Line Color and Size?

[minion]

Hey guys,

So I watched a youtube video where this guy was showing how the colors show in clearwater and stained water and mentioned that braided line which was black in clear water was a no-no.

Can fish really tell if the bait is tied to a line that's visible? I thought they would think it's just some skinny twig or something. Also, when they say 'clear' water, i'm thinking the water where you can see the of the river real easily and can count how many rocks are there. Many lakes around me just look green but if I take a cup and get some water, the water is clear. Does that mean it's also clear water?

If I have black braided line on my set up right now and if it really is a huge no-no, can I just tie a mono leader or would I have to respool the whole thing?

[TnRiver46]

Mono or flouro leader will work great in clear water. You will know if the water is too clear for braid if you fish a while with it and don't get any bites. Then try another rod with mono or put a leader on the braid (I like Albright knot) and see if you get more bites 

[DrMarlboro92]

Visible line is a big problem unless you are using a reaction bait where the bass won't have enough time to notice, or if the water is incredibly muddy. All of my rods have braid with fluorocarbon leaders, using the FG knot (it simply is the most durable, reliable, and smallest leader knot for braid-fluoro) except my cranking rod which is just fluorocarbon because I want as much depth as possible from my cranks. On my spinning gear since im relying on the bait being infront of the fish for a while I have about 20-25ft of leader line, and on everything else it's 3-6ft.

To get a good idea of water clarity, get a white bait with a sinker and 10ft of line, drop it over the boat, and if you can still see it after about 5ft, you're in clear water. If you lose it between 3-5 that's stained, and if you lose it between 1 to 3 murky, and if it disappears almost as soon as it's in the water, then it's muddy. I'm sure someone will have different measurements, but those are mine.

[Scott F]

I can't tell you how many thousands of bass I've caught on black Fireline with no leader. If black line is a no-no, how did I catch anything?

[Travis Gasper]

KVD colors his braid with black sharpie, and I've been doing that for years before I even knew it was a thing. I've caught hundreds of bass that way in clear water. I'm not sure if it affects them in a positive way, but I've never seen it have negative effects. 

[supelveda]

Here You have an interesting article as they see the fish:)

http://www.salmo.com.pl/czy-kolor-ma-znaczenie/

[scaleface]

Decades ago bass fishermen in clear water figured out that light line got more bites . 

[minion]

interesting replies guys, I mean I did catch one with my black braided line but i was burning the crankbait. I guess i'll try to just put a snap swivel and put on a foot leader with mono or something and see how that works. I'm starting to get lazy to tie on new baits everytime...(i only have one rod  poor college student problems)

[WRB]

Do you ever question how bass anglers 50 years ago caught bass?

Bass are not line shy fish unless the line affects how the lures action.

FC line works because it sinks and has less coeffient of drag in the water.

Adding a leader helps if nothing else to give you confidence.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

Bass will eat an A-rig with 5 thick wire arms, snap-swivels, tied to thick braided line, and it's most effective in fairly clear water. If they're such a spooky, line shy little fish then this bait should send every fish in the lake running and hiding. 

Are there occasions when line visibility matters? Probably. Of the things that effect how many fish I put in the boat, I don't feel line visibility is even in the top 10 on an average day. 

[supelveda]

In my experience, in our waters, thickness and color of the links is applicable only what species of fish we catch. Species are less skittish and there are those that can be caught on a cable from the dryer :D But I think that bass do not pay attention to the braid as it is greedy for food

[jbmaine]

Years ago I watched a bass stare at a floating repala, with three sets of shiny treble hooks hanging off it, tied off with shiny yellow stren line. He looked it over for five seconds, then decided to inhale it.

I choose line  based on how well it casts, holds up, cost, etc.

I fish all kinds of water with the same line, and catch fish.

In their tiny fish brains I don't think they process line at all, only does what's on the end of the line look like something to eat.

 My 2 cents

                                 Jim

[Crestliner2008]

Elwood "Buck" Perry always wanted the fish to see his line. Said it drew their attention to his lure. But he always approached line choice with two vital controls in mind: depth & speed control. The diameter of the line dictates the depth at which lures (talking hard baits here) travel on the retrieve. The object being to keep your lure at the depth of the fish, for the longest period of time. Still a viable consideration to this day.

[Mike L]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Are there occasions when line visibility matters? Probably. Of the things that effect how many fish I put in the boat, I don't feel line visibility is even in the top 10 on an average day. 

Ditto

["hamma"]

I've always been of the opinion that the fish's level of activity, waters clarity, and technique in question all play a role here. If the fish are active and your tossing a spinnerbait even in clear water the line's color/diameter really isn't that much of a factor. 

BUT,.If the fish are not active, in same clear water, and your using a finesse bait, like a jighead and small plastic. The lines color and diameter may factor in as to how many nibbles you get. Hence the big "flourocarbon movement",...  

 Since im gettin older, And living in a area loaded with alot of clear waters,... and all I had years ago was mono,..I've just stuck with green stren, and consider a pound test for their perspective diameter as a guideline. tough day? 8 or even 6 for said jighead. Active day? I go a higher pound test,.. and so on. 

Do I believe fish can see your line? yes

Do I think it matters? only when the fish are either stressed or finicky in clear water.

[scaleface]

You will get bites on  yellow clothes line .  Youll get a lot  more on 10 lb test . Of  course line visibility makes a difference but its a tradeoff on how much strength you need , manageability , castability 

[ChrisD46]

If braid mainline color  is a concern here is the remedy :

• Black Sharpie (the FAT / WIDE kind)
• With an Exacto knife (or similar) cut a small , thin notch in the top of the Sharpie tip
• Run your braid through the Sharpie tip 12" then lift out of the tip notch , skip 12" of braid then drop the line back in the Sharpie tip and color another 12"...You want to do this for 6' 7' alternating 12" Sharpie black , 12" no Sharpie black , 12" Sharpie black , etc. This coloring method will camo / break up the braid outline well .

[fishwizzard]

I hate messing with leader but I feel far more confident with one.  I suspect that this is because I started using a leader right around when bass fishing began to "click" for me and I started catching regularly.  A goal for next year (the list is getting long) is to begin to experiment where I, when on a good bite, will remove the leader and fish straight braid to see if I keep catching.  

[iabass8]

Do you think during the winter months, bass hangout and talk about how stupid fisherman are for thinking that they have the intelligence to differentiate between line and a blade of grass...These are creature that bite soft plastics that look like nothing they have naturally available to them in the water..they chase down an a-rig in gin clear water with 5-6 steel arms and/or blades...line size, not color, is more important as it has a direct effect on how a lure acts in the water. Different material lines effect how a lure acts in the water. I.e braid and fluoro behave differently. Theres very few instances where it will make a difference to you. "It's the indian, not the arrow." Stop overthinking things. i use fluoro for almost everything for its slack line sensitivity and abrasion resistance. Invisibility is my last concern.

[Fisher-O-men]

4 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

If braid mainline color  is a concern here is the remedy :

• Black Sharpie (the FAT / WIDE kind)
• With an Exacto knife (or similar) cut a small , thin notch in the top of the Sharpie tip
• Run your braid through the Sharpie tip 12" then lift out of the tip notch , skip 12" of braid then drop the line back in the Sharpie tip and color another 12"...You want to do this for 6' 7' alternating 12" Sharpie black , 12" no Sharpie black , 12" Sharpie black , etc. This coloring method will camo / break up the braid outline well .

Maybe for another thread; Can bass smell sharpie ink?

[BobP]

Sharpie is a solvent based dye pen.  After the solvent evaporates, there's no scent.