Fishing line: mono, fluorocarbon and braid
Line is the one piece of tackle that touches everything: the rod, the reel, the lure and the fish. It is also the part new anglers think about least, and it is cheap to change. The right line casts farther, shows you more of what is happening and keeps a fish on when it matters. The wrong one tangles, breaks at the worst moment or scares fish before they bite.
What line has to do
- Carry the cast. A thinner, smoother line comes off the spool with less drag and goes farther.
- Carry the feel. A bite travels up the line to your hand, and a line with less stretch tells you more.
- Take the shock. Some stretch softens a hard strike or a run, and keeps hooks from tearing out.
- Survive the fish and the water. It has to hold up against rocks, shell, wood, weeds and teeth.
- Stay out of the fish's way. In clear water a fish can see line, so how visible it is matters.
No line does all five perfectly, which is why there are three main kinds, each strong in some places and weak in others.
The three main kinds
Monofilament is a single strand of nylon. It stretches, floats or sinks slowly and is easy to tie, which makes it the usual line for beginners, topwaters and crankbaits. Fluorocarbon is denser: it sinks, is hard to see underwater and resists rubbing on rock and shell, but it is stiffer, so it can be harder to knot. Braid is woven from many fibers and has almost no stretch and a very thin diameter for its strength, so it shows bites and cuts through weeds. It is also the easiest for fish to see and it needs the right knots.
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What "pound test" means
Every line is sold with a number in pounds, like 10 lb or 20 lb. That is the strength the maker says the line has in a test: the steady pull at which it breaks. It is a way to compare lines of the same kind, not a promise of what you can land. A 10 lb line will not reliably lift a 10 lb fish out of cover, and in practice it breaks at a lower pull than the rating, because knots, nicks, age and water all weaken it.
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The number is not the thickness either. Braid is much thinner than monofilament of the same strength, so many braided lines are labeled with two numbers: the real strength, and the thickness of the monofilament it is as thin as. Read the box before you buy, and do not compare a braid number to a mono number as if they meant the same thing. Heavier line is thicker, casts shorter and shows more in the water, but it is better at pulling fish out of trouble.
Color and visibility
Water absorbs color at different depths, so a color that is bright at the surface can be hard to see below, and fish see line more in clear water. A bright main line helps you watch it move on the surface or see a bite on a slack line. A clear or low-visibility leader tied to the end hides the line near the lure, where the fish looks most closely.
Knots
A line is only as strong as its knot, because every knot weakens it. Monofilament forgives most knots. Fluorocarbon is stiff, so wet the knot before you pull it tight and pull slowly. Braid is slick and will slip in knots that hold mono well, so use knots made for braid, and join braid to a leader with a knot that suits the two different lines. The Knots section of Tackle & Lures shows each of them step by step, including the leader-to-line uni-knot and the Albright special for joining braid to a leader.
Leaders
A leader is a length of another line tied between the main line and the lure. It can hide the line, resist wear or stand up to teeth. Fluorocarbon leader on braid for clear water and shell, and heavier leader or wire for toothy fish such as Spanish mackerel and bluefish, are common. A leader is usually the same strength or heavier than the main line, and you should check the end for nicks after each fish.
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Picking a line for the day
Three questions get most of the way there: how clear is the water, how much cover is there, and what are you throwing? The answers push you toward one line or another. Try the picker; the answer changes with every choice, because each one changes the job the line has to do.
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Spooling and care
Fill the spool, but not to the brim. A low spool casts shorter, and an overfilled one throws loose loops that tangle. Braid can slip on a smooth spool, so many anglers put a few turns of monofilament on first as a backing. Keep line out of the sun and heat when it is stored, and rinse after salt water. Monofilament weakens in sunlight, so plan to replace it about once a season. Check the last few feet often.
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On the water
- Run your fingers down the last few feet after every snag, and every toothy fish. If you feel a rough spot, cut back past it and retie.
- Test your drag by pulling line off by hand. A common starting point is about a quarter to a third of the line's rated strength.
- Keep notes. When a line works for a lure and a water, write it down; next season you will thank yourself.
Easy mistakes
- Treating the pound rating as how big a fish you can land. It is a test number and you will break below it.
- Using braid with no leader in clear water, then wondering why the fish will not bite.
- Tying a mono knot in braid. It slips. Use a knot made for braid.
- Leaving old monofilament on the reel for years. It weakens, and the cheap fix is a new spool.
More in Tackle & Lures
- Gear: line and leaders
- Gear: hooks and terminal tackle
- Knots, step by step
- Setup guide: lure ideas for the water you fish
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