| What's Your Line? Again, we'll assume you have a well-balanced, dependable rod and reel for the kinds of fish you're going after. But what about the line? One of your smallest fishing equipment investments, the line is also one of the most important. It's your only connection to the fish. If your line breaks or your knot pulls out, nothing else really matters. About the only thing you have to know about line, though, is to buy the best you can afford. And almost everyone can afford the best monofilament, such as Stren, which is designated as premium monofilament on packages. It can be very tempting to buy one of those huge "10 miles for a dollar" spools of line; but don't. That line isn't consistently strong from beginning to end, and it will only make your fishing harder, because it twists easier, breaks easier and simply doesn't "fish" as well as premium line does. Monofilament comes in several colors. For most fishing, I prefer clear, but I also use blue fluorescent quite a bit, especially when I want to be able to see the line better (such as when I'm casting a jig and need to be able to see the line twitch). Be aware that if you can see the line, so can the fish. |
