Fishing Forum

While fishing with friends from various parts of the country, many of the same questions come up. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of fish we are after, many questions are the same.

Line color is a good example. Is fluorescent colored line better than clear? Can the fish see it better? Can more fish be caught on one color more than another?

Not knowing the absolute answer, I've asked many anglers which they prefer. Results are as mixed as the questions. One fisher says green is best for walleye and smallmouth. Another says brown is harder for fish to see. Yet others like bright orange or purple, or yellow.

After speaking to more than a dozen anglers about line color, a common response seems to be bait or lure presentation. If the angler with bright-orange line presents their lure more efficiently than the angler with clear line they probably catch more fish.

I've used many lines over the years. I like the toughness of Maxima brown, but in low light it is hard for me to see. Generally I purchase Berkeley Photo-Chromic Gold. It allows good visibility at dawn and dusk and appears nearly invisible beneath the surface.

Presently, I am using Stren purple. So far I am pleased with its high visibility out of the water, and seemingly low visibility underwater. For me an answer to the line color question is low visibility line. Especially when drift fishing for steelhead. While trying to present a bait as daintily as possible, I feel better if the line I'm using doesn't announce my presence to the fish. Whether it does or not is personal preference. The experts must sell lots of high colored line or it wouldn't be on the shelves' year after year.

Other characteristics of monofilament line can be frustrating. One thing to avoid in monofilament is line memory. When a wad of line is compressed in your fist, does it stay crushed when you relieve the pressure? Does the line try to uncoil or explode from the spinning reel during cold weather? Does it come off in spirals and loops? Is it curly when slack is given between rod tip and lure?

If this is the case, line with high memory line can cause several calamities to happen. It will be easier to backlash at the spinning or casting reel. It may loop over the tip, unnoticed until a fish strikes. It may cause constant jambing-up of weight and bait. It can tie its own knot in the middle of any slack. Get rid of it. It will only cause you grief. Knot slippage also can be a problem. Nothing is worse than retrieving line after loosing a fish to see the curly tail of a slipped knot. Some new lines are so slick a standard, old fashioned clinch knot will not hold. Especially if the line is one of the newer braided types, or the cofilaments.

Learn to tie a polamar style. It's an easy knot with twice the knot strength of more common knots. Double-up the line to be tied. Make a simple overhand knot with the two layers. Insert the lure through the loop, moisten the line with the tip of the to prevent friction and pull gently until firm. Most reputable line companies will have diagrams of this easy to use knot on its packaging.

Check for abrasions. Many fish and lures are lost from a line too soft for specific uses. If dragging it over rocks and brush all day, keep a close eye for nicks and rough spots. Cut out and retie any rough looking or feeling sections of line. All monofiliment can be cut; some easier than others.

If you fish a lot, change line often. At least a couple times each season. Imagine the abuse your line gets. It expands and contracts from freezing and heat. It gets stretched beyond breaking capacity. It gets caught up in props and pumps. It gets sunburned from ultra violet rays. It ages from shelf life.

Probably no other equipment has to take the abuse an angler gives their line. That is why it's important to monitor its condition and choose a line right for your needs.

Unfortunately, many nuisances from monofilament line show up only during a fishing trip. But when comparing the positives to the negatives about monofilament, it is a super product. When playing that super bass or steelhead, it is refreshing to know there is a spool full of high quality, fresh monofilament between angler and fish, no matter what the color.
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How about florocarbon line. Manufactures boast that it is nearly invisible underwater. What I prefer to do is use Stren hi-vis gold so I can see my line easily and tie on a length of florocarbon leader so the fish don't see it also. Use it mostly when finess fishing a weightless Senko where line watching is imparetive. Wondering what others prefer.
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have been testing out different lines from different companies and so far i have found there here in west tenn. they prefer a smoke to moss green ,i have had6 different poles set the same lure at same depthand have not one bite on florocarbon as of yet butwant to test it some more on a few more areas.
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hey bud, this is good. but was wonderin what,s the difference twixt the knots ya was talkin bout?? i always do the one gramp learned me by puttin it thru you swivel then with a reg, knot at the end twirlin it around and leavin the circle at the end so,s ya run the knot end thru it and pullin it down to the end of the reg knot on end. that one./ haha is that the one your talkin about?? it,s always held good with me fishin my salmon in the river at pulaski,new york and the steele heads. and thats somethin, i didnt think it got sunbured and also didnt realize that it got old just sittin on the shelf life of it. dont know why i didnt think of it. i guess i figured if it werent bein used it wouldnt. git old. ahha i,ve always used that stren mono, the blue,/clear, ya know. i always liked that. i use 6, 8, and then 10 on my salmon pole, but did somethin different and got the green last year salmon fishin. think that was good??? did,t go crazy on me anyways. that was cool. haha later
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been doing some testing on red cajun and so far its been a great line .
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haha answer me on my knots will ya haha thanks. mare. tell me whats the difference twixt and what ya do!ahha will ya? thanks mare[][]and i have never heard of that one! line, anyways.[]
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[#003399]Clinch Knot [/#003399]

[ol] [li]Pass the line through the eye of the hook, or swivel. [li]Double back. make five turns around the line. [li]Pass the end of the line through the first loop, above the eye, and then through the large loop. Draw the knot into shape. [li]Slide the coils down tight against the eye.,,,,,,,, good holding power [/li][/ol] [right] [/right]


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[#003399]Hangman's Knot i dont care for this one[/#003399]

There are at least 6 variations of the Hangman's Knot, - all of them excellent for terminal tackle, swivels and hooks. The "standard" Hangman's Knot holds only five turns when tied in monofilament nylon. If tied in rope, and used for its stated purpose, it takes eight turns.

[ol] [li]Pass a 15cm loop of line through the eye. [li]Bring the end back on itself, passing it under the doubled part. [li]Make five loops over the doubled part. [li]The formed knot is worked into shape. [li]The knot is sent down the line, against the eye of the hook or swivel. [/li][/ol] [right] [/right] [right] [/right]
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[]the no.1 is the one i use too. no, i dont think i care fer the no.2 either. i,d rather have it inside the loop. seems it,s more sturdy that ways.did ya go fishin this past weekend?? we did more bikin this weekend but i,m goin fishin tonite. actually we went sun nite fer a hour and cought a coupkle brookies but that was it. they should start runnin good this week cause finally the weathers startin to change. 80 yesterday! yeah! haha suppose to be 60 today, so least its switchin., later what is that line ya,s talkin bout, who puts it out>>??? later thanks dub. there just so many different knots i,ve seen before didnt know which ones you was talkin bout but that was the first one i learned. later have fun. haha []
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i think it is the best for now but might be trying some different ones on a new setup i am working on.got rained out and today is to windy, but i think it is looking good for tommorrow.
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[cool][#800000][size 2]Hey daymere,[/size][/#800000]

[#800000][size 2]The double clinch is my main knot. Although when tying a hook on 2lb test the second loop is hard to find particularily in bright sunlight.[/size][/#800000]
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[]boy i hear ya bout wind last nite,we had almost close to a hurricane, tornado, my lord i haven,t seen it blow like thsi in a few years when a small tornado went thru the narrows, out near my house. and up north route 5. and took many trees down power lines, and lines wer out fer few days. and thats somethin fer vermont. cause we got too many hills mountain. but it just happened in these few smal areas.where it went i the holler, of hte hills, long the brook and down rte 5 where it was twixt like that too, in the holler. thiank god. it didnt do more. but we,ve had hurricanes, but the last one was when ma was little in 48. and also have had small earthquakes, i guess what ya call tremors. it went right thru my house in proctorsville and then one here in windsor once too. and mt, ascutney is a volcano, my house is sittin on. the foot of., haha its never donte nothin and hope it dont. haha ! i caught 2 great big suckers tonite. must a been a pound and a half each, out the brook tonite in the connie hole. well if there runnin, the trout will be up shortly. they always done that,. the waters still high cold runnin fast. so they,ll be comin up this comin week. been cool nites and warmer days thus week, so we,ll see what the weather is this comin, ya it was funny, the stupid suckers were jumpin after some moths over the water, thought they were brown trout at first, but i snapped it on top the water, my nightcrawler and couple second later i had those big suckers. ahah good fightin though. later mare[]
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