Straight Knot Strength - Tatsu?

[hoohoorjoo]

I personally dont trust it. I broke off 2 consecutive times bed fishing in a tourney, one fish was 4# and one around 6#, iirc. I was sight fishing on short line in very sparse hydrilla, no rocks or wood around. The line wasn't frayed at all, because I checked it just before each time. It cost me a big chunk of change that day and I never used it again. Of course, your results may vary.

Btw, it broke at the tip once and at the knot once. I checked the guide inserts and the reel's line guides afterwards and there was no damage to any of them. This was just after status came out, and it did have that amber tint.

[Cranky]

The R18 Hard is one of the best Fluorocarbon mainlines I’ve ever fished. I prefer as LITTLE stretch as possible and in my testing it looks to be the lowest stretch Seaguar product available, in the 5-6% stretch range that puts it in the ballpark of Sunline Structure FC (my other current favorite). Sunline Shooter, Toray Superhard, Toray Big Bass, Evergreen MagicHard, etc were all more in the 7% range. Seaguar Tatsu, Abrazx, SUfix Advance, BPS XPS Fluoro, Sunline Sniper, etc all are higher than 8% and that’s just too much for my preference. I wish they would release a similar Tatsu-hard option for the US market.

If they ever made one 3% or less stretch I would be the first in line to buy a spool.

[Cal]

Tatsu is very stretchy... have you considered using braid with an FC leader material for less stretch than what you’re getting now?

[Cranky]

Yep, been using braid/leader since the 90s. There are plenty of things that I still like a clean straight fluoro for though.

R18 Hard works great as a leader too.

[Cal]

Yup... and sometimes you just can’t be bothered with the knot, I know

[Jason Penn]

i've only tried tatsu once, but it didn't just floor me. i used 8# on a kage lt 2500, and i could not keep twist out. i was just throwing a 1/8oz shakey. i would let a ton of it out behind the boat every time i went fishing, but it would twist back up in no time.

it may be more the reel than the line though. i ended up putting 6# hi-viz berkley sensation and using the reel to throw crappie jigs not long after that.

[GOOD YEAR 71]

Is Tatsu still considered the gold standard for knot strength?

Yes

Agreed. It ties a risk free knot.