4 Keys to Selecting a Braided Fishing Line
Advice on how to pick the best braided line for the conditions of where you plan to fish.
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Modern braided fishing line has transformed fishing. Super thin, super strong, virtually no memory so it won’t twist and tangle on the water, and virtually no stretch so you feel every bite. Essentially, braided line has helped millions of people catch more fish than if they used monofilament.
Manufacturers today offer excellent braided lines, in many different strengths. So, what’s the best braid for you? One very important distinction is color. That’s because the one category in which monofilament has an advantage over braid is visibility. Braided line is opaque. Where you fish, the lures you use, the depth at which you normally fish all come into play when selecting the best braid color. Here’s a guide to help you find the best braid for your fishing.
Gray is the color to choose here because it blends in with virtually all waters, bottoms, and vegetation. That means that you can use gray braid in a weedy bass lake, a muddy catfish pond, a rock-rimmed reservoir, and clear ocean water. You can’t go wrong with gray braid.
Because of braid’s opacity, most anglers will tie a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader to the end of the braid, so fish won’t be spooked by it. But there are some situations in which that’s not appropriate, such as using surface lures or poppers. Braid floats, so it’s ideal for fishing topwater lures because the line won’t hamper a lure’s action. Also, some anglers just don’t like to use leaders no matter how or where they’re fishing. If this is the case for you, choose braid that matches the environment as closely as possible. That’s also a benefit even if you use a leader. Green braid is a good choice for waters with a lot of vegetation, while blue braid works very well in open marine waters.
This material changes color every five feet so you know how deep you’re fishing. PowerPro
There are times when you want to use high-visibility braid, such as when you’re watching lines for movement. If you’re fishing for catfish in off-color waters, the line won’t spook fish and you’ll be able to see any twitch much easier. Hi-vis braid is also helpful when you’re trolling and you want to know as soon as possible if a rod has a fish on. It’s also helpful for calling out hits (“Fish on, yellow line!”).
Some braids have sections of different colored line every certain number of feet. That allows anglers to do two things: know how deep they are fishing their lures and count off those sections so they can drop their jig or bait to a certain depth. That situation can happen if you get a hit at a certain depth and want to return your lure to it, or if you see fish on a fishfinder and want to drop a lure to that exact depth.