Remember when you were younger and you wanted to head out for a day of fishing? You thought little of the tools you were using, you cared was that there was line in your reel, a rod in your hand, that tiny two-tray tackle box and your best friend (your dog) at your side.  Add a couple of sinkers and hooks and you were in business.  It didn’t matter to you what kind of line you had, as long as you had some you knew that you’d have the best fish regardless of their size or type.  Most fishermen have long outgrown this notion and have a stash of tackle, rods, reels and every type of filament tucked away ready to pull out at a moment’s notice for a day of fishing.

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.

Monofilament line is perhaps the most used – simply put, it’s the least expensive, it’s readily available and it’s sufficient for most type of fishing.  Monofilament offers pliability which can be a great benefit.  If you have a fighter on your line that simply doesn’t want to be caught, monofilament is strong and has enough give to allow you to reel him in.

The biggest problem with monofilament line is that it tends to spiral off of the spool while you cast, and the springy coils caused by this “memory” turn into knots and similar negative effects. The stretch can also be a problem, especially when you are trying to pull a largemouth bass from thick weeds, or trying to keep a big striper from ducking between rocks and getting away.

Braided line which is made up of tiny braided synthetic fibers resolves some of the issues that are inherent to monofilament lines.   Unlike monofilament, braided line doesn’t tend to remember how it was sitting on your reel, so it is less likely to develop knots.  While very strong, it’s much thinner than monofilament too – in fact a 30-lb braided line is about the same diameter as an 8-lb monofilament line.  The best thing about this braided line is that even its small size is great for filling your reel if you’re going to be fishing for small trout or bass.  One of the biggest drawbacks of braided line is that it is likely to be damaged easily as it has low abrasion resistance and unfortunately it is also highly visible. If you decide to use a braided line it’s highly recommended you use a low or non-visible leader with it.

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. 

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 Reels and Shimano Spinning Reel.

Tags: Braided Line, Coils, Filament, Fishermen, Fishing Line, Fishing Tackle, Freshwater Fishing, Hooks, Knots, Largemouth Bass, Pliability, Rods Reels, Saltwater Fishing, Sinkers, Spool, Staggering Variety, Striper, Synthetic Fibers, Tackle Box, Weeds