Seaguar's Invisible Fluorocarbon, does it give anglers that extra edge?
 

Total Score: 8.10

Introduction: When Fluorocarbon first arrived on the fishing scene it was touted as the ultimate advancement in fishing line. We take a look at the original designer of 100% fluorocarbon, Seaguar, and see if their invisible leader gives anglers that extra edge to land more fish.
 

Impressions: As the popularity of braided and hybrid lines have increased so has the interest in Fluorocarbon leaders. These leaders allow anglers to basically use whatever line they choose and still benefit from subtle lure or bait presentation. We wanted to test just how useful using a Fluorocarbon leader is on both offshore and inshore applications so we went fishing for two very different species....Salmon and Stripers.

Real World Test: To test Seaguar Invisible leader we went Salmon fishing on the Pacific Coast of Monterey and for inshore tests we targeted landlocked Stripers in Lake O'Neil in Central California. For the Salmon we used anchovies for bait, and for the Stripers we used Yozuri Mag minnows as our lure of choice. On both occasions we had half the TackleTour members fishing with straight mono lines and leaders, and half fishing with the Seaguar leader to see if the leaders helped improve our chances. Here's what we found:

First, why use a fluorocarbon leader?: The theory behind the design of Fluorocarbon lines is that some fish will shy away from a lure or bait when they see a visible line. To prevent fish from spooking and increase your chances manufacturers like Seaguar have designed Fluorocarbon lines that are supposed to be near invisible underwater. The way they work are that they boast a refractive index which is nearly identical to that of the water. Seaguar explains "When you immerse a Fluorocarbon leader in water, it blends in so well that it's almost impossible to see with the naked eye. And if the fish can't see it, they are far less likely to spook and more apt to strike."

Salmon Fishing: When we went mooching for Salmon half the team rigged up with Trilene Big Game 20lb and mono leaders, while MP and I rigged up 4 ft. Seaguar leaders. The leaders were connected to our main line via a swivel. By the end of the day both MP and I had fish, while only one of the other guys had landed a fish. The interesting thing was that we had twice as many hits as the other 2 guys who rigged mono leaders to their anchovies. Salmon have pretty good eyesight, and it was no surprise to us that the baits that had Seaguar leader were more often hit. Because Seaguar is near invisible it is ok to go higher on your line weight. This is important if you are fishing for huge Salmon, or Albacore, as it allows anglers to use normally hi-vis lines like braided or fused varieties and still present a lifelike bait with a long thick leader. The charter boats we go out on always use some type of leader, and experienced deck hands claimed that at times even a foot of Seaguar can make the difference between getting hit and being ignored by finicky fish. So for this test we would have to say that Seaguar performed well, and did give us that extra edge over line-shy Salmon.

Striper Fishing: To test the Seaguar on an inshore application we used the same weight for Striper fishing. In this case rather then use a swivel we tied the leader directly on the main line. You can use a knot of your choice but we would recommend a strong uni-knot, try and stay away from blood knots which can come loose with more active lure fishing. We have heard of some anglers that swear by fluorocarbon, using them for their main line....while fluorocarbon is strong and abrasive resistant we don't recommend this because it is very expensive, doesn't knot as well as more flexible mono, and is much too stiff to cast for distance or accuracy. For our tests we ran Yozuri Mag Minnows which we fish as rip-baits just 2 feet below the surface. While ripping hard and violently the Seaguar held up well. When Stripers hit the lures they tugged hard but in every case the Seaguar was able to bear the load. Even Stripers over 10lbs. were eventually able to be muscled in without fear of the leader snapping. The Seaguar leader exhibits very little stretch, and a lot of backbone. Interestingly, in this test, the members of our team that used the Seaguar leaders landed no more, or less, fish then those that didn't. Perhaps Stripers are not easily spooked by lines, but we didn't feel the Seaguar lines provided any advantage over a lure tied directly to mono in this case. Fly-casters for Stripers may find Seaguar a good choice for shock leader however.

The rundown: Seaguar has the right philosophy when designing a line that is invisible to fish, and is among the most proven manufacturers to choose from on the market. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of hype in the market about the abilities of fluorocarbon. It simply isn't the miracle line that will magnetically inspire more bites. What it will do is give anglers a better chance of convincing easily spooked fish that it is safe to take a bite. Seaguar Flourocarbon does what it is supposed to do, and lives up to their claim of being unaffected by UV rays and not absorbing water. One nice thing about Seaguar is that it is stiff and yet boasts a low memory. If your line is twisted simply tug on it and it will straighten out nicely. The one major downside to using a premium fluorocarbon leader like Seaguar's is the cost, which can be double, or in some cases even triple the cost of standard mono leaders.

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Conclusion: Seaguar makes a good product that can help you target fish more effectively. Because of Seaguar's strength and abrasion resistance it is popular among anglers for a variety of applications including mooching, trolling, and live lining. Seaguar is a better alternative then standard mono leaders, and while it certainly won't hurt your fishing don't expect it to necessarily double your chances either, but when used in the right application it can provide that extra edge.....and hopefully that next trophy fish.

Until next time...Tight Lines!