What’s the difference in fishing line? There are basically three types of fishing line, monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided. However, with all this new technology, they are coming out with new lines that are harder to classify. But for the most part, they fall in one of these three categories. And each type of line has its own characteristics. Knowing these characteristics will help you choose the right line.
Monofilament– This line is softer than the other two, which makes it more manageable. It does retain water which makes it more likely to float. Mono line is not that durable. So, if your fishing around a lot of cover or anything that would be rubbing your line, mono might not be the best choice. It does come in different colors and mono is harder to see in the water than braided line. Mono has a lot of stretch to it. So when the fish strikes, the line will absorb some of the strike, there will be a little delay before you fill the fish. This can help when it comes to setting the hook. Many people set the hook to soon and jerk the lure right out of the fishes mouth. The mono line gives the fish just a little bit longer to swallow your bait. Mono works good for finesse baits and crankbaits.
Fluorocarbon– Fluorocarbon has what they call ” refractive index ” the same thing that water has. This makes fluro virtually invisible in the water. So you can already see the advantages if you are fishing in clear water. However, fluro is stiffer than the other two making it harder to deal with. This is referred to as memory. Fluro is more durable than mono, which makes it more suitable for fishing around cover. Fluro has little stretch, so you can feel the fish strike better than you can with mono line. This also means that you will have a quicker hook set so be patient. Fluro does not retain water so it does sink. Fluro is stronger than mono line. If you take 14 pound test line of each and apply the same amount of pressure, the mono line will break before the fluro does.
Braided– This line has zero stretch. This means, out of all three lines, it is the most sensitive. You will have a very fast hook set with this line. It is also the strongest line out of all three. Braided line does not retain water, so it does sink. Despite being the strongest line, it does not have good knot strength– something to think about. The biggest draw-back on braided line is its visibility. However, if your fishing in stained water or murky water you should be alright.
My favorite line is Berkley TriMax. It has the same stretch characteristics of the mono, and has the durability of the fluro. It’s almost like a hybrid line.