Over the past number of years, there has been an influx of new products introduced to the fishing game. Lures, rods, hooks, reels and yes even fishing line have all been fortunate to feel how technology has advanced into this segment of the world as well. With that, there is a lot of information anglers have in a choice of what to spool their reels with. The most important question ishow to choose fishing line which almost every person wants to know the answer to. Monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braid are the three variants, and all of them perform very differently.
Monofilament (mono) is the old campaigner of the three and is the most common for anglers. Mono is quite stretchy, it is nearly neutrally buoyant and is easy to tie knots with. Some of these properties can be seen as bonuses and some can be seen as drawbacks. Mono is great for anglers who are developing their craft as it tends to be quite forgiving (stretch) if an angler is slow on the hook set or fight.
Features of fishing line
Fluorocarbon fishing line though looks similar to mono to the eye is comprised of a variety of different compounds and spun into a single strand of line. It is generally denser than mono, stretches less and is a lot more abrasion resistant. It sinks faster than mono and is generally more expensive. The feel is more with fluorocarbon as it is more sensitive and can sometimes feel stiff coming off the reel. Fluorocarbon is basically invisible under water which makes it ideal for leader material or as a mainline.
The braided line provides the most sensitivity of all three, it is also considered the toughest. It is a tightly bound group of fibers which are highly resistant to breaking and offer nearly zero stretches. This allows for the ultimate in sensitivity to the angler for bites as well as detecting bottom structure. Braided line is ideal for heavy cover situations and slices through weed like a hot knife through butter. Some considerations with respect to braid include decreased diameter per pound test vs fluorocarbon and monofilament, meaning a thinner line with more strength. These three types allow one to decide on what and how to choose fishing line.
Other than these factors, the fishing line that one wants to buy must be scrutinized according to the below-mentioned conditions:
- Design material
- Size of spool
- Type of bearings attached
- Gear ratio
- Brake system power
- Drag system power
- Tension adjustment capabilities
