How to Choose Fishing Line that is Right for You

November 29th, 2009 Posted in Travel and Leisure

In my opinion, fishing was much simpler when I was younger. I had all I needed…a rod, a reel, two-tray tackle box with a few hooks and sinkers, and (most important of all) a dog. So my reel was normally less than halfway stocked with its spool of monofilament line, I still caught some great fish. These days, I have closer to thirty rods and reels, each spooled with a variety of fishing line, each serving a purpose, just like my poles and reels.

The fishing tackle industry has managed to come up with a staggering variety of line types. The categories are easily defined as monofilament, braided and fluorocarbon and depending on whether you enjoy freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing or offshore you’ll want to use the line that is most beneficial to what you’re doing.

Since monofilament line is the most common, we’ll discuss this type of line first. Monofilament is inexpensive, strong and remains the most used fishing line on the market. Since it’s somewhat pliable, and stretches if it’s under tension, monofilament line is great if you find yourself with an aggressive fish on your line.

Monofilament is not without its problems. The coils of monofilament tend to get coils in them that are remembered when you spiral off your spool and cast. This can create knots in the wrong places at the wrong times. Other issues are created by the stretch that’s available in the line – stop and think what could happen if you’re trying to pull a large fish out of a thick of weeds or preventing that oversized catch from sneaking off between some rocks – monofilament won’t be a big help in these cases.

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 lines are the premier line for many fishermen. Fluorocarbon lines had a bad name when they first came out because so many felt that it was too rigid. This rigidity often created issues spooling and casting. Since technology has evolved, these problems seem to have lessened over time and far more fishermen feel this line solves far more problems than it had initially created. Many anglers have discovered that fluorocarbon is perfect for creating leaders – this is because fluorocarbon line is highly abrasion resistant. If you’re fishing in deep water that reflects a lot of light or shallow waters, the fluorocarbon line could be just right since it is nearly invisible.

The right line can make all the difference between a successful fishing trip and a trip that lands you back at home staring at your empty freezer. Sure, fishing might have been a lot easier when we were children but just think about how much you’ve learned since then. A fishing trip should still offer as much adventure as it did when you were a child, but today, having the right tools and understanding how those tools work can make your fishing trips a lot more productive than they were all those years ago.

There are many different fishing supplies out on the market today. Some of the most popular supplies include: BG90, Shimano Calcutta Spinning, and Daiwa Rod.