LionHeart Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 My question is simple, why do guy (and gals I guess) color the last few feet of braided line with a sharpie when it starts to fade? I'm supposing it is because they feel that making the braid darker will make it more difficult for fish to see. If that is the case, it doesn't make sense to me at all. Why would you intentionally make your fishing line black? I would think that would be the easiest color there is for a fish to see. I mean, we use dark lures and trailers if the water clarity is low so they are easier for the fish to see. Why do people do the same thing to fishing line and expect it to be harder to see? I would think faded green would blend in much better. Maybe this isn't the reason, I dunno. Someone please help me out. Quote
Todd2 Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 I color the first 10 feet of hi viz braid with dark green. Not for the fish really, but it helps me with depth control when vertically jigging and somewhat when casting. I'm not convinced if the fish care one way or the other. Quote
Super User WRB Posted January 4, 2018 Super User Posted January 4, 2018 Use braid that doesn't fade or lose color. I believe anglers don't like the faded look and use a black Sharpie to make it look better to them for confidence. Tom Quote
Super User OkobojiEagle Posted January 4, 2018 Super User Posted January 4, 2018 1 hour ago, LionHeart said: My question is simple, why do guy (and gals I guess) color the last few feet of braided line with a sharpie when it starts to fade? I'm supposing it is because they feel that making the braid darker will make it more difficult for fish to see. If that is the case, it doesn't make sense to me at all. Why would you intentionally make your fishing line black? I would think that would be the easiest color there is for a fish to see. I mean, we use dark lures and trailers if the water clarity is low so they are easier for the fish to see. Why do people do the same thing to fishing line and expect it to be harder to see? I would think faded green would blend in much better. Maybe this isn't the reason, I dunno. Someone please help me out. I think, if you keep thinking for yourself, you might catch a bunch of bass in your lifetime... oe 1 Quote
craww Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 People saying they use a black sharpie to help the line blend in has always been dumb to me, and it also is a potentially negative cue to the fish youre about to drag a bait by while the scents fresh. Its a pretty darn obnoxious, unnatural smell. I just use spike it markers and match the color best I can. But its more for me than the fish. 1 Quote
BrackishBassin Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 Asked this same question a while back, in a slightly different way. I can link it if you would like to see the replies for that thread. Quote
Super User NYWayfarer Posted January 4, 2018 Super User Posted January 4, 2018 I don't color my braid. When it fades from green or gray to dingy white I sometimes cut some off. Most of the time I leave it. I would rather rub the braid close to the lure with Megastrike than color it. Color of the line doesn't seem to change the bite like I thought it would. I was worried when I tried green or black mono back when all I fished was clear blue Stren. I never experienced a drop in catches due to line color and I fish clear water. Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted January 4, 2018 Super User Posted January 4, 2018 I don't color mine, but I understood the Sharpie idea was to draw lines across the spool so as to 'camouflage' the last several feet....not simply to color it all black. I'm not in the line-shy camp, but I'd never call the Sharpie practitioners 'dumb' Quote
Super User Choporoz Posted January 4, 2018 Super User Posted January 4, 2018 Edit...just took a quick googletrip around the interwebs, and sure enough, there's lots of suggestions to Sharpie the line without mention of camouflage patterns....not sure I completely understand, either. But, then, I've never had any fading that bothered me much...I even use one spinning reel that has braid that is almost entirely white Quote
bigturtle Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 Because when you punch or flip into heavy weeds, a black line blends much better than a faded white line 1 Quote
DINK WHISPERER Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 Didn't we just go through this a couple weeks ago . . . . Quote
LionHeart Posted January 4, 2018 Author Posted January 4, 2018 46 minutes ago, DINK WHISPERER said: Didn't we just go through this a couple weeks ago . . . . Well, what did you come up with? 1 hour ago, BrackishBassin said: Asked this same question a while back, in a slightly different way. I can link it if you would like to see the replies for that thread. That would be great man. Thanks Quote
Super User Jar11591 Posted January 4, 2018 Super User Posted January 4, 2018 Because it's winter. 1 2 Quote
Yumeya Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 I been using Vicious No-Fade braid and its excellent, 2 seasons using it now and it looks brand new. My spinning rods have Hi-vis Fins 40g and I use a flourocarbon leader on those rods. Quote
BrackishBassin Posted January 4, 2018 Posted January 4, 2018 Not exactly the same question, but the discussion that followed definitely applies. 1 Quote
Super User MassYak85 Posted January 5, 2018 Super User Posted January 5, 2018 I don't really see the point, because if I am direct tying with braid it's in conditions where I am not concerned about line visibility. Plus I've ever seen my braid go completely white, lighter green sure but never white, so it's never crossed my mind to do it. 1 Quote
Super User WIGuide Posted January 5, 2018 Super User Posted January 5, 2018 To me it seems fairly simple, black blends into the background in this environment better than the whiteish color braid fades to. 1 Quote
Super User NHBull Posted January 5, 2018 Super User Posted January 5, 2018 6 hours ago, WRB said: Use braid that doesn't fade or lose color. I believe anglers don't like the faded look and use a black Sharpie to make it look better to them for confidence. Tom Tom, do you use Fins? Quote
Super User Tywithay Posted January 5, 2018 Super User Posted January 5, 2018 7 minutes ago, WIGuide said: To me it seems fairly simple, black blends into the background in this environment better than the whiteish color braid fades to. Black may fade into that environment better when viewed by human eyes, but bass do not have human eyes. Quote
Super User WIGuide Posted January 5, 2018 Super User Posted January 5, 2018 17 minutes ago, Tywithay said: Black may fade into that environment better when viewed by human eyes, but bass do not have human eyes. True, but since I can't convince a bass to tell me what he sees, I can only go with what I can see. Thinking of the physics of color, white is the reflection of all colors and black is the absence of all colors in other words black is caused from absorbing all visible light. Regardless of what color spectrum they see, that should equate the same. Basically when it comes down to it, we're all speculating anyway so do what you believe in and you'll mostly catch fish doing so. Quote
Super User WRB Posted January 5, 2018 Super User Posted January 5, 2018 52 minutes ago, NHBull said: Tom, do you use Fins? Yes Quote
bigfruits Posted January 5, 2018 Posted January 5, 2018 i color all of my hi viz yellow line with black sharpie. im sure there is more contrast with black but it looks more natural so gives me confidence. also makes it easy to gauge depth in shallow water. Quote
bassguytom Posted January 5, 2018 Posted January 5, 2018 I use a fluoro leader with all my braid setups except top water. I don’t change the color any. No issues with catch rate. Quote
Big Swimbait Posted January 5, 2018 Posted January 5, 2018 If I think I need to, I mix a little blue and Chartreuse JJ's Magic to make a green. I run my line thru a lead slip sinker, grab the tag end & drop the sinker into the mixture. Then I pull as much line as I want to dye thru the sinker. Color my line & give it some scent at the same time. Quote
LionHeart Posted January 5, 2018 Author Posted January 5, 2018 1 hour ago, WIGuide said: To me it seems fairly simple, black blends into the background in this environment better than the whiteish color braid fades to. Dude where's your lure? Quote
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