MONOFILAMENT, SUPERLINES, FLUOROCARBONS...

The Chain Concept

Everything in the chain, from the point of the hook to the butt of the rod, has to work together. A 6-pound line on a rod rated for 12- to 17-pound test is a weak link. You’ll get by when walleyes are under 3 pounds. Hook an 8 or 10, and you’re in trouble.

Match your line to the job, then match rods, reels, hooks, and lures to the line. If walleyes are active near bottom on the edge of a huge mudflat 30 feet down, you might troll the area, using spinner rigs on crawler harnesses behind 3-ounce bottom bouncers.

This isn’t a finesse situation. Use 12- or 14-pound test on a casting reel. Seventeen’s starting to get just too thick to easily keep the rig down. The leader can be 10- or 12-pound test. The main line also determines hook sturdiness. Hooks should be heavy-gauge steel to withstand 12-pound line.

Line’s part of a system. What systems will you use this year? Eventually you’ll want line spooled and marked and ready to handle those systems. If most of your fishing is with livebait rigs coupled with light sinkers or with jigs around clean bottom, a limp 6- or 8-pound rather than a stiff abrasion-resistant line may bring more fish to the bait.

If you’re casting to shallow cover, line color is important. Fluorescent lines let you see more strikes. But if you’re on spooky fish in clear water, maybe go low-vis in smoke gray or green. Will you be making lots of long-distance casts? A supple castable line will get you 10, even 15 feet more on each cast—if your spool’s full and the line’s fresh.

Monofilament is the last thing you should have to worry about when walleye fishing. And you won’t have to worry if you do your homework before you leave the dock.


Evolution of Lines
After years of creeping along at impulse speed, line makers suddenly kicked into warp speed and leapt forward into hyperspace, leaving old line concepts spinning in their confused and turbulent wake.

The next generation of fishing lines has arrived, complete with new technology, terminology, and psychology of use. It’s difficult, however, to choose and apply new lines properly without background information on recent changes.

Fluorocarbon Lines
The recent introduction of fluorocarbon lines and leaders for minimizing visibility in ultraclear saltwater conditions is beginning to carry over into the freshwater market. Because of their cost, early versions were limited to small spools of leader material noted for being tough, invisible, and a bit on the stiff side. In 1999, both Stren and Berkley offered consumers full-spool fluorocarbon lines for the first time.

When tying knots with fluorocarbon lines, wet both your line and hookeye, then slowly draw the knot tight to minimize heat buildup, which might damage the line. Fluorocarbon has about the same stretch as nylon line, but is denser—good for keeping light jigs on bottom.