How often have you heard the lament, “We should’ve had a limit, but kept missing those light bites,” or, “That platter-sized crappie just opened her mouth and the jig fell out.” Line affects fishing results in many ways—how lures and livebaits move; hooksetting and strength to haul fish out of brush and grass; visibility above and below the surface; sensitivity to light bites; casting distance; and more.

The array of fishing lines has grown at an exponential rate, offering the potential for better presentations and more fish in the boat. But on the other hand, letters from readers reveal confusion about the best selections for different types of fishing. Few can afford to buy even a fraction of all the new types, let alone find the time to test them. Matching the characteristics of a line with the requirements of a particular presentation is the key to successful line selection.

Monofilament line remains the overwhelming favorite among panfish anglers. Top-quality brands perform well in most situations and the cost is modest. Mono also is easiest to use; that is, many types cast easily on spinning tackle; standard knots perform well; and fresh line lies smoothly on the surface and passes easily through rod guides, slipfloats, and slipsinkers. Before reviewing promising new mono lines, let’s look at applications where mono may not be the best choice.

The Braid Parade

When Spiderwire and other early braided lines first hit the market, some observers predicted that mono would become obsolete. After the first round of experiments by legions of anglers eager for a miracle, many swore off the stuff among stories of missed fish, broken lines, broken rods, and groovy guides.

Today, we’ve learned more about applications for braided line, based on its innate characteristics, and how modifications in tackle and technique can bring out the best in this no-stretch string that lasts almost forever.

Editor Matt Straw has a long fascination with fishing lines, stemming in part from his passion for steelhead fishing, where success lies in tempting big line-shy fish in clear water with substantial current and lots of snags, using tiny baits and hooks. Missed fish and breakoffs haunt the best steelheaders, who continually seek optimal lines and rigging techniques. Makes crappie and perch fishing seem like a breeze. Straw has transferred some of those lessons to his panfish approaches.

Over the last couple years, he’s converted several of his staple panfish outfits to braided line, particularly for bobber fishing and for vertical jigging. “When fishing floats, take advantage of the buoyancy of braid as well as its thin diameter,” he recommends. “Mono quickly gets waterlogged and sinks, which makes setting the hook a challenge. You must rip all that soggy line free from the water, which—when added to the natural stretch of the stuff and the position of the hook below the float—amounts to missed fish.

“I spool with braid and tie a fluorocarbon leader to the hook. The braid won’t sink and you can make rock-solid hooksets when fishing a float, even on long casts. Just lift that long rod and you’ve got ’em.”

Straw notes that the slick finish on many braided lines aids casting distance but requires extra attention when setting float stops. “You may have to tie two stop-knots back-to-back to avoid slipping,” he says, “and cinch the knots down real tight.” To fool line-shy panfish in clear water, he ties a 3- to 5-foot section of 4-pound fluorocarbon.

“For vertical jigging in deeper water, 15 to 30 feet or more, braid also works well,” he adds. “You have better feel of light lures or bait and can set hooks easily by smoothly raising the rod. Finally, I hate changing line, and with braid you never have to. Pull a rod out of the basement after a long winter and put it into the boat. None of that nauseating spooling miles of light line.”

Fluorocarbon Applications

Fluorocarbon has made inroads in the bass market, as the advantages of reduced stretch compared to mono, low visibility to fish, and resistance to water absorption and UV rays have made it popular for both finesse and powerfishing presentations. Pitching jigs, casting cranks and spinners, casting soft plastics can all be enhanced with fluorocarbon lines. But—and this is a big but—they’re all done with baitcasting equipment, not spinning tackle that‘s favored nearly universally for catching panfish.

Straw notes that fluorocarbon makes an excellent leader material due to its low visibility, and he’s convinced it brings more bites from any kind of fish, if the waterway is clear. Guides on the Great Lakes often use spreader rigs and dropper lines with jigging spoons to catch jumbo perch. Here, too, flurorocarbon lines work.

Some fluorocarbon formulations are tough and resistant to scratching, even from zebra mussels that share perch habitat throughout the Great Lakes (and in some areas, with crappies and white bass, too). This makes them ideal for leaders and dropper lines. But problems arise when spooling spinning tackle with straight fluoro, due to its stiffness.

New formulations of fluorocarbon are more supple than earlier types that were designed for saltwater fishing. But even the more supple lines are considerably stiffer than monos favored for panfishing with light spinning tackle.

New brands such as P-Line Halo, Seaguar Invisx, and Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra-Soft, as well as formulations like Berkley Vanish Transition, Silver Thread Fluorocarbon, and P-Line Fluorocarbon can be used to cast small lures and jigs weighing just 1/8-ounce on spinning tackle. Anything lighter pretty much demands mono. And keep a watchful eye on the spool to prevent loose coils that can lead to major snarls.

Modern Monofilaments

Line companies large and small continue to develop new nylon formulations and copolymers suited to various types of fishing. Here’s a look at the latest.

Pure Fishing: The line kings at Pure Fishing continue to expand their territory, boasting a total of 27 line brands, 18 of them monofilaments. Along with old favorites in the Trilene, Stren, and Spiderwire lineups, there’s new tough and abrasion-resistant Spiderwire G-String, with 4- to 8-pound strengths ideal for dabbling brush and other challenging panfish applications. Trolling crankbaits for crappies in timber comes to mind as well. Stren Super Knot’s claim to fame is forming flawless knots. Its formula contains a self-lubricating material that eliminates any friction as the knot is tightened. It’s available in 4- to 30-pound test, clear and lo-vis green. Trilene Maxx is labeled the best Berkley Trilene ever, thanks to a combination of the castability of Trilene XL and the toughness of Trilene XT.

Eagle Claw: Classic Premium Monofilament features a supple texture for carefree casting with spinning tackle. Available in clear and fluorescent blue, an excellent color for dark days when the bite is light, since you’ll see every twitch.

Gamma: This fast-growing company has added a copolymer ice-fishing line called Gamma ESP Ice. It’s built for strength in minute diameters, available in 1-, 1.5-, 2-, and 3-pound spools, and up to 10-pound test. This clear line stays supple in cold conditions, so winter panfishing is its niche.

P-Line: P-Line Evolution is new to its line-up, this line a copolymer made of three types of complementary nylons, topped off with a special abrasion-resistant additive. This tough line also casts smoothly and handles well.

Shakespeare: This tackle giant has expanded its line offerings to six brands, including two new types of popular red Cajun line. Cajun Advantage is a copolymer line built to provide extended life and good abrasion-resistance without extra memory. A UV blocker helps extend its life. Cajun Red Lightning is built for shock- and abrasion-resistance. Try it for pole fishing and trolling applications.

Sufix: New Sufix Siege is designed as a supple but tough mono with extra abrasion resistance. Line is spooled with Sufix’s G2 Precision Winding process, so it flows off effortlessly with minimal memory. Four colors are available (clear, silver, smoke green, and neon tangerine) in tests starting at 4-pound. Ice fishermen will like Sufix’s Ice Magic, available in 1-, 2-, and 3-pound-test spools in addition to higher tests, in transparent and orange fluorescent colors. It’s built to stay supple and manageable in the coldest conditions.

The Latest Braids

Through the efforts of line engineers, braided lines continue to be easier and more pleasant to fish, while retaining the brute strength and longevity of original formulas. I know anglers who haven’t changed their spools of braid for four years. While initial cost is high compared to mono, its longevity levels the longterm cost comparison.

Within the braid category, a wide range of products is available, differing in stiffness, shape, and finish, along with color. The good news is that most companies are striving to offer braids in thin and supple formulas for panfish applications.

Berkley: New FireLine Crystal and FireLine Micro Ice Crystal are the world’s first translucent braids, as light is able to pass through them, thanks to a new thermal-fused technology. Micro Ice Crystal is available in tests from 1-pound (diameter of .25-pound mono) to 10-pound (diameter of 4-pound mono), including 2-, 3-, and 4-pound spools. Crystal runs from 1- to 20-pound test.

Power Pro: Innovative Textiles, maker of Power Pro braided line, has jumped into the red line craze with Phantom Red Power Pro, taking advantage of the reported reduced visibility of that color. Also, a new 5-pound-test version has been added, ideal for panfish applications.

Rapala: Rapala entered the braided line market in a big way with three new categories of the Titanium Braid brand. Titanium Braid is composed of spectra braid, bonded to a resin matrix that’s reinforced with microscopic particles of the super-metal, titanium. This formulation virtually eliminates rod-tip wrapping, and adds knot strength and abrasion-resistance. Titanium Stretch Braid, on the other hand, represents a mix of spectra and Dacron fibers wound tightly into a line with about 7 percent stretch. Titanium Core contains a single strand of spectra fiber coated with two sheaths, one to add color and the second to increase abrasion-resistance and to make it smoother.

Shakespeare: Ugly Braid has a special coating called “Ugly Armor” to provide strength, durability, and castability, along with a round shape for easier spooling and handling.

Spiderwire: Ultracast is a new formulation made with a cold fusion process to make the line thinner, yet with improved knot strength and casting distance. It’s available in tests from 10 (diameter of 2-pound mono) in lo-vis green or hi-vis yellow.

Stren: For vertical jigging or trolling, Stren Sinking Braid offers advantages over typical floating superbraids. Tests from 10 (diameter of 4-pound mono) to 50 (diameter of 14-pound mono) are available in this green camo line.

Sufix: Sufix Performance Braid and Performance Ice Braid are produced with the company’s Y-6 Digital Braiding process that results in more braids per inch and a tighter weave. The result is a thinner line that sheds water, while retaining its round shape. Performance Braid comes in lo-vis green or hi-vis yellow in tests from 6- to 130-pound. Ice Braid comes in blue or neon fire colors, in tests from 6- to 30-pound.

Never before have we been offered such an array of lines built with tactics in mind for perch, crappie, bluegill, and white bass. While old favorites may still work fine, you’re sure to like what you see (and feel) with these new products.