Over the last few weeks I have asked my fans on social media for questions. While I have received questions on just about everything involving fishing, and some not, the one question I get most is about line.
It’s good to know that people have their mind in the right place – line is extremely important. I am not sure I can answer all the line questions in a single article. I think by giving you my line preferences I can start to answer many of the questions.
Before I get into my line choices I want to point out a couple of things. First, while line is something I am pay close attention to, I am pretty simple in my thinking about it. Here’s a quick general list of some things to keep in mind.
- I use a Palomar knot for just about everything.
- I use uni-to-uni knots for line splicing (adding leader).
- I use Gamma Torque braid on all my spinning rods (with a leader).
- I use snaps for topwater walking baits to help them walk more freely.
- Smaller diameter line helps baits run deeper.
Here are some of my line choices for different techniques I use a lot.
Jerkbait
For a jerkbaits, I use 8- to 16-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line. The deeper I want the bait to run, the lighter the line I choose. If I am fishing a body of water with big fish like Guntersville, Falcon or Clear Lake, I will select a heavier line.
Crankbait
With a crankbait I use 8- to 20-pound fluorocarbon. Like the jerkbait, the deeper I want the bait to run the lighter the line I choose. However, if I am cranking near structure I will upsize my line.
Jig
A jig is one of my favorite baits, and for them I will use the heaviest line I can get away with that will not alter the action of the bait. I generally use between 10- and 30-pound fluorocarbon. For really big fish and fishing in heavy structure, I will sometimes make the switch to braided line.
Topwater
For topwater I will use 30- to 50-pound Gamma Torque braid. I do have one exception, and that is prop baits. For prop baits I will use a copolymer line. With braid there is little or no stretch, which makes working the bait easy and improves my hookset.
Drop shot
I almost always drop shot with a spinning reel. Over the past few years I have found the benefits of braided line on spinning reels. Less coil and better casting are the two biggest benefits, but added strength and better hooksets are also a benefit. For my leader I use about 18 inches of 8- to 12-pound fluorocarbon. Recently, I switched from using the uni-to-uni knot for this, instead I use a Eagle Claw Lazer sharp barrel swivel (size 12-16.) This keeps my line twist to a minimum, and I don’t have to worry about the knot strength on such light line.
Shaky head
For a shaky head I use 8- to 12-pound fluorocarbon depending on the area I am fishing. When I am fishing around rock or docks, I will elect to use the 12-pound. For more open water areas I will select the 8- or 10-pound size.
Flipping
For flipping I use 16- to 30-pound fluorocarbon. I use Gamma Torque braid for punching or fishing super heavy vegetation or wood. However, for soft wood, like the kind at Falcon Lake, I will switch back to fluorocarbon, up to 40-pounds, because braid will cut into a tree and make landing a fish impossible.
Soft plastics/Texas rig
Another one of my favorite techniques is a TightLines UV Beaver on a Texas rig. For this and other soft plastics I use 14- to 25-pound fluorocarbon. By using lighter line I can speed the rate of fall, or heavier line will slow it down.
For the majority of my fishing, these are the lines I use with each technique. Of course, there are always exceptions. Choose the right line, understand the properties of each and hook and land more fish. Remember to change your line often, and always check your line for abrasions throughout the day.
