Fishing line can seem a bit intimidating. There are a bunch of different types, and unless you are incredibly experienced, it much seem extremely complicated.
So I’ll keep it simple and break down all the important stuff you need to know to choose the right fishing line.
Braided line is very similar in appearance to sowing thread or any other kind of very thin rope.
It is made out of 6-10 strands of fiber braided around each other, hence the name.
This braiding technique gives the line much more strength compared to other lines.
This extra strength makes braided fishing line much thinner than other lines, even at the same strength capacity.
Now braided line is very visible. It doesn’t blend into the water at all, and is not the most natural looking presentation.
Braid is also very flexible and won’t coil up like some other types of line.
And maybe the most important part about braided line is that it doesn’t stretch at all. This gives you direct contact with your lures.
For the most part, you are going to use braided line when you are fishing with thick hooked lures.
Things like jigs, frogs, and Texas rigs have one or two rather thick hooks.
You need the extra strength and the zero stretch to really drive those hooks into the bass’s mouth.
Other lines will stretch too much and absorb lots of the power, causing the hook to not penetrate.
And you will loose a lot of fish. However, braid becomes much more versatile when you use a leader line.
If you tie on a leader of one of the following line types, you line becomes much less visible and allows you to fish with braid, even in clear water.
Flurocarbon is made to be clear. It is virtually invisible underwater, even in ultra clear water.
Rather than reflecting light, fluorcarbon absorbs and redirects it.
This sounds a bit strange, but all you really need to know is that fluorocarbon is the most invisible type of fishing line out there.
It is a bit thicker than braid, so casting distance is reduced by a bit. Fluoro also tends to be a bit stiffer than other lines.
This can be a bit frustrating when you are using 20+lb lines, but anything under that won’t give you any issues.
When it comes to stretch, fluorocarbon is right in the middle. It has about 6-10 % stretch, with is more than braid, but less than mono.
Fluorocarbon is ideal for pretty much any clear water situation. That invisibility makes such a huge difference when bass can see well.
Additionally, pretty much any time you are finesse fishing, fluorocarbon is the best choice.
Finesse fishing requires subtle, realistic presentations that are hard to achieve with other line types.
Monofilament line is not used very much any more. It is extremely stretchy, which makes setting the hook very difficult.
Mono is also much easier to see than fluorocarbon line. Of course, it is still relatively see through, but in clear water, you can spot it pretty easily.
Monofilament also floats, which actually does come in handy sometimes.
Really the only time you can effectively use monofilament is when using treble hooke lures.
This is a bit of a shame because monofilament is very cheap, but the reality is that mono is just not as good as the others.
Now if you are a beginner fisherman and you are just trying to get better at fishing, I highly suggest monofilament.
Mono is super cheap and super durable, which makes it perfect for less experienced anglers who are just trying to learn all the basics.
Each type of line—braided, fluorocarbon, and monofilament—has distinct characteristics that make it suitable for specific situations.
Braided line offers strength, sensitivity, and flexibility, but its visibility and cost can be drawbacks. Fluorocarbon is nearly invisible underwater and minimally stretches, ideal for clear water and finesse fishing, though its sinking nature and stiffness can pose challenges.
Monofilament, while affordable and useful for topwater lures, lacks the strength and sensitivity needed for more demanding fishing scenarios.
