Getting the Right Fishing Line

ShelovestheseaShelovesthesea
edited November 2020 in Lines, Leaders, & Lures

I am new to fishing and am trying to figure out all the components I need. I have already purchased a rod and reel. Now, can anyone guide me on tips for selecting the right fishing line?

Comments

  • Nomadic_Mariner16Nomadic_Mariner16

    There are a lot of different types of fishing line based on the location you fish, species and reel. One of the most popular and easy to use is called monofilament, which is extruded in a single continuous filament and left untwisted . It's smooth and clear and offers moderate amounts of stretch. Monofilament is also available in special colors to improve visibility above the water while keeping it invisible for the fish. High-performance line produced by thermal bonding of small fibers is called thermal filament and has a smaller diameter per pound test than monofilament. Braided lines are a bit thicker and more common for fishing larger species, e.g. fishing for large blue- and yellowfin tuna offshore.

    You can find a lot more info here

    https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Selecting-Fishing-Line

  • ShelovestheseaShelovesthesea

    This is great info! Thanks so much, @Nomadic_Mariner16!

  • ReelLoveReelLove

    Sheloves:

    Nomadic_Mariner16 gave you a good answer, but I believe what you are looking for is what to do next advice. So here is my 2 cents:

    1. Take the reel AND the rod to WM. Ask the rep to offer you some suggestions.
    2. On your fishing rod there should be a sticker that gives you the weight class for the rod. Assuming it says 15-30, then you will be looking at 15 to 30 lb line to spool the reel.
    3. On the reel itself, there should be some printing that gives you how much line the reel will hold. The lighter the line, the more line it will hold.
    4. Then you consider what fish you are going to target. The lighter the fish, the lighter the line you will want to use because it is more sensitive, and it will be easier to tie knots with smaller hooks.

    If you are new to fishing, mono is the best way to go. It is forgiving. I would tend to use "pink Ande" to spool the reel because Ande is a well made, soft line that has great knot keeping abilities. Pink turns clear under water, so you do not have a fish seeing the line issue.

    After you have used the rod and reel for awhile, you can change out the line if you change your mind. Line should be changed often anyway. Let the WM rep spool the reel using their winding machine.

    Then go wet the line and catch some fish.

  • ReelLoveReelLove

    I forgot a couple of additional pointers:

    When selecting a line, remember that you will be setting the drag on the reel to NO MORE than 33% of the breaking strength of the line. I set mine at 25%. So a 15# test is set on your reel to have drag at 4#. Typically, that would disqualify lines under 12# for most new anglers as it takes a lot of finesse to fish with under 3# of drag.

    If you are into blue water fishing, a very heavy fishing line creates a whole new set of problems in how to connect a hook, lure etc. On very heavy mono line, you would most likely need to crimp the line vs tie a knot.

    After fishing for 60+ years, my go to rod is a 20 lb class spinner, with 20 lb mono backed by 150 yds of 30 to 40 lb braid. My go to light tackle is a 12-18 lb spinner with 15 lb test mono, no backing. Trolling is 30 lb mono backed by 150 yds of 50 lb braid. Heavy offshore is a 50# class rod, 2 speed reel, 50-80 lb mono backed by 150 yds of 130 lb braid. Deep drop is 100% 200lb braid.

    Hope this helps you.

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