Fishing Line 101

The line is the only thing between you and the fish. Everything else is just details.

There are four main types of fishing line for an angler to consider spooling onto a reel. Each excels in certain situations, while others may not suit the conditions. Here are the details you need to know.

1. Monofilament – Mono
The original workhorse. Invented in 1939 by DuPont. A single strand of nylon (polyamide).

Pros: Most forgiving, highest knot strength, 15-25% stretch = shock absorber so fish don’t pull hooks, floats/slow sink, lowest memory on quality mono, cheapest.
Cons: More visible than fluoro, thicker diameter per lb-test, UV degrades it over time, more stretch = less sensitivity.

Best for: Topwater lures, crankbaits, treble-hook baits, beginner setups, backing for braid, and anywhere you want forgiveness. 10- 17 lb is the sweet spot for bass in your area.

2. Fluorocarbon – Fluoro
Single strand of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

Pros: Nearly invisible underwater (refractive index close to water), denser so it sinks fast, low stretch 5-10%, excellent abrasion resistance, low water absorption.
Cons: Stiffer, more memory, can be brittle if nicked, more expensive, sinks so bad for topwater.

Best for: Clear water like Pickwick/Wilson, finesse rigs, jigs, Carolina rigs, and as leader material. 12-20lb main line, 8-12lb leader.

3. Braided Line – Braid / Superline
Not extruded — woven. 4, 8, or 12 carriers of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers like Dyneema or Spectra.

Pros: Zero stretch (0-3%), insane strength-to-diameter (65lb braid = 17lb mono diameter), no memory, ultra sensitive, cuts through grass.
Cons: Most visible, floats, can dig into spool, requires specific knots (Palomar, FG), can cut guides if cheap guides.
Best for: Heavy cover on Wheeler and Wilson, flipping, frogging, punching mats, spinning reel finesse with fluoro leader. 30-50lb for baitcaster, 15-20lb for spinning.

4. Copolymer & Other Specialty
Copolymer = 2+ nylons extruded together to balance stretch and abrasion. Also: Mono + fluoro coated, lead core, wire for trolling. Think of co-poly as “tuned mono” — less stretch than mono, more manageable than fluoro.

How The Line Is Made — Why It Matters

Monofilament Nylon: Melt Extrusion
Nylon 6/6 pellets dried, melted at 230-260°C, forced through a tiny spinneret die to form one filament, quenched in water, then drawn/stretched to align molecules for strength, annealed, and spooled. Co-polymers run two different nylons through the same die to layer properties. That’s why mono is round, smooth, and stretchy — it’s one solid piece of plastic stretched like taffy.

Fluorocarbon PVDF: Precision Extrusion
Same basic idea, but PVDF pellets melt at 180-220°C and are denser. The die is precision-ground for clarity. Because fluoropolymer chains are tighter and heavier than nylon, the finished line is harder, denser, and has a light refraction almost identical to water. That’s why it disappears — not coating, it’s the material itself. Low water absorption is also why fluoro keeps strength when wet, while nylon absorbs some water.

Braid: Mechanical Braiding, Not Extrusion
No melting. Spools of Dyneema/Spectra microfibers (15x stronger than steel by weight) are loaded onto a braiding machine. Carriers interlace fibers in a round braid pattern — 4-carrier is square and abrasive, 8-carrier is round and smooth (what most bass anglers use). Then it’s coated with polymer for color, smoothness, and to prevent fraying, and heat-set for stability. Zero stretch comes from the fibers themselves — they don’t elongate like nylon.

How to Choose — 8 Considerations

1. Water Clarity: Clear water on the Tennessee River = fluorocarbon leader or straight fluoro. Stained/muddy = mono or braid is fine.

2. Cover / Structure: Heavy grass, lily pads, timber? Braid cuts through. Rocky ledges and shell beds? Fluoro abrasion wins. Open water topwater? Mono floats.

3. Technique & Depth: Topwater wants floating mono or braid. Deep cranking (15-20 ft) wants sinking fluoro to reach depth. Finesse drop-shot wants braid to fluoro leader for sensitivity + invisibility.

4. Stretch vs Sensitivity: Treble hooks + hard strikes need mono’s shock absorber. Single-hook jigs and Texas rigs need low-stretch braid/fluoro to drive hook home and feel bottom.

5. Visibility: Line-shy spots, smallmouth on Pickwick — fluoro. Night fishing, heavy cover — visibility doesn’t matter; use braid.

6. Diameter & Pound Test: Don’t match lb-test, match diameter. 10lb mono (0.30mm) = 30lb braid (0.29mm). Thinner = farther cast, deeper dive, less drag in current.

7. Knot Strength & Handling: Mono ties easiest for most anglers. Fluoro needs wet knots and slow cinch, or it burns. Braid needs Palomar or FG to fluoro. If you hate re-tying, mono is most forgiving.

8. Budget & Memory: Mono: $6-12 per 300 yd, change yearly. Fluoro: $20-40, change often if memory coils. Braid: $30-50 but lasts 2-3 seasons — add a 6- 8 ft fluoro leader, and you get the best of both.

Another TIP: Use a line code on the reel, and use a magic marker to write it on the reel wherever it will fit. This will eliminate confusion about what line you have on a reel. For braid, mark the pound strength on the reel.

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