ANDREW
RAGAS

Andrew's Adventures

Product Review :: Cortland Camo Line

Fri, February 03, 2012

Even though many of today’s fishing lines have become more complex and technologically advanced than ever, monofilament remains a favorite among the majority of anglers who turn to its versatility and reliability. Through innovative design, Cortland Line has developed the Camouflage monofilament to deliver superior performance while still maintaining the ease of use and reliability of traditional mono.

Utilizing nearly 100 years of braiding experience and technology, Cortland Line, of Cortland New York, was an early pioneer in the formulation and extrusion of nylon monofilament fishing line. Their first lines were introduced in 1960 and achieved such strong sales that they have remained in production for over 50 years. Over the years, Cortland has added and discontinued lines as a result of the changes and improvements made to the design and technology of monofilament and copolymer lines. Today, Cortland offers a broad selection of all-purpose and specialty high-performance monofilament lines to meet the needs of every type of angler.

Cortland Camo boasts high abrasion resistance and that rivals the best lines in the world, even while adding a super supple memory free construction. The match-the-water coloration feature of the line allows you to cut back the line to the color that matches water conditions, giving you a virtually invisible underwater connection to your bait or lure.

A question that often perplexes anglers is, why do fish get spooked by fishing line? For instance, a continuous connection leading out of your lure or bait shouts “something’s wrong” to any wary fish. Cortland has solved this problem by dying its Camo in two-foot increments, thus eliminating the connection and putting fish off guard to underwater color contrasts.

I received over half a dozen spools of 8lb, 10lb, and 12lb Cortland Camo for my bass fishing in 2011. The line used most frequently was the 8lb. as it proved to be an excellent multi-purpose line on medium heavy action spinning equipment for clear water smallmouth bass fishing, and probing the shallow weedlines for largemouth bass. Meanwhile, both the 10lb and 12lb were used exclusively on baitcasting equipment for cranking and pitching plastics.

Impressions

Presently, line manufacturers across the world are heavily investing time and resources on researching and developing new monofilaments that outperform the competition. Several new fishing lines are developed to possess singular specific characteristics such as less visibility, zero memory, more limpness, greater tensile strength and resistance to sunlight and abrasive conditions. Since their debuts, many of these newly advanced lines have experienced successful sales due to brand reputation or else a single specific characteristic. However, many of them are failing anglers because they aren’t catering to the multi-purpose needs and requirements of anglers, or adapting to the ever-changing conditions in fishing.

Unlike most other monofilaments, which are available in multiple line colors, Cortland Camo is is available in one multi-colored line color: Camouflage!

The unique property behind camouflage colored fishing line is that light transparency has little to no underwater effect towards the line’s underwater visibility. Camo’s unique color scheme enables the line to blend itself into all underwater environments regardless of light levels. Consequently, this property eliminates all chances of fish ever becoming wary or accustomed to seeing the line as it is in use underwater.

Under the Gun

Majority of my fishing takes place throughout the Upper Midwest Great Lakes Region where largemouth and smallmouth bass are in abundance. My favorite way to catch bass is by using 6 to 10lb. monofilaments on spinning gear. In order to be successful on the water, using a fishing line that can be applied to several techniques and employed in all conditions is mandatory.

I have fished for bass with just about every brand of monofilament line imaginable. In order to properly administer my testing and to determine whether Cortland Camo proved to be a winner, my testing was based on factors such as casting & retrieving, strength & durability, and performance.

 

Casting & Retrieving

Most folks agree with me that fishing is fun, but when you lose a huge smallmouth bass due to break-offs or poor performing line, that lone incident can lead to a lot of disappointment and may mentally affect you for an entire season.

In order to catch bass that run an average size of 3 to 5 lbs, without question a quality line needs to be used.

Throughout my review period, the Cortland Camo I used was predominantly fished with bottom bouncing plastics such as tube jigs and creature baits; Presentations that require sensitivity to detect the bottom and bites, and strength to bring big fish into the boat.

Cortland Camo casts easily and has a nice feel to it. Off the spool, it is extremely smooth and quickly glides through the rod guides without little friction and resistance. What allows for superb casting are its low spool memory and limpness. The only factor that severely hinders casting and handling performance is the line’s intolerance to sunlight and UV rays. But tell me this: Which monofilament fishing line isn’t resistant to the sun?

 

Strength & Durability

A line’s breaking strength is an indication of the amount of force it takes to break the line with a steady, straight pull. In my opinion, this is the most important factor in determining whether or not a particular fishing line is good or not.

The Cortland Camo I exclusively fished with for big smallmouth bass was 8lb. This line demonstrated its abilities in stretch and breaking limits by fighting off snags. In addition, it passed its abrasion resistance tests with high marks as frays and other weakening points were seldom experienced when fishing rock-infested waters.

Bass anglers typically love to fish around structure and heavy cover because of one reason: That’s where the big fish like to feed and live. When fishing near structure such as downed trees, rock piles, and weed beds, fishing line takes a first-class beating. This is exactly what I attempted to put Cortland Camo through. I often ran my baits through dense structure to test the line as well as to catch fish.

Abrasion resistance is the measure of how easily a line is scuffed, nicked or scratched by any hard objects it rubs against. Thin lines are less abrasion resistant than fat lines because any microscopic knick will take a proportionally bigger “bite” that reduces the amount of remaining nylon in a thin line much more than in a thick line. Cortland Camo is specially formulated for extra abrasion resistance, which is a big help when fishing around rocks and snags.

This line is tough, but isn’t a steel cable or an otherworldly object. Fishing line does experience damage when continuously fished through rough terrain. Fishing lines like Cortland Camo are developed to be abrasion resistance. Looking back at my real world tests, the line fared better than expected. Only after long periods of running the line through structure did the line appear damaged, but only with minor frays. Cortland Camo is a lot tougher and durable than many other fishing lines I have dedicatedly used before.

Applications

Throughout the history of fishing, lines have evolved from a simple single strand to the modern technologically-advanced braided, hybrid, and copolymer lines where each has its own benefits. Cortland, a pioneer in fishing line manufacturing and development, is making its mark in the line market by offering bass anglers a strong, dependable, and multi-purpose monofilament such as Camo.

Although Cortland Camo might be difficult to find at most major tackle retailers, the line is definitely out there, and available online through Cortland’s website and its dealers. Cortland Camo is a line without limits, and a line that doesn’t lie to anglers about its performance and value. It is superb in casting, superior in abrasion resistance, remarkably invisible to fish, and is very smooth.

The years of line research conducted by Cortland suggests that Camo is among the top in quality, and brings out the trust and confidence among its fishermen. High regards like these ultimately gives Camo the potential of becoming a big hit amongst bass anglers.

Whether you are on the water to fish with power, or finesse for bites, I highly recommend this monofilament line for all of your big bass fishing needs. No matter the application, or where you fish, Cortland Camo won’t let you down.

MSRP: $4.99 - $8.99

Available in spools of 4/ 6/ 8/ 10/ 12/ 14/ 17/ 25/ 30

The Results are Eye-Candy

8 lb Cortland Camo is spooled onto one of my main big smallmouth bass set-ups: Quantum Energy 30PTi reel with a 7ft 4in medium heavy Quantum Superlite rod.

Just one of several big smallmouth bass taken with Cortland Camo in 2011.

Besides proving to be an excellent line for clear water smallmouth bass fishing, Cortland Camo is just as good, if not better, at extracting largemouth bass from the weedy shallows.

Get some!

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Cortland Master Braid Muskies

Thu, November 17, 2011

Braided lines often bewilder anglers. We either love them or we hate them and there is never a happy medium. From a personal standpoint, I often get frustrated by braided lines. This is a consequence of having endured bad experiences with their casting and handling, as well as their frays and damage caused by rod and reel components. Many of today’s newest braids feature precise weaving processes and state of the art coatings that improve performance. Cortland Master Braid is one of Cortland’s finest flagship lines that is designed to cast with ease, exhibits zero stretch, is strong like bull, and has proven to be more efficient than most competitor lines.

Utilizing nearly 100 years of braiding experience and technology, Cortland Line, of Cortland New York,  has introduced a “next generation” of premium super braided line,  Cortland Master Braid. With only 4% stretch, a small diameter pound/test ratio and a unique hydrophobic coating, Master Braid slices through the water and comes back dry.  Constructed using all the best features of Cortland’s legendary Spectron braided line, it includes a unique coating that makes it permanently stiff, and is also rounder than other braided lines. These properties lead to less twist, greater accuracy and longer casting.  In addition, Cortland Master Braid features a proprietary Cortland process that permanently bonds the color and finish to the fibers of the braid, eliminating the fading and flaking that is prevalent in competitive braided lines

Last January at Chicago’s Outdoor Sport Show, I was privileged to have formed a relationship with Cortland Line. This company wasn’t on my sport-show hit-list until a former grammar school classmate of mine notified me that her father, a Midwest Sales Rep., would be in attendance along with an exhibit. As it usually goes with presenting a media kit and selling myself, my abilities, and reach to other anglers, Cortland was impressed enough to supply me with line to use on most of my reels for the 2011 season.

Within days, I received my shipment of Master Braid. Along with that, I also received spools of Cortland Camouflage and Endurance, co-polymer lines for bass fishing. Note - their reviews will be posted separately.

I received over half a dozen spools of 30lb, 50lb, 65lb, and 80lb Master Braid. Every spool except for 30lb was used exclusively for muskies and other big game fishing.

In the last few years I have dedicated myself more and more to muskies, hence why a solidly performing braided line was on my priorities to have. This year alone I fished for muskies more than I ever had by logging over 30 days on the water.

Impressions

Like most other braided lines, Master Braid is available in either moss green, yellow, and bronzeback brown. Each color works well for a multitude of freshwater and saltwater applications. For my fishing, I used both green and bronzeback brown. This line possesses the appearance of a minimally-weaved rope with NO WAXY RESIDUE. Instead of utilizing a protective wax coating, which only leads to a mess on your hands, rod and reel, Master Braid features Cortland’s signature advancement. This is its superbraid Fiber Tech protection treatment which is scientifically developed and tested to ensure constant performance, color retainment, life-long stiffness, and extreme abrasion resistance and durability. Fiber Tech penetrates through the entire braided material rather than just the surface to ensure that the braid is treated and protected throughout.

In comparison to all the competitor lines I have used, which includes Power-Pro, P-Line Spectrex, Spiderwire, and Sufix, Masterbraid is among the most smoothest handling and durable super line I have ever used.

Under the Gun

Over the years I have employed a multitude of braided lines for a variety of multi-species freshwater fishing. In order to properly administer my testing and to determine whether this line was “award-worthy,” the bases of my tests were on factors such as durability, casting, and handling.

All of my musky fishing presently takes place in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Muskies are a game of cat and mouse. They require excessive casting, loads of mental focus, super-hero amounts of stamina, and time-dedicated trivial pursuit. In the past, I have never lost a musky due to line failure. However, I have experienced malfunctions and anger with braids that developed backlashes, knots, weak points, discoloring, and fraying. Throughout the year I was hoping that Cortland’s Fiber Tech properties would give me a trouble-free line in every way imaginable.

Casting & Retrieving

Certain musky anglers claim that greater casting distances are achieved with braided lines that are protected by slick and waxy coatings. However, these views are complete misrepresentations. In comparison to waxy-covered lines such as Power Pro and Spiderwire, which were used in testing with identical gear and lures, I have found that a non-wax coated line such as Master Braid achieves longer casting distances. Spool Master Braid onto any big game reel and, without question, the casting distance of this line in comparison to the competitors improves by 10 to 25%. To Cortland’s credit, Master Braid is amongst the minimally-weaved and smoothest, roundest, and most residue-free braid that is produced by any manufacturer in the world.

In terms of retrieve, Master Braid is easy and effortless to reel in. It is most definitely the quietest of all available braids when passing through rod guides and the line roller. The Fiber Tech protection did nothing to damage the guides on any of my musky rods.

Musky anglers fish with a variety of lures and presentations. From heavy bucktails, to rocket-casting topwaters and water absorbing plugs, Master Braid has endured everything. Five of my six musky combos were equipped with Master Braid, and casting distances on all was respectable. I was able to cast with accuracy and retrieve my heavy baits with effortless comfort.

Strength & Durability

When it is time to set the hooks into powerful and elusive muskies, Master Braid encompasses everything an angler wants in a strong line in order to complete the task of landing big fish. This braid is comparatively smaller in diameter than other braids, but is built with strength and durability in mind. While monofilaments and traditional braided lines become water-logged if left underwater for extended periods of time, Master Braid is so completely wound and treated throughout by its Fiber Tech finish that it resists water exceptionally well. It’s so completely constructed that if you were to nick the line with a sharp hook point, only some of the exterior line would fray while most of it remained fishable.

Applications

Although most traditional and old-fashioned braided lines are no longer in production, advanced line such as Master Braid is a superb alternative for species-specific applications. The reduced diameter of the line allows anglers to spool it onto just about any reel. Musky anglers have found braided superlines to be amongst the best tools ever developed for the sport as they possess incredible durability, longevity, and have a knack for bringing in big fish. Cortland Master braid meets the demands of all musky anglers and is an exceptional line for everything such as casting, trolling, and live baiting.

During my tests what I enjoyed most was the line’s smoothness, easy casting, and durability. In comparison to all other lines, nearly all of my muskies this season were caught with Master Braid.

In the last decade and a half, the evolution of braided lines has come a long way. Thanks to Cortland’s development of Master Braid, this line is proven to be amongst the best that is presently available to musky and other big game anglers alike.

MSRP: $17.99 - $20.99

The Results are Eye-Candy

Here are a few of my Master Braid Muskies from 2011. Hopefully there will be more like these to come again in 2012.

Thank you, Cortland, for helping me catch some fish this year!

39” topwater / 65lb Masterbraid. June 2011.

42” bucktail / 50lb Masterbraid. August 2011.

36” swimbait / 80lb Masterbraid. September 2011.

38” jerkbait / 80lb Masterbraid. September 2011.

40” glider / 80lb Masterbraid. October 2011.

42” live bait / 80lb Masterbraid. October 2011.

 

 

 

 

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All Things Des Plaines: From Fish to Diverted History

Wed, November 09, 2011

If my local rivers didn’t get dumped on by unwanted rainfall at such an inopportune time, I’d be out fishing. But since fishing won’t be in my plans for the next few days, I will write stories during my available free time.

Not counting my next few article submissions for Heartland Outdoors and the others I dabble with, I have a lot of stories. Tons. For starters, this is an easy one that I will get out of the way first.

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Dam Nice River Gators:

Before all of this rainfall, the fishing was pretty good. My walleyes were on the move and chomping, while fish of other targeted species were active as well for other anglers. On my home river of the Des Plaines, the bass and pike fishing was fantastic, especially over the weekend.

It’s a shame that I missed out.

My pal, Dan Cahill, sent me a few photos from his weekend outing on 11/5. He floated the river on another bass boat suicide mission, this time with his friend, Joe Panatera. In a half-day outing, the two boated over a dozen northern pike with six at 30” with big fish of the day at 33”, and six largemouth bass. According to Dan, everything was caught on rattle traps in orange and shad patterns, and all fish were relating to downed wood, rocks, drop-offs, and channel edges. Feeding windows were short and sweet as the pike catches were scattered while all of the bass were caught from 2-3m during the warmest portion of the day.

At the time, Dan mentioned that water temperatures were holding steady at 49 to 52 degrees.

Could this have been the final push for good pike fishing on the river this fall? Whether it is or isn’t, these guys definitely hit the river at a perfect time!

Who knows what lies ahead in the coming weeks. Can the fishing be just as good when the water levels recede again, or were the last few weeks the official peak of fall 2011? This influx of rain likely got the fish moving again, but as usual, they likely won’t stay around for much longer as foraging and migrating towards their wintering areas are obviously their priorities.

Below are some of their images from Saturday’s bass boat suicide mission:

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Interesting Historical Piece About the Des Plaines:

Did you know that the Des Plaines River contains some pretty diverted history?

According to historical documents, it is one of the most history-filled waterways in the entire state of Illinois.

Proof = http://cpl.library.cmu.edu/

Up until Saturday morning, I was unaware that the course of the Des Plaines River was once altered, with its banks shifted, in order to accommodate the construction of the shipping canals, further development, and the urban sprawl that would take place for the next half-century. For the longest time it seemed as if something ws irregular about the river running perfectly parallel with the canals from Lyons all the way towards Lockport. Like most anglers, probably, I never paid much attention to it.

The great river diversion took place in 1893 as levee systems were built around the river in the present-day area of 47th street in Lyons, IL. The specific site where the levees were installed is from Stoney Ford towards the Santa Fe Railroad bridge. Today, original river banks and remnants of the levees may be seen.

Not only did this diversion shift the course of the river, but it also marked the end of Mud Lake - the former natural flood plain and thoroughfare that connected the Des Plaines River to the Great Lakes. Mud Lake, also known as the “Chicago Portage,” stretched for approximately six miles and ran its way towards modern day downtown Chicago where it eventually merged into the Chicago River.

My river winger, Dan Sims, wrote and extremely detailed documentation about this which can be seen here at his blog:

http://www.sims-spinners.com/spinnerblog/2011/11/a-history-of-the-des-plaines-river/

Dan isn’t much of a writer, but you can tell he invested hours of research in order to put this all together. For something like this, effort has more value over quality of writing. I was simply blown away by how detailed and informative his story is. You can bet I now have it saved in my bookmarks!

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Upstart Organization:

Before I conclude with this Des Plaines variety show, I have some breaking news to share:

Within the last week and a half, a group of friends and I established a fledgling organization that is dedicated to the Des Plaines River Watershed. We call ourselves the Des Plaines River Anglers Association.

This group was formally established in November, 2011, by a dedicated group of conservation-minded fishermen who serve as stewards for the Des Plaines River Valley in Northeastern Illinois. Their principles are conservation, education, and enhancement. The mission of the DPRAA is to promote, preserve, and enhance the recreational fishing resources and opportunities of the Des Plaines River and its watershed.

This group is being directed by Dan Sims, our friend Nick Doumel, and myself. We are still laying out the groundwork for all legal and administrative/organizational procedures. We will eventually build a website and make our presence be more well known (that’s my responsibility), but for now we are directing all interested anglers, friends, and potential members over to our group’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/DesPlainesRiverAnglersAssociation

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