While we typically default to hybrid line for our everyday use, we decided to give Sufix Invisiline 100% Fluorocarbon a try for some of our favorite finesse techniques and see if we found a noticeable difference

Fluorocarbon lines have in the past been notoriously expensive compared to their mono counterparts. While there is a case to be made in terms of justifying that expense, some of it was, in our opinion, just plain cock and bull.

Why would you pay the extra money for a fluoro? Because of the advantages that it is supposed to have over monos.

Four Reasons For Going Fluoro

There are four main reasons to consider using fluoro. One, and probably the most important, is that it has almost the same refractive index as water. Simply put, this stuff is almost invisible under water.

Two, it has less stretch than conventional monos and is more sensitive. Al least that is the claim. I say that because there have been some of the lines in this segment that actually have more stretch than wet mono so you have to be selective and do your research prior to buying some.

Three, fluoro sinks much faster and deeper than mono. Same caveats apply here in that there are some lines out there that don’t live up to the hype.

Four, abrasion resistance. Fluorocarbon is supposed to be tougher than mono.

Okay, so with these in mind, how does the Sufix 100% Fluorocarbon measure up to expectations as well as other lines in this segment? The only way to tell is to get it out of the package, spool up and get it on the water.

On The Water With Sufix

We’ve been testing the Sufix for a couple of months now. We obtained the 7lb. test and spooled it on a 20 series spinning reel mated to a 6’9” medium light action rod for uses that include but aren’t limited to, weightless soft plastics, drop-shotting, shakey-heads and small crankbaits that weigh 1/4 ounce or less.

The first thing you notice when you get the line out of the package is just how clear this stuff is. Held up to the sun, you can see through a 200 yd spool with no problem.

Start spooling your reel and you notice how smooth this line is. There are no detectable imperfections in the line. Not a wave, wrinkle or wobble.

It lays well but don’t allow any slack while spooling or it will try to spring off as it is a little on the stiff side initially.

Once you start casting you will notice over time that it is indeed more sensitive than the vast majority of monos on the market. Sufix has done a very good job in that this line transmits vibrations very well to the anglers hands so that even subtle bites are easily detected.

In terms of less stretch, we believe that the Invisiline Castable Fluorocarbon delivers on this claim as well. You might think that it’s kind of subjective but that isn’t the case if you are used to using monos and braids. You’ll find that the Sufix comes in closer to the braid in terms of how much stretch there is. This translates to sure, quick hook sets which results in fewer bites missed.

It is our opinion in testing the Sufix side by side using a mono on one rig that the fluoro does get down faster and deeper. This really shows when throwing cranks. You can definitely gain more depth using the fluorocarbon.

While fluoro’s were notorious for breaking when they first came out, the Sufix hasn’t demonstrated this annoying tendency at all. Hook sets have been sure and we haven’t managed to break any fish off to date.

Another pleasant surprise is how tough overall this line has been. The 7lb rating belies its true strength. I know that there have been a few instances where I would have broken off other lines in the eight pound category but the Sufix didn’t snap.

Inside the package you will find two recommended knots that are demonstrated for you. There is also a website that you can go to for the purpose of finding other knots you can use given that you’re uncomfortable tying the two that are shown.

Any Downsides?

If we have any gripe with the Sufix it is this. It only comes in 100 or 200 yard spools. There are no other sizes available. We would like to see something in the 300 or 600 yard lengths for when we need to spool multiple reels with the same line.

As far as any idiosyncrasies, there is of course the usual fluoro characteristic in that you don’t want to use any line conditioner. This can and will damage this line. The other thing that came to our attention is that unlike most other lines, the Sufix Invisiline seems to have a break in period. It became easier and easier to handle each time we used it up to about the fourth outing. It didn’t display any signs of losing its advantages but seemed to lose some of its stiffness.

The cost of the Sufix is very reasonable considering the quality the angler receives as compared to similar offerings from other companies.

Sufix Invisiline Castable 100% Fluorocarbon has lived up to all the hype concerning fluorocarbon lines. It does what it says it’s going to do and handles well for the test pound rating it carries.

We’re still waiting to see if this line will deteriorate the way others in this segment do but as of this writing, we don’t see any signs of that.

Sufix Invisiline Castable
Overall Rating
Great line at a reasonable price

See ya’ on the water ….

The Pro Ripper is their lipless crankbait.

If you’re unfamiliar with Livingston Lures, they make a series of hard baits which use micro-electronics to emit a “croaking” sound as the lure is retrieved. Some models also add an LED light to the package.

Pro Ripper Construction

The Pro Ripper as actually measured is about 2 5/8 inches in length and weighs 2/5 of an ounce. It features big 3D eyes, sharp Mustad stock hooks, interesting color patterns and of course an internal rattle system to augment the electronic “croaking”.

As we all know, lipless cranks are a great way to efficiently cover a lot of water quickly in search of those active fish. They also excel at being ripped out of grass for reaction strikes.

Back in the “good ole days”, this class of baits was known as idiot baits for their ease of use. You just cast ‘em out and wind ‘em in. Fortunately, times have changed as well as how versatile lipless cranks are now due in no small measure to technological advances by manufactures as well as folks using them in situations where previously, no one would have thought to.

The Pro Ripper is sized well in that it represents a lot of early season forage, a favorite snack of both pre and post spawn bass. You can target those fish who have moved up into the shallows or who are gorging themselves post spawn.

Unique Weighting System

While the sound technology is a unique feature of the Livingston offering, the weighting system is something that we feel deserves as much attention if not more. The reason is that while this bait casts well like most other lipless cranks, it also sinks slower than most of the comparable sized lures in this segment.

This is particularly useful when fishing shallow to mid-range depths and or course for fishing emerging vegetation. One of the best ways to use this bait is to find those long, relatively shallow areas with grass. Cast the Pro Ripper out and allow it to sink to the level of the top of the grass then give it a solid 3/4 rip of the rod.

By that I mean the angle of your rod tip, much like a pitcher who throws 3/4 as opposed to overhand. The reason is that if you pull straight up, you are moving the bait out of the strike zone as opposed to that 3/4 motion that keeps it within a foot or so of the grass.

While you will get some strikes on a straight retrieve, most of them for us have occurred after having come into contact with grass or other impediments and ripping the bait out. I have tell you, when bass hit this bait, it tends to be purposeful.

You’ll find that depth control with the Pro Ripper is fairly easy. Varying your retrieve is likewise no problem. As we eluded to, this is in our opinion the most outstanding feature of the Pro Ripper.

On the dead fall, this bait has almost no movement. This can be both good and bad, depending on the fish’s mood at that particular moment. We would prefer some wobble over none but that is in no way a deal breaker.

The wobble that you get with the Pro Ripper is wider than some competitors’ and narrower than others. If we had to assign a number between 1 and 10 to its wobble with 10 being the widest and 1 the narrowest, we would go about a 7.

All of our test baits have run true out of the package and still have not needed any tuning.

The finishes are sound, having displayed little damage despite repeated strikes. The components likewise have shown little wear in our testing.

The Pro Ripper retails for about $8 per. This is more than some, less than others in this class of baits.

While there is a good choice of color patterns, they are not the ultra-realistic finishes of some other brands. Again, we don’t consider this a deal breaker for baits such as these that are reaction baits. Typically fish don’t follow these for long distances trying to decide whether or not to hit it.

Overall the Pro Ripper has been a steady performer for us in our time with the bait and will become a permanent fixture in our tackle boxes.

Livingston Lures Pro Ripper
Overall Rating
Innovative features, and solid performance

See ya’ on the water ….

That is up to the individual in terms of when they feel most comfortable fishing but if you’re one of those folks who don’t do a lot of chunking and winding when it’s cold, you should consider making it a goal to do more fishing late this year as you may find that with the decrease in pressure on your local lake, you could have some great days.

But this is just an aside as the real purpose of this article is to give you something to think about once you do decide to get out there and pursue your favorite species of fish.

I’m intentionally vague as it really doesn’t matter what particular finny critter floats your boat when it comes to applying what we’re going to discuss today. 

A long time ago I was fortunate to learn a principal that has been invaluable to me. Simply this, look for what you can do right—not for what is wrong—and focus on what you can find, not what you’re missing.

Yeah, this seems kind of preachy but, if one chooses to really get their head around this concept, it can make a world of difference on your next day on the water.

So how do you put this into practice? Let’s look at our last fishing trip to see if this kind of thing is similar to what you may have experienced.

A Cold Day In A Hot Place

We go out on what becomes the coldest day in two weeks, bar none. This is SoCal. So snow here, unless you’re in the mountains, is for the most part unheard of. The exception being a blue moon if you get my drift.

It’s cold, rainy and windy to start the day then it all goes downhill from there. Eventually it morphs into a full blown snow storm with flakes the size of half dollars. Less than ideal conditions, right?

All things considered, it would have been easy to just pack it in and come back another time. But then again, I just hate walking away just because most other folks are.

Our predetermined pattern had to be scrapped almost immediately due to the conditions so we decided to see if we could put something else together. We actually ended up switching from pitching style lures to faster moving baits including a 3/4 ounce double-willow leaf spinnerbait, a lipless crank, a square-bill crank and a soft plastic jerkbait. All of which produced.

What prompted this switch was the fact that we saw some baitfish moving at a good clip in depths of about 4 feet. It doesn’t much matter what drove them there. The fact is, they were there. So after seeing them and applying the universal fishing axiom of bass follow the bait, changing lures made sense.

I hope that this example is clear enough. We could have spent our time sticking with what we intended to fish and had pre-rigged. Likewise, we could have spent most of our day moaning and groaning about the conditions.

Instead, we chose to see if we could find something that would give us a clue as to what we could offer the fish that day to get bit as opposed to wondering why they weren’t biting our creature baits, jigs and other more traditional cold water offerings.

Focus On What You Can Do Right

When you focus on what you can do right as well as what you can find, not only do you tend to more rapidly eliminate those things that aren’t working, but in being open to identifying what’s going on around you, you invite solutions.

We all can get bogged down at times and it can take some real effort on our part to look at things with a fresh perspective. But until you give it the old college try, don’t discount it completely.

Next time you find that things just aren’t working for you, see if you can look for what to do right and what you can find.

Worst case scenario, you’ll probably have a lot more fun. Best case, you’ll make a switch, find what they’re hitting and put a bunch of fish in the boat!

See ya’ on the water…

For those of us, like myself, who have yet to embrace the metric system, this translates to approximately 5.2 inches in length and weighs an even ounce. This is a big fish bait by design and every element of its construction begs to be bit.

Let’s start by looking at the construction of the bait.

Bowstick Construction

The first feature that strikes you when you remove it from the package is the triangular pass through opening behind the gill plate. This allows the Bowstick to spit more water as well as creating a bubble trail as the angler retrieves it.

The 3D eyes and sculpted gill plates with the subtle shading variations add to the overall finish giving this bait a custom look even though it is a mass produced offering.

The rattle system is another component that we think deserves a little discussion. Being that this bait is over 5 inches long, there is plenty of room for various sized rattles. The engineers at Jackall choose to use three distinct sound chambers in the construction of this bait.

The first one is inside the head. If you look closely you will see that this compartment contains three rattles, two glass the other metal. The size of them allow them to move around freely inside the head with no constraints on vertical or horizontal action. This creates a unique sound for the Bowstick but they didn’t stop there.

The center and largest of the three chambers has no rattles at all. It is simply empty space.

The third chamber is actually partitioned and holds two rattles that are different sizes as well as made of different material. They do not come in contact with each other and can only move laterally which provides a one-knocker type sound with, for lack of a better way to describe it, an echo.

This integrated sound system if you will, is unique to the Bowstick and designed to call up fish no matter the conditions. Whether you’re faced with wind, dingy water or other less than ideal water issues, the fish will have a hard time not being aware of the Bowstick in the vicinity.

The finishes on these baits are varied, elegant yet simple and are a good representation of any number of baitfish. Add to this package quality components and you know that you’re holding something that is well thought out and executed.

Fishing The Bowstick

So what’s it like to fish with? Does it fire ‘em up or turn ‘em off?  Let’s tie one on, chunk it out there, and see what happens.

Obviously the Bowstick casts well, I mean really well. This thing weighs an ounce, carries a long way, isn’t hardly affected by wind and surprisingly enough, doesn’t submerge very deep on splash down.

That may not be a big deal to some but we think it matters. The Bowstick doesn’t go under near as far as some of its competitors which allows you to through it without picking up as much slop as other similar baits do.

Despite its weight, this bait feels light and agile on the retrieve as well as being very easy to walk. Not only that but a simple change in pace from the angler will tighten or expand the side to side distance the bait will walk. From a slow lazy long glide to short frantic jerks, this bait handles with ease, doesn’t roll over and is truly fun to fish.

The fish that we’ve caught using the Bowstick haven’t all been over 6 pounds. We’ve had any number of smaller fish strike this bait too.

We actually expected a decrease in quantity of hits with an increase in quality of fish but we have been pleasantly surprised that the sheer number of strikes didn’t fall off when compared to our current gold standard.

We haven’t experienced any problems with the Bowstick. The finish has gotten a little scratched but that’s ‘cause the fish have really tried to beat these things to death. They don’t play with this bait. When they strike, they commit.

The Bowstick is another top-notch product from Jackall for what is in our opinion, a very reasonable price.

Jackall Bowstick
Overall Rating
Attention to detail makes this one stand out

See ya’ on the water …