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Picking a solid fishing line as your main or leader line is a super important thing you can do because it really does make a difference. In this post, I’m going to be reviewing Seaguar Red Label Fluorocarbon and talking about whether or not it’s worth picking up.
Long story short, Seaguar Red Label is currently the fishing line I use as my leader. I haven’t used all of the fishing lines out there and I do use this as my leader line (not as my main line), but I’ve been completely impressed with how it’s performed and how long it’s lasted. There are probably better options if you’re using it as your main line (I’d recommend braid) but it has a 4.5-star rating on Amazon which is super solid.
On my spin/baitcasting rod I’ll use a braided line as my main and Red Label as my leader (works great for this). If you’re doing any sort of trolling behind a boat then there are probably better options out there such as InvizX, AbrazX, or Tatsu. It’ll work completely fine but I think you’d get better results with something else.
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Why Another Line Might Be Better
If you’re using a braided line (or anything else really) as your main fishing line and want a leader line then Red Label is going to be a great option. If you want to use a fluorocarbon line as your main fishing line then you’d probably be better off with something like InvizX, AbrazX, or Tatsu. They’re more expensive but I think you’d get much more out of them.
Red Label can work as your main fishing line but it has a bit too much memory (has coils from the packaging) which can cause tangles. That’s just my opinion anyway so feel free to give it a try if you want.
If you’re doing any sort of casting then you’ll probably want your main fishing line to float. Fluorocarbon will sink and that’s why it’s mainly used as a leader. If you want a line that’ll float then you should use braid or monofilament.
How Was The Quality?
From now on out, I’m going to be talking about the quality and performance of the Red Label as a leader line. When I talk about fishing line quality I’m referring to how strong it is, how abrasion resistant it is, and how long it’ll last overall.
I’ve been using this line for a little over a year now and have been pretty impressed with the quality. As long as you tie the right knot and lubricate it (water, spit, line lube), you should have no issues with it coming apart.
I do a lot of fishing around rocks and weeds so my line is constantly rubbing against things and every now and then I’ll get a snag. I really haven’t had too many issues with my line breaking so I’m very pleased with the strength and abrasion resistance of this line.
Overall, for the money you pay, this line is pretty hard to beat when it comes to quality.
Did It Perform Well?
When I’m looking at the performance of a leader line I’m looking at how well the knots hold, how smoothly it glides through the guides, and how sensitive it is so I can actually feel what the fish are doing.
I’m sure there are other lines out there that are stronger and whatnot, but for the money, it’s really hard to beat Red Label. I’ve only had a few times where my line has broke and it was because it got snagged on something large.
I generally use the 12 lb line as my leader and have never had an issue with it breaking for larger fish (over 12 lbs). Every now and then it’ll get a little knick in it and need to be replaced but I’m constantly along the rocks and bottom and have never lost my tackle because of abrasion.
The sensitivity is also pretty good on it. It’s obviously not as good as a braided line but I’ve tried other fluorocarbon that was much worse. The Red Label along with a braided line is a winning combo in my eyes (for the kind of fishing I do).
Overall, I can’t really complain about how it performed for me.
Pros
- The price can’t be beaten.
- One of the best leader lines.
- Strong and fairly sensitive.
- 12 lb line can catch bigger fish.
Cons
- It has quite a bit of memory.
- It’s not the best option for the main fishing line.
- I’d recommend you use some sort of lube on your knots.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in the market for a fluorocarbon leader then I think there’s not much better than Seaguar Red Label. It’s not perfect by any means but it’s inexpensive and has always done the job for me. If you’re doing any sort of casting then I’d recommend you use Sufix 832 as your main line with a Red Label leader.
Plus, almost 300 people have reviewed it on Amazon and it has a 4.5-star rating. That should say enough. Click here to see the price on Amazon.
If you’re trolling or want to use fluorocarbon as your main fishing line then I’d probably recommend something else. You can use it but I think you’d get more out of something that was designed specifically for that. It all just really depends on what type of fishing you’ll be doing.