A large number of fisherman use monofilament in every application because it is a great product and it is fairly inexpensive to purchase. Some prefer braid because it is very strong and can “cut” through vegetation. Fishing line selection is just as important as a rod, reel or lure. Without line, nothing connects you to the fish and when you think about it that way, it changes the game. Everything in my boat is part of a toolbox. It all has a certain place in my arsenal. Winning tournaments or just having a great day on the water is all about knowing what the conditions dictate and making the most of that information.

To be honest, I did not try fluorocarbon immediately when it was introduced. I was perfectly happy to fish with Big Game, which I will continue to use as it is the best monofilament I’ve found. I tried three or four fluorocarbon lines and and with each one I found a slight flaw. One would break at the knot, while one exploded in cold weather. Another was terrible with line manageability, but with the Trilene 100%, I found that all of these attributes were present. The abrasion resistance is great and although you can still break a fish off if you don’t retie, I find I get away with more. Any line is going to have memory, but I find that Triene is more manageable for a longer duration. I find if I treat all of my line with KVD line and lure it helps not only with memory, but when you do have a backlash, it makes life that much easier.

What really matters most to fisherman is fishability. What is it about this product that helps me put fish in the boat? I mentioned knot strength, durability and I’ll also include sensitivity. Trilene has the best knot strength of any Fluorocarbon I’ve tried and it seems to resist abrasion in grass and wood very well. Most people don’t think of grass as abrasive, but trust me it is some of the worst. When I am flipping, I tend to prefer fluorocarbon when I am around wood or in sparse grass fishing senkos or retrieve baits. I just find that it helps me hook up better with these baits, because grass fishing is all about turning fish once you have them hooked.

Hopefully, this will give you a starting point as to where you employ flourocarbon fishing line. It has low stretch, is great for clear water situations or baits where you just have to feel the strike to minimize hooking fish deep and injuring them. Don’t forget to dispose of line properly also, it can play hell on the wildlife.