Recently
the question was asked about what kinds of line to use in
which situations, and why. Here are a
few basic guidelines I like to follow for monofilament lines.
There
are a lot of choices when it comes to monofilament fishing line and that is one
of the pluses associated with it.
Another is that monofilament is a cost-efficient choice for those that
replace their line often. Monofilament
costs a lot less than fluorocarbon and braided superlines.
Everyone
grew up with monofilament fishing line.
Likely your first snoopy rod or Zebco 33 had 8 lb. Stren monofilament on it. Monofilament line is still the standard that
other lines are compared to, even if just talking about limitations or
comparing diameter. Since I am most
familiar with the Berkley Trilene brands I will use them as a base for
this topic.
There
are certain applications where monofilament line is the preferred choice and
not the other options. Monofilament line
floats and is great for topwater lures that walk or pop, lures that move slower
and sometimes stop and sit still in the water. Fluorocarbon lines sinks, so using it with
these types of lures will pull the front of the floating lure down and often
under the surface of the water and prevent the lure from operating as it is
intended. Mono also has plenty of
stretch when that big fish hammers the lure and the immediate reaction from the
angler is to set the hook hard on a fish with a mouthful of treble hooks. When fishing topwater plugs I like to use 17
pound Trilene XT (Xtra Tough) since it is a reliable,
strong line that can handle any bass that hits it and still has a great chance
of getting your lure back just in case that 20-30 pound striper or wiper takes
off with it.
Because
mono is less expensive it also makes a good value for those reels that may need
new line often and where the sensitivity of the other lines is not
necessary. I specifically use Trilene XT
for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits because often these lures are cast across, into
and against heavy cover like timber and brush, and the abrasion resistance of
XT keeps me from losing fish, yet, being so close to cover means that checking
your line often and retying as needed means you are losing line by the foot as
the day goes on. Spinnerbaits and
buzzbaits are my favorite techniques and my set-up is “Old School” across the
board. When most are favoring 7 ft. rods
or longer, I like a 5.5 ft. pistol grip Fenwick HMG or HMX with 17-20 pound Trilene XT because I
can be as accurate casting this outfit as flipping a jig with a flipping stick,
which is important when enticing bass out of a large field of brush where only
inches of casting lane is available between the bushes. A short, sidearm cast can place the lures
into tight spots, adjacent and parallel to cover, next to laydowns or under
overhanging cover, better than an overhead power cast, bringing fish hanging
tight to cover out for that split second of action it takes to hammer the lure,
yet the line is still strong enough to power the fish away from cover before
they get tangled up underwater.
Monofilament
line, Big Game, is also on about half of the reels I
have seen aboard the saltwater boats and the consensus seems to be that the
stretch of the line is often desired to keep from losing big fish that
otherwise would have broken the line or pulled the hook on less-stretch or
no-stretch lines. Since bigger reels are
the norm in saltwater then the heavier, larger diameter lines can still be used
without compromising reel capacity.
Most
of the light line (Trilene
XL,) spinning reel applications that I once would use monofilament line for
has been replaced by fluorocarbon line, but anytime a line needs to float
instead of sink then monofilament is the line to use, like, for instance, a
very small popper or a floating lure that needs a spinning outfit to cast well,
or a float-n-fly outfit with dry flies.
The use of
monofilament line, in many applications, has been replaced by the tantalizing
sensitivity of fluorocarbon or the super strength of braided line, but
monofilament line is still a necessary tool in my book.
