Different Types of Fishing Lines – Fishing Tips to Choose in 2024

After the rod, the fishing line is the most crucial fishing gear source of connection between you and the fish. You can use the various kinds of fishing lines. The line connecting the hook to the rod transmits every motion, tug, and screaming surge to the angler. Monofilament line, flurocarbon, and braided lines are the three basic fishing lines that anglers use. These fishing lines have different characteristics and are preferable to use for different fishing conditions.

One of the important things to consider while choosing a fishing line type is their visibility. Fish has the ability to see the line color and choosing this line color wisely can make the angler’s experience much better than past. If you are a beginner it is quite better to choose the fishing lines types wisely as fish may spook due to the line color.

For choosing the type of fishing line there are five important things to consider. Among these things include the Line memory, line stretch, castability, line strength, and material. These characteristics will help anglers to choose the fishing line in a perfect way to catch the target.

Important Characteristics – Types of Fishing Lines

Before we jump into the various kinds of fishing lines, there are a few key concepts that we should cover. These terms explain the fundamental characteristics of each line type and discuss why they are better or worse in certain situations:

Line Memory

Do you remember whether your line hangs straight or curls up when you remove it off your spool? This is how memory functions. However, a line with a lot of memory may bend or knot as you reel it in. Additionally, it interferes with your presentation and makes long-distance casting more challenging.

Line Stretch

A stretchy line maintains better tension while fighting a fish. It also decreases the influence of large head motions. On the other hand, the stretch makes it challenging to place the hook and reduces precision and feedback.

Fishing Line characters

Shock Durability – Check Line Strength

Another benefit of having some stress in line is that it will be less prone to snap under sudden pressure. This is shock or impact resistance, and it guards against being broken off by hard-hitting fish. Stretches can absorb shocks and choosing a fishing line with more durabality provides good fishing experience.

Those who are interested in walleye fishing should consider the best fishing lines for catching walleye. It is better for anglers to keep their fishing gear superb to catch bass in perfect way.

Abrasive Resistance – Check More or Less Abrasion

Have you ever been cut off while fishing by rocks? If yes, then you need equipment that can withstand more abrasion. All modern lines are pretty abrasive, but higher-end materials handle scratches better.

Buoyancy – Check a Buoyant Line

Some lines float in the water, while others sink. They are both useful in different circumstances. A floating or buoyant line is ideal for topwater fishing. The sinking line stays taut in the water, providing more accuracy at depth.

Visibility – Check Line Color

A fish may become frightened and refuse to bite if it sees your line. Most commonly, low-visibility lines in clear water are used to get rid of this. To match the colour and depth of the water you will be fishing in, you can also use coloured lines. Since fish can see the line color it means

Most Popular Types of Fishing Lines

There are various fishing lines, but the most common are monofilament and braid. Monofilament line is a single long continuous filament composed of nylon, whereas a braided fishing line is made up of multiple super-strong, fragile fibers braided together from a substance similar to Kevlar to make a line that is virtually spherical in cross-section.

Monofilament Line – Beginner’s Fishing Line

Monofilament is a fancy term used for a single thread. The most common fishing line that beginners use is the monfilament. This clears that anglers there is no need for much skills, if a person is beginner he can start with these fishing lines. A single sheet of plastic, typically nylon, that has been stretched out and fitted into a little tube is exactly what this is. In use since the 1930s is mono. Even though it isn’t cutting edge, it is a true “jack of all trades” and remains the most popular line.
As monofilament stretches under strain, it can be pretty forgiving while fighting a large fish. To drive hooks deep into fish or fish with hard mouths like muskies, mono, however, needs a solid hook set. Because mono “gives” rather than chaffs when it comes into contact with cover, some anglers believe that mono is more forgiving of abrasion than fluorocarbon line. They are also softer than fluorocarbon lines. However, some anglers argue that fluorocarbon is better at abrasion resistance than limper monofilament because it is “harder.”

Monofilament


For a smooth connection, knots tie well with monofilament and may be cut cleanly with clippers. In lighter tests, most anglers choose monofilaments because they are under about 10 pounds and cast light lures with spinning equipment. Moreover, it is simple to hold when attacking hooks, sinkers, snaps, and swivels.
In addition to monofilament, a heated filament fishing line is created by the thermal bonding of tiny fibers and is a high-performance line. This type has a smaller diameter per pound than a monofilament line. It is also a bit more costly and less eagerly accessible.

Use of Monofilament Fishing Line

Monofilament is ideal for beginners. However, you should give it a try if you’ve never fished before. Monofilament fishing line can be used with either a spinning reel or a baitcasting reel. It is excellent for fishing with a spinning or baitcasting rod and reel in freshwater, inshore, nearshore, or off a pier.

It is also a great fishing line for casting native fish species including trout, salmon, flathead, tiny tuna, kingfish, and snapper, which are both small and large. On a lake, targeted species are small, and casting is a more active method of fishing, so a lighter and more sensitive line is appropriate.

What Pros Does Mono Fishing Line Offer?

  • Cost-effective and easily accesible.
  • Softer, it is convenient to tie knots with.
  • Abrasion resistance
  • Uniformly circular, so it spools nicely.
  • Stretches absorb shocks
  • Affordable as compared to other lines.
  • The fisherman can see it in the water while the fish cannot since it comes in unusual colour tints like clear, blue, white, green, red, and fluorescent.
  • It is easy to untangle them.

What Cons Does a Mono Fishing Line Offer?

  • It takes more space on the spool, so it is not as strong as other lines.
  • Line twisting is a problem for you.
  • It becomes difficult to detect some fish strikes due to stretching.
  • Line memory is a condition in which a line “remembers” the geometry of the reel it is recorded on. Line memory can generate knots in the reel, reducing casting distance. Conversely, lines without memory remain straight as they exit the spool, enabling longer, more fluid casts.
  • In direct sunshine, the nylon material degrades over time.
  • Regardless of the chosen color or tone, they are more apparent in the water than in other sorts.

Braided Fishing Line – Stronger than Monofilament Line

Are you among them who is tired of using the monofilament while fishing? After crossing up my beginner level, I preferred to use the Braid fishing line as they are considered up for intermediate anglers. Braided fishing lines are also composed of synthetic materials such as nylon or more specific substances like Dacron are more powerful than monofilament lines. Due to this reason, they are commonly used for catching large species. As it does not stretch, they permit fishers to detect every movement made by fish on the end of their line. They are susceptible to bites, and you can feel even the most minor hits on your baits.
Braided lines were introduced into the public in the 1900s to succeed Horsehair lines. In the past, braided lines were made of organic fibers such as cotton, linen, and silk. However, synthetic materials have replaced these natural fibers in recent years.

Braided


It is perfect for deep water fishing because it transmits any bite up the line to you, ensuring you don’t miss anything. In addition, unlike mono and fluoro, braid has no line memory. It means that it always retains its original shape.
Braid is not as supple as mono or fluoro line, therefore it is quite difficult to untangle if you get tangled in it, which is likely to happen frequently, especially if you are using a bait caster reel. Most likely, you’ll need to re-tie your rig after cutting the line below the tangle.

Applications of Braided Fishing Line

For marine game fishing, such as offshore trolling for marlin, gigantic tuna, sharks, and large kingfishers, braided fishing line is ideal. However, some line stretch is required when trolling for soft-mouthed fish like salmon, so we should avoid using braided lines. In addition, some stretches can act as a shock absorber, making all the difference when catching a soft-mouthed fish.

What Pros Does Braid Fishing Line Offer?

  • Although it has a smaller diameter, it is vital to pack more lines on the spool.
  • It sinks faster and casts farther, approximately a mile.
  • Due to sensitivity, it is considered to be perfect for deep water fishing.
  • It does not degrade in the presence of sunshine.
  • No line memory results in a longer casting distance.
  • It allows better lure movements as it has no stretch.
  • As compared to monofilament lines, they are less visible to the fish.
  • Due to no stretch, they are ultra-sensitive.
  • It allows you to set the hook more firmly, improving hook rates.

What Cons Does Braid Fishing Line Offers?

  • Cost-effective as compared to the other types of fishing lines.
  • Inclined to tangles
  • Low abrasion resistance
  • Slippery, so knots are more difficult to master.
  • Because of its coarse texture, it wears through other fishing gear, such as rod guides.

Fluorocarbon Fishing Line – A Family of Compounds

Fluorocarbons are a large class of chemical compounds that includes synthetic hydrocarbon-derived fluorocarbons as well as organic fluorine, carbon, and chlorine compounds. However, we are dealing with a material connected to polyvinylidene difluoride when it comes to fishing lines (PVDF).
It has to do with the substance that prevents your cookware from sticking (Teflon) and maintains the temperature of your freezer (freon). In the 1970s, fluoro initially gained popularity. It was rigid and hard to manipulate in the past, so only leaders employed it. Since then, things have progressed significantly. Have a look at the best braid fishing lines for bass.

Fluorocarbon


The fluoro line is less stretchy as compared to the mono line. It is useful, especially when setting the hook along long distances, as it provides stronger hooks when the fish eats the bait or lures. In addition, it helps you not to lose strike momentum.
As it is more densely packed, it becomes more sensitive to bites. This situation resembles a braid, as you can feel a slight bite. Moreover, the fluoro line is highly durable and abrasion-resistant.
Because of its denser design, it is not as flexible as mono lines. As a result, it becomes challenging to tie some knots, and some knots do not retain as well as when using mono. However, you can still use fluoro lines with strong holding knots, such as the Trilene knot, Palomar knot, and Eugene slip knot for beginners.

Use of Fluorocarbon Fishing Lines

As it sinks quickly, this fishing line is ideal for bottom fishing techniques like jigging and bottom bouncing. It is also suitable for trolling because it does not have too much stretch.
Leaders are most commonly made up of fluorocarbon lines. A short piece of heavier test fishing line, known as the leader, is attached to the main line at one end and to the hook or lure at the other. In order to avoid having to cast a full spool of heavier material, leaders might be useful because they boost your chances of hooking and keeping fish while reducing casting time.
On a spinning reel, you can use a very light line, but these lines suit more to baitcaster reel. Its main use is for fishing in the clean water.

What Pros Does Fluorocarbon Fishing Line Offer?

  • It is less stretchy as compared to monofilament lines.
  • It is susceptible; even you can feel the lightest bite and the ticking of your lure’s bottom.
  • It is practically invisible to the fish.
  • This prevents line fraying from the fish’s mouth when used as a leader.
  • As it sinks faster in water, there is less slack, and it becomes easy to bring the lure to your desired depth.
  • It is dense, abrasion, and water-resistant.
  • It doesn’t carry any memory.

What Cons Does Fluorocarbon Fishing Line Offer?

  • Least controllable of the fishing lines.
  • It is stiffer and more prone to line memory.
  • More expensive than other kinds of fishing lines.
  • To type knots, you have to moisten the line first.

Fly Fishing Line – How to choose?

The fly fishing line is specific to fly fishing. You would not cast it from a conventional rod and reel set-up. It has a large diameter and comes in particular weights. Fly lines demand higher investment for the first time, but it does not wear out as quickly as other types of fishing lines. If you maintain it properly, it may be used for three to four seasons or more, meaning its use duration depends on your care.
Fly line is accessible in variety of weights and classifications. Here are the fundamentals. The lower the number, the lighter the weight. For instance, a wf3f line is a weight-forward taper 3 floating line.

Fly Fishing Tapers

Fly fishing line has to be familiar with the four fundamental types of tapers:

  • Weight forward tapers
  • Double taper
  • Level taper
  • Shooting taper
Fly Fishing line tapers

Weight Forward Taper

The weight-forward taper or wf indicates that the line has some extra weight in the first 10 yards. It’s a classic trout line. This extra weight in the first segment makes casting easier. It also aids in adequately rotating large leech patterns when casting, ensuring they land in the correct direction. I use it as my main line. It is excellent in the wind.

Double Taper

The date, or double taper, refers to the first 15 feet gradually widening and becoming heavier, then remaining that size for the next 60 feet or more until tapering down again at the last 15 feet. Again, it is perfect for catching a trout, but not in the wind.

Level Taper

The level taper, or It has no taper. It seems to be easy, but it has only one smooth size. But it is just your thinking. It isn’t easy to cast and float well. I don’t recommend it for beginners.

Shooting Taper

The shooting taper, or st, is a more extreme form of the wf. The first 20 feet are strongly weighed and are used for extreme casting. It’s primarily use is in casting competitions.

Types of Fly Fishing Line

Now it is the moment of floating and sinking. The type of fly line will be indicated on the packaging, such as:

  • Floating
  • Sinking
  • Sinking Tip

Floating fly fishing line is self-explanatory, whereas sinking and sinking tips require further explanation. You can also explore the types of species that you can catch by fly fishing.

Fly fishing line types

Floating Fly Line

These are the most common type among fly lines, and they do what you expect, meaning they float from the backing to the leader. With these fly lines, you can fish dry flies, nymphs, streamers, rivers, lakes, and anything in between. They are the most versatile fly lines available. On these lines, you can add weight forward or double taper. If you are going to learn to fly fish, I recommend using this type of fly fish.

Sinking Fly Line

The specific point for sinking a fly line from floating is the rate at which it sinks. Typically, these lines use weight forward tapers. You can get sinking lines that are designated to specified categories. They range from intermediate to Type 7 in difficulty. These several groups are connected to them and relate to a particular depth below which the line will sink.

Knowing that the fish are feeding at a particular depth and that you need to approach them there is advantageous. Mostly, you will use a sinking fly line in lake fishing. The average sink rates are as follows, but they will differ depending on the fly line manufacturer. If you are an ice fishing lover, you must have a look at the best ice fishing lines.

  • Intermediate = 1.5-2.0 ips (2-4′)
  • Type I = 1.5-2.5 ips (2-4′)
  • Type II = 1.75-2.75 ips (3-6′)
  • Type III = 2.5-3.5 ips (5-10′)
  • Type IV = 4.0-5.0 ips (10-20′)
  • Type V = 4.5-6.0 ips (10-20′)
  • Type VI =6.0-7.0 ips (15-25′)
  • Type VII = 7.0-8.0 ips (20-30′)

Sinking Tip Fly Line

The sinking tip line is a hybrid of floating and sinking lines. Most of the line floats with the sinking tip line, but the last 10 feet sink.
Like a sinking line, this fishing line is suitable for more profound water situations, where the fish feed at a depth below the water surface. It is incredibly advantageous during recasting.
While using the sinking tip line, the complete line sinks below the water level. You must grab your line from underneath the water when you need to recast. It can be challenging for a longer line length and one that is deeper in water.

Fishing Line Tips & Tricks

  • If you frequently fish in dense cover, you should frequently check your line for nicks, creases, and other flaws that could cause your casts to backfire or be less accurate.
  • Always purchase and stock up on more lines than you anticipate using. You’ll undoubtedly discover that you go through much more than you thought.
  • If you store your fishing line, especially the nylon line, keep it away from UV radiations that can ultimately destroy its strength over time. If you have any doubt, start with a fresh spool next season.
  • No matter what line you use, utilize natural faultless knots to reduce line strength loss in the knot region.
  • Try to match the type of rod and reel you are using with the type of fishing line you are using.
  • Choosing smooth, light lines that come off the spool more readily can enable you to make more accurate casts over longer distances if you frequently cast.
  • Make sure the knots you use to attach your lures and bait are strong enough because a fishing line is only as effective as the quality of the knots you use to secure them.

Last Thoughts

I have tried to provide you with the best knowledge about the types of fishing lines, their uses and possible pros and cons. According to my experience, each fishing line is specified in its characters, so choosing the type of fishing line depends on what type of fishing you will do. Hoping that it will be informative for you, so please share your feedback regarding this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Leave a Reply