NANOFIL 12

[BigIrish]

The hype:
Not a Mono. Not a Braid. The Next Generation of Fishing line. NanoFil is made out of gel-spun polyethylene, much like a superline. This ultimate spinning reel fishing line consists of hundreds of Dyneema® nanofilaments that are molecularly linked and shaped into a unified filament fishing line. Dyneema, The World’s Strongest Fiber™, gives this line superline type strength and our uni-filament process makes it feel and handle like a smooth monofilament

Since half my fishing season is over already (MAR APR MAY JUNE), I used Sunday to wash my rods, regrease my reels, strip off the old braid and apply the new uni-filament fishing line by Berkley aka NANOFIL (12#). I put about 150 yards on each Reel.

06242012 NANOFIL 12.jpg (100.81 KiB) Viewed 928 times

It looks and acts like sewing thread, and when you pull it thru your fingers it feels like white out/correction tape. I practiced some knots with it, the Palomar (they recommend a double palomar) and the Trilene/Clinch (they recommend the Clinch but I like the Trilene) type seems to hold the best. I tied one of each to the swivel on each line to see which works best under fish conditions.
I used a Uni to Uni to hitch it to the mono backing, and I did have to wrap the Nanofil end 6 times to get a good feeling.
I hooked a spoon to the railing of the steps about 100 feet feet off my front porch and set the hook about a dozen times each on different knots (yes in the rain and my neighbors just wave and shake their heads). (with all due respect to you Jeff )
I found it will slip if not tied perfect, and it does break at the knot if your drag is tight as it is a nonstretch line. However, it seems to hold under sustained pressure if tied properly and if the drag is right.
I did the cardboard test with the spoon and the nonstretch is just that, it pulls that hook right thru the cardboard.

I will see how it does with the grass and oysters next weekend.

[BigIrish]

I used both rods the past weekend, the biggest pro is how it casts, further than anything I have seen. If someone is using this and challenges you to a casting contest think twice. I was outcasting for distance everyone I fished with by at least an extra third. It sets the hook well, and holds up in a fight. I did not retie the knots at the swivel until the second day when I had a break off. Pulling the line thru my fingers you could feel the nicks and see the shreds where I had hit something under water in the creek. An inspection of the other rod and line showed the same wear from the swivel up the line about 5- 7 yards. I spent an hour in the creek after retieing and the wear pattern appeared in the same place.

After I returned to open water, I retied and there was no wear patterns at the end of the day. So, I would not recommend it for creek fishing, also, it is hard to see against the sky/horizon; however, for open water, it is something to behold. I landed 2 big snot cats, both over 10 pounds in deep water (15') in current with ease. I fought a 4 foot black tip in 5 foot of water without a problem. You can flip a bait underhand further than most lines can be whipped out.

I settled on the Trilene/clinch knot as the knot of choice.

All in all, a B+ so far.

[bk]

Good stuff ray. Thanks for the report.

[kikstand454]

Good review.
Sounds like a great line for a popping cork rod. Nothing sucks more than line stretch when using a cork..........I don't know how people do that with mono.
Keep up the thread and review as you go. Maybe well find some hidden benifits in it?




~Dave

Creatures of Habit, Tallahassee Florida

[BigIrish]

Thanks BK And Kikstand.
I had not considered it, but it does seem like an excellent candidate for a popping cork/CT, I will try it.

It did not get any wind knots: the only twisting came from a crazy hardhead catfish boatside and these came out and STAYED out by casting out the bare hook and slowly running the line thru my fingers as I reeled in.

[fishinbug]

It did not get any wind knots the only twisting came from a crazy hardhead catfish boatside and these came out and STAYED out by casting out the bare hook and slowly running the line thru my fingers as I reeled in.

That's a BIG plus right there.

[T-MACKS]

That stuff did feel VERY slick. I've still got the original spool of red 10# power pro on my stradic 4000 from the day I bought it 4yrs ago or so. I have unspooled it from the reel to another spool, and to another spool, and then back to the reel, so I'm using the other end. In that process I add some mono backing (which I've never made it to) to fill up the spool, making up for what I've cut off. I've caught more fish than I can count on that rig, but it's about time to respool (ya think?). I'll just throw on the extra spool that came with it that I spooled with 10# power pro the day I bought it. My 2500's have 3yr old 8# PP that's been through the same process. I can't even find that stuff anymore. 10# and up. Anyway, after seeing that stuff you got and feeling how slick it is, I may try it out on the two reels I don't have pre spooled extras for. It's about time, right? But...will it last 3-4yrs without my feeling that it threatens my chances of landing the big one...Maybe I'll let you be the guinea pig. Anybody else who wants to test it should do so, and report back...

[BigIrish]

The durablity test will tell a lot. I really want to see how it does with a popping cork/CT, I think it will be much better than Mono/Trilene.

[kikstand454]

The durablity test will tell a lot. I really want to see how it does with a popping cork/CT, I think it will be much better than Mono/Trilene.

Man, the difference is so monumental you won't believe it. You can cast it 60~ 70 yds and pop the cork with your wrist. No more missing fish at the end of a long cast, your hooksets are as solid as if they were next to the boat.
I will never,ever, for any reason have a cork rig that isn't on braid again. Its just that good.



~Dave

Creatures of Habit, Tallahassee Florida

[Nolehunter]

Great review. I just scored a free spool of 12lb Nanofil from ICAST. I plan on trying it out this week


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[BigIrish]

How do I score a spool?

I used the nanofil on my rod/reel with the CT this weekend, and it was made for this application. 20 knot wind, Sat, 10 to 15 Sun Morning and it is as wind knot free as it was out of the package. I will be spending a little extra from now on for this stuff for that reel. I give it an A for cork fishing.
I also used in on 1/8 and 1/4 jigs with gulp, it is very sensitive, but it nicks up on the oyster bars.
This weekend I will try the spoons and jerkbaits and hold on to your hats,
TOP WATER.
FISH ON!

[Nolehunter]

They were giving them out at the ICAST fishing expo in Orlando last week. My parents went and got me all kinds of free goodies. Wish I could had have gone, my dad also got a pair of costas 50%off.

Great to hear it works well in the wind. Looking forward to trying this out on the cork this weekend.


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[kikstand454]

How do I score a spool?

I used the nanofil on my rod/reel with the CT this weekend, and it was made for this application. 20 knot wind, Sat, 10 to 15 Sun Morning and it is as wind knot free as it was out of the package. I will be spending a little extra from now on for this stuff for that reel. I give it an A for cork fishing.
I also used in on 1/8 and 1/4 jigs with gulp, it is very sensitive, but it nicks up on the oyster bars.
This weekend I will try the spoons and jerkbaits and hold on to your hats,
TOP WATER.
FISH ON!

*elbow elbow..* Eh? Kicks ass huh!?

Careful with the braid on topwater....two things happen a lot. One, you tend to overwork your lure because of the no stretch, and two...the floating line tends to get over run by the bait resulting in your front hook hanging up on the line a lot.
That's with walking hard baits of course......frogs, toads, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, carolina rigs, punch rigs, jigs, texas rigs.....etc,.......all awesome on braid.

Treble hooks ........ not so much.

Ymmv

~Dave

Creatures of Habit, Tallahassee Florida

[Shorewalker]

Kikstand:

You can minimize this effect with 18 - 36 inches of leader attached to the end to the braid. I like fluoro here and BK's canoeman loop knot. I think most fluoro is a little stiffer and keeps the braid off the hooks. The loop knot lets the lure do its thing even with the stiffer leader.

[kikstand454]

Yes shorewalker this is true.
However, Treble hook 'etiquette' impales itself in my brain and says that a little stretch and a slightly softer rod will equal more hookups....... so I don't use braid for them at all.

I only use braid in salt for my CT rigs.
Braid in freshwater for buzzbaits,frogs,toads and punchbaits (pretty much the same rod...)

Berkley 100% flouro for my t~rigs,c~rigs and (bass) jig rod.......... yozuri hybrid 12~15lb for everything else salt and fresh.

Just habit I suppose....everything has its strengths and weaknesses.


~Dave

Creatures of Habit, Tallahassee Florida