How often have you heard the lament, “We should’ve had a limit, but kept missing those light bites,” or, “That platter-sized crappie just opened her mouth and the jig fell out.” Line affects fishing results in many ways—how lures and livebaits move; hooksetting and strength to haul fish out of brush and grass; visibility above and below the surface; sensitivity to light bites; casting distance; and more.

The array of fishing lines has grown at an exponential rate, offering the potential for better presentations and more fish in the boat. But on the other hand, letters from readers reveal confusion about the best selections for different types of fishing. Few can afford to buy even a fraction of all the new types, let alone find the time to test them. Matching the characteristics of a line with the requirements of a particular presentation is the key to successful line selection.

Monofilament line remains the overwhelming favorite among panfish anglers. Top-quality brands perform well in most situations and the cost is modest. Mono also is easiest to use; that is, many types cast easily on spinning tackle; standard knots perform well; and fresh line lies smoothly on the surface and passes easily through rod guides, slipfloats, and slipsinkers. Before reviewing promising new mono lines, let’s look at applications where mono may not be the best choice.

The Braid Parade

When Spiderwire and other early braided lines first hit the market, some observers predicted that mono would become obsolete. After the first round of experiments by legions of anglers eager for a miracle, many swore off the stuff among stories of missed fish, broken lines, broken rods, and groovy guides.

Today, we’ve learned more about applications for braided line, based on its innate characteristics, and how modifications in tackle and technique can bring out the best in this no-stretch string that lasts almost forever.

Editor Matt Straw has a long fascination with fishing lines, stemming in part from his passion for steelhead fishing, where success lies in tempting big line-shy fish in clear water with substantial current and lots of snags, using tiny baits and hooks. Missed fish and breakoffs haunt the best steelheaders, who continually seek optimal lines and rigging techniques. Makes crappie and perch fishing seem like a breeze. Straw has transferred some of those lessons to his panfish approaches.

Over the last couple years, he’s converted several of his staple panfish outfits to braided line, particularly for bobber fishing and for vertical jigging. “When fishing floats, take advantage of the buoyancy of braid as well as its thin diameter,” he recommends. “Mono quickly gets waterlogged and sinks, which makes setting the hook a challenge. You must rip all that soggy line free from the water, which—when added to the natural stretch of the stuff and the position of the hook below the float—amounts to missed fish.

“I spool with braid and tie a fluorocarbon leader to the hook. The braid won’t sink and you can make rock-solid hooksets when fishing a float, even on long casts. Just lift that long rod and you’ve got ’em.”

Straw notes that the slick finish on many braided lines aids casting distance but requires extra attention when setting float stops. “You may have to tie two stop-knots back-to-back to avoid slipping,” he says, “and cinch the knots down real tight.” To fool line-shy panfish in clear water, he ties a 3- to 5-foot section of 4-pound fluorocarbon.

“For vertical jigging in deeper water, 15 to 30 feet or more, braid also works well,” he adds. “You have better feel of light lures or bait and can set hooks easily by smoothly raising the rod. Finally, I hate changing line, and with braid you never have to. Pull a rod out of the basement after a long winter and put it into the boat. None of that nauseating spooling miles of light line.”