The Right Fishing Line

With so many brands of fishing line on the shelves today, it is getting extremely difficult to choose what is best for your style of fishing. You have to choose between Fluorocarbon, Monofilamint, Braided/Super Lines. Then you have to select a color. After that you need to know what lb test you need. Whatever happened to buying a 1000 yd spool of 10lb test? It used to work fine when I was a kid!!

There are some things that beginners, and experienced anglers alike, forget when purchasing line. Ask yourself these questions:

* What is my reel rated at? (Not many people realize their reel and spool are rated for certain test limits and line diameter)
* What am I fishing for? (Are you going to a State Park to teach the kids how to catch Bluegill or are you gonna try to land a 36" Striper)
* What conditions will I be fishing in? (specifically you should check the current water color on the fishing reports and the weather for the coming trip.)

You should also know a little more about each type of line. Fluorocarbon is a popular choice amongst my buddies, but it has one drawback environmentally speaking. It is strong, does not stretch as easy as mono-filamint and is very low-vis. Fluorocarbon does not break down naturally or "bio-degrade". The major outdoors shops have added recycle bins for you to dump your old line. This certainly helps to reduce the amount of old line left lying around. As everyone is aware, fishing line breaks which means it is inevitably going to enter the eco-system of the body of water you frequent. I am no expert on the environment or ecological dangers, but it doesn't sound like we want this stuff in our waterways. These lines tend to be the most expensive as well. So be responsible when using this line. Tie strong knots, avoid snags and don't throw your tag ends into the water.

Braided/Superline is synthetics braided together. Highly sensitive and tougher then piano wire. You will find this line next to impossible to break during everyday angling. Weeds, snags, teeth and stumps rarely are a problem when using braid. I have used a palomar knot to secure my lures and rigs and only lost one rig over a 1yr period. This line will work for most fishing styles, but should be reserved for the larger fish. If you are going after Blue Catfish, braid will stand up as good as most trotlines. There is no worry about line twists since the braid does not retain any memory. The diameters are extremely small compared to monofilamint and fluorocarbon. I have a spool of 50lb test that looks only slightly thicker then ordinary thread. This is all sounds great, but remember it is limited in it's uses. The price is at the higher end of the spectrum, but cheaper then fluorocarbon in most cases. Watch out for tangles with this line. If you get a bird's nest or a line full of spaghetti, cut it. The frustration of trying to untie the knots and tangles will drive you to the hospital. Also be careful handling the line. Just kite string, this fishing line will slice your finger. It is also thought to be harder on your gear.

So I guess we are left with Mono-filamint. Thick diameter. Plenty of stretch. Rots on you when you least expect it. Cheap...but it is reliable. It was the only kind of line that I new about until 4yrs ago. It is also made from nylon and everybody loves nylon. All kidding aside, mono is a good, trustworthy and dependable line. I stick to name brands because I do notice a slight difference between them and those 1000yrd spools. I find that changing the line every 90 days is a good rule of thumb. Some say you can keep it up to 1 yr, but why chance it. Also, I do bring it to the recycle bins at the tackle shop. As with a lot of things these days, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Mono has been an acceptable fishing line for decades and I find it still does the job.
Hope to see you on the water.

The Angler
Please help to keep our waterways and the environment clean. Practice responsible outdoor recreation, clean up after yourself, avoid lead weights & lures, think of those who will follow in our foot steps.

About the Author
The Angler is the author of The Angler's Tackle Shop. A blog dedicated to fishing, fishing and more fishing.