Sunline Assassin FC Review
Yet another quality fluorocarbon fishing line from Sunline
Sunline was considered an expensive brand at one time, but its range of well-respected line offerings has turned the company into a staple for many anglers. This summer at ICAST, Sunline unveiled Assassin FC, a mid-priced fluorocarbon line with P-Ion processing.
I’ve had some of the 15-pound test on a few different baitcasters for about a month now, and I think it’s a solid line with interesting potential. I’ve gone in-depth on a few of the standout features below:
- The P-Ion difference
- Meets the expectations for a good fluoro
- Good cold weather performance
The P-Ion Difference
The standout feature of Assassin is the P-Ion process that Sunline applies to the line during production. The “P” in P-Ion stands for plasma, the fourth state of matter. For our purposes, the process allows Sunline to alter the line at the molecular level without just slapping another coating on top of the actual fluorocarbon. Sunline says the P-Ion process allows it to make the line slicker, more abrasion resistant and longer lasting. For reference, Sunline likes the process so much that the company is supposedly considering rolling the treatment out to all its fluorocarbon in the future.
First off, the line is definitely slick. Depending on the fluoro you’re used to, this line will either be a bit slicker or a lot slicker at first touch. The slickness also lasts a long time. A month or so and a lot of casts into its life and the line is still pretty darn slick. I’m not totally sure that slicker line is actually useful, but it might cast a bit farther and there could be other benefits.
One downside of the slickness is that it can make knot selection a little tricky. I’ve almost always used a plain old improved clinch knot for my light-duty fluorocarbon purposes. I have had a lot of trouble getting that knot to stick with Assassin. Swapping over to a doubled uni-knot (which is a better knot anyway) solved my issues completely. FLW Website Content Manager Jesse Schultz reports having no issues with it when he tried some with a Trilene knot.
I’m not ready to say for sure that the line is more abrasion resistant, but I’d say it is at least average. I caught an awful lot of smallmouths on it while slow-reeling a Keitech swimbait near the bottom in a rocky lake with zebra mussels and was surprised at how infrequently I had to re-tie.
Meets Expectations
At this point, I’ve arrived at some general expectations for a good fluorocarbon. I think everyone has some different ideas in mind depending on their personal experiences, but I figure on a line that lasts awhile, handles well on a baitcaster and OK on a spinning reel, is pretty sensitive, and costs about $20 for a filler spool. I haven’t tried Assassin on a spinning reel, but I’ve got no reason to suspect it wouldn’t work on it.
In my mind, Assassin handles well on a baitcaster and isn’t too limp or stretchy. On the other end of the spectrum, the line isn’t so stiff that it springs off the spool and presents problems like that. One thing to note is that the line will likely be a little slimmer than you expect. The 15-pound test runs more along the lines of an average 12-pound-test diameter (Sunline lists it at 0.340 mm).
For the price, Assassin is a good deal. It isn’t as high end as some of Sunline’s other offerings, but you can get 225 yards for $20, and that is actually less than a lot of lines that I think it equals or surpasses.
Finally, the line lives up to the sensitivity you expect out of fluorocarbon. I had no problem detecting smallmouth bites in 30-plus feet of water with a swimbait on a 1/4-ounce head.
Performs in Cold Weather
Fluoro in the cold can be a little hazardous for your sanity, but this line does just fine. I fished for a day in freezing temps with ice on my guides until the afternoon and had no major issues. I also spent a few other days on the water where temps might have reached into the low 40s and caught an awful lot of good fish with it with no problems.
The Verdict
This is good line for a good price. I’m not sure you’ll immediately change all your fluoro over to Assassin, but I don’t see anyone being disappointed in it.
Pros
- Good value
- Good in the cold
- Abrasion resistant
Cons
- Knot choice might need to be adjusted
- Not available lighter than 8-pound test
Details
Company: Sunline
Product: Assassin FC
Cost: $19.99 to $22.99 for 250 yards
Pound test: 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25