Braid, Flourocarbon, Spectra...

[janines.fishtales@cox.net]

Wow. Thanks all, for all the info. I think I know what to buy now, but I also think I'm still using mono for some applications. So whats a "top shot"? Is it a fancy way to say leader line or is it different?

Janine

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by janines.fishtales@cox.net

Wow. Thanks all, for all the info. I think I know what to buy now, but I also think I'm still using mono for some applications. So whats a "top shot"? Is it a fancy way to say leader line or is it different? Janine

Topshot is just another name for a leader.

Old school leaders were like Big Game leaders. Wire or heavy mono under 20 ft set up for abrasion resistance. Bite leaders under two feet were wire for toothy critters attached with something like a swivel. Then there were tippets small piece of less visible line like on the end of flylines.

Then long range fisherman started using wind-on leaders for big game where the leader could be reeled in through the guides, and get the fish to the gaff without a leaderman. Wind ons also allowed for much longer leaders in general.

Then came spectra.

Initially people were not sure how well spectra would fish. They first used it as backing and filled the reel with mono over the spectra on top, a top shot, often a hundred yards or more.

Over time though as people learned to fish spectra the topshots become shorter, and shorter. now they are pretty much the same as a wind-on leader, but unlike wind-on leaders which are heavier then the line test, topsots are generally lighter test then the spectra mainline.

Back in 2000 when I started playing with 8ft 30lbs topshots with 35lbs Izor spectra on a tld5 for local tuna people thought I was crazy, because the only guys using those kind of topshots were the long range crowd fishing for cow tuna. It worked though, here's one of the tuna I got back then on that rigging. Check out the TLD5 and that Izor (White line that I dyed blue) behind me.

Now small lever drags, spectra and topshots are common, but it took people a while and companies like Avet to figure out the merits of spectra and exactly what you could do with it.

Shimano completely missed the boat.

They were already making the TLD5 and TLD10 which would of been ideal for the new spectra market with a frame and drag upgrade but discontinued them right as Avet was designing their first spectra capable small reels like the Avet SX. So Avet ended up getting into the market before they did. They just didn't see it coming. You'd expect that from a company like Penn but not Shimano. Probably the biggest mistake in the tackle industry in the last 20 years.... ha ha.

[Deamon]

I need a hat like that...