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Your fishing line is your direct connection to the catch of the day, and while choosing the right rod, reel, tackle, and lures can make a difference, it’s the line and leader that separates you from your fish. While it used to be standard for virtually every fisherman to use a monofilament line, advances in technology have paved the way for many different types of lines and leaders that can help to improve your angling experience.
Many lines on the market today come with a host of pros and cons which can make them better suited for certain situations. Additionally, leaders can also make a world of difference, as they’re what connects the line to the hook and/or lure. While some fishing situations can forego leaders altogether, others (like saltwater angling, for instance) truly require a leader to keep your catch connected to your line.
This guide aims to simplify the choice process based on a variety of factors including environmental, preferential, and target specifications. With over 20,000 fishing items in our inventory, Outdoor Shopping has the most extensive lineup of fishing equipment online today! Shop our extensive inventory of lines and leaders at Outdoor Shopping.
Types of Lines/Leaders
There are many different aspects to fishing lines that make them better or worse for certain situations. Let’s start by reviewing the five major categories of lines:
Line Type | Guidelines | PROS | CONS |
Monofilament | Made from Nylon, this is the most commonly used fishing line accounting most of the line sold today. |
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Braided Lines | With the added strength of braided synthetic fibers, these lines can reel in larger catches. |
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Hybrid & Copolymer Lines | Larger molecule compositions have more benefits than solo substance counterparts (like monofilament lines). |
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Fluorocarbon Line | Due to its low visibility in water, fluorocarbon lines and leaders help to keep fish unaware of line presence, spooking them less often. |
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Leaders | A specialized type of line, leaders connect the line to the hook or lure/bait. They can be made of any of the aforementioned materials. |
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Line Considerations
In addition to the material composition of your line, there are a few other details to consider as well.
Line Strength: Rods come with recommended line weights, and your reel will indicate different line capacities. An exception to using recommended line weights with any given rod is braided line, where you may want to match its diameter to the recommended monofilament equivalent.
Stretch: Lines can vary from no stretch (like braided lines) to lines that stretch up to 30% (monofilament lines). Line stretch is an effective shock absorber during the hook-set and when a fish makes a rapid change in direction.
Abrasion Resistance: Rocks and other hazards can weaken lines as well as the teeth on larger catches. Higher abrasion resistance means a more durable line that is less prone to breakage.
Color: Many fishermen want to see their line when they are plug fishing or float fishing so choose one of the highly colored options. Drift fishing, on the other hand, works best with lines that have little to no visibility.
Float vs Sink: Lines can either float or sink, and unless you’re drift fishing or float fishing, then a sinking line is preferred.
Knot Strength/Performance: Lines with little to no stretch like braided lines require special knots. Because a knot inherently twists and adds stress to a piece of line, it creates a weak point. Most of the lines offered today will give you 80-95% of the strength of the line itself.
Line Diameter: Smaller diameter lines tend to work better but sacrifice strength. At the same time, they tend to knot up and cause more backlash.
Leaders
As a subset and specialized type of line, leaders connect your line to your hook or bait. Leaders prevent fish from chewing the line and breaking the connection during a fight. Kingfish, bluefish, and mackerel demand their use because of the sharp teeth. There are a variety of material compositions for leaders:
Material | Guidelines | Best for: |
Monofilament | As one of the lighter types of leaders, this material is also more prone to breakage, so reserve for smaller catches. Its low visibility helps to keep fish unaware of its presence, allowing them to focus on the bait or lure rather than the line/leader. |
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Fluorocarbon | Slightly stronger than monofilament, these leaders should also be used for lighter to medium-sized catches without much toothiness. Again, low visibility helps to keep fish unaware of its presence, allowing them to focus on the bait or lure rather than the line/leader. |
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Wire | These can be made of single-strand, seven strand, stainless steel, or titanium and are great for big, strong catches. |
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In general, use a leader roughly two and a half times your line strength. If you are using light tackle with eight-pound test line, a leader in the 20 to 25 pound test range will work well.
With over 20,000 fishing items in our inventory, Outdoor Shopping has the most extensive lineup of fishing equipment online today! Shop our extensive inventory of lines and leaders at Outdoor Shopping.
