Determine the best Line for yourself

This way you determine what the best fishing line is for your situation

Maybe you just bought a new reel or you want to spool your old reel with a new line, but you are looking for a new fishing line. In this article, we explain exactly which line is best for your situation and how to make the right choice.

Different types of fishing line

There are two types of fishing line, both of which have their advantages and disadvantages. By far the most sold line is the nylon line and the braided line. A nylon line is also called mono line, because unlike braided line it consists of one part. Nylon line has stretch, is cheap and relatively strong. Braided line, on the other hand, has no stretch and is more expensive than nylon. One is not necessarily better than the other. Which one is right for you depends mainly on your fishing. Incidentally, there is also fluorocarbon, but since it is so little used as a main line, we will not consider it in this article.

If the line is too thin, line breakage may occur

The stretch that a nylon line has can be desirable or not desirable. For example, nylon is often used for static carp fishing because the stretch in the line gives a damping effect, which can be pleasant when playing fish. The stretch in the line can certainly become considerable at a greater distance, which also hinders bite registration. With a braided line you have no stretch, so you still have a very accurate bite registration even at a great distance. If you fish at a short distance, such as in small water, the stretch plays a lesser role.
Braided line has no stretch, which increases the chance of breakage because you lack cushioning. At the same time, it increases bite registration. This is why fisheries where bite registration is important are either done with braided line, or close to the edge where the stretch in the nylon hardly plays a role.
Another advantage of braided line is that it is much stronger than nylon, so you need a much thinner diameter with a braided line. This can be an advantage when fishing in strong currents such as in rivers or at sea.

Finally, braided line is very poor against chafing against obstacles such as stones. As a result, it may be wise to opt for a nylon line, even if you fish at a greater distance and bite registration is important. In summary, it is best to choose nylon in the following situations:

• Close to shore like float fishing
• On water with obstacles
• When you have a limited budget

Braided line is preferred:

• Fisheries with fast bite registration such as with lures
• In water with a lot of current
• Long range fishing

Incidentally, it is also very common to opt for a braided mainline with a nylon lead of a few meters. This involves spooling the braid onto your reel and attaching a few feet of nylon line to it. These last meters are the ones that usually have to endure the most and rub against objects. With a nylon (or fluorocarbon) leader you still have the advantage of braided line, without the disadvantage of the lack of abrasion resistance of braided line.

Color and type of line

If you have made a choice between braided line and nylon line, you still have a large choice. You can mainly choose between the color and for braided lines also the number of strands with which the line is braided. We can be very brief about the color: this is a personal preference. Brighter colors are nice because you can clearly see where your line enters the water. Especially if you fish with a leader or bottom line, the color of the line is not even visible to the fish, so it's purely about what you like. Some anglers prefer a color that is as inconspicuous as possible such as camouflage, others want a brightly colored line. Red is the most popular in that respect, because the color red is no longer visible underwater at first.
A brightly colored line is more visible

Braided lines are therefore woven from several thinner lines. These are at least 4 strands and a maximum of 12 strands. The more strands used in weaving, the smoother the line is. If you fish with very light lures, the stiffness of the line can influence the action of the lure and it is better to choose a line that is woven from 8 strands than a line that is woven from 4 strands. However, if you fish with large lures or if you fish static on the bottom, a line of 4 strands will also do just fine. You will cast further with a line that is woven from 8 strands than with a line that is woven from 4 strands, simply because the line comes off the spool with less resistance because the line is more flexible.

Select diameter

After choosing the line, you only have to choose the right diameter. Lines are often available in a diameter of 0.06mm to 0.40mm and for nylon even 1.00mm. Instead of looking at the diameter, it's better to look at the tensile force. Regardless of whether it is a nylon line or braided line, it is ultimately about how strong the line actually is.
In the overview below you can see the approximate pulling power you need for different fisheries:

• Whitefish pole 1-3 kg
• Trout and perch 3-6 kg
• Pike 7-9 kg
• Zander 4-8 kg
• Feeding 3-6 kg
• Carp 6-10 kg
• Sea fish 10+ kg
• Catfish 20+ kg

Keep in mind that choosing a line that is too thin is much worse than choosing a line that is too heavy. If your line is not strong enough, line breakage can occur. Our advice is therefore certainly if you don't have that much experience to take a somewhat stronger line than a thinner line. Better safe than sorry!