Fishing Lines 2: Choosing Fishing Lines; What We Need to Know 

Exactly. That's what I do in my fishing. So, that's what my video's are going to be like. I just plain want to know. Been that way since I caught my very first fish. That little rock bass (over 50 years ago now!) still has me hooked. Thanks, AOA. Paul

I would really like to give big credit to my favorite fluorocarbon line. I’m so sick of hearing people repeat other so called fisherman that continually say that Viscous is bad line. If you apply KVD line conditioner to every millimeter of viscous you spool on every reel it softens up and loses most of its memory. After I apply that conditioner I firmly think it’s by far the best value in all of lines made and probably as good as the highest priced Japanese sun line or any other fluorocarbon because it’s so damn abrasion resistant. Totally invisible if you know what lb test to fish depending on the species, structure toughness and most importantly the ability to tell how much water clarity you are fishing in. I have made a complete change this year to braid to leader on every application and have decided I prefer mono or fluorocarbon coated mono called hi seas as my leader most of the time. It acts like a shock absorber which helps the braid. I love cranking with 30 lb braid to 10 or 12 lb mono leaders or heavier.

Hi, John. Ah, another brother of the spinning rig. Maybe I should design some T-shirts, or patches! :) I'd then have to design a back-reeler's T-shirt too. But that one would have to be a short run! Not many back-reelers out there anymore. I love my spinning rigs. And I have them from UL to MH. Over the course of the year, I use them all. Our leanings, I suspect, have to do with what we grow up with. I've been a northerner, and I started as an UL/"finesse" guy (a la Charlie Brewer) decades ago. Seems southern guys had casting gear in their hands much younger than northerners. I bought my first casting rig (in the mid 80s), bc my spinning reels weren't cutting it for larger lures, esp those that "pull back" like spinnerbaits and larger crankbaits. I still use that same rig today. Casting gear is much better for those types of presentations. And I'm so used to my spinning gear I don't need to invest in pricey cutting edge casting reels that can throw light baits. My casting gear is for heavier duty applications. Although I'll go either way, I prefer MH spinning rigs for swim jigs. And, I never have had to learn to skip-cast with casting gear. :) Cheers, Paul

What an insightful reply. I just realized I've been using my casting rod setup wrong. I've been a spinning reel guy who just got into a bait cast reel. More weight on the baitcaster feels great. Finesse on the spinner is my bread and butter.

Hi, HK. Thanks. Feel free to share. Cheers, Paul

Thanks, HoF.

The Old BASSer, mono's just fine. I tried to stress up front and throughout that all lines are good and can do the lion's share of what we need fishing lines to do. Glad that message came through. Nylon mono's have been around a long time and are truly technological marvel's. And there's also a lot to be said for sticking with lines you know well. There are a lot of lines out there now, and we all have to decide where to put our time and money. Perfectly good decision.

Hi, Brian. Great to hear you are going to get some bass fishing in! You've earned it. Enjoy the heck out of it. As to line recommendations for lure presentations, see Lines 3, in the Tackle Know-How playlist. My channel, currently focused on LMB, is divided into playlists: Documentaries, Video Fishing Journals, and Tackle Know-How. Check them out and share with friends. All the best, Paul. Oh... if you are looking for actual brand/line recommendations, I haven't done that bc... there are so many good ones. In fact, they are all good. But, for the record, I've used Trilene XT for decades. I've also used Berkley Sensation. For fluorocarbon, I settled on BPS KVD fluorocarbon a while back, from published test results, and it's been a good line for me. However, the packaging and apparently formulation has changed and I haven't used the newer version. Berkley 100% has been a good bass line although it's under-rated as to break strength/diameter. For braids I've found the PowerPro's to be good handling braids. Some braids are too soft, leading to tangles in lighter break weights: SpiderWire Stealth, and Daiwa J-Braid8 are in this category. For light "braids" for my finesse fishing, I've gone to Gliss, and like it a lot.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 Paul appreciate your input and just reviewed your Line 3 video. It was very informative and will experiment with the info you presented. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Thanks, Brent. I can’t wait to get back to it. Getting there. Best, Paul

Hi, David. Thanks for that. Agree, pre-stretching helps with FC and most nylons too, if not for handling but for lure control and strike detection esp. I often pre-wetted my nylon's too. Have never tried any line conditioners though. Not a bad idea, although water did the trick after 10min or so. Thanks, Paul

Hi, KSA512. Thanks! More to come. Cheers, Paul.

Yes, that bow simply puts us out of touch. The best line for windy conditions is FC, either a spool full of FC or a long leader. Learning to stop a powerful cast just before it lands can straighten a line. A straight line, esp with braid, is critical to presentation and esp detection.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 yes, I recently noticed that if I touch my line at the moment lure touches water, I can reduce a lot of slack line from coming out of spool. Also, any insights on the color of braid? What’s the color easiest to watch on the water? Thank you!

I try to straighten the line tight before it touches down using the lures momentum. This is also how you can get a quiet splashdown. Color for visibility depends on lighting and background (dark surface or bright reflections). Never a perfect world. I’m not sold on any particular colors.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 nice, i will try tightening the line before the touchdown. Hopefully my finger doesn’t get hurt haha

With casting rigs it’s the thumb. And raising the rod tip just before splashdown helps slow it too. Johnny on Fish the Moment has a good vid on this. With spinning rigs the forefinger is often touted. But I’ve developed the habit of cupping, or slapping, the spool with my left hand.

Hi, marcodsv. Thanks. Great to hear. I've done a LOT of fly fishing. If I ever get through bass -and it’s slow going with my other responsibilities- stream trout are next. Line diameter issues are the same in FF and conventional fishing, as far as the fish are concerned. At the tippet end, differences often lie in the hook sizes used, little weight on the lure, the addition of current when fishing streams, and the sheer size of fly-lines that do the casting work. Thus, casting and line handling skills are paramount in FF. Control of the line is critical in all fishing, but doubly challenging in FF. Things I’ve come to that help can be: using appropriate tippet diameters for the task at hand, realizing how water viscosity changes with temperature, and how much a bright fly-line in the air can spook fish; So I’ve gone to dying all my lines a dark color, soaking overnight in RIT dye. This makes a big difference. How you approach shallow fish can matter a lot too, in keeping the cast disturbances away from the fish. Hope this helps. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 hey Paul. I'm experienced in FF eheheh, all of casting technique ain't an issue. So just referring to Largemouthbass (LMB) I'm just trying to take LMB fishing to another level. Most of the fish I catch are small ones and it's been really tricky to trick larger ones on the fly. Especially because when on deeper water, the fly line angles in the water act as an hinge, even if fishing sinking lines. I've had particular hard time, now in fall in lakes where I see balls of Baitfish being constantly nuked my larger bass, relatively out from the bank (but sometimes within FF reach), the water "boils" and there's bait jumping out of the water everywhere but cast after cast produce no takes. I've observed the behaviour for some time and seems the fish are sitting deeper below the bait ball and suddenly rush to the surface nuking the bait and move down again. So in order to get them you need to be there at the specific time they rise with the fly and at the right spot plus right fly. I've used flies that mimic exactly the fish they are nuking and yet...I've tried those flies as surface ones and sub surface and can't get them to take. I think also the vibrations the baitfish ball produces are very high and let the fly vibrations go undetected, but with the popper this would have been solved, which is not the case. If you have Facebook or email or so, please let me know, eventually I can send a video to you so you see the kind of behaviour 😜. Thanks for your time answering my question. All the best and tight lines Marco

Hey, Marco. OK, I gotcha. Yes, FF is pretty much a shallow water game. I have done some "deep" fishing to striped bass and bluefish off the coast using full sink lines, lead core head, and weighted fly. But no precision was required, as there were just so many fish crowded under that bait. Covering bass on open water prey like shad is a notoriously difficult task. Open water species like shad are highly mobile so covering them is darn tough. One way I did something similar with fly gear was chasing false albacore from a jet boat. See bust, hold onto your hat, and get there! I found my dyed fly-lines were very helpful with those albies too! That was cool. Oh, and a stripping basket was important too, so you could be ready to fly when the time came. Options for bass and shad might be to downsize as 1st yr shad are often really small (~2). Or spitting topwaters seem to attract biters. But many conventional fishers just don't bother with busting open water fish. Sounds like you've been covering the bases pretty well though already. Cool thing you're doing. Your fly vibrations idea is interesting. The sheer amount of bait, and myopia, probably plays in too. Myopia is the main trouble for trout fishers when trout are focused on tiny flies. The antidote is as you describe, sheer accuracy in presentation timing, even moreso than specific fly pattern. It can be a maddening game that can feel a bit too much like gambling. Good luck with it. Again, cool thing you're doing. Lots of other options for targeting bass with fly tackle though. Do you tie? That adds a whole new dimension. I've done some FF for bass, and if I had more time to devote to my channel, I'd be doing some vids on it. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 hey Paul. Thanks again for the insight. Yes I tie my own flies, why? I've struggled with our bass on the fly. Our conditions aren't the same has in the USA...but bass general behaviour should be the same, obviously there are then local keys that can't be neglected but overall, the basis should be the same! Cheers and thanks again. Tight lines Marco

Are you in Italy? Prey fish bleak perhaps? Curious, as usual.

Thanks, Bobby. I'm working hard on them. And I have a lot to say. :)

Hi, Paul. Me too! Glad I'm not alone. That others can wade through the details with me. Doing my best to whittle things down to the essentials, even though they take some time to get through. Been at this kind of thing a long time. Cheers.

Great! Thanks, Jeremy.

Thanks, Darryl.

Hi, MT. Super! That's... pretty much how I do it. The sound-bite versions just don't do it for me. Cheers, Paul.

Thanks, sporkcrx.

Hi, Michael. Yeah, I remember that stuff. In fact, I caught some of my first fish with it. That was braided nylon. You can still buy it, you know. I use it to serve bow-strings for archery. So high-tech it was, back in the day. Hey, it beat horse hair. But, nylon, and horse hair, weren't the first braids. Native people's have been braiding for... millennia. If you're feeling really nostalgic, you could always go find and cut some dogbane, ret it, and spin your own. :)

Hi, manifestgtr. Yes, I know! :) It's the same for me. But, it's actually really easy to deal with. It just doesn't matter what you call them. I still say "6lb", "10lb", etc..., I just make sure I know the diameters of any new lines I might try. I've come to call the abrasion resistant line I often use (Trilene XT) as, say, "12lb XT", even though I know it's got a diameter and break strength of a 15lb line. AOK... just as long as I know that. Call em what you want. Just be sure you know what they are. One brand or formula is likely to be different than another. I do not want to be out there expecting a 15lb line and find I actually have a 12 spooled up, or vice-versa.

The thing that initially got me into diameter was trying different braids on my baitcasting tackle. That’s where the rubber really hits the road for me. If a 40 lb test comes in at 13 thou, that’s just fine for a shimano “70 sized” spool. If it’s 11 or 12 thou, I know that I MIGHT start running into some digging issues here and there. So that’s another parameter I keep in mind as well.

Yeah, braid is a different animal than mono's. It's so darn thin to begin with that we end up appreciating thicker diameters, just to make it more fishable. What I'm waiting to see, I think at least, is something with the tensile strength of braid, but with some rigidity, but no memory. And if it sunk, it might be the ultimate subsurface line. Maybe. I'd certainly like to play around with that anyway. That's the gaping hole between monos and braids.

Hi, JJA. You are right that its a good idea to find lines that work for you, and stick with them. Cheers, Paul.

Hi, Jim. Thanks. Glad you liked it. Working on more. Just need to clear the time. Best, Paul

Hi, Brandon. Thanks. Cheers, Paul

Hi, f4. Thanks. Hopefully I won't remain a hidden gem. Thanks for spreading the word. I've just finished my 2nd documentary, on the development of behavior in LMB. As soon as I get a Patreon page up and running, I'll be releasing the doc. Then... I can get back to more fishing pieces. Here's to hoping I can free up more time to get TNF off the ground. Cheers, Paul

Thanks, mk castillo. My mom always said, explaining my obsession with nature: "Well, there's nothing better than a good fanatic when want to get things done." Paul

Hi Ed. Thanks. Fun topic. And one near and dear. I'm away visiting families now. Can't wait to get back and get back on to that next doc. Got some great shots this spring and an spending this time away catching up on the literature. Hope you are getting some quality time in on the water, and with family. -Paul

Hi, KR. Thanks so much. I think there a few things that appear to work against my channel's growth rate: First is exposure. The YT algorithm greatly favors continuous uploading, especially favoring vlogs for individual creators like myself. A day-in-the-life-of-Paul is not the content I want to spend my time on. The fishing world is very much gear/product based and most people seem to have a lure-based approach to solving angling puzzles. Makes perfect sense, most fishing media is product based, and what's actually going on with the fish underwater is darn tough to get at. Products fuel the professional side of things. And everyone loves to collect tackle. I'm no exception, esp when I can't get out to fish. Adding new tackle to my "arsenal" feels like the next best thing to actually fishing. But a tackle focus is not where I want to spend my time, as popular as it is. There's loads of that kind of content out there. And it's just a part of a much bigger, deeper, story. I'm biology/ecology based, and that kind of information simply has less of a following. Not surprising, since such science-based info is less accessible for people who don't have the interest and background. Then there are the challenges of applying it to an actual water body. The feedback I get suggests that people ARE interested in this aspect. But few appear to be actively looking for it. Once again, exposure? Then there's my talking head/lecture style format, that may be too slow moving for those simply looking for entertainment. These are my guesses. I run my channel the way I run my fishing, quite methodically and in-depth. The time, not to mention monetary, investment it takes for me to describe, and show, what goes on during a day of fishing, the underlying why's behind fish behavior, and fishing methods, etc... precludes me from spending time... selling tackle, producing "merch", or having you... watch me eat breakfast! :) The business side of running a media outlet. If this channel gets established then maybe there'll be time for other stuff. Right now, I'm just trying to find the time to get my content out, one painstaking piece at a time. All the best, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 What an wonderful response. Thanks for taking the time and effort to make all these great videos. Tight lines my friend.

He should have 1M

@@lvait957even his response is worth 100k followers lol. Paul just doesnt miss.

The "fall" is a very important strike trigger for bass and other fishes. It's important to be able to do that and still detect strikes/takes. Requires control of your line on the cast (keeping it straight between you and the lure), allowing the lure to fall nearly unchecked but enough tension to feel and/or see takes. I suppose one thing to know is that many takes are discernible, with control and attention, more so than one might guess. Those that aren't, well... that's part of the game. With experience, you can learn when to expect strikes, and can "weigh the line" momentarily by adding tension to gain feel. You'll get better as you fish a lot, paying attention to your line control (straight line, proper tension). Surface conditions matter a lot. Calm water allows better feel and ability to see line movement. Line type matters: braids float and are quite visible but only offer feel when taut. Mono's, esp FC, may be the most sensitive when fished semi-slack as its weight puts tension on a light graphite rod; It's surprising how much you can feel through a mono line hanging in a bow off the rod tip. As to the bow created in the line between surface and lure, this is true. More an issue the deeper you are attempting to fish. Thus, line diameter vs lure weight matters greatly. May have to drop in line diameter or go up in lure weight to increase detection. FC is an advantage bc it sinks so can maintain a straighter angle from surface or rod tip to the lure. Hope this helps. This is where it gets fun! Stay on top of where your lure is at all times, control that line, let the fish do the rest. Can be good to practice on abundant small fish. You'll develop confidence with success. And, again, you'll feel more fish than you might think.

Hi, Dana. I believe I address that in this line series; Esp in Line 3. But, the upshot is: All FC's sink; takes a bit, but they do. Nylon's float, until they take in water, then they are pretty much neutrally buoyant. Braids all float, the softer and thicker the braid, esp after they've "fluffed up" some, the more buoyant they are. I believe there is a special "high-floating" braid made, not sure the brand, made for float-fishing for steelheaders. If you are wondering about brands, I haven't fished them all, but feel we're pretty safe to say that all perform similarly in terms of buoyancy. As to applications, see Line 3. This is a series, consisting of Line1, 2, 3. My channel is organized via playlists: Documentaries, Tackle Know-How, Video Fishing Journals, and Fundamentals. Hope this helps, Cheers, Paul

Hi, Nick. I've never used one. Except to wet my nylon mono's before fishing with plain old water, which softens the line. When using certain presentations that use slack line, I will stretch the coils out of the first 30ft or so of a dry line. Not sure a conditioner would take those memory coils out. If it did, I might try it. Lemme know what you find. Paul

Hi, Adam. I am so deliberate so that viewers can have the basic info to make their own decisions. As to how fish appear to respond to fishing lines: I and friends have found little difference between straight braid and braid with leaders. Friends, with very high catch rates, have said they do not see a decrease in bites with even fluorescent braids. They, and I, use leaders mostly for abrasion resistance. Fish appear to me to spook from the presence of line moving water, the fish appearing to respond to the water being disturbed. This is esp so in the surface film, or by having a line hinder the motion, size signature, or action of a lure. Fish are physically capable of seeing lines. But unless lines move water, or flash in the air, fish don't seem to notice them. I suppose fish could see a length of line as a large object, but I think lines more commonly make an impression by moving water. That's my impression anyway. Some of this has come from my fly fishing experiences. The slightest drag puts trout off. It's not that the trout see the line exactly, but that they realize the fly suddenly appears much larger than it should. A very telling case was my fishing live stonefly nymphs to trout I could see. You couldn't ask for a more realistic imitation -a real live nymph struggling to swim to bottom. But, the slightest drag, and I mean just a few inches of tippet, resulted in rejections. They wouldn't spook, instead the nymph was suddenly "not food". It appears they are responding to an impression of size, more than they see line and somehow know what it is. Ive not seen any differencs in bite rate between nylons and FC leaders. Except that in deeper water FCs do carry an advantage in that they sink. And, many FCs are thinner than many nylons per pound test rating. So diameter could play a role. Again, this is my interpretation of what I've seen. You may well be right that direct visibility plays a role with fish. I just haven't definitively seen fish respond to the sight of a line of any type, outside of the ways I mentioned, much less know what a fishing line is. See my first fishing line video for my ideas on how and why fish respond to lines.

The Nature of Fishing thanks for the response! Lot of great info from much more experience than myself. I bet you’re right, especially considering your experience with fluorescent braids. If fish aren’t turned off by fluorescent lines, visibility likely isn’t a big factor. That changes my fishing game a bit :) Maybe my experience with direct braid vs fluoro leader is caused by different factors than line detection. Differences in action, depth, or even confidence could all play into it. Thanks again and keep up the awesome videos! Looking forward to the next one

It was a bit it of a shocker that catch rates held up even with fluorescent braid, and this was sans leader! And, yes, a number of things could be at work out there. And the game can change with C&C. We're dealing with complex biological systems, and in large part we are left to speculate. Not everything is true. But we have to stay open bc we simply don't know enough yet. You apparently get that... thinking very well... being able to consider alternative ideas. Pretty cool. Only way to fly! :)

Hi, Scotty. Great to hear. Thanks so much. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Paul. Thanks. But... please do share with friends. My channel could use some subscriber growth. And, info's great, but you still have to be there when stuff is happening, identify it, and cash in. Lotsa space out there. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Ron. I too have been a jig-fly fisher for trout. Very, very effective fishing. I've also done some pole-fishing ("Tenkara" on late) and tried some of the "nano" braids as fine as .002! It was very effective for nymphing, esp in turbulent waters, but it was not abrasion resistant enough. Still hoping for new such micro-filaments for such fishing. As to monos, I don't doubt that FF leader material could be of higher quality. Possibly leader material prioritizes tensile strength over the "manageability" needed for casting a spool full of it. But the difference in break strength I never considered enough to warrant the cost, as I've always fished a lot. So even in my FF I have used "bulk" monos and FCs. BTW: Bulk mono lines at .009 are usually "rated" as "6lb test", but generally break higher. Paul

Motivation/interest to persevere. True consistent confidence comes with time. We’ve got to get our butts kicked a lot. And learn to roll. The real world is a BIG place.

Hi, tex. I don't have much to say about conditioners bc I've never used one. I do know anglers, who know their stuff, who use it. I can see why it's a good idea, except that I've never needed to add another product or item out there with me. Got enough stuff as it is. I manage my lines just fine already. This means: choosing appropriate lines, spooling properly, managing twist, and handling my reels/line-lay well. Hmmmm... I guess this would make a good short video topic. With nylon mono's I do use a "conditioner" and that is... water. Nylon absorbs a bit of water, softening it, and making it behave better than a dry line. Lines don’t stay dry long but I’ve been known to dunk or splash my reel spools before starting a day’s fishing. I’m not against conditioners, btw. I assume and hear that they do help. But, they don’t replace proper line management and handling. I’m so used to it that I don’t think much about it now. Thanks for the head’s up. Really good topic for a short video. If you try a conditioner lemme known what you think of it. Cheers, Paul

Hey, Carson. Braid is fine. If you are new to fishing, all lines take some getting used to. Basically, learning to handle the line and reel to keep loose loops from forming. Watch for any loose line on your spool with braid and take the time to re-wind to clean up any before you cast. Soft braids are a bit “heavier bodied”, a tad stiffer, that handle a bit easier. Soft braids are more apt to knot with loose loops. Powerpro original is a reasonably good handling braid. But once line handling is second nature, you’re Google to go with any line. Hope this helps.

Hi, RT. Texas makes for a lot of roaming I'd guess. :) Yes, you really have to watch your knots with FC. At least the ones I've used. New formulas coming out all the time though. Knots! Brings me back to my fly-fishing instructor days. On Knot Night my partner in crime would stalk the classroom as "The Knot Nazi!" Knots have to be perfect, he would say. And I agree. Practice. I haven't done how-to knot videos (yet) bc there are so many such video's out there. My favorites: -Improved Clinch for hooks and lures to mono's. -Uni-Knot for hooks and lures to braids. -Palomar for drop-shot rigging (mono's). -FG Knot for braid to mono leader. Look 'em up, and then practice, practice, practice. If you continue to have trouble, I'd suggest going to nylon (or "copolymer") mono's, at least in the beginning. Much more forgiving, IME. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 thanks Paul. I will look those knots up.

Here's the one I used to learn the FG. There may be better out there now, there are a lot of them, but the SaltStrong folks know their stuff. Some people prefer the Alberto Knot for braid to mono, saying it's a bit easier. I haven't tried it. I am SO impressed with the FG.

I have been guiding for 20 years and I use all kinds of line,, the first thing I will tell you about knots is , I never ever use improved clinch knots especially when using a pound test that is close to being too little for the job. I always use the Berkeley trilene knot or polamar knot. Ok when it comes to joining two lines together any of the popular knots will work when tied properly and that’s the key , you can not make mistakes on this job or it will bite you in the butt.

Thanks, Bobby. Appreciate the expertise.

Hi, Gerard. Thanks! Oh, man. My rough rules can be pretty rough. Some manufacturers have suggested as little as a a year or two in shelf life. IME, this is crazy. But, if they might think I'm crazy too. How long line can last I really don't know. But, I've have used lines that are years old (at least 5) and they have been fine. In fact, I still have some Trilene XT 1lb/2kg (not made anymore) that, the last time I used it, for fly-fishing tippets, it was, gosh, 25 years old! It's from the 80s. LOL, next time someone comments on my old "retro" tackle, I'll have to tell them about my line! :)) This said, I don't recommend such... an extended shelf life. As you can see, I may not be the best person to ask. :)) The lines I use for the most part now are within 5yrs. In fact, I just bought a bunch of Trilene Sensation, so this year I guess at least some of my lines will be spanking new. If you have a scale you could test them, to see if they are close to (the few pounds over rating that they really are). This is rarely accurate but could help give you confidence in them. The only place where I'd not mess around is if you are on a special trip, or if you have BIG fish available to you. BIG fish are different than average, even big, fish, by orders of magnitude that are not linear. Paul

Hi, EF. They have a LOT of lines listed. Interesting. Always worth knowing what's going on on the other side of the pond. :) Cheers, Paul

Hi, Ray. Yeah, good point. I agree. The soft "castable" lines can be a poor choice in some circumstances, esp for "bass fishing", where there is much cover. I found Vanish to be that way, in smaller diameters, and it has been mostly marketed to the walleye guys. Thus, Berkley came out with "100%" FC, as a "bass line". It is, however, thicker in diameter/lb test, at least at the lighter finesse end of the spectrum. Interestingly, I've found Vanish to be an OK "bass line" in higher diameters. In fact, that's the leader I was using to catch a 6+lber in my latest video fishing journal, #32. Paul

Hi, Zachary. Hmmmm.... Unless you are really uncomfortable using your first casting outfit, and distracted, there should be no difference in results between the two outfit types. That is, provided all other things are kept the same. The things to check are: -Retrieve speed of both outfits are the same. Check this by measuring inches-per-turn (IPT) of the reel handle. Make one revolution of the reel handle and measure how much line that turn takes in. One reel may be considerably faster than the other, which can greatly affect how fast and how deep your lures are running. If so, you may have to adjust your retrieves to match the effective retieves. -Check that line diameters are not different on the two rigs, which can also affect retrieve depth. Or, how natural your presentations are. You may need to go up in lure weight with the heavier line outfit to achieve the same results. I don't know how long you've been fishing the casting rig though, so it may just be that you need to give it more time. Hope this helps, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 your probably right i have only been using baitcaster for less then 2 months. I fish about 3 days a week 8 hours every every time. I can cast with little to no birds nest with half breaks on. I guess i just need to relax and let it happen try different techniques until i find my way. Thanks for the input

@@zacharyrowe8395 Sounds like you are real close to catching. Keep at it. Casting gear is nice to fight fish on.

Ditto! I run braid >FG>leader most often too.

Hi, GMF. Excellent. That's what I'm shooting for. More to come. Cheers, Paul.

Hey, MFB. Thanks. Ha! Yeah I remember that, although just a tad before my time. My first graphite rod, however, actually a blank, was made by Exxon. It broke. :)) I bought two and still have one. They were 6ft UL blanks and actually very nice. Except they were still in prototype stage, and folded like soda straws if you bent them just a tiny bit too far. The 2nd I made an UL spinning rod out of and caught a 9lb 'bow on it with 1lb (.005) Trilene XT line. That fish had room to run and used it. I bet I learned more about fighting neutrally buoyant hydrofoils with fins than any other individual catch. That was a stunt though and the rod is now a (retired) fly rod. I can't boat flip. The fish would fly over my head. Just as well. Good to hear from you.

LOL! Hey, I've got some of that. But the bales are only about a year old. Should I put em out in the sun for... a couple years?

Hi, Hideki. Glad to be of some help there. It can be confusing. There is so much stuff produced now. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Michael. All will work. I used straight nylon mono for many years, and still do at times. But, I now like braid with a mono leader. It's cheapest in the long run bc it is very durable, except for abrasion resistance, which is where the mono leader comes in. A spool of mono will last a long time when used as leaders. My leaders, esp in shallow water, are 4 to 8ft in length, just long enough that I can re-tie a bunch of times (cutting back into the leader as I go). When the leader gets sun bleached, or nicked up, I replace it. In shallow water I tend to use nylon mono's/"co-polymers". In deeper water, or in high wind, I may use FC. But again, all will work. (Just beware of straight FC on spinning reels. Ugh! It takes dexterity with your spinning tackle, mindfulness (hawk's eye on that spool for loose loops), and patience.) Hope this helps. Paul

Hey, Moto. Shoal bass sound really neat. Growing up back east, I loved river and stream smallmouth. Still do, and miss them. You likely know a lot about them already, but here's an article I found that describes shoalie habitat requirements: www.fws.gov/PanamaCity/resources/Goclowski,%20Kaeser,%20and%20Sammons%202012%20NAJFM.pdf

Hi, Voice. I don't think it matters. Line moving water, or affecting lure action, that seems to matter most. And this is most affected by diameter. Paul

Hi, Panayioyis. I’ve not experimented with enough braids to know if there is a more wind resistant/slack resistant product. They are expensive. I do feel that the more rigid braids are less apt to create slack. What I’ve done to address the overall issue is to use a very long leader, or “topshot”. Essentially fishing all FC at the business end, shortening the amount of braid subject to the detection-stealing elements. Also, and this is true for all lines, taking care to keep the line straight from splashdown to rod tip is important. Keeping the rod and line at a steep 90deg angle helps detection too. Sometimes I’ll dip the rod tip in the water to use water surface tension to add some amount of detection. If you discover something, let me know! Best, Paul

Hi, JP. GoPro4's, Silver and Black. I like them. Once I got to understand their limitations (operation: make sure the darn camera is still on video, and on; and battery run-time, mainly) I've had no complaints.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 Thanks! I've been looking into something I can use on my home lake (300+acres, max 9ft depth). The depth seems perfect for cam on extendable pole, but I'd like to be able to monitor the video live from my boat. Some cams have wifi live feed, but I'm wondering if the wifi would work with cam underwater and me in the boat?? Have you tried live monitor via wifi, or any other method to see live feed while cam is underwater? I guess other option is to go with dedicated underwater cam with monitor. Looking forward to your next videos!

If you simply want to monitor, say for fishing, then a dedicated rig like Aqua-View makes things easy, and relatively inexpensive. If you want to record, you'll need a model that can do that, and with some semblance of quality. WiFi does not work through the water, more than a few inches, so a cable is required. An awful lot of my video is done blind however. I simply know my waters, know those fish, and so I know where to put my cameras. And I review a TON of video. UW video sure is neat. It adds complications to your outings that's for sure, and takes away from fishing time. But more intimately familiarizing yourself with your waters (hey, that's what "home water" is all about) is really valuable, and watching is just plain fascinating. Of course, my brother always said I could watch paint dry for more hours than most. :) I argue I'm just more easily amused than most. I suppose that may be the greatest blessing knowledge provides. ;) Enjoy the view! -Paul

Hey, Timothy. No I am not a fisheries biologist. But I play one on TV. :)) My education and some professional background are in fisheries, wildlife, and physiology. I have had some pretty rigorous science training, so I am use to delving into science literature. And yeah, where would we be without some serious curiosity? :) Paul

Hi, ES. You're welcome. Lots to cover. Trying to knock them off one by one so I can move on to other stuff. Feel free to share with friends. Cheers, Paul

Thanks, Bruce. Nice to talk fishing and happy I can help some. Over the course of a year, across the seasons and different waters, I end up using mono's from .008 to .017 (both nylons and FC's), often as leaders on various sized braids. This is mostly bc I have many small waters nearby that all vary both ecologically and seasonally. Some are clear and coverless "swimming pools", others have or develop heavy cover. My first decisions before heading out the door are the rods and reels, then the lines, then the lures. It's all based on expected conditions and circumstances. It helps to get out enough to keep my finger on the pulse of each water. They develop differently each year depending on how the C&C develop each year. Luckily, I've been at it long enough now that I can ballpark guess pretty well. So I can certainly understand simplifying things by going with a single braid and making due. I've accumulated a lot of stuff over the years (and am darn curious) so I tend to be a bit more nuanced. Hopefully my vids will help people avoid having to reinvent the wheel. 😨

@@thenatureoffishing7591 I tend to fish in a similar way, with 0.23mm braid as backing, and mono leaders between 0.16-0.50 tied with a fg-knot. The diameter depending on what fish im targeting, the amount of pike in the water and so on. Have you ever noticed any difference in your amount of bites, fishing with leaders vs using only mono for the whole spool? I have not, but I do use another reel with 0.12mm braid as backing when targeting smaller/more scared fish like trout. I also use quite small swivels/clips, even when fishing for big pike, at least compared to what you see american bass anglers using.

Hi, Tomas. The main difference I've noticed with bites, with really spooky fish, is that braid lands so quietly on the water. Under certain conditions, mono's, even fine ones, land heavily on the water, and that spooks edgy fish. I talk about this in my Video Fishing Journal "Bluebird Blues" (VFJ#2). If you watch all the way to the end, or skip ahead, the "Bloopers" are telling. As a fly-fisher, I came to dying my fly-lines a dark color to reduce line-flash, which scares the heck out of fish. As to terminal stuff, I generally avoid swivels, except for specific things, and the quality of them has gone up so much nowadays, that they can be really small. Thanks for the good comments, Tomas. Paul

Thanks, CJ.

What depth would you recommend taking water temperature at on a highland reservoir? I ordered an underwater thermometer and have been reading at about 5 1/2 feet

Sorry CJ, just seeing this now. I often start by taking a temperature profile, down to as deep as I might expect bass, for that time of year. I would be curious as to whether there is a thermocline. With very clear water you likely have bass using deep water. I use a thermometer as a guide to eliminate chunks of water, to keep tabs on where I am in the season (identifying “core” water temp), and looking for places and periods that affect fish activity, keeping in mind that bass in particular are pretty labile in their responses to temperature. Cover and food availability can have great influence.

Hi, Joe. I try to see all comments. Thanks! Glad to have you aboard. I'm a deep content kind of guy. There's just too much going on out there. And, I'm a "noticer". :) So, I focus on feature length pieces that take time to produce, and contingent on my other obligations... family, home, work. My channel is currently focused on LMB and has 3 playlists: Documentaries, Tackle Know-How, and Video Fishing Journals. I'm about to add a fourth, "Fundamentals". Share with friends. The more the... more I can produce. Cheers, Paul

Yeah, mono can do a lot. A lot to be said for getting to know a particular line very well.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 yes sir. I am willing to try braid although im not looking forward to the knots and massively complex Backlashes lol

I find it not too bad. It may be the easiest to cast. Although, take care to watch for loose loops. When it does not it can knot pretty tight. I find that, if I don't pull them tight, I can pick most knots out. A slightly stiffer braid (more "body"), like PowerPro, seems to handle a bit easier. Or at least is not quite so quick to knot as soft braids can.

Aaah. Thanks Paul. Seems my hunch wasn't far off.

Hey, Joshua. Yeah the I think I know what you mean about the memory change. Felt like the line “drying out” somehow. Maybe losing some softening additive as it’s fished? Not sure about the role heat plays either. But sunlight will sure kill a nylon line. Smart to change it often. I don’t tend to worry about it unless I’ve been out in sunny weather for a few days. But I check lines for damage regularly. When I fished more, and before braids came out, I bought my lines in 3000yd spools. I was a Trilene guy, but Stren is a great line too. At one time that’s a their was. And I don’t think anyone has improved upon them all that much. Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 yes. To everything you said! It's is a dry grittiness for sure. What's odd to me is it's not the entire line. There will be a soft section then a rough one and it seems to keep repeating that way. Take care Paul.

Thanks, BT. You bet! I've more hours of video in me... than I have hours to make videos! :)

Yes, those are inches. You'll have to convert to metric. I guess I should be sure to add metric values in too. Apologies for that. Best, Paul

We're all lb test guys... 'cause that's what printed bold on the boxes! I still mumble, "Goin' to 12lb..." when rigging. But, I know the diameters of my lines. And that 12 is actually a "15lb", that breaks at 18lbs. Man, I loved running the beaches and salt ponds for stripers, blues, and albies. Isn't great what we have around us? Every once in a while I'll just stop and say, "Look where I am!" Still can't get over it.

Hi, Rudy. Actually, the X-system goes way back before modern materials. It referred to the number of times caterpillar silk, from which tippet material was made, had to be drawn through a series of diameter reducing cutters to reach a certain diameter. 5X went through 5 different cutters. Oh, the things people do to catch fish! We could easily adapt the modern use of the X-system to our conventional fishing, if it were easier to remember. But, since 5X refers to .006 material, and 2X refers to .009, it wouldn't be all that helpful. I guess I would suggest simplifying things, perhaps, by making a system that identifies lines by diameter, say a D-system: .009=9D, .014=14D, etc. Oh, if I were Benevolent Czar! :) Thanks for the cool idea, Rudy. Paul

Thanks, Christopher. Fishing lines are important, but the seeming number of choices out there overwhelms a lot of people. Before I talk about presentation, I'm going to have to cover lines. But before I can cover the lines I've chosen, I should cover line properties, the stuff that underlies those choices. One step at time; Which hopefully won't be too slow a pace for the more experienced fishers out there.

Hi, Casey. Now that's a BIG fish! Yes, fishing lines are truly amazing. It helps that fish are near neutrally buoyant. Otherwise... we'd be doing something else! :)) Cheers, Paul

Oh and by the way I plan on using 10# PP on a spinning reel

The main reason to use a leader has to do with mono's better abrasion resistance. You can use straight braid, even in clear water. However, if you find our braid is getting chewed up around hard cover, you may want to suck it up and learn the FG or Alberto knots. Practice em. Braid is the most cost efficient line, if you aren't having to gnaw away at it. Hope this helps. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 thank you so much!

You bet!

Hi, Jeff. Great to hear. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Zachary. Not at present. I'lll see about putting something like that together.

Lol. I even have "episodes", periods when the stars seem to cone into some mysterious destructive alignment. I've learned to say, "You're having an episode!" Then I stop trying to feverishly extract myself from the ever-tightening vortex. Sit down and wait, not daring to make another move. Just a few minutes does it. The evil cloud passes and I'm back to fishing. :))

The Nature of Fishing I agree. It’s like the “counting to ten” equivalent

Hi, Damon. Thanks for the encouragement. Cheers, Paul.

Hey, Troy. Great! And, yes I will address line colors. But I'll take a stab of a guess that you're concerned about highly visible lines. Unless flash in the air over shallow water alarms your fish, I wouldn't worry about even fluorescent lines, even tied direct. In my experience, fish just don't notice. When I referred to fish alarming at line presence, I believe it's more water movement than direct vision. But... I wouldn't be all that surprised if someday some highly experienced fish in high vis conditions say otherwise. :)

The Nature of Fishing ...lol...thank you my friend can’t wait 👍🏻

Hi, Adam. Thanks so much. Yeah, it actually is complicated. Apparently, a few billion years on a sweet spot planet will do that. :) I don't have a web page. Just haven't had time to do it -yet. Or write any books -yet. All the best, Paul

Hi, slimmdogg. C4. I've had it since the mid 80s, along some other "retro" stuff I still use regularly. If it ain't broke... Cheers, Paul Oh... I do have a "newer" C3 too, from the 80s. The Japanese skirted model. Same worm gear design. Maybe that's the one you are referring to. Not sure which is in this video. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 I think I still have one somewhere. I have or had the tan colored one with a black spool too. It's an earlier model than the all black.

Nice. I think the tan/black were the European models, the green/white the American (for Zebco). All Swedish made. Then came the Japanese ones black with skirted spools, for Garcia. The Swedish ones were higher quality. But my Japanese C3 has held up. I have one old Quick reel too, the most bulletproof worm gears of them all.

Hi, TG. Actually, your 15lb PP 0.19mm is .0074in, which is right where it should be for braids in the table.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 Thank you for your response!

Thanks, Greg! Paul

Lol. Luckily, no Fire Ants here. That puts you somewhere S of me. Cheers, Paul

Hi, maverick. You're welcome! Cheers, Paul

Hi, Bobby. Thanks. More to come. I just need a breather from making a living to get the next video out. Cheers, Paul

Absolutely understand Paul. And by the way-I am “all ears” when you get ready to nerd out and drop some knowledge on us with your understanding and perspectives of knowledge itself. I was peeking in on one of your conversations about fishing, life and knowledge. Pretty excited to have found your channel!

Hi, Travis. You bet. Hope it helps you make better sense out of all the lines out there. Cheers, Paul

Oh my! I just looked him up. He's much more talented than I am. I'm just a lowly fisher-man. Hey, maybe I'll cut a song. :)

And I want to add that even mono that has been in water for 24h hours is still almost twice as abrasion resistant as FC.

Hi, Tomas. That's been my experience too, that FC is vulnerable to nicks, kinks, and friction in poor knot-tying. As to abrasion, I just don't know. I hear it touted as abrasion resistant all the time, and assumed this had to do with nylon's softening when wet. But, I really don't know. I know nylon mono's best, and trust them to be consistent. When I need abrasion resistance, I go to thicker nylon's. FCs are relatively new to me, as I've been reluctant to use them bc of their difficult properties, and my not believing that their invisibility makes much difference; Not sold on that one. But, they do have some advantages, so I use them here and there, as mentioned in the videos. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591I couldn't agree more with your answer. Hope I don't come off as "against" FC to some people, it's more a case of cost vs actual properties vs experience of using them that rubs me the wrong way about flouro.

You are not coming off as negative at all. You bring up valid points. Much appreciated. I've felt the same way about FC's.

Hi, Steven. Will try. Best, Paul

Thanks, Frank.

Hey, TSS. Yeah, I had to get fishing line off my chest before we move on to presentation and other fishing related stuff.

Thanks!

@@thenatureoffishing7591 welcome!

Hey, Mark. All of them! Braid: I'm liking Daiwa J-Braid lately. Used Spiderwire Stealth for years. It still has its place. FC: I've settled, for the time being, on BPS KVD 100% I've done well with Berkley's 100%, but beware, it's under-rated in break strength. Go with diameter. Nylon's: I've been a Trilene user for a looooong time. Still use XT a lot, and have been switch-hitting with Sensation, which is an impressive line.

I second the J-braid!

I think they are all good. There are so many choices now. And new stuff comes out all the time. I’ve never tried the most expensive ones. I went with BPS a while back, buying some when it went on sale. Since I use it mostly as leaders on braid, it lasts awhile.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 I can spell , I just cant type , flouro sinks and may or may not be less visible, little difference on visibility, but for very slow moving bait walleye fishing on the bottom it should be fine . Will try Vanish 6 lb.or 8 lb maybe since that is locally available. I live in the sticks here and 1 store to shop lol. thanks Paul your videos are very helpful TIM

I live in the sticks too actually. But of a drive for me too. Yeah, Vanish should be fine. It’s a bit soft for heavy cover bass fishing but fine in open water. I believe it was considered a “walleye” line originally. If there is much cover, just go up in diameter a bit.

Hi, Aqib. Thanks! Yeah, line's pretty important to understand. Cheers, Paul.

Hi, BB. I'd say that braid, with leaders, is the most cost-effective, and this is what I use most often. But I do use straight mono or FC in a few cases, that I believe I covered in the third line video, "Line 3". I try to describe the advantages/disadvantages of each basic line type (for those who want to know) so we can make up our own minds as to what's best in the fishing we encounter. Hope this helps. Best, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 I really appreciate the effort you put into these comments and video! Thank you, very helpful! :)

Thanks! Great to hear. Cheers.

Hi Austin. :)) Good, and appropriate, comment. Yes, agreed! I actually said that at the beginning. But, a lot less concisely than you did. :) KISS... unless you want to know more. If you do... Here's the more. Watch at your own peril. :) Man, DON'T watch Fishing Lines 3. Apparently, it's made a few head's spin. I may have to break that one up into separate videos. And I thought my Tackle Know How vids were going to be the easy ones. The information backing my upcoming documentary on the development of bass behavior, from egg to adult, comes from the sciences. I don't know many fisherman who can say much about where behaviors we see in adult bass (if we ever seen them at all in their own contexts), come from, much less why. The scientific "jargon" I'm wading through each have specific and really well thought out meanings, though. Whole bodies of work went into those understandings. My job is to make those understandings accessible. I'm trying to do that, but not gloss over things and slip into inaccuracy. I hear you, and my wife, loud and clear. She's my main, and best, critic. :) Good, and fun, comment. Thanks, Austin. Paul

You bet. Thanks, Jim. Man, I've got a list of topics to get out. Thanks for your interest.

Thanks, Oper8or.

Hi Mike. Thanks. Sounds good. Mono leaders take the abuse that might shred braids. Of course there are lots of times, conditions, that I wouldn't use such heavy line in.

The Nature of Fishing Thanks for responding back..... Can't wait for more video's. Love the education part of it. Keep it up P.S. love your boat no maintenance

Thanks, Mike. Yeah, thats a big plus to fishing small waters. No boat maintenance.

The Nature of Fishing, In my humble opinion is too unbalanced, I use 30 or 40 pounds braided lines with 0,90 or 100 Dia, to fight the tarpon, the leader length is too short for me in my set up I use 3 or 4 feet long FC or mono, as my leaders. Is just my opinion.

Hi, Eddie. Thin lines are not the best choice everywhere. In high visibility conditions where fish are likely to be spooky, thin lines can be big help. Punching, in particular, is a different story. I use 50lb braid for this. Those with bigger fish than I have here go with 65 to 80lb. Heavier lines are much less apt to put fish off in really dense vegetation, where punching was developed for. In fact, some noise can actually attract fish to your bait in really dense stuff. Punch, let fall (often bites come here), pause, jiggle (bites often come here), then shake!, which can attract fish that weren't able to see the fall and twitch. But, as you suspect, you're going to need some heavy gear to get those bass up and out of the roots, or through the surface mat, of really dense stuff.

The Nature of Fishing awesome, kinda what I figured. Thanks for reply! 👍🏼💪🏼

LOL. I like Comic Sans. But my son agrees: "Don't use Comic Sans." "But why?" "People don't like Comic Sans." What would you suggest?

Helvetica and Arial have tons of options, cheers.