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Learn Your Lines

Understanding The Importance Of Great Fishing Line

Of all the ways to tip the odds of catching more fish in your favor, few are as easy, affordable and effective as spooling up with the best fishing line for the conditions at hand. Thankfully, there are plenty of great options, and choosing the right fishing line for any presentation is a simple and straightforward process.

It all starts by understanding the important role line plays in so many facets of fishing that affect our success. For example, no matter what kind of rod, reel and bait you're using, or whether you fish from a dock, a boat or the bank, your fishing line is a critical ally every step of the way—from presenting the bait to detecting bites, setting the hook and fighting the fish.

Berkley LineWhile early anglers plied their craft with crude strings spun from silk, cotton and other natural fibers, we now enjoy lines made from a variety of Space Age materials, each with special performance properties tailored to best fit specific species, situations and fishing techniques.

In recent years, fishing lines have evolved into three major categories: nylon monofilament, fluorocarbon and superline. Each offers benefits.

Monofilament fishing line, or "mono" for short, is an inexpensive, all-around performer that casts well, absorbs shock, is easy to handle and, thanks to its ample stretch, is very forgiving if you set the hook too hard or a big fish lunges at boatside. Fluorocarbon, meanwhile, is virtually invisible underwater. Plus, it's sensitive and abrasion resistant - perfect for leaders or mainline applications. Thin-diameter, high-strength superlines such as Berkley FireLine, NanoFil and Trilene Braid further lead the charge in brute strength, pulling power and sensitivity.

All of these options evolved because different techniques and conditions call for vastly different fishing lines. For example, when you're finessing finicky bluegills in gin-clear water with tiny jigs tipped with Berkley Gulp! Alive! Crickets, you need different line than someone soaking Berkley PowerBait Catfish Bait Chunks for channel catfish in a muddy river with tangled timber. And even for the same species, differing techniques and conditions dictate different lines.

To choose the best fishing line for your favorite presentations, it's also helpful to factor in the seven core performance properties of fishing line, which can be broken into two groups: strength and control. Characteristics such as knot strength, tensile strength, abrasion resistance and shock strength fall into the strength category; limpness, visibility and stretch are considered elements of control.

In seasons past, anglers often faced serious tradeoffs when picking and choosing properties. For example, if you spooled up with extra-strong line to tackle big fish in nasty cover, you likely sacrificed easy handling. Fortunately, the tireless innovations of Berkley researchers both in the lab and on the water have led to a number of new lines offering amazing combinations of these high-performance qualities.

While the extreme tradeoffs are gone, it still pays to choose a line whose strong suits match your tackle, presentation and fishing conditions. If you're trolling or casting a Berkley Flicker Shad in deep water, for instance, choosing a thin-diameter superline will boost your bait's dive curve, while the sensitivity will relay critical information, such as when the bait ticks bottom or fouls with debris. If casting with the same bait or weightless offerings fluorocarbon's sinking attribute will get your baits deeper and faster.

In the end, only you can decide what is the best fishing line for each of your favorite styles of fishing. By experimenting with different types and tests, it's possible to find the perfect fit for any species or technique. Granted, it takes a little more effort than simply spooling up with one line for everything you do. But taking the time to learn your lines is a great way to tip your odds of success off the charts.

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