Fishing seemed so much easier when I was a child. It seemed like all I needed was my rod, reel, small tackle box with a few sinkers and hooks, and my trusty companion...my dog. Okay, my reel was always half-stocked with a spool of monofilament line, I was still able to catch some awesome fish. I'm grown now, and my fishing gear now includes close to thirty rods and reels, each with their own purpose. These rods and reels are spooled with a huge variety of fishing line types; each as unique as the rod and reel they are spooled on.
These days, the tackle industry is complete with an array of fishing lines, but most mainstream fishermen need only three basic types: monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided. Each has a distinct purpose and defining characteristics, whether you are fishing in freshwater, saltwater, or offshore.
For roughly the last half century, fishermen have chosen to use only monofilament line, and it is one of the best selling lines still on the market today. It is made from a single filament of extruded nylon, and is very cost efficient.
Monofilament line is extremely strong and rather pliable. It is also fairly stretchy when tense, which is a definite plus when you are fishing for a fighter, since it acts as a shock absorber.
Monofilament line has one major drawback: it has a memory. This means that it has a tendency to spiral off of the spool when cast, and the springy coils soon become tangles, knots, and have other problems. The stretchiness can also create problems, particularly when you are fighting to pull a largemouth from thick weeds or prevent a huge striper from escaping by slipping between rocks.
Braided line solves many of these problems, and is made from tiny braided synthetic fibers. It does not have the memory problem that monofilament has, and it is very strong for its diameter. In fact, a 30-lb braided line has the diameter of an 8 lb. monofilament line in most cases, meaning that you could realistically fill a small trout or bass-sized reel spool with 20 or 30 lb. test. This line does have its own limitations, however, and it has very little resistance to abrasion and is very visible. For this reason, only fish with braided line when you are using a non-visible leader.
The final of the basic fishing lines, fluorocarbon is nearly the perfect answer. It has many of monofilament's advantages and none of braided line's drawbacks. It is almost invisible underwater, and is excellent for fishing in shallow water where the fish are easy to scare. Fluorocarbon is also very effective in clear deep water with a high level of light penetration. Abrasion resistance is high, and fluorocarbon is even used for leader material. However, it hasn't always been popular, and was given bad press in the beginning because it made spooling and casting more difficult due to its rigidity. After ten years of negativity, Fluoro is now very popular and reliable due to advancements in technology.
The types of line available today are unique and individual tools used to make fishing easier. When used right, these lines will also help you catch more and bigger fish.
Maybe fishing was simpler when I was a kid, but my knowledge and familiarity with fishing techniques was childish too.
To be honest, I could have kept fishing in my childlike manner, but the desire to learn and reel in bigger fish lured me, and I began to discover the benefits of choosing the right kind of line and lure color, and then other helpful things. So, in essence, fishing may not seem as easy as it did when I was younger, but I am very glad that I can now recognize the tools I have today. I know one thing for sure; they've helped me catch more fish.
No comments:
Post a Comment