(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Rods and reels are sexy, and anglers typically give lots of time and attention to their selection, but many of them don’t give nearly as much thought to their line. That’s a mistake, said Bass University co-founder Mike Iaconelli.
“Line in general is such a key part of the fishing equation because it is your direct link to casting to that fish, hooking that fish and landing that fish," he said.
Unfortunately, while your line choice can be critical, there’s no real formula telling you what type or size or brand of line to use for any given situation. Ike believes that it can be intimidating – not just for new anglers but even for seasoned vets – to walk into a tackle store and see 50 or 60 brands and styles ready for purchase.
He understands that line choice can be a very personal matter, but nevertheless there are basic principles that will inform your decisions of what to buy and what to use in a particular situation. The first step is understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the three major types – monofilament, braid and fluorocarbon.
Monofilament, as its name suggests, is built out of a single strand of material. It’s great for beginners because it’s easy to spool up, has little memory and is easy to manage. That doesn’t mean that Classic winners and AOY title-holders like Ike don’t use it, though. He still employs mono whenever he wants a line with some stretch and buoyancy. That means it gets the call for lures he wants to keep on the surface, like topwaters and soft jerkbaits. It’s not just for those that he wants to stay high in the water column, though. He also likes mono with crankbaits, where he’s trying to keep them up but not on the surface, and also where deflection can make a major difference.
Additionally, the stretch in monofilament helps him land more fish, especially when using lures with treble hooks. Not only does the stretch prevent a surging boatside fish from pulling free, but it also delays his hookset slightly, which means he’s less likely to pull the lure away from the bass.
Braid is on the opposite end of the spectrum from mono. Visually, it’s different, comprised of various strands and maximum visibility. From a performance perspective, it has zero stretch and zero memory, which is a “huge, huge bonus when you’re spooling your reels and starting fishing for the first time.” It also transmits more feeling at the end of super-long casts or in very deep water.
Braid is also very hard to break, which means that it excels in heavy cover, especially aquatic vegetation, cutting through the greenery like a hot knife through butter. Run it across a craggy dock piling and it will hold up well, whereas mono or fluoro might fray. “Your chances of landing that fish in heavy cover increase dramatically by using superline,” Ike stated.
In between those two extremes is fluorocarbon, a “hybrid” with some of the best characteristics of both. Visually, it looks like mono above the water and is nearly invisible below the water. Unlike mono, though, it’s very dense and not buoyant at all, so if you can see a penny on the bottom in 30 feet of water, this will help you get your bait down there and present your lure naturally. That’s why he likes it at any depth with lures like weightless soft plastics, where creating an appetizing fall is half the battle.
No matter what lines you utilize, whether it’s one or two or a broader array, Ike’s guide gives you a starting point and prevents you from being “intimidated when you walk in that store to buy line.”
If you want to learn some of Ike’s other keys to line selection, and get a firsthand peek at his state-of-the-art line spooling station, check out his full video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
