Here at Fishing Tackle Shop we realise that many anglers are just beginner to intermediate anglers and as such may get confused by the large array of fishing lines for sale. We have developed this handy guide that will go into detail on the main types of lines we sell as well as provide you with some handy suggestions on what size line you should look at purchasing.
Types of Fishing Line for sale
There are three main types of fishing lines that we sell which are braid or super lines, monofilament line and fluorocarbon. Each has its purpose.
Braid or Superline
Has been around for some time now but in recent years became our biggest selling type of fishing line and there are some very good reasons for this. Below we will point out some of the greatest advantages as well as discuss some of the cons of using braid when fishing.
Main Benefits of braid
- Braid is vastly thinner than standard monofilament style lines so you can fit a lot more on your reel.
- Cast ability is greatly enhanced due to the thinner diameter and slim profile. You can potentially cast further with increased accuracy.
- Sensitivity is a key feature. The materials used in braided line construction along with its near zero stretch properties means you are much better positioned to detect the smallest of bites as well as structure in the area you are fishing.
- Using braid delivers better performance to your fishing lures in cast, control and action of your lure.
- Better knot strength is possible meaning you are less likely to bust a line when fighting your catch.
- Outstanding resistance to UV – compared to mono which can deteriorate with exposure to the sun.
So, what are the main cons of using braid. Depending on the reel, backing should be used as braid doesn’t grip to the spool very well. Using a bit of mono for backing will solve this, or check to see if your reel has a rubber super line ring on the spool in which case no backing is required (some of the newer reels in the market place come with superline rubber rings).
Braid can be quite pricey compared to mono.
Braid whilst sensitive doesn’t have a lot of shock resistance due to the near zero stretch. We recommend solving this issue using mono shock leader or fluorocarbon leader at the front end of your line.
Braid is susceptible to wind knots on the cast if not wound on to the spool tight. It’s best to manually close the bail arm on your spin reel rather than use auto bail as the first turn can create loose line that can translate to wind knots on a cast.
If you are used to old school basic fishing knots, you may need to learn a few new knots. Backing to braid or leader to braid knots such as Double uni knot, slim beauty, albright or FG knot is a couple of fishing line knots that you should research and practice when joining two lines together. For tying braid direct to your terminal tackle (whilst we don’t recommend it and suggest you use a leader) try a palmer knot or Berkley braid knot.
Types of Braid
There is a couple of types of braid on the market and we will go into a little detail about each below.
- Regular braid - Which is usually made of Spectra fibre or Dyneema fibres. These fibres are gel spun and form the core construction of most braided lines. So, what’s the difference? Not much if any really, they are both made of UHMWPE Polyethylene fibres and have shared characteristics such as being up to 40% stronger than other materials such as Kevlar, are resistant to abrasion and don’t absorb water (meaning they usually float). We concluded from our research is that whilst the manufacturing likely differs a little, the only major difference between the two we saw from our research was the companies that produce this raw material. Dyneema is a trade mark of DSM a Dutch company that produces the fibre and Spectra a trade mark of Honeywell International inc, A US based firm. Both Dyneema and Spectra are weight for weight so strong that they use these fibres in the construction of bullet proof vests.
- PE Braid Poly Ethelene Braid - Are just like any other braid other than PE is virtually a Japanese line rating that focuses on diameter rather than actual breaking strain, it’s a little confusing for anglers as a PE3 braid for example could break at 20lb, 30lb or even 50lb. However, to make it easier most companies are strategically creating their PE braid at a X10 factor so that a PE3 is rated around 30lb, a PE4 40lb etc.
- Fused Braid – is a process that once the braid is weaved, it is then fused together to make a single strand filament. Fused braids are tough and often a lot more flexible to use compared to regular braid. We find that fused lines are best suited to spinning style reels and can be a little more resistant to wind knots as it is a little bit stiffer. Our bestselling brand is Fireline.
- Carrier Braid – In advertisements for braided line you may come up with terms such as 4 carrier, 8 carrier etc. So, what exactly does carrier mean? Basically, it is the number of strands or ply that go into making the braid. A 4-carrier braid is 4 strands and is often a flat braid. 8 Carrier braid has 8 strands and sports a rounder profile. The main differences in terms of fishability is that 8 ply due to its rounder profile is better for casting. It also has higher resistance to abrasion.
About Monofilament Fishing Lines
Mono is a traditional line that has been around for decades before the evolution of braid. Whilst it is no longer as popular as it once was, it still has its purpose for certain fishing scenarios.
Firstly, I guess we better explain what monofilament line is. Often referred to as mono for short, this line is based on a single stand process usually constructed of materials blended from nylon and other co-polymers.
Main benefits of Mono
- It’s much easier to handle than braid. Completely forget any issues associated with wind knots. Mono will work in any fishing scenario whether it be for fishing from a boat, off the rocks, off the beach or in a lake and river. It’s a practical line and due to its ease of use is suitable for anglers of all levels especially beginner and intermediate anglers.
- Compared to braid mono has a lot more stretch and shock resistance making it much better for situations when you may need to set your hooks hard on the strike or if your drag becomes a little sticky. A bit of stretch is beneficial when fighting fish as it absorbs a lot of the energy used when fighting that could otherwise tear a hole in the mouth of the fish resulting in a lost capture as well as damage to the fish decreasing its chances of survival. Hence, why we mentioned earlier in our braid section that we recommend using a leader as opposed to just tying your terminal tackle to the braid.
- Monofilament line is easier to tie knots in. You don’t need to know any special complex knots like we mentioned earlier in our braid article.
- Affordable, Mono is much more affordable than braid the reasons for this is that the raw materials are generally not dictated by a limited number of trade marked suppliers and price is not as effected by supply and demand factors outside of fishing such as demand resulting from world terror events for the same raw material in braid that is also used in bullet proof vests. Mono is inexpensive and you can fill your reel for less.
- Monofilament has its place in certain fishing styles such as IGFA Game fishing. Braided lines can be difficult to use when fighting the likes of marlin, tuna and other powerful game fish. Stretch is the obvious benefit here that is required for fighting these ocean beasts and mono is less dangerous to use. Most game reels don’t have a mechanical level wind system and require you to thumb the line onto the reel. Your thumbs and fingers are less likely to get caught up in mono compared to braid which can cut straight through you. Mono is also great in scenarios where there is a lot of abrasion such as fishing in a swell off the beach where there is a lot of weed, shell and other abrasive materials about. Whilst braid still is resistant to abrasion, Mono is much easier to manage and doesn’t lose its strength quite as easily when a little damage has occurred.
So, what are the main cons of Monofilament fishing line
As monofilament lines stretch, they are not overly sensitive compared to the modern braided fishing lines. So, if your finesse fishing and want to enhance your ability to detect bites and structure better then we suggest fishing with a braid or super line.
You can’t fit as much line on your reel. Monofilament line is thicker than braid. If you are after a very generous line capacity on your fishing reel then mono may not be your best choice.
Mono can weaken and degrade with exposure to the elements especially UV sun light. Be sure to store your rods when not in use at home some place that is not exposed to direct sun. We also suggest changing your line around once every 12 months to ensure your line is closer to its optimum.
About Fluorocarbon Fishing Line
Most anglers these days, especially with the evolution of braid are using leaders, and the best material to use is fluorocarbon. Why? Well its refractive index is at the same level as water. So, what does that mean? It means that once fluorocarbon line hits water it becomes invisible compared to monofilament or braid that may take metres before its visibility diminishes. Fluorocarbon is stiff and hence favoured for leader material. However, there are some slightly softer varieties available which can be used as main lines. A couple of examples include Berkley Vanish main line 250yd spools and Sunline FC Sniper as a couple of prime examples.
Main benefits of Fluorocarbon Fishing Line
- It’s invisible under water. Whether fresh or saltwater it doesn’t matter as soon as it hits the water it is immediately filtered out due to its refractive index being the same level as water. This feature also allows an anger to use heavier leaders than normal if they so desire as fluorocarbon is less likely to spook off shy natured fish.
- Fluorocarbon is stiffer than mono, provides better bite detection so is favoured amongst anglers as leader material. Another benefit is that it sinks a lot quicker than if you were to use mono as a leader resulting in less line bow or slack.
- Mono absorbs water, fluorocarbon doesn’t so it retains its strength as well as sensitivity.
- Due to its tougher nature, fluorocarbon is better at abrasion resistance and delivers overall better performance right through to hook set.
So, what are the main cons of fluorocarbon
There is no doubt that fluorocarbon is the best choice for most anglers as a leader as it has much better attributes compared to any other line. However due to its stiffness its generally less manageable than mono and not suitable as a normal main line. A couple of brands have developed a slightly softer version such as Berkley Vanish Main Line and Sunline FC Sniper though. So, if you do want to use fluorocarbon as a main line check these 2 brands out.
Shock strength is not as great as mono due to its lower stretch ability. However, you can set your drag slightly lower to help compensate for this if you are having dramas with your hook set and ability to keep the fish connected.
Knot strength is generally not quite as good when compared to mono. We recommend tying your knots well and wet the knot in your mouth prior to fully tightening.
What size line class should you purchase
It all depends on what you are fishing for and where you are fishing. Areas and situations can differ, if you can grab some local knowledge, this would be quite beneficial. However, as a basic general guide we have put together a summary of line class recommendations which are composed of our biggest selling classes for the situations discussed below.
- River & Lake fishing (light) for species such as bream, flathead, whiting, bass, trout, perch and other light weight class fish species. 6-10lb would be your most ideal line class.
- River & Lake fishing (heavy) for species such as barramundi, mulloway and murray cod. We suggest 14-30lb line class.
- Offshore Fishing – for general reef fishing and bottom bashing 20-30lb is our biggest selling and recommended line class.
- Beach Fishing (light) for species such as whiting, bream and dart we suggest around 10-15lb
- Beach Fishing (heavy) targeting Salmon, Tailor, Mulloway etc we suggest 20lbs plus. Our basis on suggesting heavier line class is due to the wash, which can be quite powerful and put strain you’re your line and ability to land hard fighting fish. Where there is little swell and wash, you can down spec should you desire.
- Rock Fishing, assuming you want an allrounder, our biggest selling line class sizes for this application is 8-15kg (or approx. 15-30lb), this is for general all-round rock fishing for species such as kingfish, salmon, tailor, bonito and your average sized sport fish. Dependant on the species you chase you may up spec this to a higher strain. You may contact us for further assistance for a more comprehensive suggestion should you require.
Our above basic recommendations are for main line. We suggest purchasing and using a leader as well, such as fluorocarbon. If using fluorocarbon as mentioned earlier, often you can go a lot heavier than the line class you are using as fluorocarbon is invisible under water and it is often good to do so particularly when there is a quite a bit of abrasive structure around. For example, if you choose to fish in the lake with 6lb line for flathead you may want to use a heaver leader such as 10-12lb or off the rocks using 15lb line you may wish to use a 40lb leader. It really is up to you how heavy you wish to fish leader wise but if you are unsure on where to start, get in touch with us and we will help you with our best recommendation.
Fishing Line Summary
Thanks for taking the time to read our article on fishing line. We hope you our article was of benefit and you got some great tips to take away and apply to your fishing styles. Check out the range of fishing line for sale in our online store and if you need further assistance in picking one, simply get in touch with us and our team will be glad to assist you with any questions you have about fishing line.
