All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Line Selection

Quality fishing line is a bigger part of the equation than most anglers would think. There is nothing worse than to finally hook the bass of a lifetime, only to watch it disappear into the deep because your line breaks.

3 Most Important Factors About Fishing Line

Quality is important – don’t skimp on line and end up losing expensive lures or that big bass.
Line diameter determines the distance of a cast on a given reel.
Small diameter lines allow lures to go deep more easily.

Quality line can make a big difference.

Choose line based on lure size, cover, and size of the fish you will encounter. Light lures in water with little cover can be fished on light line. As you move to heavier lures, bigger fish or heavy cover, switch to heavier line. Quality line can also help you keep from breaking off expensive lures when they get hung up Today you have many options for fishing line types. The best advice is to buy quality line that fits your fishing style.

Monofilament is a staple line for most types of fishing. It is semi transparent and reasonably strong and fray resistant.

Fluorocarbon is as transparent as fishing line can get with today’s technology. Use this option for deep running baits as the line absorbs water and sinks. It has less stretch than monofilament so it is easier to detect strikes. It does however, have a memory issue and will maintain a bit of line curl.

Braid offers exceptional strength in smaller diameters. 65-pound braid is roughly the same diameter as 17 pound monofilament. You can get more line on your reel with these smaller diameters. Braid has no stretch so the sensitivity is exceptional. It is very durable and has little or no memory. You don’t need to re-tie knots nearly as often. It will last up to a year or more before needing replacement. Braid is not transparent so it may not be your first choice for exceptionally clear water.

Knots are important no matter which line you use. A Palomar knot works well with all line and is the primary knot used for braided line. For monofilament and fluorocarbon, many bass anglers use the cinch or improved cinch. To tie monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders to braid, use a slim beauty knot. To see how specific knots are tied, do a search at Google for the knot by name and you’ll find drawings and videos demonstrating how to tie each knot.