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Types of Fishing Line

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Types of Fishing Line

This page talks about the two most popular components of fishing line on the market today, Monofilament and Braided.

Line

Although it may seem like an insignificant part of a fishing setup, fishing line is an essential piece. If a bass fisherman has that trophy bass, but the wrong test or type of line he/she should stop worrying about catching the fish and begin to craft a “the one that got away” Story. This section will talk about the two main types of lines that a bass fisherman uses; monofilament and braided.

Monofilament

Mono by definition is a word that means single. Relating this definition to fishing mono means a single strand of line. When this type of fishing line is used in sport fishing it is known as nylon fishing line. Nylon Monofilament is a single-component product, which is formed through an extrusion process in which molten plastic is formed into a strand through a die. Nylon Monofilament line is the polymeric by-product of crude oil processing. As with gasoline, premium grade Nylon Monofilament line receives more quality-control attention, more additives, and more attention in the finishing process than normal line. One of the main quality and cost additions to premium grade Nylon Monofilament is to make it abrasion resistant, which gives the line the attribute of dependability.

This type of line has consistently outsold any other type of lines which are currently on the market. Its popularity can be attributed to a variety of factors such as the inexpensive price, overall reliability, and its consistent ability to out cast any of its others. These factors make this a must for any bass fisherman.

However there are some draw backs to this type of fishing line. First each brand makes a slightly different type so the stretch can be different depending on the maker. Furthermore when an angler makes a knot with this type of fine it weakens it. Finally over time such things as sunlight and ultraviolet rays will weaken the line. Due to these factors we recommend that if this is in your tackle box to change the line at least once a year.

Braided Line

As the name implies, braided line consist of inter-wined strands of material into one by product. The type of materials which was replaced by Nylon in this process was a monofilament line called Dacron. Nylon proved to be so superior to braided Dacron which had poor knot strength, low abrasion resistance, and little stretch, that Dacron almost disappeared from the market. Today it is used primarily as a backing material on fly fishing reels.

The synthetic fiber which is added during the braiding process is 10 times stronger than steel, and has been used in industrial, aerospace, and military applications. One of the key attributes of this synthetic is that it is very strong yet very thin. Due to its non-stretch properties it is a super sensitive line. For example, a 15# test braided line has the diameter of a 6# test monofilament line.

Modern braided line has advanced exponentially over the past decade due to new technologies and the popularity in the marketplace. It has a great amount of strength for the amount of diameter it has. In addition it has a small amount of memory which means it will not come off the reel in a coiled fashion. Also it is very responsive to an angler while it is underwater which helps to feel the action underneath.

There are a few drawbacks to this type of line, such as its lack of give. Due to this lack of give a braided line can lead it to break if a fish makes an unexpected run. Also the bass fisherman needs to be careful with the types of knots used in their set up since braided line can pull easily which can cause the loss of a hook. It is recommended that when in use an angler should equip their set up with some weight close to the hook to stop this from happening.