Does Line Color Really Matter?

[RMcDuffee726]

I'm fairly new to fishing and I always have this question on my mind, does line color really matter?  I usually fish with a fluorescent blue line out of personal preference, and I can spot it easily in the water.  In one scenario I was in ultra clear water spotting a bass and throwing everything I had and every technique I knew at the bass, but he just wouldn't hit my bait, which got myself wondering if my color of my line effected the outcome.  I mean I personally didn't think bass were THAT smart not to hit the bait just because of the line color, and I would really appreciate it if some of you guys cleared this up for me!  Thanks and good luck on the water this year.

[coots]

This should be fun! *grabs popcorn and a coke*

 

I've done a lot of reading on this as well, from braided line to coloring the last 3 feet with a marker, to I fish straight yellow braid, to red braid to camo copoly, to invisible flurocarbon is the way to go, brad with fluro leaders..... it's endless friend.

 

I am personally at the point in my fishing experience that I am going straight braid in a green color (PowerPro). Why? It's what matches the water for the most part on Lake Guntersville and I am tired of snapping Fluro in mid-cast. 

 

So get ready, because it's about to get real up in this thread!

[Jar11591]

It's tough to tell. Personally I always use low-vis line but I can't really say if it affects whether or not the bass hit a bait. I would think using low-vis line increases your ODDS of getting bit and vise-versa, even if it is a fraction of a percentage point. I use low-vis line because worst-case scenario, I get bit just as much as with high-vis line. Best case scenario, I catch more fish.

[Todd2]

I prefer clear blue fluorescent for it's visibility day or night (with black light of course). I seriously doubt it had anything to do with your line.

[coots]

I forgot to mention, do a quick search for a thread around here that mentions, or asks a question rather, to the effect of "Well if a fish isn't scared of an Alabama Rig with all those 5 wires and weighted hooks and things flying around, surely it isn't scared of line. Right?"

 

There is a whole theory about why a fish would hit an A-rig and be scared of line in it that I found interesting. Anyway, have fun!

[Deleted account]

I forgot to mention, do a quick search for a thread around here that mentions, or asks a question rather, to the effect of "Well if a fish isn't scared of an Alabama Rig with all those 5 wires and weighted hooks and things flying around, surely it isn't scared of line. Right?"

 

There is a whole theory about why a fish would hit an A-rig and be scared of line in it that I found interesting. Anyway, have fun!

 

Yeah, theories they got...

[drodriguez]

Yes. Line color matters. If may not matter in every lake, every river, every pond, but line color matters most when the water you are fishing is clear. I use either 15pld mono (berkly big game) or braid with 6-8 pound flourocarbon line when fishing clear water. Now, when considering muddy lakes, my favorite grass lake Agate Lake (realized I have to fix that...) is highly to mildly stained year round. I've fished straight dark green spider wire 10pld test here with no leader tied to a Senko and caught tons of fish. So line color matters in clear water lakes. I hope this makes sense.

[JeziHogg]

This should be fun! *grabs popcorn and a coke*

 

I've done a lot of reading on this as well, from braided line to coloring the last 3 feet with a marker, to I fish straight yellow braid, to red braid to camo copoly, to invisible flurocarbon is the way to go, brad with fluro leaders..... it's endless friend.

 

I am personally at the point in my fishing experience that I am going straight braid in a green color (PowerPro). Why? It's what matches the water for the most part on Lake Guntersville and I am tired of snapping Fluro in mid-cast. 

 

So get ready, because it's about to get real up in this thread!

On a side note, What kind of Fluro are you using lol....

[gripnrip]

On a side note, What kind of Fluro are you using lol....

Surely Vicious! LOL

[gripnrip]

I don't know if "color" matters.  But based on my observance, diameter or type of line does.

[WRB]

When bass are active the line size and color mean little, when active feeding they are not line shy most of the time. However.......when bass are not active and more neutral in behavior line color and size can be the difference of catching and fishing.

A good freind of mine uses high visibility yellow braid and jokes the bass can follow it to his lure and he catches bass. I use low visibility FC line the smallest diameter practical and usually catch bigger bass.

Take your pick, only the bass know for sure.

Tom

[RMcDuffee726]

I always thought that most line no matter what the color would be almost nearly impossible for the bass to see, but I guess I am wrong.  I am really appreciating the answers!

[bartdude186]

i have no clue what the bass think, but fishing next to my friend that is set in his was with 30lb hi vis mono and a zebco 808 i can tell you that he never leaves happy. he rarely cathes a fish even when the bite is on.

[coots]

Surely Vicious! LOL

Actually if you'll go to the Line section of this forum, you'll see a post labeled "What is wrong with me and Flouro" where it was talked out quite a bit.

 

And yes, I tried Vicious line, along with what would consider some really great lines from Seagaur, etc. The way we fish and where we fish, flouro isn't for me. Others have different opinions, like I said, see the thread. 

[bassguytom]

I use 10 lb green power pro slick to a 6 to 8 lb floro leader when drop shot, t-rigging or shakey head fishing. I like the sensitivity of Braid and using a 4 foot floro leader helps hide the braid. I use 30 lb. green power pro on my jig rod with 17lb floro leader. I use 12 to 6lb all floro when throwing cranks, jerkbaits, swimbaits and flukes. I use 10 lb. mono when throwing top water. This covers it for me and I am kind of a braid junkie. I still hear from a lot of guys that they never used braid and I always think to myself man you don't know what you are missing. I fish mainly clear lakes and never fish straight braid. Hope this helps.

Tom

[BassnChris]

I use 20# tuf-line on everything and tie on fluorocarbon to everything except jigs.

I think the fluorocarbon leader just disappears in the water.

[Todd2]

I had to pull out a book that I read a few years ago. "Knowing Bass" by Dr. Keith Jones. In the vision chapter there was a sentence that always stuck with me. "Transparent blue--the color we normally associate with cheap monofilaments--might be the least visible". I used CBF long before I read the book, but that sentence adds a little science for you analytical types.

[RoLo]

 

Is 'line color' and 'line visibility' the same thing, or are they two separate issues?

Do humans overestimate the cognizance of small-brained, cold-blooded creatures?

 

It's well-known that the thinner the 'line diameter', the greater the 'lure action'.

Therefore, a fair comparison of line color can only be made between fishing lines of like diameter. 

Florida-strain bass are tough customers which makes them a good proving ground (KVD stated a similar comment).

That said, I've yet to experience an instance where I can confidently say that 'line color' by itself

had any effect on the size or number of bass.

 

Bottom Line: If you believe that 'line color' matters, than it does 

 

 

Roger

[gripnrip]

Actually if you'll go to the Line section of this forum, you'll see a post labeled "What is wrong with me and Flouro" where it was talked out quite a bit.

 

And yes, I tried Vicious line, along with what would consider some really great lines from Seagaur, etc. The way we fish and where we fish, flouro isn't for me. Others have different opinions, like I said, see the thread. 

Ah man.  I didn't mean anything by that comment.  That was an interesting read.  I like what Felix said best.  Learn to control your backlash and Flouro is awesome.  I like flouro for cranking.  Other than that it is a braid to flouro leader.  Straight braid on my heavy flipping stick, unless I'm around a lot of wood.  Then it's 25lb flouro. Braid catches on wood and I lost a huge fish in a tourney last year.  It wrapped me around a branch and shook off.  Sickening!

[Bassintheweeds]

I look at it this way

How many fish have you not caught because they couldn't see the line?

[Cast_And_Blast]

 

 

Is 'line color' and 'line visibility' the same thing, or are they two separate issues?

Do humans overestimate the cognizance of a small-brained, cold-blooded creature?

 

It is well-known that the thinner the 'line diameter', the greater the 'lure action'.

For this reason, a fair comparison of line color can only be made by using fishing lines of the like diameter. 

Florida-strain bass are tough customers which makes them a good proving ground (KVD stated a similar comment).

That said, I've yet to experience an instance where I can confidently say that 'line color', in and of itself

had any effect on the size or number of bass.

 

Bottom Line: If you believe that 'line color' matters, than it does ;-)

 

 

Roger

 

 

That hit the nail on the head in my opinion. I think line diameter plays a bigger factor. Unless you're in super clear water I really don't think color matters, but we all have opinios. I do believe 30 lb. mono will stick out more than a 40 lb. braid ( considering the diameter is smaller ), but hey, what do I know.

[WRB]

Bill Murphy was a one of the best bass anglers that I knew. Bill was a detailed analytical thinker and didn't believe anything without a lot of field experience to support his techniques. Bill believed that line diameter and color is a very important factor to being successful at catching giant bass, it's hard to argue with success.

When you are trying to get a wary bass to eat a live bait, you want that bait to appear as natural as possible, hooks and line are not natural so you want to minimize the impact they have. Bil Murphy, Bob Crupi, Danny Kadota are names who all believed that both line color and diameter have a major impact when fishing live bait. Bill went as far as camouflaging the hook and line by adding random marks on the line to break up the silhouette and painting hooks the color of the bait. Bill fished mostly with 8 lb mono dyed with coffee.

Butch Brown is another believer in line color and size, even using big swimbaits, Butch paints his hooks.

It's been my experience that line color and size can have a major impact fishing jigs for giant bass, most of my bass were caught using 10 lb olive green mono. Today I use clear FC in 10 lb or 12 lb depending on several factors like depth and light. If I could use heavier stronger line I would and do at night.

Big bass have big highly developed eyes and good eye sight, they see our line, we hope they will strike anyway.

Tom

[Basswhippa]

 Using small and clear line  matters when the water is clear.   When the water is stained, it's strength, visibility to you as a fisherman and diameter in terms of how it affects the lure presentation are what matters most.   That is my story and I'm sticking to it.   I do believe bass can be very curious and attacted to high vis lines from time to time, as has bene mentioned by WRB.   If I fished the deep clear highland lakes of CA, I would use Flouro.  Glad I don't.  I may not catch a 20 pounder from 60 feet of depth but I'm OK with 7 to 9's with with a real shot at a 10 or 12 in shallow grass of the Tennessee River.  Braid gets the nod most of the time.

[Fish'N Impossible]

to me easiest way to explain this is two things.

 

1) research the colors that fall in the bass' vision spectrum.

 

2) look at a white wall in your house (simulates clear water), and stretch out line if you can see it so can they.

 

If a bass can see your line it can look at the lure, as most bass do before biting, see the line and follow that line all the way to the boat with their eyes, and bass can see above the surface of the water so they see you or the boat and dart away. A Bass has amazing vision in clear water too, it has been awhile but I think in clear water they can see upto 100' in a 270 degree arc around them. So in clear water i use transparent lines, or maybe a cool blue nothing bright. These are my opinions and what I believe and may be right or wrong but it wirks for me. 

[Pz3]

I don't know, I've tried Big Game Trilene (mono), Vicious flourocarbon, Spiderwire (braided) green, havent noticed much in the ways of the bite. I noticed 8lbtest trilene sucks, 10lb is decent, and 14lb is better.... Why? I have no idea. I guess the thicker it gets the less likely it is to have memory issues? I don't know.

 

I do want to try Cajun 12lb (red) line but everytime I look for it its always sold out. I guess the red is really popular. I don't think fish care about the light spectrum of line.....I'll still try it anyways.