By Tim Huffman
Question: What type line do you use and why?
Ron Molitor, Mark Twain Lake, “I use Sufix 6-pound test line. I like the green because I probably see about half my bites so it’s very important. I use the same line for jigging and trolling.”
Richard Williams, TN, says, “I use the smallest line I can see. For me, that’s 4-pound test. I do believe that line spooks fish in clear water. The small line works fine for big fish too because anything that is big will be netted. I like the Berkley 100% Fluoro.”
Whitey Outlaw, SC, says, “I’ve used Vicious line for many years. Fishing shallow I like 10-pound braid or fluorocarbon because shallow fish are often more like a smallmouth bass when they hit so I need something that will stop that fish without snapping the line.”
Kyle Schoenherr, IL, won both the Crappie USA and Crappie Masters Classics in 2015. “We use Gamma 15-pound test white braid. We tie jigs directly to the braid. We use a leader when double-rigging. Braid has no stretch so you have to do something to make up for the stretch you get with monofilament, so we set our drags where they slip some when we set the hook. The only time we won’t use the 15-pound braid is for special situations during tournaments.”
David Jones, KY, says, “I use Gamma 4-pound high-vis line. Sometimes I might switeh to 6-pound for tournaments. Lighter line gives more bait action whether using a minnow or jig. We won our the Crappie USA Championship using 4-pound test line and caught 2-pound fish.”
Tim Blackley, TN, says, “I use Vicious clear blue line. I’m old fashion and prefer monofilament. I’ll use 6-pound for casting and 8- or 10-pound fishing vertical. I’m also a little paranoid about high-vis line in clear water, so I stick with clear blue.”
Steve Coleman, TN, 8-time Classic Champ, says, “I use one type of line and that’s clear mono. The brand is either our own signature line or P-Line because they both have the stretch and quality that’s just right. I believe clear makes a difference.”
