How to Choose Fishing Line
Choosing monofilament, fluorocarbon or braid by fish and situation, with the line strengths state agencies give for trout, bass, walleye and muskie, clear vs. murky water, braid with a leader, and when to replace line.
The right line depends on the fish, the water and the technique. This guide sums up the three line types and then lists the line strengths that state agencies and experienced anglers give for common situations, so you can start from a sourced number. For how each line is made and behaves, see fishing line explained.
The three types in one paragraph
From Wikipedia: monofilament is buoyant and stretches, which cushions hooksets and fights; fluorocarbon has a refractive index close to water, so it is less visible to fish, and it is dense and sinks, which helps keep baits near the bottom; braid and other “superlines” are thin for their strength and barely stretch. New York DEC notes 80-pound braid has about the diameter of 17-pound monofilament.
Line strengths by situation
| Situation | Line (source) |
|---|---|
| Stream trout, spinning | 4- to 8-pound monofilament (NY DEC); Connecticut DEEP: 4 to 8 pounds, nothing heavier, because trout are wary |
| Stocked trout in Missouri trout parks | Ultralight reel with 4-pound line plus a 2-foot leader of 2-pound test or lighter (MDC) |
| Bass, all-round | 6½-7-foot medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound monofilament; braid or fluorocarbon on baitcasting gear as the advanced option (NY DEC) |
| Bass, wacky rig | 6- to 10-pound monofilament or fluorocarbon (Wikipedia) |
| Bass, drop shot | 6- to 10-pound fluorocarbon (Virginia DWR) |
| Bass in lily pads with frogs | Heavy braid, 40 to 80 pounds, tied direct with no leader (Outdoor Life) |
| Inshore red drum in creeks | 6- to 8-pound monofilament with a 10- to 12-pound shock leader (South Carolina DNR) |
| Muskie | 50- to 80-pound braid with a steel leader (MDC); DEC suggests 80-pound braid and 100- to 200-pound wire leaders for trolling |
See our walleye and northern pike profiles for those species.
Clear water and murky water
MDC’s trout advice: on a clear, sunny day use very light leader (it suggests 2-pound test) because trout see heavier line and shy away; in murky, high water you can use heavier line and heavier split shot, since the water hides the line and the current is stronger.
Braid with a leader
Many setups combine a thin braid mainline with a fluorocarbon leader. A Hooked Up Magazine guide to slow-pitch jigging uses about 2 metres of fluorocarbon roughly 10 pounds heavier than the braid but of similar diameter. Wikipedia notes a leader rated below the mainline also acts like a fuse, breaking first to protect the rest of the tackle. Our line and leader strength tool helps balance the two. One exception from the frog guide above: in heavy cover it skips the leader, because a knot or swivel is a weak point.
Line and fall speed
A Bassmaster article on blade baits quotes an angler who uses line size to control how fast a bait falls: thicker line falls slower, so heavier line in shallow water and lighter line in deep water.
When to replace line
The South Carolina DNR red drum report warns that cheap line is often stiff and tangles easily, and advises replacing line when the spool runs low or the line is badly twisted or abraded. It also suggests carrying a spare spool already filled with line. When you replace line, take the old line home: Wikipedia notes discarded monofilament can take up to 600 years to break down.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Fishing line and Wacky rig. Read 28 October 2026.
- New York State DEC, Fishing for stream trout, Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass and Muskie 101. Read 28 October 2026.
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Trout: fishing tips and Muskellunge: tips for fishing. Read 28 October 2026.
- Connecticut DEEP, Community Fishing Waters. Read 28 October 2026.
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Drop shotting in Virginia. Read 28 October 2026.
- South Carolina DNR, Red drum: natural history and fishing techniques in South Carolina. Read 28 October 2026.
- Outdoor Life, Hooked Up Magazine and Bassmaster articles linked above. Read 28 October 2026.
Recommended Gear on Amazon
- Braided fishing line - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
- Fluorocarbon line - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
- Monofilament line - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
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