Get in line: Use the right line to catch more fish on Idaho waters this season
Fishing line. It’s not as exciting as a new reel, and it doesn’t have the sexy paint job of a fancy lure, but when a fish bites, your line is the most important thing keeping you connected to your prized catch.
Employing the right kind of line is a critical, but often overlooked, skill to keep in your knowledge tackle box. As the spring fishing season approaches, here are some tips to help keep you in line:
Fishing line 101
There are three primary types of line: monofilament, fluorocarbon and braid.
Monofilament is the most common line. It’s (usually) clear, easy to tie knots with and is neutral in the water (it neither floats nor sinks). The downside of mono is that the line has a lot of memory, which means over time, it becomes curly from being coiled up on a reel. Still, mono is great all-around fishing line. If I only had one reel for multispecies fishing (bass, trout, panfish, etc.), I would spool it with 8-pound mono.
Fluorocarbon looks and feels similar to monofilament, but it sinks. Thus, it is ideal for vertical jigging (virtually all ice fishing line is fluorocarbon), pitching bass plastics and other applications where having your lure sink faster is advantageous.
Braid is made of multiple fibers woven together. It comes in various colors (my preference is something dark, like grey or green) and has several advantages. Braid is much stronger per capita (8-pound braid is thinner than 8-pound mono); it has no memory and lasts much longer on a reel; and it has no stretch, which helps with hook sets (although at times, like while trolling, you want a little stretch, so mono is the better tool for the job). Braided line usually floats, so it’s popular with topwater bass lures. Braid’s disadvantage is it is harder to cut and tie knots with. Sharp scissors are a must! There is a workaround for this, though. Keep reading!
Combo it up
Anglers can have the best of both worlds by combining two different line types. On most of my reels, I fill about two-thirds of the spool with braided line, which lasts for years and provides strong backing. Then, I connect a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader (40 feet of the former on spinning reels; 10 feet of the latter on bass casting reels, with some variance depending on my fishing application). Several knots can be used to connect the two lines — my favorite is the Albright knot. By setting up this way, I’m able to work with clear, user-friendly line for tying on lures, but I also get the strength, durability and no-memory benefits of braid. It’s a win-win!
Fresh is best
If you buy a reel that’s pre-spooled with line, take it off and refill it with good, new stuff. I recommend respooling with fresh line at least once per season (more, if you fish a lot). The braid backing/mono leader strategy helps, because you naturally use up your leader and have to replace it.
Less is more
Two common mistakes anglers make are using too much or too heavy of line. I rarely fill my reels more than 75% to 80% —backlash, tangles and other problems happen more frequently on overfull spools. I also like to fish with as light of line as I can get away with. Lighter line casts further, is easier to work with and is less visible to fish. Unless I’m hunting trophy tiger muskie or Mackinaw trout, or planning to battle big bass in heavy weed cover, I rarely use more than 10-pound test (6-pound and 8-pound are most common in my arsenal, and I even use 4-pound on some ice and ultralight setups).
Remember, you can land a much bigger fish than what your line is rated for with a little skill, some patience, and proper use of your reel’s drag setting. Tight lines!
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.
