For the occasional angler with 1 or 2 spinning outfits that cover whatever species is available a good monofilament like Berkley Trilene in 8 pound test is the ticket. The more species or structure specific an angler becomes requires that his/her choice of line become more specialized.
Let's review a few types of line and hone in on what type of fishing they are well suited to. As with all things fishing some of this boils down to personal preference so don't hesitate to share your preferences.
MONOFILAMENT is a good all around line that sells for 3 to 4 cents per yard in bulk in most weights. It is very stretchy and it is buoyant. The higher pound test the more water resistance and therefore slower sink. This makes mono a good choice for topwater fishing. I also like mono for fishing shallow crankbaits (less than 8 feet) because treble hooks tend to pull out of the fish easily and the stretch in mono provides some forgiveness. On the down side the stretchy aspect detracts from the sensitivity of the line so if you're looking to detect those subtle bites another line choice would be in order. Also, it is critical to swap out mono every year at a minimum.
SUPER LINES such as Power Pro, Fireline etc often referred to generically as "braids". There are two basic types, one is dyneema ex. Fireline and the other is spectra ex. Power Pro. Fireline sells for approx 17 to 19 cents per yard and Power Pro for 13 to 15 cents per yard. You can easily get 3 years of usage from these lines under normal conditions. The biggest attribute of braids is that they are virtually no stretch and therefore are ultra sensitive to pick up the "light bite". They are also very thin. For example 20 pound test braid is the equivalent thickness of 6 pound test mono. Braids float but they aren't my personal preference for topwater fishing because again I like the forgiveness of mono so I don't pull the hooks out of the fish. I do however use 50 to 60 pound Fireline for fishing largemouth in heavy cover because it is tremendous at cutting through the weeds. In clear water it is essential that you fish braids with a 4 to 6 foot fluorocarbon leader for two reasons. One is that braid is highly visible and fluorocarbon is virtually invisible under water. Secondly fluorocarbon is extremely abrasion resistant and braid is not. A big factor when dragging your lure over rocks and/or zebra mussels. You can use ordinary fluorocarbon line for your leaders or buy fluorocarbon leader material which is even more abrasion resisitant. Attach your leader to the braid with a small barrel swivel or a line to line knot such as a double uni. The barrel swivel will help you keep twist out of your line but the downside is that you could be dragging it through the guides on your expensive rod if you don't stop reeling soon enough. In most applications 8 to 14 pound test fluorocarbon leaders do the trick. Another attribute of braid is that it has no memory which avoids the coils of line spooling off your reel as with mono at times. Ever since braid came on the scene I've heard stories about it wearing out rod guides. I've been using it for several years and have seen no evidence of it. Maybe the quality of guides has been improving as the use of braid increases.
FLUOROCARBON line is a compromise between braid and monofilament in many respects. The price in bulk is 7 to 9 cents per yard. It normally lasts longer than mono but not as long as braid so two seasons of usage would be reasonable. It stretches less than mono but more than braid. fluorocarbon line sinks so it is not a good choice for topwater fishing. I do like it for running deep water crankbaits. It is also my favorite for drop shotting or any application where you are fishing close to the boat and need a stealthy approach. Remember, fluorocarbon is virtually invisible under water.
GENERAL
Just a few points that come to mind based on oft asked customers questions about line.
- It's generally not a good idea to run less than 10 pound test line, mono thickness on a baitcaster. They aren't really designed to run light line.
- It's a lot of fun catching big fish on light line but if you are practicing catch and release remember that an elongated fight can fatigue a big fish to the point where it severely threatens its chance of survival.
- The biggest enemy of any line especially mono is sunlight. Keep your reels out of the sun when not in use as much as possible.
- If you're not sure whether you should swap out your line and it's mono or fluorocarbon simply tie an overhand knot in it and give it a good tug. If it breaks, replace it. The first sign of aging on braid is extensive fraying.
- The best knor for tying lures to braid in my opinion is the Palomar knot. In fact I use the palomar on any type of line when the eye of the lure is big enough to handle a double thickness of line.
As always, if you have questions don't hesitate to come into the store and ask. We really enjoy helping our Customers catch more and bigger fish.
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