The best fishing line is the one that fits your fishing situation and conditions.
There are so many things to take into consideration when choosing a fishing line. So the best fishing line used in one situation will be completely different once you change your lure or your gear.
Its important to understand the characteristics of any fishing line you are considering. Its thickness or diameter, its buoyancy, the amount of stretch it provides. And then understand how these characteristics are going to affect the lure you want to use and how they fit with your selected fishing gear.
Here is a breakdown of the most popular test lines and their characteristics for your reference.
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Probably the most common line and most well known, monofilament lines have been around for while and is what most pre-spooled reels are outfitted with.
Monofilament lines have a stretch to them that is a little forgiving when setting the hook on a big bass. It is less reactive to the set so it gives the bass more time to take the lure. This line also floats on top of the water and this property should be taken into consideration when using lures, especially topwater.
Biggest Advantages: Easy to use and manage. Soft line that can be used on virtually any any kind of reel. Good line at an affordable price.
Biggest Disadvantage: Not as strong as alternatives. Will not stand up as well or last as long when fishing in "the junk".
Examples of Monofilament lines on the market
In recent years fluorocarbon line has gained a lot of popularity with the bass fishing community as the best fishing line. The main reason for this is itsextreme toughness. It is stronger than monofilament line of the same diameter.
Its strength allows you to fish around cover, structure and weeds with more confidence as it will stand up to these obstacles better than mono. Its stronger, more dense properties make it a faster sinking line suitable for fishing lures that you are trying to get into deeper water or get a faster fall rate on. Its characteristics also give it less stretch than mono, which could be good or bad, again, depending on how you are trying to fish.
Biggest Advantage: Its virtually invisible underwater. Its sinking characteristic allows a lighter sinker to get it down into the water making the possibility of a more natural moving lure.
Biggest Disadvantage: Not ideal for topwater or shallow running crankbaits due to its sinking properties. Less stretch means more shock on the hook set, along with a faster hook set that may be too fast not allowing your bass to fully take the bait. Its a stiffer line making it less manageable and can sometimes be a problem with twists on spinning reels.
Examples of Fluorocarbon Fishing Line on the market.
Braid is the absolute strongest fishing line you can spool onto your reel. Its intertwined threads combine to make the smallest diameter line at the highest pound test available.
The main use for braid is when you know your target bass is really deep in cover and will require some real abrasion resistance to pull him out. This is great for fishing over mats of grass and weeds. Or throwing over a weed line into a pocket just under a tree. Those are the situations that call for braid.
Biggest Advantage: Superior strength and a small diameter. They are better on spinning gear than fluoro since they don't twist as much. This will give you a greater strength of line on spinning outfits that are usually limited on the amount of line they can effectively use.
Biggest Disadvantage: Highly visible. Expensive.
Examples of Braid Fishing Line on the market.
In the end the best fishing line is not necessarily a paticular brand (although some are better than others)or made up of a certain material but rather the line that is going to maximize the performance of your lures and fishing gear. Don't take the choice lightly.
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