As with most products, over a period of time as demand and production move upward, the costs are reduced. Soon, many anglers, me included, began to ask, why not just spool fluorocarbon line, making your entire presentation invisible when the line is in the water? As such, practically all of my light-tackle spinning and conventional reels that I employ for inshore fishing in bays and rivers — where shallow, calm, clear water prevails — are loaded with fluorocarbon.

By far, the most effective, easily understood application is using fluorocarbon line while chumming with grass shrimp for weakfish. Using 10-pound-test fluorocarbon, I just tie the hook directly to the end of the line, bait up with a couple of tiny grass shrimp, and permit the baits to drift out in the chum line.

Often, when the chumming action is slow, I’ll elect to cast or drift. Simply tie on a swim shad or plug and just cast away. Ditto with respect to a bottom rig, thus presenting my bait, and a tiny sinker the only visible accoutrement, which just has to have had an influence on my catches the last couple of years.

SUPER MONOFILAMENT LINE
Then there is monofilament line, and herein there is a distinction that I believe would best serve the public’s interest by just adding the prefix super before the word monofilament. Super monofilament is so unlike the old, unwieldy, elastic, memory-prone, uniformity-lacking line of an earlier era that it truly deserves a new name! Yes, super it is, but to this day, I run into people who often pick up a spool of mono line in a tackle shop, figuring that all mono is the same, which it certainly is not.

Super monofilament has the qualities that were lacking in the original product. Among the most notable improvements are finer diameter, minimal stretch and outstanding tensile and knot strength. Its minimal memory characteristics are also very important, especially when casting, as the line slips from the reel effortlessly, not encumbered by memory that in older lines results in what appears to be somewhat stiff, coiled line leaving the reel, which in turn inhibits the casting distance achieved.

Super monofilament and fluorocarbon lines are ideally suited to boat fishing, especially aboard party boats where tangles are inevitable. There’s no question that these lines lend themselves to easier handling when attempting to untangle than do braided lines. The major drawback of braid is its fine diameter and feel of sewing thread. When you get several such lines in a tangle, it’s almost impossible to separate them, and often it means cutting all the lines.

Both braided lines and super monofilament lines are available in a variety of colors. When trolling I find yellow braid very effective as it’s highly visible when it’s streamed astern. Camouflage color is also available, as is dark green, red and a host of other colors and shades. While colors have their advantages, the invisibility of braid in the water is difficult to dispute.

Knots play an important role in all of the lines, and I still vividly recall vintage monofilament that was so stiff that no matter the knot I chose, it would result in a big, bulky and oftentimes inefficient connection, prone to breaking. All of the lines are only as good as the knots you employ.

Citing the overhand knot as an example of the worst knot you can use only highlights that even in this day and age of improved line quality, many anglers still have not achieved the skills of employing the proper knots. Simply stated, a poor knot will enable the line to cut through itself, hence the importance of taking a couple of extra minutes to learn knot tying. It’ll be the best investment you’ve made, second only to sampling these dynamic braid, fluorocarbon and super monofilaments . . . especially when you’ve got a big one on!