Bass Fishing Tip of the Week 04/11/09: Fluorocarbon versus Monofilament Fishing Line

Today's modern technology has created some of the best fishing lines ever. Monofilament lines are now more supple and stronger than ever for easier casting and fish fighting strength. The advent of fluorocarbon lines has added another factor in successful fishing outings providing near invisible presence with outstanding strength and sensitivity.

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each type of line.

Advantages of Monofilament:

1- Low cost. The mass production of mono through it's many years of existence has led to less variability and very good yields.

2- Great availability. Many tackle shops and stores such as Walmart have a great variety of lines available from high strength, thin diameter and high abrasion resistance.

3- Good shock absorption. The natural "stretchiness" of mono allows for good shock strength.

4- Good Invisibility. The clear, green, blue and other hues in mono have made it's invisibility factor pretty good.

5- Low memory. This is nice for keeping those memory loops out of your line over a longer period of time.

Adavantages of Fluorocarbon:

1- Low stretch. The lower stretch factor leads to greater sensitivity.

2- High stiffness. This factor leads to greater sensitivity.

3- Great invisibility. The best low visibility line out there. It almost matches the refractive index of water for maximum invisibility.

4- Sinks. The line is denser than water and sinks. This allows for deeper running crankbaits and jerkbaits.

Disadvantages of Monofilament:

1- High Stretch. This can lead to poor hooksets in soft plastics especially on long cats or working deep water.

2- Loses strength during prolonged water exposure. Mono absorbs some water and loses strength over time.

3- Lower sensitivity. Stretch leads to lower sensitivity.

Disadvantages of Fluorocarbon:

1- High Cost. Being a relatively recent mass produced commodity this line has not yet enjoyed the benefits of super high production rates. Supply versus demand has kept the price fairly high.

2- High Line Memory. This leads to more frequent changes of the line on your spool. It also effects your casting distance when the memory effect sets in.

So when considering the purchase of new line for your favorite fishing rigs, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each before buying. If you do I'm sure you'll be doing more catching with less fishing :)

The Largemouth Herald