Selecting the appropriate fishing line is crucial for successful angling. With a plethora of options available, it's easy to make mistakes that could prove costly. Fortunately, Jansen Teakle is available to provide valuable guidance on loading your reel, tying rigs, and choosing the correct type, breaking strain, and diameter for your sea fishing adventures.
When it comes to fishing lines, they can be categorized into various groups right from the start. This simplifies the process of narrowing down the perfect line for your specific needs, ensuring that you make an informed decision.
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The term "main line" refers to the fishing line loaded onto your reel. Typically, main lines are made of monofilament, commonly known as "mono," although braid mainlines have gained popularity among fixed spool reel users in recent years.
Monofilament
Monofilament lines come in a wide range of colors. Opting for high-visibility main lines is advantageous when fishing in low light conditions as they are easily visible under torchlight, facilitating bite detection. Conversely, black or dark lines are more conspicuous in bright sunlight, making them a preferable choice for such conditions.
Monofilament mainlines provide hassle-free fishing experiences, offering excellent value for money. They are graded based on their diameter and breaking strain, with diameter being more crucial in practical fishing situations since testing breaking strain is more challenging.
Here are some general guidelines for main lines:
For fixed spools used in shore fishing with monofilament lines, here are the recommended line diameters for various types of terrain:
- Clean ground: 0.25-0.32mm
- Mixed ground: 0.35-0.37mm
- Rough ground: 0.37-0.40mm
When using multipliers for shore fishing with monofilament lines, consider the following line diameters:
- Clean ground: 0.32-0.35mm
- Mixed ground: 0.37-0.40mm
- Rough ground: 0.40mm-0.45mm
Understanding the rationale behind these guidelines is crucial for optimizing your fishing setup. Let's break it down:
Thicker lines tend to drop faster from the reel upon casting. This rapid drop increases friction, leading to a loss in casting distance, particularly noticeable with fixed spool reels.
Similarly, on multiplier reels, thicker lines also result in faster line drop rates, causing increased resistance during line delivery to the end tackle. This resistance ultimately reduces casting distance.
Conversely, lower diameter lines exhibit slower line drop rates. With fixed spool reels, this slower drop minimizes friction, enabling longer casts.
Likewise, on multiplier reels, thinner lines ensure a slower line drop, facilitating smooth delivery to the lead as it accelerates away, thereby enhancing casting distance.
However, thinner lines are more susceptible to damage when fishing over snaggy seabeds, whereas thicker lines offer greater abrasion resistance. Achieving the right balance between casting distance and durability is key.
While thinner lines excel in casting distance, they are less robust compared to thicker counterparts, which sacrifice some casting distance for enhanced strength.
Monofilament is seldom used in boat or lure fishing, with braid being preferred for deep-water fishing or jigging due to its effectiveness. However, mono remains popular for uptide boat fishing due to its stretch properties, providing better cushioning for tackle in strong tides.
Braid
Braided fishing line is pricier than monofilament but offers extended durability. When used over clean to mixed seabeds, braid can endure for multiple years, whereas monofilament requires more frequent replacement.
Despite its benefits, braid usage with multiplier reels for casting can pose challenges, especially for less experienced anglers. Its low diameter and minimal stretch make it prone to bed in on itself, resulting in frustrating overruns.
However, braid boasts finer and more supple characteristics compared to mono, enhancing its versatility.
Transitioning to braid on fixed spool reels can boost casting distance significantly, owing to its reduced diameter. Yet, there are trade-offs to consider. Braid's lack of stretch offers excellent bite detection but may make hooking smaller species trickier due to their sensitivity to resistance.
In boat fishing scenarios, braid shines, facilitating direct contact with the end tackle and slicing through tides effortlessly. Its reduced diameter allows for lighter leads, enhancing maneuverability in swift currents.
Using heavy braid straight through without a shock leader can pose risks. Snags with high breaking strain braid are challenging to resolve and can lead to prolonged line entanglement. Employing a mono shock leader is advisable to mitigate such issues.
To prevent reel strain, it's prudent to cushion the braid with a short length of monofilament on the spool before application. When dealing with snags, avoid excessive strain on the reel by utilizing a broom handle to dislodge tackle.
When casting with braid, finger protection is essential, and ensuring the reel clutch is fully engaged is critical to prevent line slippage and potential injury.
Shock Leader
A shock leader serves as a robust buffer against the force of casting, absorbing the stress to prevent the main line from snapping. It should extend the length of the rod plus approximately half a dozen turns of the spool.
Selecting the appropriate breaking strain for the shock leader depends on factors such as the weight of the lead being cast. A common rule of thumb suggests using at least 10lb of shock leader for every ounce of lead. For instance, casting with a 6oz lead necessitates a shock leader with a breaking strain of 60lb, while a 4oz lead requires a 40lb shock leader, and so forth.
Tapered shock leaders are favored among fixed spool reel users due to their reduced knot size. This minimizes the likelihood of the leader knot catching during casting, reducing the risk of crack-offs. Additionally, the smaller knot is less prone to snagging weed or getting stuck in the rod's tip ring.
Regardless of whether you're casting with a fixed spool or multiplier reel, using a shock leader is paramount. Attempting to cast heavy leads with a standard mainline increases the risk of breakage, potentially posing a hazard to nearby beachgoers. Always prioritize safety and employ a shock leader when casting.
Rig and Trace Lines
Rig and trace lines are specially designed with materials that offer exceptional durability, flexibility, and ease of knotting. Rig bodies, in particular, endure significant wear and tear as they traverse the seabed, encounter reefs, rocks, and various unseen obstacles. Even seemingly harmless fine sand can exert an abrasive effect on rig bodies, underscoring the importance of using robust materials.
Shock leader material is commonly used for crafting rig bodies, with 80lb or 0.80mm shock leader materials being suitable for most sea angling rigs. For pulley rigs, some anglers opt for 100lb shock leader material as an added precaution against the rig's main swivel pulling through the rig body during casting. When targeting formidable species like tope, rig bodies may require even higher breaking strains, with 150lb or 1.2mm diameter materials increasingly utilized to withstand the rough skin of such fish.
Snood Lines
Snood lines like Amnesia offer excellent suppleness and possess low memory, meaning they are less prone to retaining kinks. This feature is particularly crucial when dealing with species like eels and pouting, which have a tendency to tangle rigs. With low memory lines, snoods can be easily stretched out to remove any kinks, allowing the rig to be reused efficiently.
Straight and supple snood lines play a significant role in presenting baits effectively. Tangled and curly snoods are not only frustrating but also diminish the rig's ability to attract fish. Therefore, opting for lines with low memory ensures that your bait presentation remains optimal, increasing your chances of success on the water.
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon fishing lines boast almost invisible properties underwater, making them highly effective for targeting finicky species in clear water environments. The near-invisibility of fluorocarbon lines reduces the likelihood of fish being spooked by bright and conspicuous lines, thereby increasing your chances of successful strikes.
Moreover, fluorocarbon lines tend to be harder and more resistant to abrasion compared to other types of fishing lines. This durability makes them particularly well-suited for fishing in areas with rough terrain or structures that could cause wear and tear on the line.
Fluorocarbon lines are a popular choice for lure fishing setups, often used as a trace line ahead of the lure when paired with a braid mainline. This combination provides anglers with the benefits of both lines: the low visibility and abrasion resistance of fluorocarbon, coupled with the strength and sensitivity of braid. This setup is especially effective for enticing cautious predators in a variety of fishing scenarios.
Wire
When targeting species like tope, spur dogs, and conger eels, a wire trace becomes indispensable due to their sharp teeth, which can easily cut through traditional fishing lines. While heavy monofilament lines can offer some level of protection, wire traces are generally considered more effective in preventing bite-offs.
Wire traces are specifically designed to withstand the cutting power of these toothy predators. Unlike traditional lines, wire cannot be tied using knots. Instead, specialized crimps are used to create secure connections between the wire trace and other components of the rig, such as swivels and hooks.
By incorporating wire traces into your fishing setup, you can significantly reduce the risk of losing your tackle to aggressive predators with razor-sharp teeth. This ensures that your fishing expedition remains productive and minimizes the chances of disappointment due to lost fish or damaged gear.
