What Is The Best Line For Crappie Fishing

Crappie Fishing Line

When crappie are not biting, sometimes you need to change things up. Whether you need to change the lure, or the fishing line is the question.

Yes, believe it or not, your line choice could be the only thing keeping you from getting a bite! So today, I am going to cover the 4 types of fishing line that you can use and the test (strength) needed for each type.

The four types of fishing line that you can specifically use for crappie fishing are:

Monofilament


Fluorocarbon


Braided


Uni-filament

Now I’ll give you some specifics on each one. The advantages and disadvantages of each type and conclude with the best test weight for crappie fishing.

MONOFILAMENT:

Translucent


Hold well to reel


Very affordable 

If you want your setup to be sensitive, this will not be the best. Mono line is stretchy and will absorb some of the energy when you hook your crappie.

Mono line is kind of a double edged sword, because a little stretch can be beneficial due to them having paper-thin mouths.

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If you compare all four types of fishing line, monofilament is weaker for its size. Mono line is bigger in diameter, which could hinder catching a crappie at certain times because it the crappie will ‘see’ the line.

One important thing to remember about monofilament line; NEVER leave it in the sun! Sun will weaken the line, causing it to break. This will more than likely happen at an extremely bad time, because that is just the way things happen.

FLUOROCARBON LINE:

One thing to remember when choosing your line, crappie have very good eyesight. Sometimes, when crappie are not biting, it is because they can see your line.

Fluorocarbon line is virtually invisible. This type of line can be fairly expensive but; you don’t need as much for your rod & it won’t weaken near as easy as the mono line (making it last longer).

Some other benefits of the fluorocarbon are:

Less stretchy 


Less memory, will not curl coming off of the reel


Sinks quickly & holds up to abrasions

The only issue with the fluorocarbon line is that the stiffness can sometimes be an issue. If you are using a heavy test line, more comes off the reel when casting with a spinning reel.

Fluorocarbon is highly recommended when ice fishing for crappie, due to it being able to withstand abrasions.

BRAIDED LINE:

This fishing line is actually one of the oldest types ever used, out of the four that we are discussing today. Braided fishing line is more commonly used for deep water fishing.

We all know, depending on the season and the area, crappie go down pretty deep. Which is why this is one of the fishing lines on our list.

One of the outstanding benefits to braided line is the fact that it has more sensitivity than the others. This makes it easier to recognize the bite of a crappie.

Remember, when fishing for crappie to set your drag appropriately. You do not want to set the hook too hard & risk ripping their paper-thin mouth.

After the introduction of nylon fishing line (monofilament), the braided line fell into the background, but has begun to make a come-back. Here are a couple of advantages to using the braided line to catch crappie:

High strength, you can put more of this line on your reel


No stretch, means you will feel every thing that bites or bumps your lure


No memory means no curling off the reel

One disadvantage is that you may ripen the fish lips because there is no stretch and hooking hard can occur easier. Braided line is considered to shine best when fishing in saltwater.

UNI-FILAMENT LINE:

This fishing line is the newest, out of the four that we are reviewing today. This line is stated to be the thinnest but the strongest out there.

It is also stated in the product description for this uni-filament that it handles like a smooth filament, but the strength of a braided line. The uni-filament, made by Berkley, is said to consist of “hundreds of Dyneema gel-spun polyethylene nanofilament fibers”.

This gives it the super strength, zero stretch and very small diameter. The uni-filament line is recommended for spinning reels but not recommended for bait-casting reels.

Some anglers describe it as being like “masking tape”. It lays flat in the water, not spiraled. It seems the only down-side to the uni-filament is the diameter. It makes it hard to tie knots.

The top 5 highest rated fishing line:

KastKing SuperPower Braided fishing line


PowerPro Spectra Fiber Braided fishing line


Berkley Spider-Wire Stealth Superline


Stren HIgh Impact Monofilament


Berkley Trilene Big Game Monofilament

As for your fishing line weight, 4 lbs to 12 lbs is sufficient. Four pounds to 6 pounds is the most used by anglers. But this depends on the season, area, rod, and reel.

Monofilament, Fluorocarbon, Braided, and Uni-Filament are the main types of fishing line that can be used when you are fishing for crappie. Remember, if you are not getting any bites, it could be your fishing line.

Crappie have excellent eye-sight and so sometimes you need a line that is virtually invisible. In other seasons and situations, you may need a fishing line that has a little more ‘oomf’. But remember, crappie have paper-thin mouths, and a soft bit.

Therefore you need to find and use a line that allows you to feel those soft bites, but that will not rip their mouth when you set the hook.

There are many brands of these four types of fishing line. They come in a variety of weight sizes, diameters, and sometimes even colors.

So make sure that you have a good idea of the habitat and nature of the crappie, wherever you are going to be fishing and then plan what to put in your tackle box around it. If you know all you can about the area and how the crappie respond and live in that area, then you can pack the most essential and popular items to catch them, ensuring you will bring home a meal at the end of the day.

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