Types of Fishing Lines - Pros and Cons - Fishing Line Basics

[@WilliamBarron-v5g]

Your videos are superb, especially for novice fisherman like myself. You explain things perfectly without a lot of unnecessary repetition and irrelevant digressions that plague most channels. Great discussion of line types. One question: What line type and strength would you recommend for someone new to a baitcaster reel going after largemouth and stripers in northern California? I am particularly interested in your thoughts about line type that is likely to produce the fewest backlashes. Thanks.

[@FishingwithNat]

Backlashes are a common issue with baitcasters regardless of the type of line. 15-20lb braid should be good for both of those species in somewhat open water. If you're fishing in heavy vegetation or around logs or other structure, you'll want to move up to a stronger line. Once you get up above 20lb line, mono and fluoro become so thick that they are a pain to cast. 20lb braid is about the diameter of 6lb monofilament. 50lb braid is about the diameter of 12lb monofilament. As a beginner, I would actually recommend starting with a spinning reel because they tend to be more beginner-friendly. Make sure to adjust the brake on your baitcaster each time you switch lures and that will help avoid backlashes. A looser brake allows for longer casts but higher risk of backlash. Tighter brake results in shorter casts but less risk of backlash. It's all about balance.

[@WilliamBarron-v5g]

@@FishingwithNat Sorry my email was confusing. Not a beginner at spinning, just casting. I think I understand how to tune the casting reel. I think I will start with 30lb braid. Reasonable?

[@FishingwithNat]

@@WilliamBarron-v5g 20 or 30lb braid should be a good line to start with. Good luck!

[@pauls2731]

Another excellent video. Concise and super helpful.

[@petergargis9936]

@@FishingwithNathow do I set up the mono/fluorocarbon leaders on my braided line?

[@nasaman23]

The BEST informational fishing youtuber!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you - I appreciate the nice comment and I'm glad my videos are helpful to you!

[@Schnazola]

You really did nail all the pros & cons of the different line materials. I use braid with fluoro leaders, but I will have to try the Trilene XL mono, now. Thanks.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you for the comment.

[@freeroamer9146]

Nice to see your numbers ticking up on subs. Not surprising, you put out some great stuff! 👍

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks - I appreciate the comment! We're growing steadily.

[@Hacker_Fishing]

Babe wake up the new fishing with nat video came out! ❤️

[@FishingwithNat]

I'm honored to hear that someone gets excited when I release a new video! :)

[@henrichmichlitsch8171]

Can’t believe I found this guy. He’s fishing my exact rod and is giving a video shot of every single type. So finesse love u bro 🥶 best content

[@henrichmichlitsch8171]

Ugly stik for the win💯💯

[@henrichmichlitsch8171]

I’ve been using a metal liter with braid. Works perfectly no issues and I caught a 30inch northern last weekend

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@FishingwithNat]

@@henrichmichlitsch8171 My Ugly Stik Carbons are my favorites, even above my St Croixs. They are amazing and ridiculously affordable.

[@FishingwithNat]

@@henrichmichlitsch8171 Yeah steel/titanium leaders are great for pike/musky. It sucks when you lose a pricey lure because they bit through your heavy mono/fluoro leader.

[@bluefish537]

Excellent video. Clear and straight to the point.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks. That's my preferred style.

[@robertsmith9096]

Here in Montana l have caught over 800 trout on the same spool of Trilene 4lb. XL line. It casts beautifully and with very little memory. Outstanding line.

[@FishingwithNat]

It's pretty much the only monofilament I use now. Even other types of Trilene - I keep coming back to the XL in 4/6/8lb.

[@Binaryfarto]

Another type of line that you might want to give a try is Gliss Monotex. It's very similar to braid (high molecular weight, 0% stretch, no memory), but is even thinner. It is not a woven line like braid, so it's smooth like mono. So slick in fact, that knots can slip if you're not careful. It casts incredibly well, but is even less abrasion resistant that braid, so a fluoro leader is a must. It's also a lot cheaper than braid. I really like it, but it takes some getting used to. Very weird line :D

[@FishingwithNat]

Interesting - I had not heard of that one. Thanks for the tip.

[@knowitallfishing6990]

agree. gliss is great. i use 8lb with a 4lb flouro coated mono as a leader on my panfish rods. same diameter as 2lb. casts 1/64 and 1/32 jigs very well for distance. gotta watch your casting stroke though, more prone to wind knots on the lighter line. i use 25lb on my medium power bass spinning rigs. although, im considering moving over to suffix nanobraid.

[@davidwilliams1805]

Great video with some great information! Thanks so much for sharing! Keep doing what you do buddy! #FishingwithNat rocks!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks - I enjoy making these videos and it's great to hear that others enjoy watching them.

[@wcookiv]

As always, the greatest. Have you done a video on all the different hook types yet?

[@FishingwithNat]

Not yet but I plan to soon. Too many ideas and too little time!

[@chiefskittlez1690]

Simple and to the point. Thank you!

[@FishingwithNat]

That's my goal. Thanks for the comment. 🙂

[@jasondukala8536]

Great info!!!!! Thanks

[@FishingwithNat]

Glad you found it helpful - thanks for the feedback

[@carlito19934]

I got myself 30lb braided and 40 lb fluoro cause the braided was as thick as my mono was but way stronger and stiffer then a fluoro leader cause it protects against abbrasion as i plan on shore jigging on crete and it's quite rocky

[@FishingwithNat]

Braid to a fluoro leader is a good setup for jigging around rock or concrete

[@OysterPir8]

This x was SUPER helpful and really well done!! Thank you!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you for the nice comment!

[@runarjans]

Titanium leaders are just the best for bigger lures and murky water. Fluorocarbon for smaller fish and clear water imo. Leader wise. Braid is main line

[@FishingwithNat]

I like titanium for big, toothy species too, or really heavy fluorocarbon.

[@kayakfishingtactics6063]

This video is gold.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks for the comment.

[@dod1zz183]

*this channel is gold, especially for newbies like me. :D

[@FishingwithNat]

@@dod1zz183 Thanks - I'm glad to hear my videos are helpful to you!

[@TotalOffroad-j7r]

Love the video it helped me so much. What gloves do you have?

[@FishingwithNat]

I have a couple of pairs but I prefer the Fish Monkey gloves. They have a longer wrist coverage. I also have a Kastking pair and a Columbia PFG pair but they are too short and my wrist is often exposed.

[@TotalOffroad-j7r]

@@FishingwithNat Thank you. I just joined a bass club in Texas what lures would you recommend.

[@FishingwithNat]

@@TotalOffroad-j7r Honestly, the best recommendations for your area would come from other members of your bass club - I'm sure they will have recommendations for you. Chatterbaits, jigs, topwater frogs, and Texas rigs will likely be high on the list. Here are a couple of quick videos I made on how to fish topwater frogs and chatterbaits. Frogs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mau3paSvebB3maM Chatterbaits: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGq3Zpl7rtZsmK8

[@TotalOffroad-j7r]

@@FishingwithNat Ok thank you so much.

[@robinwhitsell1995]

I just discovered your channel. Thank you so much for such clear content. We are new to fishing. We have several old fishing rods (purchased a minimum 15 years ago). Should we pull out the fishing line and replace it? When my son casts, it’s very hard to get any tension on the line.

[@FishingwithNat]

Yes, if the line has been on the reels for 15 years, I would suggest replacing it and get some quality line. Look at the rods to see if there is printed information on them about their power rating and what weight range of line to use. I like Berkley Trilene XL monofilament line or Sufix 832 braided line.

[@robinwhitsell1995]

@ thank you!

[@FishingwithNat]

@@robinwhitsell1995 You bet. Good luck fishing. Check out my Learn How to Fish playlist for lots of videos intended to help beginners save a ton of time and money learning how to fish. kzbin.info/aero/PLcXAWxBLRzoLwZtDQEhuaHby0yQM_wHhU

[@timothyhilferty1649]

Hey, I saw you did a spinner reel tutorial and was wondering if you were going to do a bait caster tutorial. I got one for my birthday last year and first cast bird nested the thing and haven’t used it since

[@FishingwithNat]

It's on my list but I'm working on several others right now that I want to finish first. Lots of ideas, too little time!

[@freeroamer9146]

Just recently tried braided on my ultralight, with about 6 ft flourocarbon leader. Casts great, has little if any memory, and I'm surprised at how strong it is. 👍

[@FishingwithNat]

I have a couple of light/ultralight setups with braid now and I've been very happy with them.

[@Binaryfarto]

That's my go-to setup as well. Only gotcha is to make sure your leader knot skills are on point, so it can be a bit tricky for new anglers and kids. Having said that, my daughter is 12 now and ties her knots like an old mariner... 😄

[@FishingwithNat]

@@Binaryfarto Awesome 👍

[@TheGoldFishEmpire]

I’m late so not sure if you’ll see this but the area i fish has mostly soft weedy bottom with thick weeds on the edge of the water that I barely cast into, what would you think I should get 8 or 4 strand braid?

[@FishingwithNat]

I think 8 is always better. Stronger and smoother to cast.

[@TheGoldFishEmpire]

@@FishingwithNat okay, I just wanted to ask because I wasn’t sure with the lower abrasion resistance since it’s generally low on braid and I heard 4 has more

[@FishingwithNat]

@@TheGoldFishEmpire Braid in general isn't the best with abrasion resistance, whether it's 4-strand or 8-strand. You're better off using mono or fluoro as a leader for better resistance to abrasion. Aquatic plants aren't going to cause much abrasion. It's rocks, wood, and fish teeth that are going to give you problems.

[@Johntom2k]

I am at the point of using a leader with Texas rig plastics. Braided with lures and spinnerbaits. They cost too much to lose.

[@FishingwithNat]

Are you losing Texas rigs because of pike/musky or from abrasion? I had to use a leader earlier this week trolling ultralight cranks for walleyes and I still had a musky bite one off. 15lb fluoro leader just couldn't handle it.

[@cayrett]

What length of fluorocarbon leader would you recommend if I were to attach it to braid?

[@FishingwithNat]

Most of the time I use about 2 feet of leader, whether it's mono or fluoro. I shorten it to about 8 inches when throwing a topwater frog, since I'm mostly concerned about abrasion resistance (teeth) rather than visibility with frogs. I'll extend to about a 6ft leader when trolling for trout or salmon in clear water.

[@thedeegeesaga]

It is very common to see some metal leaders when fish have sharp teeth, how do you deal with their weight and visibility?

[@FishingwithNat]

I only use metal leaders when I'm doing a straight retrieve, like trolling crankbaits or casting bucktails. If I'm using anything that will be twitched/paused, I'll use a mono or fluoro leader instead. The visibility of a metal leader is just one of the issues that you have to accept in exchange for eliminating the risk of a bite-off.

[@surelyawesome4292]

This might be a stupid question, but what is the benefit of braid if you put a weaker leader on it? Doesn't that negate it's strengths?

[@FishingwithNat]

Not a stupid question. Logic would tell you that doesn't make any sense! You can use a weaker leader in order to target smaller or more sight-oriented fish where the full strength of your main line is not necessary. For example, I could use a 15lb main line with a 6lb leader if I wanted to use that rod for bluegills or small bass. I don't need more than 6lbs of strength, but I want to lessen the visibility of the line near my lure. This is often done when someone just wants to use a single rod and reel for multiple types of fish or situations.

[@alexanderlinke4464]

Another reason to put a slightly weaker leader is when you get snagged or a fish breaks you off. Instead of snapping somewhere on your main line and losing both your leader and chunk of mainline, you're just snapping off at the leader.

[@CasimirReznik]

Distance kills strength, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same test rate or higher

[@lythitan222]

Follow your heart, always! ❤️

[@FishingwithNat]

I will, thanks

[@ninjapawood]

Thank you!!

[@FishingwithNat]

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@Wyattduck55]

How much leader are you putting on? Do you worrie about spooling it on to the reel?

[@FishingwithNat]

It's fine if the leader knot goes all the way to the reel, but I generally use 18-24" of leader unless I'm trolling for trout/salmon in clear water. In that case, I will sometimes use 8-10 feet of leader.

[@FishingwithNat]

I like to use the alberto knot when connecting a long leader that will be going through my guides or possibly into my reel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJivi4dvfch8Y9U

[@Wyattduck55]

Thank you so much. I'm just getting into fishing. I have watched of the videos on the channel. Keep up the good work!

[@FishingwithNat]

@@Wyattduck55 Thanks

[@FishingwithNat]

@@Wyattduck55 Thanks and good luck!

[@i1bike]

fluorocarbon strech more than monofilament, but it takes more strenght to stretch it, and fluorocarbon damages more than monofilament, because fluorocarbon is brittle

[@FishingwithNat]

The Seaguar blue, Yo Zuri HD, and Seaguar InvisX fluoros that I use stretch less than mono before breaking.

[@i1bike]

@@FishingwithNat Oh you are a rich guy, we europeans mostly buy sufix, seaguar is for competitors that catch fish fsst in higher quantities with 0.08 and 0.10 fluorocarbon XD One guy landed seabream 1.3 kg on a 0.08 fluorocarbon in front of me hahahahaha. Bolo technique with hooks no.14, miniature XD

[@Redial2416]

What about Copolymer?

[@FishingwithNat]

I haven't been impressed with copolymer lines. They stretched less but I found them to have a lot of memory and no substantial advantage over what I already had. Do you use copolymer?

[@Binaryfarto]

I've tried them a few times - mostly as spool-through for cranks. They seem interesting, but don't offer enough benefit over either mono or fluoro to make the switch worth it for me. I have a friend who swears by it though, so maybe there's something too it! :)

[@FishingwithNat]

@@Binaryfarto Sounds like my experience. I didn't see anything that compelled me to switch over from my current setups.

[@Nate-p9g]

young me with a 40lbs braided line for bluegill💀

[@FishingwithNat]

I've seen it done lots of times!

[@Nate-p9g]

it was a quantum rod too meant for a max of 16lbs@@FishingwithNat 🤣

[@ZapTeam]

Never know when a snapping turtle might get on

[@AlluzHH]

I don't understand how can anyone like monofilement. It's just bad

[@FishingwithNat]

I mostly use braid now as a main line but use both mono and fluoro as leaders.

[@FishingwithNat]

And I pretty much use fluoro exclusively when ice fishing.