Fishing lines game

Monofilament is generally cheaper than similar braided fishing line, and fluorocarbon prices lie somewhere in the middle. However, the price differential isn't huge. We recommend choosing fishing line based on the type of fishing you do rather than the price. Don't be lured into buying cheap, no-name fishing line. Your line is an important a part of your tackle — too important for you to be cutting corners.

When loading a spool, it's a good idea to keep a little tension in the line, particularly with braided fishing line. You can find lots of plans for cheap and easy homemade line spoolers online, or you can get a friend to help. Experts generally recommend you use a line with a test poundage that roughly matches the weight of your target fish. Expert river and lake anglers sometimes prefer a lighter rig, especially in popular waters where fish are line shy.

It is possible to catch a ten-pound bass on four-pound test — it just takes greater skill and patience. Braided fishing line is thin, and sometimes there's not enough line on the spool you buy to fill your fishing reel properly. You could buy a second spool, of course, but you'd save money by buying cheaper monofilament as a backing.

Load monofilament on the reel first. Then, tie the braided line to it and proceed to fill the reel. Why does fishing line come in different colors? You might choose a line color that makes it easier for you to see. Or, you might choose a line color that makes it more difficult for the fish to see.

Both monofilaments and braided lines can be colored. Others use red or green in the hope that it hides the line from the fish. Fluorocarbon line is often not colored because it has a refractive index almost the same as that of water. This makes it very difficult to see anyway. Whether the water is muddy or clear seems to make little difference. Pink fluorocarbon line is claimed to be even better than clear — and oddly, it becomes almost completely invisible at some depths.

But one thing is certain: clear versions of all types of fishing line remain popular. Can I use the same line for freshwater and sea fishing? Technically, there's nothing to stop you from doing so. You could certainly use the same material. But in practical terms, using the same test becomes problematic. It depends on what kind of fishing you're doing. You might do just fine fishing off a dock where the catches are usually small, but in general, sea angling rigs are considerably heavier than freshwater angling rigs.

Fishing line needs to be stronger to account for things like beach casting leads, large lures, and, of course, bigger fish. What is a wire trace? Most carnivorous fish, freshwater and saltwater, have teeth sharp enough to cut straight through even the strongest ordinary fishing line.

The solution is to tie a length of fine steel cable — a wire trace — to the end. Best Fishing Line Updated November BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own.

Read more. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Bottom Line. Best of the Best. Check Price. Best Bang for the Buck. Click here for testing insights. Models Considered. Consumers Consulted. Hours Researched. Updated November Written by Bob Beacham. Table of Contents Buying guide for best fishing line Monofilament, braided, and fluorocarbon fishing line Which fishing line should you choose?

Fishing line prices Tips FAQ. Buying guide for best fishing line It's pretty obvious that top-quality fishing line is an essential part of every angler's fishing arsenal. Sunlight, water, dirt, and grit all wear on your fishing line. It's a good idea to replace your line regularly.

Switch out monofilament line annually and braided and fluorocarbon line every other year. Measured in pounds, fishing line strength is properly called "test," but it can also be called "poundage" or "breaking strain. Color options include clear, camo, high-vis neon yellow, and a low-vis green. It has superior knot and tensile strength, proves easier to handle than monofilament lines, and practically no spool memory. All this adds up to longer, smoother casts and nominal water absorption to increase its durability and life.

Stretch is also downplayed, with a high level of abrasion resistance. Test strengths range for one to 30 pounds, with lengths that vary by weight, from yards up to 3, And that distinctive Mean Green color makes it ideal for locales with heavy weed cover or green-tinted waters. Designed to be flexible rather than displaying the stiffness common to fluorocarbon lines , the Vanish offers a subtle feel, an easy cast, and more accuracy. Strength is robust enough to handle years of use, and the non-absorbing materials means no waterlog.

Designed to sink, the Vanish also creates a more sensitive overall feel, from rod tip to lure. The break strength ranges from six to 40 pounds, and spools come in lengths that vary from to 1, yards.

Built to offer a super-thin, super-strong fishing line, the Spectra Braided from Powerpro should be your go-to for big-game fishing. It boasts superior abrasion resistance, no memory at all, and no stretch to provide the precision you desire along with a lower shock strength you need. It comes in test weights that go from 5 to pounds, and comes in a host of colors, including moss green, white, red, and high-vis yellow.

In many ways, monofilament lines are the prototypical fishing lines. When crafting their limited-edition Hi-Catch Diamond, the Japanese company catered this monofilament specifically to the U. Made of HG nylon, it comes with a treatment that resists UV damage, with a high abrasion rate, nominal memory, and substantial ease-of-use, from tying knots to unspooling for a long cast.

The testing rate is equally flexible, with weights that range from 12 up to pounds. It comes in three colors—clear, brilliant blue, and high-vis fluorescent yellow—and is available in , 1,, and 3,yard wrist spools.

Already a perennial favorite among trout fly-fishers, Rio updated their Gold line in by building it with SlickCast—a proprietary coating technology that drastically reduced line friction for the smoothest action possible.

The line has a long head and a back taper that provides total control and stability at a distance, with a profile that also encourages close-range angling for casting flies between size 2 and The Gold also boasts the brands own tip coating formula that allows the line to float twice as high as regular lines—without increasing the line diameter. Printed line markers make it easy to ID each line, while a front-welded loop allows quick rigging, partnered with a welded loop at the back to make it even easier to set.

Max length measures out to 90 feet. Boasting a sinking rate of six IPSs, the Clearwater Type VI Sink fishing line from Orvis will get you fly down under the surface of the water and into the strike zone in an instant. Capable of high-end performance in cold to moderate water found in lakes, pods, and deep rivers, the front-welded loop and braided multifilament core make rigging a breeze, with a subtle, responsive feel and purely intuitive accuracy. The tip measures in at 6 inches, with a 5 foot front taper and a 4 inch rear taper.

The dark gray line has weights that range from 5 to 8 pounds, and it comes in foot-long spools. Staying true to its name, Scientific Anglers packs in a lot of tech features into their wide range of fishing lines. Due to its low cost, this is a good line to spool on large conventional reels. Stren Original line was reviewed above. This High Impact version is actually found at a lower cost and has similar line characteristics and performance. The low cost of this line makes it a good line to use as a backing material on large reels.

High visibility green is a good color to see at night with fluorescent and black lights. The chart below shows the average line diameter for a monofilament line and braided line.

Depending on the brand of line these diameters do vary. Fourcrabon line diameters are typically slightly smaller than monofilament line diameters. Smaller line diameters for each type of line typically means a less visible line. However, a braided line is more visible than a monofilament even though it is thinner. When targeting leader shy fish using a thin monofilament or fluorocarbon line is best.

The best saltwater monofilament line is Sufix Superior Monofilament. It is a reasonably priced line that offers high stretch, good knot strength, and minimal line memory.

The line comes on large spools and works well on both spinning reels and conventional reels. For big game offshore fishing, a pound line is a good pound test.

For inshore and offshore spinning reels a pound test line is good. Make sure to store the line out of the sun as the monofilament line breaks down from UV light. A monofilament line should be changed out on the reels every few months of use. The line on the spool it comes on should last for two or three years if stored properly. Ande Premium monofilament and Momoi Hi-Catch are also good saltwater monofilament lines.

Yes, a monofilament line does breakdown and go bad for several reasons. First, the line breaks down for UV light. Monofilament line should be stored in an opaque container if possible to prevent UV break down. Second, a monofilament line breaks down over time, typically the shelflife of monofilament is around years. If stored properly it may last longer. Finally, a nylon monofilament line breaks down as it absorbs water and then dries out.

The line absorbs water which actually decreases knot strength. This is why anglers refer to a wet knot strength and a dry knot strength.

When a line absorbs water and dry outs for many cycles it can weaken the line. This is why it is good to replace the line every few months. A monofilament line and fluorocarbon line both have advantages and disadvantages depending on the fishing situation.

The advantages of fluorocarbon are the line is less visible, abrasion-resistant, does not absorb water, sinks fast, and is sensitive due to its low stretch. The disadvantages of fluorocarbon are that the line is less shock absorbent, less flexible, and more difficult to manage due to high line memory.

For this reason, fluorocarbon is typically only used a the main fishing line if it is under a pound test line. The advantage of a quality monofilament line is that it can absorb shocks and is a soft flexible line that is good for casting.

A soft flexible line is also easier to use on conventional reels and baitcasting reels. Braid line is stronger than a monofilament line for a given thickness of the line. However, that is not the only factor to consider when selecting a fishing line.

Even though the braided line is thinner the monofilament line is still likely less visible to the fish. A braided line has very little stretch with is good for line sensitivity and setting the hook. However, a monofilament line is better and absorbing shocks for fast-moving thrashing fish.

This means that a pound monofilament line would be less likely to break than a pound braided line. However, knot strength would also come into play in this situation.

Yes, the color and type of fishing line can be important for underwear and above water line-visibility. Underwater a clear or color line the matches the background can help a fishing line blend in and be less visible to the fish. A fluorocarbon line has an index of refraction close that that of water which can reduce light reflecting off the line. The fishing line that is thinner is also less visible than a thick version of the same type of line. Above water, a high visibility yellow or high visibility orange can be easier to see.

This can help prevent lines from crossing resulting in fewer tangles. When night fishing many anglers use a black light or fluorescent lights to shin off the edged of the boat. Some lines will reflect this light and be easily visible to the anglers. Any fluorescent line should light up under a black light. Power Pro now offers the Super8Slick V2 moon-shine color which is a braided line that will also show up under a black light or fluorescent light.

The best pound fishing line really depends on what fish is being targeted. In streams when fishing for trout a four-pound line is best. When fishing in lakes and ponds for crappie and small bass an 8-pound monofilament line is a good choice.

In freshwater for big bass, hybrid striped bass, and catfish a pound braided line with a 5 foot pound fluorocarbon leader is my favorite line setup. For northern pike and musky, a pound braided line with a pound steel leader is a good setup.

When fishing in the ocean for small yellowtail snappers, mango snappers, porgy, grunts, and fluke a pound line is a good choice. The leader size can be from a pound test depending if the fish are being leader shy. For inshore and offshore big game fish on spinning reels, a pound monofilament or pound braided line is typically used. When trolling offshore for big fish like marlin, tuna, wahoo, and mahi-mahi, a pound monofilament line or pound braided line is commonly used.

For a really big bluefin tuna pound monofilament line on a size 80 plus class reels is a popular setup. For spinning tackle, yards is about how much fishing line and average size reel will hold. This is typically enough line but when catching large fish from a boat the fish might have to be chased with the boat to gain line back to prevent the reel from running out of line.

In shallow water, this is a decent game plan. When fishing in deep water offshore the fish can swim deep so having more line capacity can be important. When fishing for tuna for example it is common to use a much bigger spinning reel with plus yards of pound braid on the reel with quality strong drag. For freshwater fishing, yards is almost always enough line if the fish can be chased with the boat. In a pound blue marlin was caught on a 4-pound test fishing line. So several hundred-pound fish can be caught on a very light fishing line.

This is because fish are neutrally balanced and even a light line adds resistance. Also when a fish realizes it is hooked the fish often swims away very fast which tires them out. Line resistance can help tire a fish but sometimes adding more resistance actually gives the fish a better chance of getting away and breaking the line.

I have caught large pound plus kingfish which are very fast aggressive fish with the drag set under 10 pounds. It is important to not try and lift a fish out of the water with the line if the fish weighs anywhere near the strength of the line. Most fishing knots make the line strength only 80 percent the strength of its rated value. Also, when a fish thrashes this puts higher forces on the line that can cause it to break.

A fish should be netted or gaffed if it is going to be brought onto the boat when using a light fishing line.

My favorite four-pound test fishing line is Berkley Vanish percent fluorocarbon fishing line. A 4-pound test line is so thin that even fluorocarbon is flexible enough to be fished on spinning reels.

This means that a low-visibility line with abrasion resistance can be used without having to add a leader. A four-pound line is most commonly used for trout and panfish which use light lures. The thin lightweight fishing line allows these lures to be cast a reasonable distance. If really light lures are used a fly fishing rod and reel are needed. There are two common reasons lines get tangled. On baitcasting reels and conventional reels, a backlash is the most common reason a line gets tangled.

This happens with the spoon gains momentum and spins faster than the line coming off the tip of the fishing rod. The result is that loose line builds-up on the spool while the spool is still spinning which can cause a real mess. If the line has memory lots of fishing line can jump off the spool like a spring coil making the tangle worse very quickly. The key to prevent this is to always have resistance on the spool when letting out a fishing line. Resistance can be added with your finger, line clicker, or with a resistance setting on the reel.

To fix a bid nest keep resistance on the spool and slowly pull the line out until all the loose line is pulled off the reel. On a spinning reel, the most common reason for a line to get tangles is that the line gets twisted first. The most probable cause of this is that the angler is reeling as drag is turning the spool in the opposite direction.

This quickly tangles the line the next time the line is cast out. To fix this all the twisted line needs to be taken off the reel. Luckily most often the line is twisted near the end of the line.

When catching a big fish with a light drag setting is when this happens the most often. Fishing lines getting twisted is most commonly a problem on spinning reels. This can happen for two reasons. First, if the lure spins and a swivel is not on the line it can twist the line.

Over time this can build up and create tangles when casting. To prevent this a good ball bearing swivel should be used. The second reason a fishing line gets twisted is that the angler reels when the line is not coming back on to the spool or the drag is going out. The rotor of the reel brings the line in a circle but the spool is not moving or is actually moving in the opposite direction.

This twists the line. To prevent this the angler should be mindful of this or a heavy line with heavy drag should be used which makes it less likely the anger will reel over the drag. The line twist happens most often as people try and keep the tension of a big fish when using a light line and light drag. Monofilament fishing line has stretch to it. This can be a good thing as it can act as a shock absorber for a fast swimming fash or when a fish makes big head shakes. Without the line stretching the line can break.

When fishing for wahoo and swordfish with a braided fishing line a shock leader is added just for this purpose. The stretch of a line does make it less sensitive to feeling fish bites.