fireline

[bullitt]

I'm going to try the blasted stuff...again. I put the 14/6 on a trolling rig. I thought I might get along with it better in that application. If I don't, I'll never buy another inch of it, which is exactly what I said the last 2 times I tried it. We shall see....

[lcostley]

What problems are you having with FireLine?

[powerdive]

MWG, bullitt's main problems are his bass history and beer. He can't see line that thin even when he's sober (if ever), so his knots just refuse to work...

[walleyesrus]

One caution on fireline for trolling, make sure you have you drag set pretty loose, if you snag with a tight drag the fireline will imbed and you will never get it out without cutting off all or most of the line. If you do that and make sure you have mono or tape backing on your reels and use palomar knots you will love the extra depth and strength. With that strength fireline you will be able to bend hooks on snagged cranks and should be able to retrieve more of them.

[coyotewhacker]

Bullitt...when you are trolling with Fireline, just be aware that the smaller diameter is going to allow your lure to run considerably deeper than it would with standard 10 lb mono. The exact percentage difference varies with the amount of line out, of course, but at 375 feet (one regular spool full)it averages out to be around 150% more than with mono. Walleyesrus has an excellent point...Fireline is real easy to bury, and not so easy to pull out again, but I am a real fan of the stuff...I basically do not use anything else when casting. (Hint..hint..MnWalleyeguy....one of these days I would like to meet a factory rep and talk about one of those B I G spools like the pros get)
The other reason for a soft drag setting is that the Fireline has virtually no stretch, and can pull the hook out on a hard strike. The few problems I have encountered with Fireline are small compared to the advantages it offers. Now if Berkley could just figure out how to get the cost down to six or eight bucks a spool.................

[powerdive]

...but if you figure how often ya had to respool with mono, FireLine is actually cheaper over time. Especially if you reverse it... That being said, CW, I'd like that too!

bullitt, once you get a feel for it, you'll never go back to that stretchy nylon. You can feel EVERYTHING, every bottom tick, every tiny piece of debris, etc.

Same pound test, most figure about a 33% increase in trolling depth. Seems to run about 20-25% for me.

[Tablerock]

Bullitt... You're going to like it this time. Somebody else already said it but it's very important to use the Palomar Knot to tie on your lure. If you're trolling cranks, tying on a snap is much easier then trying to tie on a crankbait. The old improved clinch knot will slip eventually.

[lcostley]

The palomar knot is the preferred knot for FireLine. My preference is the Trilene knot, which is the cinch knot with and extra loop through the eye. I prefer this, as when I get stuck "hard" I prefer my line to slip out. I would rather loose the lure than loose the lure and bury the FireLine into the spool.

We do make FireLine XDS which is a larger diameter and round fused line, helping prevent digging in. For a trolling application, as most of you are using this for, the diameter is a bigger.

If I can impart anything with you guys regarding FireLine...Don't tape the line to the spool. Put a mono backing on the reel. The condensation on the spool will eventually cause the tape to loose adhesive, and then you are back to watching line spin on the spool.

CW...looking for big FireLine spools? Let me know what you are looking for and we can talk aboout it. I am assuming you are looking for a 1000yd spool of 14/6.

Cost of a spool too high? You will be seeing an increase in the price of all superlines in the near future. There is actually a shortage of a lot of these line globally. One of the key raw materials that is used to make these lines is also a key component in the making of bullet proof vests. Uncle Sam has stepped in and has priority on this material for obvious reasons.

[trackerteam6]

I have switched to Power Pro, I am hoping it does not dig in as much.

[lcostley]

Trackerteam6...if you have ever watched Seinfield, with the soup nazi.

Since you are with Power Pro (why???)...no line for you...one year...lol

Going from FireLine to Power Pro is like going from a Hummer to a Yugo.

If you did not like FireLine, I would suggest Spider Stealth.

No matter what fused line you use, Due to the properties of the line, you will have digging in on a baitcast reel. Stealth is the most uniform in shape of all the fused lines. FireLine is the thinnest, so it is the best for trolling depth.

[bumps2]

I have to agree with the others that Fireline is the best thing since silver and black Ripshads with the red bill . One little tip I've learned is to put on a heavy glove when pulling a snagged lure free. That stuff will cut a bare hand. Been there, done that .

[powerdive]

Been a-wondering about SpiderWire Stealth. Teflon coated, right? What's it like, strength/performance-wise?

Right now I'm mostly using regular SpiderWire (very pricey, but very likable)...a spool or two of good ol' FireLine...and our own Magibraid, which I truthfully don't really care for even with the discount. In the past I've used Fusion, Power Pro and TufLine also. For me personally, FireLine is the best all-around choice so far. But if Stealth truthfully offers comparable performance, well, it's about half the price...!

[lcostley]

Stealth is not coated it is completely impregnated with a teflon like substance. The line is the "slickest" fused line. It is a more uniform rounded fused line. It is a fantastic line. It is just as strong as FireLine, performs very similiar to FireLine. A little bit bigger diameter, so you trollers out there need to take that into consideration when you are looking at dive curves.

FireLine is still my #1 choice. But I have been fishing it since '94, so I am used to what it does for me.

[Tablerock]

Here's a little tip. I carry a 8 to 10 inch piece of wooden broom handle in the boat. When you get hung-up with fireline, just wrap a few turns around the broom handle and you can get some big time pulling power. I get lots of cranks back with bent hooks, broken hooks. That stuff is strong !!

[coyotewhacker]

If the kevlar is being pre=empted to protect the troops, then CW is all for it. However, that does not mean that I would not be against getting a 1K yd spool of either 14 or 10 lb test. We can have a chat about that the next time you are in the area....remembering that the next MWAA meeting/wings thing is next Thursday after Memorial Day.
I don't see an end to the extra demand for body armor any time soon, so the shortage/price increase could be a long term effect on Fireline. I missed out on a spool that was up for auction on Ebay...the other guy wanted it REAL BAD.
CW is really glad to hear why TR had that broomstick in Old Leaky...I thought maybe he was going to use it to motivate his partner to catch more walleyes in the tournament.