Weekend anglers can get caught up in the all the sales hype when it comes to buying fishing line.
Each manufacturer has many different types, colors and sizes of line. Most are designed for a specific purpose and a few, in my opinion, I consider hype.
Fishing line was first made in the early 1900s out of a combination of linen, cotton and silk. In reading I found out that the line had to be un-spooled and laid out on a flat surface to dry or it would rot.
Now, there are lines of everything imaginable.
For the normal weekend angler most tournament anglers, I see fishing line in three classes.
The first line is the monofilament. This is the all-purpose line that can cover most of today”s fishing, especially in our area.
I started out fishing with Berkley fishing line.
Berkley had two different lines back then, XL and XT. The XL line was a good choice for fishing most baits as long as you weren”t fishing in heavy cover. The XT line was designed to fish in heavy cover.
XT was a little stiffer but really held up in and around wood and rocks.
Today, these two lines are still being sold everywhere. I know anglers that still use these lines.
Some of today”s anglers have switched to Berkley Big Game. This line was originally designed for saltwater fishing, but has been used in freshwater fishing for several years now.
Recently introduced, Berkley has a new line, TransOptic. This line is designed for anglers like me that like to watch their line for subtle bites.
Above the water, this line is a gold color to help you see it because of the UV rays. Underwater, the line turns clear so the fish can”t see it as easy.
I personally haven”t tried this line as of yet.
Another line that came out a few years ago in the monofilament class is the brand Sufix. I have used this line on almost all different applications and found it as good, if not better than the Berkley lines.
It is spooled from the factory in such a way that it greatly decreases line twist. I use this line on several rods.
Another brand is P-Line. They have several models to use for different conditions.
I was using P-Line exclusively for a few years, but have changed to Sufix due to the P-Line has memory problems.
Memory is the line “remembering” the loops around your spool and it comes off the spool coiled up. It is a very good line if you use line conditioner to help the memory problems.
The second line is Braid. Several manufacturers sell this line.
I use the braided lines on topwater fishing and around heavy cover. The line is tough and is almost half the diameter of monofilament for the same strength. It is highly sensitive and has no stretch.
The third line is fluorocarbon line. Again, several manufacturers make this line now and is almost totally invisible to the fish.
It has very little stretch and is sensitive as well. This line sinks so it is not advisable to use on topwater lures. Another thing is it is abrasion resistant.
I use it on crankbaits to help the lure get down a little deeper and to help from the nicks and scrapes of cover.
One line I don”t recommend in this line is the Berkley Vanish. I have lost fish on this line because of the line breaking after catching a fish.
If you use this line, retie after every fish. I recommend using the Berkley 100 percent Fluorocarbon line. It is a much better line.
For most fishing around our area, a monofilament line will work on most everything. The water clarity here is not crystal clear.
Whichever line you choose, understand that the line is the main connection between you and the fish. Change your line often and you won”t be disappointed with a fish breaking off and ruining a tournament or your fishing day.
Kevin Forrester contributes an outdoor column to The Commercial Dispatch each week. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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