Everything You Need To Know About Fishing Line Colors

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Do you think fish can see your line?
Green, white, pink, yellow, blue, orange, camo...
Does it really matter what color you choose?
If you think fish are picky about line color, then this video is for you!
Not only are we dispelling the myths of line color, but you'll also hear why we use certain colors and what lines have proven successful for us.
You'll also learn:
- What really matters when choosing fishing line
- If the same color debate applies to leader line
- Whether or not colors of line matter in different depths of water
- And if bass can still find bait blindfolded.
If you have ever questioned the color of your fishing line, then check this out!
What's your favorite color of line and why?
Let me know in the comments section on our fishing tips page: bit.ly/3hH47AK
I can't wait to hear your answers!

[@Saltstrong]

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[@hubertfruzia1803]

When you say cold front moving in 1st one what type of drop in temperatures are you referring to

[@Saltstrong]

@@roelfriasjr5976 I believe that the ballistic and saltist MQ reels will have magseal too.

[@madbeast002]

@Saltstrong funny thing is... it took me just now after 10 yrs of fishing to reevaluate after I thought about respooling....... I had 1 cheap pioneer power max high vis yellow mono and oddly enough its gotten the most bites compared to my spiderwire stealth braid dark / moss green braid ........ soo now Im I bought a few different braid variety with 4 different color for 4 different braid.... If my power max catching fish with high vis yellow.. then every color shouldnt really matter.

[@emanfishing]

Interesting topic. I think it just boils down to personal preference. Run the color that works for you. However,one good thing that I've noticed about Hi-Vis braid (Yellow & Green) is that that birds like seagulls,pelicans ,darters etc.. tend to avoid it more. Green moss/dark green not so much...They seem to fly or even swim right into the natural colored stuff more often.

[@TheHurtlacher]

Talking about line diameter. I have a rod I typically use on my kayak in the shallows with 10lb XT. Long story short I was in 30ft of water and using heavier stuff. I witnessed some breaking small fish so I grabbed the small rod with the XT and a 27MR. 49mins of “finesse fighting” to not break off I landed a 47” redfish. Have no idea how that line/knot held up but glad it did

[@willwilliams2944]

Drag must have been perfect. I would've marked that spot on my dial and never moved it, lol. I also would stay with the same exact everything when re rigging.

[@javiperez9091]

Thanks for the input, color is pretty cool for visible and or just because.

[@brandonking5978]

Black line matters

[@p4phighlights515]

😂😂😂😂

[@kylerobinson8913]

All Lines matter!

[@muddyriverdogz]

Your line is rascist.

[@pohukai3216]

I like to use line color only to differentiate line wt. green = 6, blue=10, yellow=20

[@BalmandMrryhofGilead]

Like that idea

[@damnimgood4484]

It does help in that way

[@willwilliams2944]

Different colors absorb light differently so it might help with reflection, but might hurt it's refraction. Like wearing a cooler white shirt in the sun compared to a hotter black shirt.

[@Prone-Ski_BX]

Your braid line doesn't matter, it's the color of your leader. Whatever is attached to your bait or the lure that's what counts.

[@p4phighlights515]

Facts

[@queencitygraphics5661]

Big facts

[@kickbackentertainment4466]

Some people don’t use leaders

[@nickt423]

The truth is, we dont really know. I air on the side of caution. Creatures fear things they have not seen before.

[@DLA1010]

People over think it..... People are worried about line color "" What about that lure your retrieving that has 3 treble hooks on it AND the fish HIT the lure"" Just sayin.......

[@valencia_m__]

I agree, but a mono or fluoro lider is important for the abrasion resistance, but i dont think that color line scares a fish.

[@suewatters1]

I really enjoyed your video. I learned so much about the weight of the line. I also wonder if the weights I use are too heavy. I mostly use 3/8 oz but I have 1/4 oz. I usually fish for Perch Bass Fallfish sometimes Pike. I get too many Gobies. I like the way you explained about the fishing lines and everything else you were discussing. You didn't make me feel I should have known about certain things. Which I did on something but not everything. I like fishing with braided line but it gets tangled too much. So now staying away from it. Thanks again. I will try to use a lighter weight. I only do shore fishing and I can't go down hills because of issues. But I enjoy catching and cleaning them. I am from Cornwall Ontario Canada

[@Saltstrong]

So glad you found this helpful thanks for the comment!!

[@Falconryful]

I used pink andi throughout the 80s and caught thousands of fish

[@poepflater]

I do enjoy a light coloured line, when I can see the curl in my monofilament, I know when the lure hit the floor after every move... line goes straight while you pull, and then it relaxes and stops moving when the lure hits the floor. I can do it just on the visual cues alone. When the fish want to bite nothing seems to stop them. also have a spool of black line... it is a bastard on the eyes, tieing knots.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing!

[@alanleealanlee]

I love that i can find other people to nerd out about line color for 46 minutes. salt 💪

[@patchyxx]

My boyfriend just bought yellow braid and blue mono... 😅 hoping for bluewater fishing.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

I always buy dark green main line because green is my favorite color. The leader probably matters a lot more.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the tip!

[@americandremead5232]

If a fish is looking up at the line from below, then hi vis and natural colored lines likely look the same. A dark line that blots out the light.

[@Philip-gy4fi]

Thanks

[@Saltstrong]

Thank you for watching!

[@harringtoncd1]

Do colors actually “disappear” at depth? Is there somewhere you can see that research? In my experience, while diving colors like red (blood for instance) turns black…others turn more drab like colors…

[@willwilliams2944]

Yeah they are plenty of people that have videos here on KZbin diving down to different depths with different color lures in different clarity of waters. There are also alot of charts based on these findings.

[@audriulis]

Line colour is important for a fisherman not so much for a fish imo, for example , night fishing pink is the easiest to see for me

[@timothyroche6445]

Diameter does matter , I agree with that, read my other post abouta Northern Pike, thanks guys

[@autumnfragrance6326]

I use color to manage my line test weights.

[@valencia_m__]

Wow, today i was fishing with a daiwa grand braid light grey color. Hooked a decent size fish and he ran fast but i was unable to see in which direction he ran because the line color. He went below a dock and the friction broke my line and i lost a really important lure for me. Because my bad experience today i will buy now and forever High Visibility Braid. If you use 4 to 6 feet of mono or fluoro leader it will not "spook" the fish.

[@allenbmooresharinginformation]

I suggest you watch some more of their videos where they talk about fluoro quality and benefits compared to mono. After watching it I threw away the fluoro. I had connected the dots on some negative experiences all having fluoro in common after listening to the discussion.

[@MrSpider8008]

I use hi-vis yellow line in my local river for channels. I use stink bait with a dipping worm. Dipping worm comes on a snelled treble and about 14inches long. I am in St. Charles, IL, fishing the Fox River which is a dirty river and mostly 4-5ft deep. I actually have better luck (not much) with hi vis yellow line.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the insight!

[@kennethwashington4506]

What size leader do you recommend for groupers

[@Prone-Ski_BX]

I don't know why but I love fishing with that Red Cajun mono line as my leader. Works for me.

[@user-pc5se6yf5g]

I mix in some Cajun line for leaders occasionally

[@erikrenner]

Do fish have 20/20 vision? Not so sure they can even see line color unless they have really good vision. Idk.

[@JoeSimondsSaltStrong]

Like Diamonds!!!

[@Saltstrong]

Yes!!

[@VincenzoPentangeli]

Colors helps out on busy piers where there are lots of different lines.

[@Spaceman_Spiff_74]

I find my pink floro leader catches more fish during the day but at night there’s no difference in my experience

[@onetribezen3945]

Learned a ton thanks guys!

[@jelly_fishing]

Great information - really enjoyed it

[@444hal]

As someone with 65yr old eyes & fingers, trying to tie that extremely thin braded line is really tough. Especially in the wind. I would think a brighter line would be easier for me to thread & tie.

[@Saltstrong]

It could be!

[@sd0753]

Back before braid was mainstream i used clear big game and ande. Then went to hi seas camo line because light could flow thru the line like fiber optics. Then i tried the red cajun line because red disappears. In the end i dont think any of it mattered.

[@Saltstrong]

Agreed!

[@rkw221]

light does not refract with solid color/opaque objects though it can reflect. Far as I know braid is not translucent or transparent it is pretty much solid with a coloring applied over the top. So braid should always be potentially more visible no matter what color it starts out as,,,the core is opaque at best.

[@dylangoben212]

Luke hold’n it down! Hahah

[@d0nkilluminati480]

Yea that’s all I wanted to know is leader color. I had green and I switched to clear leader and noticed a huge difference. Specially with artificial

[@d0nkilluminati480]

@Emmanuel Goldstein pretty much just going out with them both. I was in an area where I could see the fish noticing the line and doing a backward swim away from it. I never caught anything on artificial until I changed to clear after multiple tries. I put the clear on and caught 3 on artificial the same day. I thought I was just trash at artificials for the longest

[@d0nkilluminati480]

@Emmanuel Goldstein that’s what I’m saying. I don’t get it sometimes. I thought it was just me. Then a friend told me to place on clear and Bam, a trout.

[@christopherlombardi4958]

Low vis green disappears in brackish marshes. Yellow all the way

[@wesleyfelts222]

So I’ve never used a braided line before I got the-moss green just because I fish lake Erie and other inland lakes, and the gentleman that I bought the line off of at the sporting good store said I shouldn’t need to put a leader on it because of the color what’s your thoughts?

[@Saltstrong]

We always prefer using leaders. Might try with and without and see what you get better results with.

[@TheBigghunter01]

Here in NC, there are plenty of guys that do well using straight 15 lb braid tied straight to the bait. I still use a 15lb mono leader with my paddletails but sometimes just tie braid straight to topwater thats more protected from abrasion.

[@user-hq3yz2uo9h]

Honestly I think the main line can be any colour! The leader needs to be transparent ( ie amnesia) the most important thing is how the lure is attached to make it move correctly

[@Saltstrong]

Agreed!

[@Wazza722]

After 5 years of bait fishing and soft plastics with braid, I have used yellow pink red green orange and found my strike rate has gone up since changing to sufix 832 braid in coastal camo with 2 metres of sunline Fluoro. It’s not about me seeing the line it’s about the fish not seeing the line even with a Fluoro leader! Yellow is the worst!

[@SaltySeaCaptain]

I love power pro hi vis yellow

[@RaffyMaBoi]

I always use multi colour braid, so I can see how fast Im getting spooled

[@valencia_m__]

Yep, thats a fast way to see also if you are improving your casting distance.

[@CauseImFlawless]

what leader do you use (if you use a leader)?

[@VizagFish]

Nice info

[@erikrenner]

I am trying to learn and get prepared to inshore saltwater fish here in SWFL. I am new to Florida. I am using 10# moss green braid with 20# clear mono leader (about 2+ feet of leader) to a jig head. I would like to find a quiet place to fish, very few people, etc. Just want to learn my spinning reel, casting, etc before I go anywhere major. Help!!!! It’s kind of nerve racking tbh.

[@truthseeker_1776]

it is frustrating. Getting a kayak helped. I haven't found that magical spot yet. So many choices. Failing is ok if we learn. Good luck. Personally I'd use a longer leader. General rule is the leader length is close to the rod length.

[@erikrenner]

@@truthseeker_1776 Yeah…I made my leader longer…to the length of my rod. Where are you located?

[@drc022800]

Ive always used mote natural colors but to each their own I guess

[@johnfontenot4351]

But arent yall using fluro leaders? So the fish arent looking where the braid line is.

[@greg6162]

I’m a beginner and haven’t spooled up my Shimano Nasci 2500 with a Sellus 7.1 med/fast spinning reel/rod setup. I’m self teaching myself (with KZbin) and until I’m confident with my knots… I’m going to start with straight 8/lb mono with a whopper flopper just to catch my first fish and (no pun intended) get my feet wet. Being topwater it might matter less but if I rig up a drop shot or something else it’s going to be a big difference I think. However, I’m trying to decide if seeing my line as a beginner fishing from bank might be better regarding casting accuracy or snags. Just doing creek,pond and lake shore fishing. I’m not sure but I’m leaning towards clear mono… any thoughts would be greatly appreciated?!

[@davidgalloway904]

Great topic, the places I fish in SO. FL I just can't go to heavy or too light. 12-20 Ande leaders and (15-65) braided main in Fresh Water. 12, 20, 30, 40 Ande, Seagar with 65 braid main in Salt! Dk. Green or Blue Braid. No more camos.

[@noahleonard6075]

Bruh wyd fishing 65 pound braid w 12 pound leader

[@captjoefred8545]

Lay in the bottom of the pool and look up. It’s bright. 😉

[@misketsomers5759]

Use pink be confident at least in October

[@Saltstrong]

Definitely!

[@johnmpz]

Go Green even moss green

[@joemartin6439]

Why can’t I buy yellow braid in the tackle shop

[@Saltstrong]

We maybe out of stock at the moment. Email us at [e-mail] and we can assist you further. Thank you!

[@joemartin6439]

I like yellow braid so l can see where my cast end up

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@larrylaye9276]

Remember this: fish looking up won’t see white or light blue. You will see it looking down. The sky isn’t green or black. Paint your wire leaders light blue or white

[@kylerobinson8913]

I am nowhere near a true fisherman but one time I was on a charter boat snapper fishing and every rod had neon yellow except for mine. Caught fish at a rate 2x other people with yellow. It was so obvious that when I went to the bathroom and came back the man next to me stole my pole! It was a pole supplied by the boat so it wasn't worth fight over. He went to the bathroom and I got the rod back. I mentioned it to the capitan and he shrugged and walked away. I think he knew line color matters.

[@jimorocks]

I can ell you. I use yellow braid line and haven't use a clear leader and MAN! not a single bite! No bite, No fish! I've tried many different lures and bait and hook directly to the yellow line and caught nothing. I've had people on either side of me catching fish and me going home with nothing.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing! All in all, line color does not have a huge impact when targeting inshore fish as much as the weight of your line will

[@thomasduane6863]

The gold line cost more? Of course it does! Everything golden cost more. So who is the color for me, or the fish?

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for your question! Make sure to ask this over on the actual blog or in the Community where the coaches spend their time. The blog can be found here: bit.ly/3hH47AK

[@skidemn]

I find an entire discussion based on anecdotal evidence is less useful that simple scientific testing. Why not do some underwater testing to understand what the different line colors look like in different water clarity and depths, then test those results by fishing the winners and loser of those test side by side (same baits, same conditions) to see if the fish “agree” with our visibility assessments. I found this video after watching a video that did the underwater work without the fishing component and the results of their basic underwater testing are surprisingly different than the anecdotal evidence talked about here.

[@Saltstrong]

Thank you for watching!! If you would like to find more tips and tactics, we have a massive library on our website along with a search feature to let you quickly filter down to find help you're looking for, so just go to www.saltstrong.com/ and use the Search feature in the top menu. Note: If you don't see the exact answer you're looking for, just leave a comment in the post that most closely matches up with your search and one of our coaches will respond to your question... our coaches only make time to answer questions that get submitted to our website.

[@NeonKue]

Fish are hitting lures with metal treble hooks, plastic pieces, and colorful skirts yet people are worried about line color and visibility to fish? Lol

[@CauseImFlawless]

That was my thoughts

[@allenbmooresharinginformation]

People should also consider how little lure color often matters in stained water.

[@isaiahdandini-haynes6148]

When I become a fish I let you know what I wont bite..lol

[@nemo5335]

one thing we have to consider is that while HUMAN eyes percieve things one way, fish eyes do not. we can't even really comprehend how fish see, because we only have our own vision as a frame of reference. so the reality is, perhaps, who the fuck even knows?

[@mikeculver1971]

Sorry but I'm a firm believer that colors matters,line matters,line test matters. You guys are young need more experience on the water. Tight lines

[@valencia_m__]

If you use a leader doesnt matters! Look fly fishing anglers, fat and hi vis line, but with a leader (tippet) and they are catching trout on cristaline water.

[@allenbmooresharinginformation]

@@valencia_m__ he's already sure he knows everything so doubt he'll listen to your logic, lol.

[@larrylaye9276]

Here’s the fact. Fish are white underneath for a reason.... the sky. White is your friend too water. You look at white line looking down. You will say hell no. Go underwater and look up at it. You won’t see it

[@bobboitt3126]

@@larrylaye9276 Exactly, Fish mostly look up. White or light blue lines disappear. I was a big fan of Green line until I realized. Also the lightest line you can use in relation to the type fish you are going for the better.

[@CauseImFlawless]

@@valencia_m__ what color leader, though?

[@cb7pwn]

🤣🤣 fish are stupid, they bite shiny metal things with giant hooks hanging off them. Strike first, ask questions later.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!