REEL TIME

THE SUN OUTDOORS

Choosing line and leader

DECEMBER 9, 2020

Reel Time

RUSTY CHINNIS

While most of the advertising and branding of fishing tackle targets rods, reels, lures and accessories, lines and leaders are an integral part of the equation.

The choices of line are varied but are mostly limited to monofilament, braid and fluorocarbon. While fluorocarbon, monofilament and braided lines were created to spool reels, monofilament and fluorocarbon along with wire are most often used as leader material. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and you’ll want to choose them based on how they perform in different fishing scenarios.

Monofilament has been around for decades and is the most commonly used line. It has many advantages and a few disadvantages. Chief among its advantages are affordability and the fact that it sinks slowly and is more forgiving (stretches) making it less likely to break when shocked. Its disadvantages include the fact that is less durable, stretches, and has a larger diameter.

Braided lines have made significant inroads since their introduction in the early '90s. They are constructed of a special blend of polyethylene fibers. Some brands are wound loosely while others are fused. Braided lines are extremely durable, with no

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN Fluorocarbon leader material is advised for snook, whose raspy mouths can more easily abrade through monofilament line.

stretch. The unfused lines are generally suppler, while the fused ones are stiffer but less likely to wrap around guides and form knots during casting, one of the disadvantages of braided lines. When using braid, it’s important to be aware that no loops form on your reel, a sure sign of trouble to come. It’s also wise to raise the rod tip to tighten the line after a cast and before retrieving.

Braided lines are much stronger than mono lines, so pound for pound they have a much smaller diameter. In order to get the line to spool on the reel like mono, it is necessary to choose a matching diameter, which will be much stronger than the equivalent an angler is used to. Most anglers choose to go with a matching line test (i.e. smaller diameter line) and add a base of mono on the spool. That way you don’t have to use extra braid that will never see the light of day. The major advantage of braided lines is the lack of stretch which makes it easier to feel a bite and to set the hook on a fish. This is a big advantage when bottom fishing and targeting fish with subtle bites.

Fluorocarbon lines are expensive, and most anglers use them for leaders. Its most important advantage over monofilament is being less visible in the water. In addition, it is denser, sinks faster and is more abrasion-resistant. It’s important to carefully seat all knots after wetting them and this is especially true with fluorocarbon.

Wire leaders are used for toothy fish like Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and barracuda that can easily cut mono or fluorocarbon line. Traditional wire leader is hard to tie and kinks easily. While still being used, most anglers opt for wire that can be tied. These wires don’t kink readily and don’t require any other hardware like swivels.

Most choices are common sense. If you’re fishing shallow water or light floating flies and lures, you’ll want to opt for monofilament, which sinks slowly. If you’re interested in getting your offering down quickly, fluorocarbon would be a better choice. Fluorocarbon would also be a better choice for wary species like permit and bonefish. Generally speaking, you can get away with it earlier and late in the day when the sun is low or the water is off-color.

There are, of course, exceptions to all these rules, so my advice is to seek out local knowledge from anglers and tackle shops and try different lines and leader combinations to see which suits your fishing style.

Local soccer player goes pro

Despite adversity,

local soccer player Spencer Moeller has overcome every obstacle and is now living his dream of being a professional soccer player.

BY KRISTIN SWAIN

SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

Bradenton native Spencer Moeller is a long way from his early days of playing indoor soccer at The Center of Anna Maria Island. Now the 26-year-old is playing soccer professionally with the Los Angeles Force.

Taking a few moments to speak with The Sun about his career, Moeller said he credits his time at The Center as the reason he keeps playing soccer. Evolving from his time playing locally at the YMCA, G.T. Bray and IMG Academy, Moeller’s not just passionate about playing soccer, it’s what he’s worked for his entire life.

While playing soccer throughout his school-age years, Moeller said he dreamed of playing professionally. Those plans were slightly derailed when he broke his arm, pushing him toward college soccer instead of the professional leagues.

After playing his freshman year in Memphis, he transferred to a school in New Jersey where he played for a year and a half before getting injured in 2015 and cut in the spring of 2016. Due to league rules, Moeller said he had to sit out for a year before transferring to a Kentucky school, Lindsey Wilson College, where he played for two seasons and graduated in May of 2018. After college, Moeller traveled to Europe to play with international teams before returning to the United States and being signed by the Force in August 2020, a feat he said is basically unheard of at age 26; he said most players are signed to professional teams for the first time in their late teens or early 20s.

While he was working toward playing in professional soccer, Moeller was also spending time working on another project – sharing his story online with other soccer hopefuls.

Moeller started a video blog in 2007 that he uses to help other soccer players see the reality behind the dream. His more than 34,000 followers have watched him grow up in the game, suffer injuries, recover, get past stumbling blocks and more, all while he continues to portray a positive message of continuing to fight for your dreams.

“My story is about persistence and refusing to be denied,” he said.

For him, Moeller said the pressure to succeed in the sport is a lot higher and he wants to give back by helping younger players create a plan of action and not give up on their dreams due to a setback, excuses or being told “no.”

SUBMITTED Before his professional career began, Spencer Moeller could be found playing on local pitches at IMG Academy and The Center of Anna Maria Island. Moeller’s professional career began with playing for European teams.

“I thrive on pressure,” he said. “I thrive when people are against me.”

In addition to the YouTube channel where he shares his personal journey, Moeller also has a website where he shares training videos for soccer players. All of his content is provided for free because he said the point is to give back and help others, not to monetize his experience.

Right now, Moeller is living his dream, despite COVID-19 precautions slowing the team’s game schedule and preventing fans from being in the stadium. In the next phase of his life, he said he envisions several different opportunities, but one that he’d like to see become reality is a professional soccer team for his hometown of Bradenton.

“I just want to be able to give back and help kids get into the game,” he said.

To follow along with Moeller’s life and career, follow him online at his website and on his YouTube channel.

If you were walking down the beach near 29th Street in Holmes Beach the last weekend in November, you may have noticed a new feature on the sand – a grounded sailboat.

The abandoned vessel washed ashore sometime over the weekend and was identified by Holmes Beach code compliance officers on Nov. 30.

Working with representatives from the Manatee County derelict boat program, Code Officer James Thomas said that they were able to have the boat quickly and safely removed from the beach on Dec. 2 at no cost to the city.

Thomas praised the county program for quick action in resolving the safety and environmental concern of the abandoned boat on the beach.

SUBMITTED | DAVID ZACCAGNINO A worker with the Manatee County derelict boat program removed a sailboat that washed ashore in November.

New dining experience comes to Waterline

A new French-inspired restaurant is coming to Waterline with a planned opening on Dec. 20.

BY KRISTIN SWAIN

SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – A new dining experience is set to open on Dec. 20 with the French cuisine of The Chateau Anna Maria.

The new restaurant, helmed by Edward “Buddy” Foy Jr. and his wife, Jennifer, will open at the Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club, 5325 Marina Drive, taking the space formerly occupied by Eliza Ann’s Coastal Kitchen.

Speaking with The Sun, Foy said that the new restaurant has been a dream of his and his staff’s since starring on the Food Network show, “Summer Rush” last year. After visiting his parents in Holmes Beach earlier in the year and staying for several months due to COVID-19 shutdowns, Foy said he knew that Anna Maria Island is the perfect place for his family’s new venture. If the show is renewed by Food Network for a second season, he said it’s possible that some of it could be shot at The Chateau Anna Maria, though Foy said there’s no guarantee.

After beating out several other applicants for the space, renovations began on the restaurant to help transform the space into the signature European/French countryside-inspired design created by Jennifer Foy that makes dining a special treat at the couple’s flagship restaurant, The Chateau On The Lake in Bolton Landing, New York.

Foy said that the goal for his family and staff is to provide a white tablecloth, fivestar dining experience that makes guests feel more like they’re being entertained at someone’s elegant home rather than dining in a restaurant, a goal that he said his wife’s design of the space brings to life.

Plans are also underway to renovate the outdoor dining area in a phase two opening tentatively planned for late spring/ summer.

Thanks to Foy’s upbringing in the restaurant business and his wife’s Italian heritage, he said that guests can expect a spin on French cuisine served in Italiansized portions. The Chateau Anna Maria will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week with more casual dining taking place during the day. In the evening, Foy said the plan is to transform the restaurant into more of a fine dining experience that guests can enjoy on a

SUBMITTED Restaurateurs Edward “Buddy” Foy Jr. and Jennifer Foy are bringing their five-star cuisine to Holmes Beach with The Chateau Anna Maria.

special occasion or every day. He added that for guests desiring a more casual evening, casual dining favorites such as burgers will be served at the bar.

Foy said that one of his daughters plans to attend IMG Academy this coming fall while he and his wife plan to spend at least half the year on Anna Maria Island, returning to New York to operate their flagship restaurant during the summer months.

Those familiar with the Foy’s show, “Summer Rush,” know that while The Chateau On The Lake is a destination restaurant, the time that guests have to dine there every year is extremely limited. While tourists flock to the area over the summer, Foy said his family, which owns three restaurants in the area, has only 60 days of season to put in the work normally done in an entire year.

The restaurant has received more than 30 Diner’s Choice awards and was named a Top 100 Most Romantic and a Top 100 Most Scenic restaurant in America.

With the new restaurant opening in Holmes Beach, Foy brought along 15 of his Bolton Landing employees to help get the new restaurant started, including chefs. Currently, his existing staff is working to help train the new staff members in the restaurant’s policies and procedures. At the New York location, Foy said that during this year’s season, his restaurant staff greeted more than 100,000 guests without a COVID-19 case among his staff or linked back to dining at the restaurant, a streak of safe dining he plans to continue at The Chateau Anna Maria.

While the new restaurant opens for a VIP dining experience on Dec. 19, it officially opens to the public on Dec. 20. Foy said that guests staying on the Island for the holidays also can join them for dining on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.