Choosing the right fishing line

Article by: Capt. Rick Bennett

There are so many brands of fishing line available it may be hard to choose which one is right for you. Besides the number of brands, you need to consider the many different kinds of line when making your choice. Quite frankly, for the beginner and even for some of you seasoned veterans the right choice can be a bit challenging. So now I am going to tell you what I recommend as far as what brand, what kind, and when or for what purpose.

Inshore I use nothing but braid line because I am almost always fishing near some kind of structure. Sometimes I can see the structure and sometimes not so much. Braid holds up to structure significantly better than monofilament (mono). I would say the majority of customers and friends I fish with use Power Pro on their inshore reels. A very few use mono for inshore fishing resulting in loosing many fish to barnacles and other rough structures. In my opinion the best braid on the market today is Fireline by Berkley. I often hear my Power Pro friends comment about the frequent wind knots they get with routine casting. Using Fireline, I can truthfully say that not one of my customers, not one of my friends nor myself have EVER had one wind knot. To me that is enough reason to use only Fireline braid. But another is its resistance to abrasion. Simply stated it is tough stuff. I have been using Fireline for twenty-four years and I do not see a change in the future. I use twenty pound test for reds, fourteen for flounder and ten for trout. I typically use an eighty pound mono leader for reds and a #2/0 Eagle Claw wide bend hook. It is not a true circle hook but most of my hook sets are in the corner of the mouth. For flounder I use a twenty-five pound mono leader and a number two wide bend hook. For trout I use a fifteen pound flourocarbon leader and typically a Z-Man jig head combined with a Z-Man soft plastic.

Nearshore, I typically use the same braid as mentioned above. I like its sensitivity and lack of stretch which helps me hook more fish. If I’m going for kings I primarily use twenty pound mono and a wire leader for my king rig. The same goes for near shore mahi. For cobia I use twenty pound mono line and a sixty pound flourocarbon leader. If I am jigging with a metal or bucktail jig I will add a flourocarbon leader tied directly to my braid line using a double uni-knot…NO SWIVELS PLEASE.

Offshore fishermen may put yards and yards of braid on the reels and then add a top shot of mono for the forgiving stretch characteristic. But I would bet most simply use the appropriate test of mono line. With the size of offshore reels, capacity is not really a concern.

You may have noticed the “NO SWIVELS PLEASE” comment. In most cases I try vary hard not to use a swivel anywhere near the lure or bait when fishing. Obviously there are many situations where a swivel is needed. I almost always use ball bearing swivels when I use swivels.

I hope this direct information has helped some and not confused others. As always you may contact me with questions.

Good Fishing!

About the Author: Captain Rick Bennett started building custom fishing rods in 1984 and became a licensed charter boat captain in 1996. Adding custom rod building to running charters he became Rod-Man Fishing. Captain Rick Bennett has also been doing fishing seminars for almost 25 years. Known as the Rod-Man, today he’s a guide for folks on their boat showing fishermen the where, how and what for catching fish. Captain Rick Bennett continue’s to build custom fishing rods. You can visit his website here or call Captain Rick Bennett at (910) 520-7661

Capt. Rick Bennett

A lifetime fisherman, Capt. Rick Bennett, better known as the Rod-Man,has retired from the day to day activities as a charter boat captain but does offer “ON YOUR BOAT” Guided Fishing Trips. Capt. Rick will show you the when, the where and the how. From rod and reel selection to terminal tackle to bait, Capt. Rick has the know how.