Choosing a fishing line

When comes the time to choose a line for the new fishing season, many questions arise, as a rising tide of products inundate the market and that the retail displays are getting larger and larger. What to do? First and foremost, you must clearly identify your fishing needs and practices. Do you only fish for pike? For trout? Do you troll? Are your favorite places infested with stumps and rocks?

All these questions will enable you to choose the line that is best suited to your needs. We have said it and will always repeat it, the line is the only thing that links you to the fish and it is important not to make your choice lightly, because by merely trying to save a few bucks, you could almost ruin your next fishing trip, the one for which you have spent hundreds of dollars…

On the market, there are lines adapted to every condition. What matters here, is not to buy a line spool for each trip that you will take this summer, but rather to choose the line that will be best suited to your needs at all times, in case you don’t have many reels. Two well-known companies, Stren and Berkley, have launched filaments that are adapted to the same conditions.

These two companies offer a type of monofilament that is specifically made for casting. This thread is more flexible and has a smaller diameter, which enables casting on longer distances. However, this type of strain’s resistance to abrasion or to twisting is rather mediocre.

Fabricated with another goal in mind, certain lines will be better suited for trolling and fishing in difficult conditions. This category (Stren Super Tough, Berkley Trylene XT) includes monofilaments that have a bigger diameter and that are also more rigid. These properties make them more resistant to abrasion and twisting, but their rigidity slightly reduces their casting power. The strength of this type of line is better suited for pike fishing and for any other fish that hide behind thick bushes or other obstacles where a more flexible line would quickly have broken.

For some time, another type of line has also been available on the market. Fluorocarbon, which offers the property of very poor visibility underwater, especially in clear water. Still, other lines are more specifically meant for jigging and have very little elasticity. These lines, heated and then re-stretched “French style” will enable you to feel everything that happens on your bait.

Finally, it is appropriate to talk about a topic that is quickly growing in popularity: superlines, which, for an almost incredible diameter, offer a resistance unknown until recently. Now, let’s leave monofilaments aside and focus our attention on braided lines such as the Spiderwire, the Fireline and the Whiplash. Of course, these multifilaments (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifilament_fishing_line) are between two and four times the price of a mere monofilament, but they are worth it. First, be aware that they don’t have the bad habit of overstretching in less than a year, which means that you can hope to use them for two years or more, thus justifying their price. Also, ONLY BRAIDED LINES DO NOT TWIST. However, take care to choose one that has no elasticity, because it is overstretching that causes it to twist. Moreover, as I just mentioned, the fact that these braided lines (most of them…) have no elasticity, gives a sure and easy strike. Not only that, but it also provides the fisherman with an unparalleled sensitivity for trolling as well as for casting. Its extremely fine diameter (ex: 20 lbs Fireline = 8 lb diameter) reduces visibility underwater and has an appearance that is more natural and delicate. However, the casting power is lesser than with a monofilament (about five to ten feet less), but we all know that fish often bite a few feet from the boat.

This presentation of the different fishing lines available on the market should allow you to make your choice in a clear and reasoned manner. If you still feel lost in front of these ever growing displays of colorful boxes, do not hesitate to call upon one of our advisers, who will help you define your needs. Happy fishing!