Monofilament line are a single extruded nylon filament. Monofilament line is soft and stretchy when it is in its natural state. The stretch of the monofilament line act as a shock absorber for the line that will prevent it from snapping unexpectedly when the fish makes sudden movement.
The diameter of the monofilament line is a critical factor in determining the strength of the line. Lines with a thinner diameter will allow the line to travel more further distances when the angler casts the line. However, thinner monofilament lines will nick more easy when the line comes into contact with rocks in the water.
How to Pick and Use Monofilament Fishing Line
Thicker monofilament lines will allow the line to navigate through heavy cover area easier. However, thicker monofilament lines has a tendency to coil into loops when the weather is cold. The angler should chose the diameter of the monofilament line based off the water conditions and the type of fish that are being targeted.
For example, clear water areas where panfish and trout are found will require the use of thin monofilament line with a diameter of 0.004 inches. Thin monofilament lines are difficult for fish to see and permit the movement of the fishing lures in a natural manner. For stained lakes and areas populated with much weeds, a medium thickness monofilament line should be used.
Monofilament lines of medium thickness will blend in with the murky waters and have better resistance against weeds. The color of the monofilament line is another important factor in the process of fishing. However, the color of the monofilament line will not change the diameter or the strength of the line.
Clear monofilament lines is useful in areas where the suns light will shine on the water surface. Green monofilament lines are useful in areas populated with weeds. Smoke gray monofilament lines is useful in clear streams.
Additionally, the angler can use high visibility pink monofilament lines if the angler needs to see the line. Finally, leader grade monofilament lines can also be used to create a fishing leader for a braid mainline. Spooling the monofilament line onto a reel require certain steps to prevent the development of problems like birdnests.
One of the first steps is to wind the monofilament line onto the spool under tension. Winding the monofilament line under tension will minimize the spool memory of the line; spool memory can cause the line to form coils that can lead to birdnests in the fishing guide. Before tightening the knot on the monofilament line, it is important to wet the knots; knots tightened when dry create friction that weaken the monofilament line at the hook eye.
It is also important to be aware of the effect of uv light; the uv light from the sun break down the monofilament line. Therefore, if the line is exposed to uv light, it should be replaced if there are any signs of fading or curling of the line.
monofilament line have different characteristics from other types of fishing lines like fluorocarbon line and braided line. Fluorocarbon line will sink more quickly in the water than monofilament line, and the fluorocarbon line has less stretch than the monofilament line.
Braided line will provide more sensitivity when fishing with it than the monofilament line, but braided line is more visible in the water than monofilament line. Monofilament line is more affordable than other types of fishing lines. With monofilament line, there is more yardage of line that can be fit onto a small fishing reel spool because of the diameter of the line.
However, it is always important to check the label of the line spool to ensure the diameter of the monofilament line, as there may be slight difference between manufacturers.