Soft Steel Instinct FC Product Review #softsteelline #softsteelfishingline #softsteelinstict

Line Review

Soft Steel's Manageable Fluorocarbon Line, Instinct FC (continued)

Similarly on spinning gear, though I fished it as a leader, my leader was intentionally longer than typical. That means I had a lot of the Instinct FC spooled on top of my braid mainline. The 6lb strength handled well and did not show a tendency to want to jump off my spinning reel. However, I suspect results will vary if you typically use strengths heavier than the 6lb line, but again, this is an issue with just about all fluorocarbon lines.

Early season success with Soft Steel FC in finesse applications

Sensitivity: Slack line sensitivity is the number one reason I enjoy fishing straight fluorocarbon on my reels. There have been countless times, while fishing a jig where the fish have taken the bait as it is descending in the water column. If I'm fishing straight fluorocarbon, I'll feel that "tick." If I'm fishing straight braid, or braid with a fluorocarbon leader, I won't feel it until I finish counting the jig down, take up the slack, and put tension on the line. This delay gives the fish a chance to spit the bait back out before you have a chance to realize.

The extra long leader gave me better slack line sensitivity

There's a catch here though. Not all fluorocarbon lines are actually created equal in their ability to transmit these slack line takes. Turns out the more difficult the line is to handle, the better it is at transmitting those slack line takes because a lot of this depends on the density of that line. I'd categorize Soft Steel's Instinct FC to be status quo when it comes to slack line sensitivity. It performs in line with many of the better handling fluorocarbon lines out there which is to say it is still far better than non-fluorocarbon options.

Spooled straight on the Kistler Series 1 casting reel

Other Performance Notes: I did experience a couple of break offs while fishing Soft Steel's Instinct FC. One of those break offs I can attribute to a bad connection knot with the braid. That incident was very likely my fault - again, I'm not the best with these connection knots but I'm working on it. The other was likely from my negligence in not checking my knot at the lure after several catches. In that instance, when I reeled up my line after the break off, I could feel a bit of abrasion towards the end of the line and realized I could have avoided the accident had I been more diligent in checking the line and retying.

Fishing jigs with my Kistler combo spooled with Instinct FC

Design & Ergonomics: When it comes to their Instinct FC, Soft Steel doesn't really mess around. The line is available in one color and one color only - clear. Colored fluorocarbon lines, though perfectly effective, go against anglers' perception of the line disappearing in the water column. So why challenge any of those notions if you don't have to? Soft Steel chooses the path of least resistance to this regard by only offering their Instinct FC in clear. What's better, over the course of a few trips, the line remained clear for me and did not turn cloudy or milky in appearance - an issue with some early fluorocarbon fishing line products.

Another drop shot fish courtesy of Instinct FC

Applications: Soft Steel's Instinct FC worked well for me in both a main line and leader strategies. I fished mostly bottom contact techniques (drop shot, ned rig, jigs) with it because it was early in the season, but see no reason why you couldn't use it for moving bait techniques as well even with its lower than average performance in the lab with stretch. Just be sure to use a slower tapered rod to compensate.

Ratings:

Soft Steel Instinct FC Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	Smooth and consistent out of the package with relatively accurate strength and diameter ratings	8
Performance	Easy handling line that works well in both mainline and leader applications	7
Price	Cost per filler spool varies a little depending upon which weight you're purchasing, but the 12lb Instinct FC comes to about $0.07 per yard making it among the more affordable FC options out there. Average is around $0.16/yd for non leader material	8
Features	Available in a wide range of strengths from 4lb to 20lb test	7
Design (Ergonomics)	Available in clear, what more could you want from your fluorocarbon line?	7
Application	A very good choice in a mainline fluorocarbon product for a variety of applications	8
Total Score		7.5
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable! For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus	Minus
+ Nice, easy handling FC product	- Highest rating is 20lb. 30lb - 35lb would be nice to have for big baits.
+ Priced right
+ Good sensitivity
+ Accurate ratings/specifications

Conclusion: Fished as a mainline product or as a leader tied onto Soft Steel's own braid product, I found Instinct to be very manageable and easy to handle making it a good candidate for those who dislike the normally wiry and difficult to manage variety of FC lines.

Soft Steel's Instinct FC fluorocarbon line is easy to handle and won't break your tackle budget

Available in no-nonsense clear and reasonably sized filler spools, Instinct is also quite affordable. In fact, I'm not certain when Soft Steel made their official debut in the freshwater fishing line market, but their trio of line product (Eminent Braid, Fluoro Stretch Leader, and Instinct FC), is all quite reasonable in price. If you're looking for a fluorocarbon line alternative that's easy to handle and won't break your tackle budget, Soft Steel's Instinct FC belongs on your shortlist of product to consider.

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