A copolymer fluoro is a hybrid line that uses a mono as the baseline coated with a fluoro outer. So, what are the differences before we jump into the best options? First, a copolymer is not quite as stiff and supple as a true fluorocarbon. Still, more importantly, its higher strength vs. diameter is the key reason anglers switch to a copolymer.
Certain benefits of fluoro, in my opinion, get degraded when choosing to use the copolymer hybrid option. The outer coating can erode faster or get knicked, leaving an exposed nylon line that won’t perform as well over an extended period. Cost-wise, copolymers are 10 to 30% cheaper than the original fluoro.
The first four on my list are true 100% fluorocarbon lines, and the last three (Runcl, Saplize, and KastKing) are copolymers.
My 7 Best Fluoro Picks
- Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Fishing Line – My Best Value For Money Pick!
- Seaguar Blue Label Fluorocarbon Leader Line – My Best Leader Pick!
- X Line Fluorocarbon Mainline – My Best Carp Fishing Pick!
- Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon Fishing Line – My Best Overall Pick!
- RUNCL PowerFluoro Fishing Line – My Best Fluoro/Copolymer Pick!
- SAPLIZE Fluorocarbon Coated Nylon Fishing Line – My Best Budget Pick!
- KastKing FluoroKote Fishing Line – My Most Versatile Pick!
Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Fishing Line – My Best Value For Money Pick!
Berkley Vanish is the top-selling 100% fluorocarbon line in the U.S. and Canada. Although it has been around for over 15 years, it is still a great value, middle-range performance line. Typically, it’s used as a mainline but is also effective as a leader. It has good knot strength and casts well, just as most others. Berkley has a trademarked, non-absorbing design, which keeps the line stronger and longer and holds its abrasion-resistant in the water.
While it’s not a premium option, its versatility for all types of fishing means it is an excellent choice for beginners.
Key Attributes:
- Color patterns: Clear – Vanish.
- Spool length: Awesome range from 110 to 2000 yards.
- Breaking strains are available for all fishing ranges from 2 to 60 lbs. Performs excellent in freshwater, saltwater, and surf fishing.
- The cost for a 250-yard, 10lbs breaking strain spool is around $15.50
- It is also available in mini pocket packs of 20 to 50 yards.
Seaguar Blue Label Fluorocarbon Leader Line – My Best Leader Pick!
Kureha Corporation was the original manufacturer of the first fluorocarbon lines in 1971, and the brand named the line “Seaguar.” This Japanese company does not make a monofilament line and only focuses on its core range of fluoro products, making them a world leader. Blue Label is a premium leader line with a high price and high performance.
Leaders made with fluorocarbon can be tied to a braid or mono mainline to make the last few feet of the line near your bait less visible; fish such as trout will shy away from a lure or bait when they see any visible line. Seaguar is known for its impact and abrasion resistance and is particularly important when fishing flats or rocky saltwater scenarios. I find it easy to tie strong, solid knots without too much trouble, even with the larger line diameters of over 50 lbs.
Seaguar spends a lot of effort conducting research and development in their factories and owns several patents and proprietary secrets, such as their “double structure technology.”
Key Attributes:
- Color patterns: Clear – invisible
- Spool Length: Sufficient for a leader from 25 to 100 yards
- Breaking strains are available for all fishing ranges from 2 to 60 lbs.
- Performs great in freshwater and saltwater. An allrounder for any leader.
- The cost for a 25-yard, 10lbs breaking strain spool is around $10.00
X Line Fluorocarbon Mainline – My Best Carp Fishing Pick!
X Line Fluorocarbon is one of the best-known fluoro lines and is a popular choice for carp anglers. X Line is a company that specializes only in fluoro. Its more suited for casting distances up to 80 yards and works exceptionally well when fishing in the margins.
When carp fishing at 50 yards or long distances, I find the stretch balance with the greater sensitivity combination improves my strike rate. The line is known for its overall consistency, and its sinking ability allows carp anglers a more direct, straight link from the reel to the bait.
The price is slightly higher than other fluorocarbon lines, but the X line has created a niche market for carp and specimen hunters in the United Kingdom despite the higher cost.
Key Attributes:
- Color patterns: Clear – invisible
- Spool Length: from 110 to 656 yards
- Breaking strains are available for mid-range fishing from 6 to 40 lbs.
- Performs great in freshwater, especially for carp.
- The cost for a 273-yard, 10lbs breaking strain spool is around $20.50
Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon Fishing Line – My Best Overall Pick!
Sunline Super FC Sniper is another quality line from Japan and is a fluoro with a “twist” and a different design. It has a triple resin coating, which provides an even softer line. The suppleness allows good knot strength and solves the issue of fluoro being considered too stiff for many anglers.
Sniper is best used for fishing in all heavy cover areas such as weeds and rocks. If you are a serious bass fisherman, I recommend trying out a spool of FC Sniper. This line is focused on the more finesse fishing styles at lower breaking strains, using lighter gear.
Sunline has a good presence in the US, with its American headquarters based in Torrance, California, and is a high-quality brand. It is a premium fluoro and therefore sold at a higher price.
Key Attributes:
- Color patterns: The only fluoro with multiple choices. Clear – invisible, Green, and pink/yellow/orange BMS combo.
- Spool Length: Good range from 165 to 1200 yards.
- Breaking strains are available for mid-range fishing from 5 to 20 lbs.
- Sniper is an excellent choice for spin fishing.
- The cost for a 200-yard,10lbs breaking strain spool is around $24.00
RUNCL PowerFluoro Fishing Line – My Best Fluoro/Copolymer Pick!
Runcl Power Fluoro is my first hybrid line on the list of recommendations and my best pick for the copolymer option. It has a copolymer inner with a fluorocarbon coating. The core gives the traditional strength, flexibility, and reduced memory you expect in a fluoro. As a copolymer, it’s cheaper than Fluoro with a mid-price range. If budget is a big factor for you, I recommend Power Fluoro, an excellent value-for-money option.
The fluorocarbon outer coating still achieves outstanding shock strength and abrasion resistance. Runcl is a seven-year-old company from Colorado and prides itself in its management team being all anglers!
Key Attributes:
- Color patterns: Clear
- Spool Length: Good range from 300 to 1000 yards
- Breaking strains are available for mid-range fishing from 5 to 32 lbs.
- Performs well in both freshwater and saltwater.
- The cost for a 300-yard, 10lbs breaking strain spool is around $12.00
SAPLIZE Fluorocarbon Coated Nylon Fishing Line – My Best Budget Pick!
Saplize Fluorocarbon-coated nylon is a popular choice for US and European anglers. It is another hybrid fluoro constructed with a monofilament core and fluoro coating. This combo makeup makes the anti-shockproof a key plus point. Like all good fluoro features, it has high abrasion resistance, low memory, and is lightweight.
As with the FC Sniper line, Saplize is focused on the lower breaking strain lines and, therefore, best used in freshwater fishing for most species using lightweight gear. I don’t recommend using it for larger saltwater species.
Elite Gen3 is great value for money and one of the lowest-cost fluoro on the market. The outer packaging has a new design and logo, but the product inside is identical.
Key Attributes:
- Color patterns: Clear-invisible
- Spool Length: Good range from 110 to 1200 yards.
- Breaking strains are available for mid-range fishing from 6 to 22 lbs.
- Saplize is an all-rounder for all types of fishing and methods.
- The cost for a 300-yard, 10lb breaking strain spool is around $6.00
KastKing FluoroKote Fishing Line – My Most Versatile Pick!
Last on my list of recommendations is the KastKing FluoroKote, another hybrid line with a fluoro coating and a mono-copolymer core. KastKing is a mid-range brand and is one of the best-selling brands on the market today.
KastKing is a reputable name in fishing gear, and their lines are very popular for beginners and the average angler. FluoroKote can be used as an excellent leader or a mainline, making it adaptable and saving money spent on two different lines.
This is a good choice if you are a trout angler, especially as a leader material.
Key Attributes:
- Color patterns: Clear/Invisible
- Spool Length: Smaller range from 150 to 300 yards.
- Breaking strains are available for mid-range fishing from 4 to 30 lbs.
- KastKing FluoroKote is excellent for fishing for trout & bass.
- The cost for a 300-yard, 10lb breaking strain spool is around $12.00
Why Are Fluorocarbon Lines Less Visible Under Water?
Many anglers believe that fluoro is invisible underwater. However, this is not entirely correct. It does perform better than mono or braid due to its closeness to the refractive index of water. Mono (made from nylon) has an index of 1.53, and water has a refractive index of 1.33. Fluorocarbon, with its index of 1.42, is closer to water than mono or braid nylon lines. This is what makes fluorocarbon less visible underwater, not invisible!
Why Is Fluoro More Expensive Than Mono?
Fluoro and mono are single-stranded lines, so why is fluoro more expensive? There are three primary reasons for this:
Manufacturing Process – The total processing time taken to produce mono is faster than fluoro. Fluoro has additional steps in the melting and extruding process. Fluoro is also made at higher temperatures than mono, making energy costs slightly higher.
Economy Of Scale – Mono line is far more popular than fluoro for fishing lines. Therefore, the lower amount of line produced yearly results in slightly higher costs. Anglers have preferred to use a mono or braid as their main line, with only a short leader made from fluoro.
Raw Material Cost – Fluoro is made from polyvinylidene fluoride pellets (PVDF) and is a plastic polymer formed by combining carbon and fluorine compounds. To create the unique characteristics of fluoro, certain additives and resins are added to the PVDF pellets during manufacture. These “extra” secret raw materials increase the cost.
Does Fluorocarbon Line Last Longer Than Mono?
Yes, fluorocarbon lasts longer because it does not degrade due to ultraviolet light via sunlight. They also can withstand better when used in sub-zero temperatures, meaning anglers don’t have to change their lines as frequently as mono.
Final Thoughts
Fluorocarbon has evolved through innovation recently, and from an excellent leader, the material has now also gained popularity as a primary fishing line option.
For a leader material, the Seaguar Blue is a standout choice, and if you are going for a fluoro mainline, the Sunline Super FC sniper is the best quality option.
Selecting the right fluoro to buy is a personal choice. As an angler, your line is a critical part of your fishing setup, and I never skimp on poor-quality line options to save a few dollars.
If you are unsure whether you should buy a fluorocarbon line, please check out my in-depth article on how fishing lines compare to each other and which one is best for your type of fishing.
Be sure also to check out my latest buyer guides on the best-braided lines and the best monofilament lines.
Steve holds a special place in his heart for the mighty Carp and the elusive Tench
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