Choosing the Right Fishing Line

When we were much younger, everything seemed to be so much easier when we wanted to fish. All we really cared about was having the pup travelling along with us, any rod would do and the little two-tray tackle box. We didn’t need much, hooks and sinkers did it for us.  We didn’t really pay much attention to what we were using for line and regardless, we felt that we caught the best fish!  Today, look around and see how many rods and reels you now own and check out how many different types of line you now have stashed away in the closet.

As a youngster, you’d have never believed that a day of fishing would involve choosing from three varieties of line, all with different uses and a variety of sizes. It would have never occurred to you to weigh the value of each line against the type of fishing you had planned you’d simply grab what you had and head off. Let’s take a look at the three categories that fishing line falls into and determine what works best for your needs.

For the last 40 or so years, many people have fished using monofilament line. In reality, it is likely still the best selling fishing line available today. Monofilament line is made from one filament of extruded nylon. It is very inexpensive, but also very strong and somewhat pliable. Monofilament line is somewhat stretchy under tension, which acts like a shock absorber for catching aggressive fighters.

One of the downsides in the stretching capacity of monofilament is that it tends to remember the shape it was in.  This means that when you cast the coils tend to remember the shape and this can create a coiling form in your line.  These coils can easily turn into knots and that will make it impossible to easily cast your line. Inevitably, this means that when you least expect it (or want it) your line will suddenly be nearly impossible to cast smoothly.  While the stretch in your line might be helpful if you have an aggressive fish on your line it can be problematic if that fish heads off to hide between rocks or worse yet in a batch of weeds.  Monofilament is not meant to help you in these situations; it can only aggravate the issue.

Some of the issues with monofilament line can be avoided by switching to a braided line – though braided lines have their own issues. One of the most significant pitfalls to the braided line is its visibility.  Braided line is best if used with a low or non-visibility leader or the fish will have too much warning!  One of the best things about braided line is unlike its cousin the monofilament line it doesn’t have a great memory and is far less likely to develop knots as a result of coils and kinks.  Another great thing about braided line is that it is very thin and also very strong.  An eight pound monofilament line is about the same diameter as a thirty pound braided line – and it is great for fishing for small mouth bass or trout.  Due to braided lines low abrasion resistance it is not the best line if you’re going to be fishing in an area that will cause your line to rub a great deal.

Fluorocarbon solves many of braided line’s problems. It is much like monofilament line, and is nearly invisible underwater. It is excellent in shallow water where fish spook easy, and is effective in clear and deep water where light penetration is great. Fluorocarbon is very resistant to abrasion, and is used to make leaders. When it was first introduced, Fluoro was viewed negatively because it was somewhat rigid, making spooling and casting more complex. However, technology has offered fluorocarbon line much advancement since that time, and it is now a very popular and dependable product. 

Each kind of line available today is a different tool for you to use to make fishing easier. When used correctly, each will help you catch more fish too. So, I suppose that fishing was much simpler when I was a kid, but then again so was my overall familiarity and knowledge of fishing. I could have probably continued to fish in that simple manner, but the desire to learn and catch bigger and better fish reeled me in. As I fished and began to learn more and more about fishing, I discovered the advantages of choosing the right line, lure color, etc. Fishing may not seem as simple as it once did, but I sure am glad that I understand how to utilize the tools that are available. They have certainly helped me add fish to my freezer.

In order for your line to work correctly you have to make sure you have the right reel to use with it. Some of the most popular reels include: Daiwa Fishing Reels and Shimano Spinning Reels.