Choosing the Right Fishing Line
Choosing the Right Fishing Line
Now that you have an idea about what type of fishing Rod and Reel you need it is time to think about the type of fishing line to get for your Rod and Reel.
Manufacturers offers today’s anglers high quality Steelhead and Salmon, and Lines made of the finest materials. You will find some of the highest quality fishing lines available any where fishing tackle is sold.
You will find brand names like; Berkley, Black Widow, Cajun, Grand Slam, Mustad, P-line, Power Pro, Ultra Sport and others.
You can find the fishing line you need in the weight, brand, color, you are looking for you will also find bulk lines. So let us look at what is out there.
Monofilament Line;
Monofilament Line has long been the standard for fishing and is the most cost efficient of fishing lines.
Monofilaments fishing lines has been around for years and they are the most popular kinds of lines, they are also the most common. They work for a wide variety of fishing applications and, made to have specific qualities that help under varying conditions.
Mixtures of polymers are heated until they turn to liquid, and then forced through tiny holes to form strands of line. These strands are cooled quickly and wound onto spools. The size of the hole controls the diameter of the line; this to some extent determines the pound test of the line.
The type of chemicals in the mixture controls the qualities of the line like limpness, strength, toughness and other desirable casting factors. Added chemicals also control the color of the line. Lines can be tailor made to fit a wide range of needs.
Monofilaments lines come in a wide variety of qualities. The expensive lines have a better quality control they will be consistent in strength, color and diameter. They will hold up longer on the spool and in use.
Monofilament line stretches, which can be good or bad. Stretch makes line more forgiving when a big fish makes a strong run, but it also makes it harder to set the hook. The additives control the amount of stretch but all monofilament will stretch some.
On spinning reels, a limp, flexible line is best but lines with those qualities are usually not as strong and stretch more.
Stiffer line works well on bait casting reels and it can be stronger and have less stretch. Stiffer lines are also usually more abrasion resistant. Stiffer lines hold the shape of the spool more this trait, known as memory, causes problems when casting at times. It also makes the line coil after a cast and lowers your ability to feel and control your fishing lure or bait.
Monofilament is some of the least expensive fishing line, and works in a wide range of fishing conditions. It is very popular and will probably be your best choice for general fishing activities.
Braided lines;
Braided lines; are some of the strongest fishing lines available.
Some Anglers call braided lines “The Hercules of Fishing Line”
For those of us old-timers who think of “Braided Line” as the equivalent of “hemp rope” we used to use in the 60’s should take a look at them today.
Today braided lines are thin, have very little memory, comes off the spool like silk, is tough as Hades, do not absorb water and weaken, can stand up to high temps and sunlight and not lose its strength, and has NO stretch.
It is more expensive then Stren or other “premium” monofilament lines, but it is cheaper in the long run. Since the braided, lines are not affected as much by the environmental conditions you will not be re-spooling as often and it does not nick as easily so you are not clipping and retying as often either.
We use 20 lb, moss green and catch steelhead even in the clearest of water. We fish out in the river current that is (crystal clear) and the warning about “Don’t let the fish see your line!” does not, for some reason, apply to this line. I am sure they must see it but they must not be as spooked by it. We do however use a Fluorocarbon leader and adjust the strength as needed when fishing with the braided lines.
Again, you will not be sorry for purchasing a braided line.
Fluorocarbon Lines:
The newer fused and fluorocarbons offer the angler smaller diameter lines which are harder for the fish to see yet provide the angler with the strength that is required for pulling in that trophy Steelhead. They are however some of the most expensive lines on the market today.
One of the greatest attributes of the fluorocarbon line is it’s toughness. This line is not nicked up anywhere near the way that monofilament does. Hence, you are not retying much at all. With mono, you find yourself retying all the time. I would retie up 30 times a day during a steelhead-fishing trip. This also required refilling the spool constantly after a few days of cutting off and retying line.
Now with fluorocarbon, amazingly, I can fish all day in the strongest of currents, catch 10 fish, and not have to retie once! This fluorocarbon stuff is a lot tougher than most people realize. Now, for my fishing style, I have only used fluorocarbon that tests in 10, 14, 16 and 20 lb. test strengths. I cannot speak for the lighter lines.
You do not need to change the fluorocarbon as you do the monofilament lines.
In addition, fluorocarbon is amazing to cast with, due to its unique properties. It just flies off the spool of your reel. You will experience some over-runs at first, but the perceptive and experienced caster can adjust his braking system to avoid this from happening. I am talking about baitcasting gear here, not spinning gear. I have not had any problems with kinks being a weak spot in the fluorocarbon.
By the way, I do spray my fluorocarbon with Reel Magic on every trip. The slick dressing of Reel Magic helps keep the kinks and loops out while casting, plus the line flows through the guides more easily.
I hope this helps.
The fluorocarbons seem to have to much memory to work well on a spinning reel as the line keeps wanting to uncoil off the spool. I have filled a couple of reels with the fluorocarbons and let them sit for about a month and they did work ok but I still had some problems.
No matter what your preference is from ice fishing, trolling, bait casting, today you will find a fishing line to meet your needs.
