Seaguar Tatsu Line Review

A while back I threw my hat in the ring for a chance at a spool of Seaguar Tatsu line. The Outdoor Blogger Network has regular opportunities for other bloggers to obtain and review fishing/outdoor products. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my name had been selected.

I’ve fished several different types of lines, but had yet to try any sort of fluorocarbon line. The scoop on Seaguar Tatsu is that it is a double-structured flourocarbon line… two resins extruded into one piece. It is billed to be extremely strong and sensitive with the same refractive properties as water so as to make it nearly invisible in clear water conditions. As a walleye fisherman, sensitivity is extremely important in the early season as the bite can tend to be very light. I have had the opportunity to fish the first few weeks of the Minnesota open water season using 8 lb test Tatsu. In this particular application I am using a Fenwick HMXS 7 foot ML-F rod with a Pfleuger President 6730 reel. The first few outings were strictly jig fishing, the last outing was pulling lindy rigs. In all cases I can verify that the strength and sensitivity claims are accurate. I always hold the line in my forefinger while backtrolling and was impressed with how sensitive the line actually was. A good rod helps, but good like makes it better. Most outings included a snag or two and in only one case was I actually able to break the line… and that was more due to impatience. We also found our share of Northerns and not one escaped with so much as a jig. We aren’t fishing particularly clear water, so visibility probably is not as big a factor as on some waters.

One concern I have frequently seen discussed with respect to fluorocarbon line has been that these lines can be a bit on the stiff side with a tendency to twist due to memory. While I have read several positive reports about Seaguar Tatsu where these factors are considered, I was sorry to discover that this is my primary problem with this particular spool of line. The memory is obvious and if any slack is left in the line I generally end up with a tangle like the image to the right. In addition, when backtrolling with a lindy rig I will feed quite a bit of line after a bite. I get twists as I let the slack line feed out and the twists get caught in the guides. This is the kiss of death when a finicky walleye feels that little bit of resistance as the line snags on the guide.

I’m impressed enough with a couple of the qualities of this line to give it another chance. I’ve read enough positive reviews about the product that I will probably purchase another spool to see if I experience the same memory and twisting effects that I experienced with this line. If I still have the same issue I will explore other fluorocarbon options like the Berkley fluorocarbons.