That's My Story

LINEAR THOUGHT – Published January 2006 – Western Outdoor News

Thanks to all of you readers who’ve come by my booths the last few weeks in San Francisco and San Mateo. Really great to meet so many of you and shake a hand or two! I’m writing this from the International Sportsman’s Show in Sacramento where this warm weather boy is simply freezing his Ugg sheepskin boots off! Can’t believe it’s so cold. They have something up here called “frozen fog” where the moisture particles in the fog actually freeze so when the damp hits you, it actually puts a frost inside your clothes like the frost you find on the inside of your ice cream container when you sneak a spoonful at midnight.

Anyway, I just bought a couple of armfuls of bulk fishing line at a great discount. See, I’m like a lot of you. Can’t pass up a good deal on fishing gear so I hauled it back to my booth where a couple of guys saw me unloading and of course the subject turned to the type of lines I use in Baja and when.

I have 3 main rules when I do seminars on line:

1. Price aside, not all lines are created equally.
2. Like golf clubs or your wife’s shoe collection, there’s no one line does not fit all situations.
3. Buy the best you can afford. Like a motorcycle helmet. If you have a 10 dollar head buy a 10 dollar helmet. If you’re going after 2 dollar fish, 2 dollar line will do. If you’re spending a chunk of your kid’s inheritance or the riding lawn mower you were going to buy your wife, then splurge a little on line.

EQUALITY – I know most of you don’t carry a micrometer around, but if you did, you’d be surprised how two lines rated at say, 20 pound test can vary! The better lines often give a diameter rating on the side of the spool. Without naming names, you can sometimes even see the difference with the naked eye. I know some brands you can buy in Mexico are so irregular that you can run your fingers along it and actually feel the line get narrower and thicker caused by a faulty extrusion process and bad quality control. Additionally, if you’re careful about your lines or are hunting records, just because a line says “30 pound test” doesn’t mean it breaks at 30 pounds. It might actually break at 40 while another brand might break at 36. Line that says “tournament grade” or “IGFA rated” or somesuch is usually truer to it’s rating but costs a bit more.

ONE LINE FITS ALL– Not exactly. However, some lines seem to be more versatile than others. For instance, I have a personal preference for dark green mono when fishing inshore Baja waters in the winter and spring. I like blue, grey or clear for offshore fishing; for pelagic species; or in bright conditions. I like softer limper lines with smaller diameters when fishing baits so that the bait swims more naturally. But, I like stiffer lines when fishing iron or where structure is involved because of the abrasion resistance. I will use fluorocarbon when fishing bait; when the sun is bright or if the fish are twitchy. However, I don’t use fluro when fishing artificials or trolling because, to me, most strikes are “reaction strikes” where the fish isn’t interested in scouting my offering to see if the line is visible. ! It’s gonna attack and go! I like braided line as a backing, especially on smaller reels so I have extra capacity in case Big Mo decides to come to party. I don’t fish straight braid because of it’s high visibility so I always top shot with mono. Also, my baits don’t swim right dragging braid through the water. The better the bait presentation, the better the chances of getting bit. I use wire sparingly and only as much as much as necessary. I’m a growing fan of the new tie-able wire for smaller applications and gamefish.

PRICE IS NICE BUT – You generally get what you pay for. The general rule is that for every-day fishing, you can’t go wrong with brand names that have been around since Cro-Magnon man tied sinew to a stick and used a bone for a hook. But, I avoid lines that are “on sale” if it looks like the line has sat on the shelf for awhile or has been exposed to the sun or dust which causes discoloration and deterioration of it’s integrity. If the line has also been sitting for a long time, it may have taken a “set” and “memory” so that instead of being limp, it comes off in coils that won’t relax. If you don’t recognize an off-brand, ask about it. I have found some incredibly high quality lines made my companies you’ll never hear of. I found out later that the same company actually makes the line for an American company which then slaps on a label so it can be marketed in the U.S. Same for some European companies as well. It’s a bit like finding out the Ford you bought was really made in a Honda plant and that many plastic components came from Taiwan. It’s all in the packaging! Whatever you do, don’t “cheap” on your line. Just like hooks, they’re your connection to your fish. Don’t spend a week’s pay on your fishing trip then buy lines and hooks for a few pennies to “save some bucks for beer.”

Keep ‘em tight. That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.