Line Preference

I am sure everyone has a personal choice but I am curious as to the different line types and the general preferences for crappie fishing. I will start, though obviously, I am considering things right now, so take my comments with a grain of salt. There three line types that come to mind for me - mono, fluorocarbon, and braid - though I am seeing a 4th kind (or is it just a brand?) nanofil. When I am in around brush and structure with my long poles I need to go with 6lb high-vis mono of a quality brand. I have started to do some crank and jig pushing and for that, I need to use a braid with a fluorocarbon leader - get a good feel for things that way (or at least that is what seems to be the case) and I am not at as much of a risk of a hang.

So, opinions are welcomed and someone explain nanofil to me as well.

Thanks.

Didn't know you could do a poll until I was looking at the options. Scientific data collection. :)

Here's sixteen pages of reading material, but I will summarize. Everybody uses different line. Everybody catches fish.

https://www.crappie.com/crappie/main...s-mono-choose/

I can’t vote. I use them all at different times. For me, they all do a slightly different job.

The Nanofil I use is 2 & 4 lb and you would think they would behave pretty much the same, but at this time I think they are just a little different. Let me start with characteristics. No stretch, so better hookset and better contact. I feel everything that goes on with my jig. Like regular braid, it also has no memory. It is in a class of its own for casting very light offerings. A negative trait is that it has little to no abrasion resistance. Fish coming straight up, you can see it. Fish lays over sideways to make another pull, line rubs the teeth in the process, say goodbye cuz the line just parted. A 4lb leader about 5’ long takes care of this. The 2lb is what I use most and it is more like one of the strands that braid is made of than anything else I can describe. Tough stuff though. Big fish so far on the 2lb is a 2 1/2lb LMB that was very unhappy with me. Gave the little stuff a good test. The 4lb has all these traits also but so far is just a bit stiffer, which will probably soften some the more it’s used. It will cast a 1/16 longer than any mono close to its size, so I usually have a 1/32 tied to it. It isn’t for everyone and I wouldn’t use it trolling or spider rigging. Slab, next time we share a boat I’ll put it in your hands.

When single pole jigging I use braid only.... I love it it's so sensitive and strong in my opinion it can't be beat! Especially if in thick brush! I spider rig with 8lb been using slime line lately and it's done great! And pull cranks with 10lb mono....


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Any line will catch fish. It all depends upon how dedicated you are to a particular style of fishing. Up here in the northeast, we are limited as to how many rods/rigs each fisherman is allowed, by law, to use. In my state, it's just two rods (or lures) per fisherman - period. So you have to make due with what you are restricted to.

And we fish relatively open water here, using UL rods and 2# test lines, with 1/16 - 1/8 oz. jigs, and/or small crankbaits. So what works well for us would not necessarily work for folks further down south, fishing heavy brush and tree tops.

And remember one thing that Elwood "Buck" Perry (the acknowledged "father of structure fishing") said many times; which is that the rod, reel, line & lure are just tools to achieve the only goal that is required to catch fish. That is depth & speed control of your offering. Everything else is just one person's perspective/preference over another.

Personally, I favor fused lines such as Fireline Crystal, with a 4' - 5' fluorocarbon leader. This gives me excellent long distance hook-set control for a main line, with the leader excelling in abrasion resistance (forget about the "invisibility" hype). Using this line in 2# test, I've taken a lot of really large fish over the past couple of decades. It may/may not be everyone's cup of tea. But it certainly has worked wonders for us up in this neck of the woods.

Regardless of what line you use, don't get tied up in your socks with arguments of one line/lure/etc., being "better" than another. Instead, use what you have, based on your experience and for goodness sake, enjoy one our finest sports - crappie fishing! :)

jigging = p-line fluorocarbon, pulling cranks and spider rig= Stren 8-10 lb. test original .

single pole shallow water jigging with braid --- Sufix nano braid

I wouldn't choose braid to cast I have never had any luck using it for casting... my braid is simply used on a 10 ft jig pole with a bucks mini reel


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I use 10 # mono...high vis yellow for everything

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I've been using braid with fluorcarbon leader for the last several years for bass and the last year for crappie. The lake I mainly fish for crappie is probably stained enough to not worry about leader but I guess it's a confidence thing.

I use what's on sale. Spread the wealth. I'm not Ketchin Whales.

I started using Gliss 8# line and really like it. casts a mile, very thin and very sensitive, a lot like braid but smooth like mono!

At 76, I've been stuck on mono since Dad bought me a Narmco Conolon spinning rod, Waltco Ny-O-Lite reel, and whatever mono (stiff as bucktail) when I was 11. A huge step up from a Bronson casting reel and black line. My furthest adventure has been trying 2 lb test S.O.S. mono line last year which Ireally like for bluegills.

10/2 PP slick hi vis for jigging and some casting. My jigging leader is a black magic marker, I strike about 18" of line. Dumping Mr. Crappie mono line. 6 & 8# may be getting old.
Spider rig with 12 - 15# stren blu, cajun red & 10/2 PP, all with 8# mono leaders. Easier to untangle different colored lines. Learned that using all hi vis braid when the stripers showed up. lol
QUESTION FOR "G". What brand 10# mono do you use? I'm thinking along those lines as well.
I like simple!!

I've been running 10lb mono for several years. Jig poles, spider rigging and cranks.

Just made a switch to 10lb Slime Line in their hi hiz green. And I am loving it!!

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I use mono mostly, depending on application either 2 or 4 lb, usually never over 6lb. I do like Fire Line Ultra 8 for casting and retrieving some small cranks but that stuff is so pricey I usually only have it spooled up on one reel on the boat.

I use a few different types of line ....mostly mono is my main thing

Mono. Tried braid, didn’t care for it.

Mono on almost everything. I do have a couple of bass rigs with braid.

I have a boat load of fishing lines and they all have the advantages and disadvantages. When fishing bridge pilings are deep brush I use braid. You want as much sensitivity as possible and you can pull your jig free if you get hung. If I need to cast I use Fireline. If I need to cast micro jigs I use Gliss since you can throw a 1/64 jig 25 yards with it. I use high vis mono during the spring when fishing shallow. The fish are in 3ft or less water so seeing the line is more important than feeling the bite. Our lakes are never clear so the only time I use fluorocarbon is when fishing for white bass in the spring when they running up the creeks. Those fish can be extremely line shy so fluorocarbon is extremely important. I only buy line when I see it on clearance. I have stocked up on all types by doing this over the years. I can't remember the last time I paid full price for a spool of line.

I don't spider rig or push cranks. I cast jigs or vertical jig I use braid straight or if water is clear add a leader. I use K9 5# florescent crappie braid. Love this stuff.

6 or 8 pound braid pushing jigs. Small diameter helps reduce blowback.

Tom

6lb hi vis mono for long lining.

I have tried Nanofil and found the sensitivity to be very good, but it's a real pain to tie knots with. Because of that I use a leader, so it's not so difficult to swap jigs.

I like mono and always will, but it has drawbacks. The sun will degrade it in a matter of months, and it has quite a bit of memory. There is some stretch, but that's a good thing IMO.

copolymer 2lb test. either XXX izorline or Yo-Zuri Hybrid