Line color

[Gbassman]

Do you believe line color plays an important role in fishing? Does it really matter if you use moss green or solar green, clear blue or red, yellow or camo? Any thoughts or comments will be appreciated.

[BigBassin144]

For the most part, not really. With the exception of VERY clear lakes (10ft+ vis), I don't think it matters that much.

If I'm doing a lot of line watching, like say when I'm dropshotting, I like a bright color I can see better. That's why I'll most likely be switching from moss green to hi-vis yellow braid this year. Other than that, I use moss green braid. I'll add a leader if I'm fishing clear water with sparse to no cover.

Like I said for mono, I don't think the color matters much unless you're fishing gin clear water. I've caught fish on clear, clear blue, green, and yellow mono. But most of the time, I opt for clear because I fish a lot of very clear water.

But for fluorocarbon lines, I ALWAYS use clear. There are a few brands that have a blue or green tint, but adding color to fluorocarbon line weakens it. So stay away from tinted fluorocarbon.

If there one thing you can take away from all the arguments over line color is that if no one can decide what the "right" choice is, it probably isn't as important as people make it out to be.

Use what you're comfortable with and what you have the most confidence in. If you think you'll catch more on clear line, or red line, or yellow line, you probably will.

BB

[Rebbasser]

Use what you're comfortable with and what you have the most confidence in. If you think you'll catch more on clear line, or red line, or yellow line, you probably will.

Agree 100% with BB. I use green braid and clear line because this is what I have confidence in.

[Bassboss]

Yes, I think it does, very much so in some cases!

I really like clear for general propose! I'm wanting to try some clear blue stuff so that when I'm worm fishing I can much more easily water my line (that's probably where line color is most important!). When throwing spinnerbaits, or some kina reaction bait in clear water, clear line. In dark, greenish water, green's probably better... does it really make a differences in the number of fish you catch (the green in dark water as appose to clear) probably not! One thing I would never use though is that bright florescent crap! I would think it would send the fish running.. even with top waters.

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

For the most part, not really. With the exception of VERY clear lakes (10ft+ vis), I don't think it matters that much.

If I'm doing a lot of line watching, like say when I'm dropshotting, I like a bright color I can see better. That's why I'll most likely be switching from moss green to hi-vis yellow braid this year. Other than that, I use moss green braid. I'll add a leader if I'm fishing clear water with sparse to no cover.

Like I said for mono, I don't think the color matters much unless you're fishing gin clear water. I've caught fish on clear, clear blue, green, and yellow mono. But most of the time, I opt for clear because I fish a lot of very clear water.

But for fluorocarbon lines, I ALWAYS use clear. There are a few brands that have a blue or green tint, but adding color to fluorocarbon line weakens it. So stay away from tinted fluorocarbon.

If there one thing you can take away from all the arguments over line color is that if no one can decide what the "right" choice is, it probably isn't as important as people make it out to be.

Use what you're comfortable with and what you have the most confidence in. If you think you'll catch more on clear line, or red line, or yellow line, you probably will.

BB

Could not have said it better myself!

[Tavery5]

I think that color matters in a couple of situations that have been already addressed, one is for ease of sight, use what ever color that you can see clearly above the water for those bites where watching the line is important, you can always use florocarbon leaders if you feel like the line color may affect the fish in a negative way. The other is just saying what bigbassin already said, I never use any type of a FC line that has a tint or color to it, I believe that it decreases line strength.

[keithdog]

This is a good question to which I doubt there is a right answer, nor a wrong answer. I would believe a lot has to do with water quality as mentioned above. It's very odd, but I have always had better luck, or so it seems, when I used a mono in moss green color, even in clear water. I can't explain why, other than moss green line is very hard to see under the surface. I would think that clear lines would work very well, but my success rate definately falls when I'm using clear lines. I have no explanation for it either. I wonder if the clear lines actually stand out under water more than moss green when sunlight shines on them. I seem to be able to see a clear line under water easier than I do a moss green mono.

[bassinbob]

I never used to worry about line color. Then last year a friend and I were fishing a clear pond. I couldn't buy a strike (briad) using the same jig as he did. I was using green power pro and I don't know his brand but it was clear floro. Now I believe it matters to some extent. The exception on clear water is fishing the slop, pads etc.

[screwballl]

I pretty much stick to 2 types of line: Power Pro green braid and Pline CX or CXX. Most of the lakes I fish are somewhat clear with LOTS of vegetation on the bottom.

[Jrob78]

I use Pline CX in clear blue on 90% of my setups. I buy only clear lines and green braids.

[Backwater Charlie]

When line watching is needed, such as when I'm fishing jigs or plastic worms, it can't get any better than some blue line! I use mostly 12lb Stren clear/blue and I'm in LOVE with it.

If I were strictly crankbait/spinnerbait/topwater fishing or fishing in very clear water than I'd go clear Stren mono.

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by Jrob78

I use Pline CX in clear blue on 90% of my setups. I buy only clear lines and green braids.

I've never seen p-line cx (or any p-line) in clear blue, is it that clear florescent color?

I'd like to get some CXX in the same color if they have it!

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

I've never seen p-line cx (or any p-line) in clear blue, is it that clear florescent color?

I'd like to get some CXX in the same color if they have it!

Yes it's the clear fluorescent color, it has a blue tint to it. I'm thinking they make the CXX in the same color but I'm not 100% sure.

[Nitro911]

I throw green braid everywhere I fish. At Amistad (you can see the bottom in 20 ft of water) I may...MAY...tie on a flouro leader, but that depends upon what I am fishing.

[CamG]

If you THINK line visibility matters, it probably DOES.

Me, I fish Moss Green CXX, and Clear Fluorescent CX 90% of the time. It works in dirty to super, super clear situations.

Think about this - if you are worried about line color, then should you be worried about the big shiny hook as well? I had a buddy fishing with 8lb Fluoro on his jerkbait rig two years ago down at Table Rock (super, super clear water). He did so because he thought line visibility would be hindering and the fish were really line shy. I asked him - what about those two big shiny treble hooks hanging from the bottom of your McStick?
I outfished him everyday with 10lb Pline CX.

As fishermen, we often overthink things. I used to be that way. Now, I am much more laid back, (I still have techniques/rods/reels/line that I don't shy away from though) Since I've gone to a more laid back approach, I have done much better on the water.

[screwballl]

agreed... there is so much overthinking by many.
I can catch just as many fish with my $60 rod/reel combo using 12 lb Pline CX and same lure as these guys using $400 rod, $300 reels, $60 line.....

When it comes to fish:

-if they are hungry or pissed off enough, they won't care about a string. You could be using bright blue 100lb mono that the fish can see clearly, if they are hungry they will still eat it.

-if they are lethargic then it may help to be a little picky but anything from Pline CX, CXX, fluoro, for deeper or mono for topwater should work fine.

That is why I stick with the 2 main line types so I am covered whether they are picky or not.

[Jim80]

I agree with a lot of what was said above in most conditions you line color won't matter unless like BB said you are dealing with ultra clear water and even then down sizing your line can help just as much . For the most part outside of my jigging rod everything is spooled with fluorocarbon it's just a confidence thing for me right now .



jim

[Cavs1123]

I dont really think it matters I just use clear in most cases.

[Bassboss]

No, I don't think line color mater that much, But I like the clear blue line because I do a whole lot a senko fishing, and it helps TREMENDOUSLY to be able to find you're line and watch! Clear blue would just be better than florescent orange or something like that! I DO think something like that would spook a few bass though!

[Garry2rs]

I'm curious about the notion that tinted Fluorocarbon is "weaker" than clear line.

What you're saying doesn't seem to make sense.

How can my Pink Yo-Zuri 100 pound test be weaker than your clear 100 pound test line?

If my line still tests out to 100 pounds what does yours test at?

If your line tests out at 110 or 115 pounds isn't your line just mislabeled?
Garry2R's

[screwballl]

The way I understand it is if there is any tint, it is not 100% fluoro so they tend to rate it lower than similar 100% fluoro due to strength differences. Yes your 10 lb and his 10 lb have the same breaking strength, but they tend to be a bit more brittle than the 100% lines. Theres probably more to it than that but that is just how I understood the tinted versus pure fluoro situation

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by Garry2rs

I'm curious about the notion that tinted Fluorocarbon is "weaker" than clear line.

What you're saying doesn't seem to make sense.

How can my Pink Yo-Zuri 100 pound test be weaker than your clear 100 pound test line?

If my line still tests out to 100 pounds what does yours test at?

Honestly, I do not know WHY it makes it weaker, or what exactly "weaker" means. Here is a quote from the Seaguar website. Seaguar is the inventor of fluorocarbon fishing line (and has the best fluoro on the market IMO).

Originally Posted by Seaguar's Website

adding color to 100% fluorocarbon makes it weaker, as the dye pigments mix with the fluorocarbon resins. It remains visible until sunlight is completely removed.

Now this is a completely different issue:

Originally Posted by Garry2rs

If your line tests out at 110 or 115 pounds isn't your line just mislabeled?
Garry2R's

And I completely agree with you on this. I always laugh when someone talks about how their 8lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid line has a 12lb breaking strength. This is not 8lb line then, it's underrated 12lb line.

This is just marketing. How is 8lb test that breaks at 12lb any different or better than 12lb test? Honestly, it's not. 8lb Hybrid may have a smaller diameter than a lot of other 12lb tests, but it's still 12lb test. Yo-Zuri chose to market it as strong line as opposed to line with a smaller diameter (and that brings in another issue)

Some people believe Yo-Zuri hybrid has a larger diameter than they claim and put on the box, making it even more like 12lb test. But how would 99% of fishermen know this? I doubt that most people would go and actually measure it, or have the means to measure it accurately.

So just like you said, if they tint 20lb fluorocarbon and it makes it weaker to break at 15lbs, then they should just rate it at 15lbs. But they won't, and they really don't have to (even though they should). Because again, most people won't actually go out and measure the breaking strength of their line.

But again, I don't know if when they say "weakens" it means lowers the breaking strength, or maybe tensile strength, or maybe it does make it brittle... I just don't know.

BB

[Tavery5]

My understanding of fluorocarbon lines is this, if you produce two 10# spools of FC line, identical in all ways other than one has tint one without. The spool without tint will be a true 10# spool, the spool with tint will be a 9# spool (using the 10% weaker theory) and will be sold as an above average 8lb spool with the line dia. of a 10# spool. Don't know if my explanation is correct, but this is how I understand it.

[Garry2rs]

I have started a new thread about Tinted VS Non-tinted.

[abu4600]

I dont know if line color matters but I use green mono. because I have confidence in that line. I have started using flouro. a little bit too and I cant tell any difference in the number of strikes I get.