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There are lots of lines on the market
nowadays. Super line, flurocarbon, and monofilament being the most
common. So which ones do you use?
Super lines have many different features from monofilament. Super
lines are very much thinner in diameter than mono lines. Super lines
do not come in clear, usually only white, smoke or green. And they
do not stretch under pressure. I would rather have a line that
stretches so I can have some cushion when fighting fish. If there is
no cushion you could possibly rip a large hole in the side of the
fishes mouth while it ferociously tries to tear the hook out of its
mouth. And that just makes the odds better for the fish to shake the
hook out. But having a no stretch line also has an upside. You can
feel every little action which happens to the lure. When I fish for
bass I believe mono lines have enough sensitivity to them.
Now for flurocarbon lines. I have never actually used this
particular line but I have heard the following about them. Some
manufacturers have not made good flurocarbon lines and I wish not to
say which companies so I don't get myself in trouble but I will say
which ones have had good reviews on, "Seaguar" and "Stren". They
have a very high Strength/low diameter aspect to them which I really
like especially for clear water. High durability meaning they do not
rot. This adds to the life of the line but make sure you properly
dispose of it because we do not need any of this stuff floating
around our favourite fishing holes. And, most importantly, between
the low diameter and material in which it is made out of fish cannot
see it. It virtually disappears under water.
Now for the #1 most used line for largemouth bass, the good old
monofilament. Many reasons make this line so popular, the many years
it has been around for, it is inexpensive, and people have trusted
it because of its so many years on the market compared to all the
other lines. An advantage in my book is the stretching which
cushions the thrash of a big bass. But there are disadvantages too.
On disadvantage is that its strength is usually lowered due to
knots. Many knots will cause the line to only have 75% of its
initial strength. The best knot, though, is the Trilene Knot which
holds, if tied properly, 90% of the lines initial strength. Also,
mono lines do not last forever. Usually if you change your line once
a year you will not have any problems. Mono line will actually rot
after an amount of time. This may seem like a bad thing, but in
actuality it is a very good thing. Old line DOES end up in the
water. If this line didn't rot away there would be tonnes of line
getting wrapped up in motors and lying on the lake floor. One time
when fishing I had my rod hanging over the side of the boat. Somehow
my bail flipped open and I didn't notice all my line fall into the
water. I turned around looking for the line but it must of ended up
on the bottom of the lake because I couldn't find it. Luckily this
line will eventually rot so there wont be my 120 yards of line on
the bottom of this lake forever.
Since most people use mono here are some tips on how to
keep your line fresh:
- Any time you catch a big fish or get a
temporary snag take the last couple feet of line
and run it through your lips. If you feel a
knick cut the line and retie your lure.
- When tying a knot make sure you lubricate
the line with saliva before tightening. This
will make a much tighter knot.
- Pass a Q-Tip through the eyes of your
fishing rod. If any material gets caught to the
eye it needs to be fixed. If not it could damage
your line.
- Always change your line at least 1 time per
year.
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.If you follow these guidelines you will surely increase the
chance of catching fish and decrease the chance of frustration.
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