Over the years, I’ve used fluorocarbon as leader for my live bait rigs, and as the material I use to tie damashi/sabiki rigs. I’ve used Seaguar Premier, Seaguar Blue Label, Seaguar Invizx main line and Seaguar Inshore main line. Also used Sufix Invisiline and the new Promar Ahi GT4 leader. These are my impressions.

Fluorocarbon is stiffer, and has less stretch than monofilament, and is less visible to fish because it doesn’t distort light that passes through it, while under water. Line companies sell leader material and castable main line made out of fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon leader is stiffer, thicker and more abrasion resistant than the castable fluorocarbon main line, and costs more because more material is required.

Seaguar

Seaguar makes the best fluorocarbon leader and line we can buy domestically. The parent company is actually Japanese, called Kureha, and the products are made in Japan to exacting standards. With fluorocarbon, thinner diameter is better and that’s what sets Seaguar apart from the rest. The Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and main line is thinner and more supple than the competition, and also more expensive. For the sake of thickness comparison, I’ll use 20lb test specs.

Seaguar Premier leader – 20lb .015 inch diameter, $0.68 per yd (Amazon). This is Seaguar’s best fluorocarbon leader. It’s thin, supple, has low memory and is strong for its diameter. Very pricey. Good when the fish are line shy.

Seaguar Blue Label leader – 20lb .016 inch diameter. $0.50 per yd (Amazon). This is most commonly used fluorocarbon leader form Seaguar. It’s thicker than Premier and stronger and more abrasion resistant. Less pricey than Premier and recommended for offshore fishing.

Seaguar Inshore line – 20lb .016 inch diameter. $0.17 per yd (Amazon). It’s more supple than the same diameter Blue Label leader, and has less abrasion resistance. It’s quite a bit cheaper than Blue Label because it’s not leader line.

Seaguar Invizix line – 20lb .016 inch diameter. $0.13 per yd (Amazon). This line is meant for use in bait casting reels and fresh water. Even cheaper than Inshore line.

Sufix

Sufix Invisiline Leader – 20lb .017 inch diameter. $0.45 per yd. I’ve used this leader for my live bait leader and my damashi rigs. It’s very stiff and requires care when tying dropper loops but is incredibly abrasion resistant. I was mainly using it because we’re a Sufix dealer but now use the more supple options for damashi rigs.

Promar Ahi

GT4 leader – 20lb .017 inch diameter. $0.41 per yd. Same diameter as Sufix Invisiline but more supple and knots are easier to tie. More similar to Seaguar Inshore in suppleness but may be more abrasion resistant. Just started using it in my damashi rigs and like it for the knot tying ease and lower cost.

My Recommendations

For offshore or shore fishing around rocks, go with fluorocarbon leader and not fluorocarbon line, since you want the utmost abrasion resistance. If you can afford it, go with Seaguar Premier if you need stealth, or Seaguar Blue Label if you want an all-around excellent leader. If you want to save a bit of money, try the new Promar Ahi GT4 leader. If you want a really strong, abrasion resistant leader, go with the Sufix Invisiline.

For lighter applications like whipping inshore, the Seaguar Inshore line is a great, inexpensive option. I’ll keep using it for my damashi rigs until I notice that it breaks off easier than the competition.