THE BASS COLLEGE

Different  Types Of Lines and Applications For Bass

Fluorocarbon:

This type of line has advanced with leaps and bounds over the last few years. It used to be brittle, with poor knot strength and too much memory, but that has really changed. The best types of Fluorocarbon line are SUNLINE, Bass Pro Shops XPS and Seaguar

.Berkley used to just have Vanish but now they offer several types of professional line. At first I hated this line but the formulation has changed and it has really improved, but i still think its inferior to the others. It is way more flexible and has better impact strength. I use Seaguar now for all applications except for big swimbaits and topwater. The price has come down on this type of line as well.

*Note* when tying a knot with Fluorocarbon make sure you wet the line well and tie it slowly as it is susceptable to friction.

Braid:

The best type of braided line is SUNLINE FX2.  I have tried just about every other one and this is what I came back to and stayed with.

The types of applications that are best for braid are flipping and pitching, especially around cover, and some people are happy with braided line for Rat L Traps and even spinnerbaits around heavy vegetation, although I don't use it for that myself, but it is a personal choice. I use a heavy braid when flipping or throwing a topwater like a frog into heavy mats of at least 50 pound test and many times 65. I would never use a braided line for a crankbait with a lip  though under any circumstance.

Mono:

The best application for mono with the advent of the Fluorocarbon and braid is relegated now to crankbaits and some topwater baits like a Spook or Popper. In most instances, there is really no reason to use mono unless you are crankbaiting.

If you are using mono the best brand is BerkleyTrilene, SUNLINE, and McCOY.

I can get into all kinds of technical details on how the lines are manufactured, why each is better and/or different than the rest, different situations where you might prefer a braid or mono, etc, but if you just follow these guidelines for these applications you won't go wrong 99% of the time.

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fluro is the way to go. I use it for 60 percent of my fishing. 30 with braid and I still stick with mono for about 10 percent of my bassin

I use fluro about 80 % 1 rod with mono (top water ) 1 rod with braid (flipping mostly )

I'm still using mono but just bought Vanish line.  Is Vanish Fluorocarbon line a good line.

 Is monofilament a thing of the past now?

Last year, I spent the day out on the water with Elite Angler Skeet

Reese and we talked about line selection for various techniques.

He told me he rarely, if ever, uses monofilament anymore.

Even for things like spinnerbaits where monofilament is often used

for buoyancy reasons, he'd rather use fluorocarbon.  For topwaters,

he's taking the more modern approach to using braid on a glass rod.

More and more top anglers are moving away from mono, just like

Skeet Reese.

Quite honestly, monofilament isn't nearly as useful as it once was.

Fluorocarbons today are just as manageable as monofilament.

If you currently have coiling problems with fluoro, it's most

likely brand-related.  The good fluorocarbons don't give you

problems these days like they did just 2-3 years ago.

I'll get to what the "good brands" are in a second.

=> What about Co-Polymers?

Co-Polymers are essentially hybrid lines (ie. A mixture of two or

more materials).

The problem is most people think copolymer lines are a mixture of

fluorocarbon and monofilament, which isn't true.

A Co-Polymer can be a mixture of anything.  It could simply be a

mixture of 3 different kinds of fluorocarbon.

I think what most questions about copolymers are about are the

"fluorocarbon coated" lines.

These coated lines are marketed as having mono-like "handling", but

with an outer fluorocarbon coating, which helps it be less visible

underwater.

While the coating certainly helps "some"... it's just a partial

benefit to what a full fluoro line offers.

I suggest using full fluorocarbon lines or full monofilament.  They

may be marketed as "middle-ground" versatile lines, but I'm here to

tell you that full fluorocarbon is better in almost every instance

than coated lines.

=> What brand fluorocarbon lines are best?

There are two brands that are a notch above the rest.

I have tried a lot of brands and one I like is Bass Pro Shop's XPS

Fluorocarbon lines.  I've fished with this for a couple years now

with great success.

I continued to try different brands out of curiosity and found one

that was even better than XPS...

That brand is Seaguar.  Seaguar makes AbrazX and InvisX (also

Tatsu), their top performing fluorocarbons.  All are very good.

I use both a lot and don't really favor one over the other too much.

Bass Pro Shops runs awesome deals every now and then for its XPS

Fluorocarbon line, so I'll try to take advantage of sweet deals when

they arise.

If you want the cat's meow, Seaguar makes the best in my opinion.

Thanks for the info.

By Ron Klys

Bassmaster.com

Every day on every lake is different. Techniques that fill your livewell on Monday are worthless on Tuesday. To counter this issue, I've developed several line and lure combinations over the years. They make specific baits act in specific ways. Hopefully they'll help you find the right bite.

Fluorocarbon

1. I always use fluorocarbon line with my Berkley Gulp Sinking Minnows. Fluorocarbon sinks at nearly the same rate as my bait. This keeps it horizontal on the fall, which in turn lets it wiggle and shimmy all the way to the bottom.

2. When I want my drop shot worm to quiver in place, I rig fluorocarbon line to a StandOut Hook and a Berkley Power Finesse Worm. When I tap the top half of my rod with my finger the line transmits an irresistible wiggle down to the bait without moving it forward. This is a solid sight-fishing technique.

3. Fluorocarbon line works great on poppers when you want a soft, gentle action with very little forward movement. It pulls the nose down so that you can dance the bait in place without a lot of splash or popping.

Braid

1. Use braid with topwater lures — usually prop baits — when you want to pull the lure straight forward without even a hint of sideways movement. The unforgiving nature of braid will let you bring your lure back in a perfectly straight line, and it'll help you start and stop your presentation on a dime.

2. Braid is the perfect choice for hard jerkbaits in sparse grass when you want the bait to shoot forward suddenly and without warning. The forward thrust is instant. I don't care how hard you jerk with fluorocarbon or monofilament, you won't get the same action.

3. Combine braid with a fluorocarbon leader for a better feel with your Carolina rig. The Carolina rig is the worst setup on the planet for feeling a bite and knowing where your fish is when you set the hook. This really helps.

Monofilament

1. Mono is great for delaying the hook set when you're fishing crankbaits. It delays the feel just long enough to let the bass get the bait all the way in its mouth. I always use mono when my crankbait bass aren't slamming the lure.

2. Mono is perfect for fishing a soft plastic jerkbait such as a Berkley Hollow Belly Split Tail Minnow over schooling bass. The line stays above the bait as it falls. This allows you to pull the lure toward the surface with a sharp snap of the rod. With a little practice, you can learn to jump the bait out of the water. It'll look exactly like a panicked minnow trying to get away.

3. Use mono when you want the nose of a topwater plug to ride high, above the water's surface. Mono behaves very different than braid in this regard, although both lines will float. To develop a sense of those differences — and a sense of when to take advantage of them — throw two identical lures, one with mono and the other on braid. You'll see exactly what I mean.

I still use mono for my topwater baits and some of my crankbait fishing and braid for flipping,frogging and trapping heavy grass to rip the bait free. The rest of the time its FLURO

New Video on Lines

By Mark Hicks

BASS Times Contributor

Life was simpler when monofilament was the only line choice. Then along came superbraid, followed by fluorocarbon. Each of these lines has unique properties, and advanced anglers use them for different applications.

Pure Fishing has complicated the decision by introducing Spiderwire Ultracast FluoroBraid, which incorporates Gore's expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene performance fibers. Unlike typical 100% Dyneema and Spectra braided lines, which float, Spiderwire Ultracast FluoroBraid sinks.

Conventional floating braids excel for fishing topwater frogs and toads. They're also widely used for punching through matted grass and Carolina rigging. With these subsurface presentations, heavy weights quickly pull a floating braid down and eliminate excessive bowing.

Because Ultracast FluoroBraid sinks, it is superior for penetrating grass and Carolina rigging. And, it opens the door to fishing lighter subsurface offerings, including jigs, Texas rigged plastics, sinking worms and finesse baits.

The advantage with a sinking line is that it maintains a more direct contact with your lure. This improves sensitivity, lure control and your hook set. This is one reason fluorocarbon line, which sinks, has become so popular.

The name FluoroBraid is a play on fluorocarbon's sinking ability. However, there is no fluorocarbon in FluoroBraid. It is a 50/50 mix of Dyneema and Gore fibers. FluoroBraid is offered in line tests of 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65, 80 and 100 pounds.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Michael Iaconelli experimented with FluoroBraid before it was introduced to the public recently.

"This is the biggest line innovation in years," Iaconelli said. "It will change the way we fish."

Iaconelli still opts for a floating braid with frogs and toads, but he goes with FluoroBraid with sinking lures. When he fishes thick grass and slop with Texas rigged baits, Iaconelli claims that there is a "night and day difference" between a floating braid and FluoroBraid.

This was most noticeable when Iaconelli pitched a 3/8-ounce bait to holes in the grass. But, it held true even when he punched through the greenery with a 1-ounce sinker.

"The bait sinks more naturally with FluoroBraid," Iaconelli said. "And, the line is so slick it casts great and gets in and out of the grass a lot smoother."

Iaconelli said he loves braided line on spinning tackle because it eliminates line twist problems. However, he doesn't like the way a floating braid hinders the sink rate of soft stickbaits and other unweighted plastic lures.

"With FluoroBraid, weightless plastic baits have a faster, more natural sink rate," Iaconelli said. "That makes a huge difference."

In tannic or stained water, Iaconelli ties FluoroBraid directly to the hook. In clear water, he attaches a 12- to 16-inch fluorocarbon leader to the braid with a nail knot or a tiny swivel. He believes a swivel makes his bait look to a bass like a little fish chasing a smaller fish.

FluoroBraid was in R&D for more than two years before it was deemed ready for the fishing world, according to Clay Norris, senior product manager for Spiderwire.

"The diameter of FluoroBraid is about the same as Spiderwire Stealth Braid," Norris said. "It also has the same strength and low stretch of Stealth, and it has excellent abrasion resistance."

These are all worthy attributes, but Norris stresses that the biggest benefit of FluoroBraid is its ability to sink like fluorocarbon.

*Notes From Steve the owner*

Now this is a great line from what I have heard, but I also am using the new Suffix 832 Braid for my jigs and worms this year as well as the line stated above. I suggest you give these lines a try this year for all your jig fishing and flipping and piching soft plastics. I am still using a Power Pro Braid in 50-65 lb test for the topwater frog baits though, and SEAGUAR on the rest where I have to.

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