Choosing the Right Fishing Line
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.
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 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.
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 Reel and Shimano Spinning Reels.
Related posts:
