Triple Fish Camo
Specifications |
Line Type |
Perlon |
Colors Available |
1 - Multi-Colored Camo |
Colors Tested |
Original Camo |
Line Weights |
4 - 100lb |
Line Weights Tested |
10lb (0.30mm), 12lb (0.33mm) & 20lb (0.46mm) |
MSRP |
$11.30 (1/4lb bulk spool of 12lb. Aprpox 1080yds) |
Triple Fish X-Line
Specifications |
Line Type |
Copolymer |
Colors Available |
1 - Moss Green |
Colors Tested |
Moss Green |
Line Weights |
4 - 25lb |
Line Weights Tested |
12lb (0.33mm), & 20lb (0.47mm) |
MSRP |
$10.20 (12lb/440yds) |
Lab Tests: We subjected some test spools of both the Camo-Escent and X-Line fishing lines to our standard barrage of tests to evaluate material strength, stretch, abrasion resistance, and knot strength, and then compared this data to that of 12 Berkley Trilene (our baseline data for the 2007 Fluorocarbon Showdown.
A
close-up of the X-Line spool straight out of the package.
Material Strength: In our tests, both lines tested significantly lower in material strength than that of Berkley Trilene (115,615 psi), and that inherent strength declines as the material is soaked in water for more than two hours. What this translates to in the real world in fishing line product is, diameter for diameter, Berkley Trilene is going to have more strength in the line than either Camo-escent or X-Line, so for lines rated to true breaking strength, the Triple Fish products should have a larger diameter than Berkley Trilene. Of course, what we've come to find out is rarely do lines packaged for the North American Market come with true rated breaking strengths
labeled on their packaging.
TripleFish Camo Lab Tests (12lb - 0.33mm) |
|
Material Strength (psi) |
Abrasion Resistance vs Berkley Trilene (0.32mm) |
Stretch / Deformity (+2hr soak) |
dry |
wet |
dry |
wet |
11.0 / 10.5 |
84,340 |
80,123 |
42% Lower |
51% Lower |
14.6% / 0.0% |
For Camo-escent, the 12lb line tested at eleven pounds breaking strength dry and ten and a half pounds wet, while the 12lb X-Line tested at thirteen pounds dry, and just over eleven pounds wet.
TripleFish X-Line Lab Tests (12lb - 0.33mm) |
|
Material Strength (psi) |
Abrasion Resistance vs Berkley Trilene (0.32mm) |
Stretch / Deformity (+2hr soak) |
dry |
wet |
dry |
wet |
13.0 / 11.2 |
100,298 |
86,698 |
37% Lower |
16% Lower |
12.2% / 1.0% |
Stretch: Both lines possess a good amount of stretch, but as advertised with the Perlon based Camo-escent, once the pressure causing the line to stretch has been released, the line bounces back to its original length with no troubles. The X-Line doesn't quite recover one hundred percent, but it does come back close.
TripleFish Camo Knot Tests (12lb - 0.33mm) |
San Diego Jam |
Improved Clinch |
Trilene |
Uni |
Palomar |
Avg Knot Strength (%) |
Avg Knot Strength (lbs) |
96.5% |
94.7% |
94.7% |
96.5% |
94.7% |
95.44% |
10 |
Values expressed as percentage of TESTED WET tensile strength |
Knot Strength: Both lines also possess very good knot strength testing out, on average, better than ninety five percent of tested tensile strength. Having fished mostly fluorocarbon lines over the past several years, this was certainly a refreshing result.
TripleFish X-Line Knot Tests (12lb - 0.33mm) |
San Diego Jam |
Improved Clinch
|
Trilene |
Uni |
Palomar |
Avg Knot Strength (%) |
Avg Knot Strength (lbs) |
83.3 |
99.7%
|
101.3% |
98% |
98% |
96.1% |
10.8 |
Values expressed as percentage of TESTED WET tensile strength |
The Camo-Escent makes an excellent line for big baits and is an easy choice to fill larger reels like this Daiwa Luna 253L.
On The Water: Out on the water, spooled onto my Daiwa Luna fishing reels and used primarily as a big bait line, I had a slight preference to the Camo-escent product. Both lines, if left on the fishing reels for several weeks between use have an incredible amount of memory. It takes a while for this memory to work itself out while fishing so casting performance can be affected. The thing is, both lines, and the Camo-escent especially, are so inexpensive, it is very easy just to spool up with new line before each and every trip to mitigate against the memory issues.
Same goes for the X-Line, shown here on a Daiwa Luna 300L.
Otherwise, as expected, knot strength holds up very well and while abrasion resistance is one thing in the lab, fished in open water with big baits in and around mostly weedbeds as structure, it is a more or less moot point. Using the line in thicker diameters is the best defense against abrasion with any line and the Camo-escent and X-Line in twenty and twenty five pound test have plenty diameter to get you through some tough, abrasive conditions should you get caught unexpectedly.
The X-Line is touted as a thin-diameter copoly, but we found little difference in its diameter versus other, similarly rated lines.
Ratings
(We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
Triple Fish Camo
Ratings (?/10) |
Construction/Quality |
A good quality line |
7 |
Performance |
Aside from memory, very good |
7.5 |
Price |
Among the most affordable lines on the market |
9 |
Features |
Good knot strength and recovery from stretch |
8 |
Design (Ergonomics) |
Camo color good for disguising the line in the water |
8 |
Application |
Built for saltwater fishing, can serve just about any application |
8 |
Total Score |
7.92 |
Ratings Key: Ratings Key:
1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
|
Ratings
(We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
Triple Fish X-Line
Ratings (?/10) |
Construction/Quality |
A good quality line |
7 |
Performance |
Similar to Camo-escent, perhaps not as easy handling |
7 |
Price |
Not as affordable as the Camo, but still very very good |
8.5 |
Features |
Even better knot strength than Camo |
8 |
Design (Ergonomics) |
Would be nice to have a clear colored option |
7.5 |
Application |
Not quite as versatile as the Camo, but excellent for big baits and general bass fishing applications |
7.5 |
Total Score |
7.58 |
Ratings Key: Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable! |
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus |
Minus |
J Affordability - a one pound spool of 12lb Camo-escent equates to 4,300 yards and is listed at $40.08. For $5 less you get roughly 165 yards of top quality
fluorocarbon. |
L Both lines have a lot of memory over time. |
J Easily available in bulk |
|
J Very good knot strength |
|