Sharpie your line?

[FrnkNsteen]

I do it 9n occasion, but typically only on Hi-Viz green or yellow braid, and only when running straight braid

[Bazoo]

10 hours ago, GRiver said:

This is why I don’t like braid, I can hear it going thur the eyes. Whrrrrrrr! 

Remember the string and the tin can telephone? How it transmits the sound along the string, do ya think maybe the fish can hear it too, or at least sense it thru their lateral line. 
Now I know I’ve caught plenty of fish on straight braid, but maybe a confidence thing like putting sharpie your line thing.

I’ve caught a lot of fish on braid too, but I also have got tangled up and made a heck of a racket plenty of times with both braid and mono.

[king fisher]

I have always wondered why many people recommend using black baits in muddy water because they are more visible, but many people also recommend coloring the line black to make it less visible.  

[fin]

1 hour ago, king fisher said:

I have always wondered why many people recommend using black baits in muddy water because they are more visible, but many people also recommend coloring the line black to make it less visible.  

Yeah, it's all relative with line. When it comes to line, the viewing angle + angle of the sun = visibility. Sometimes light colors are more visible, some times dark colors are more visible, and it's going to change multiple times even within a single cast. Best not to worry about it. I once played around with different colored markers on braid and quickly realized how silly it all was.

 

I agree with @Bazoo that the fish is more likely to be spooked from the vibration and surface disruption than the sight. Sometimes that vibration and surface disruption works for you instead of against you.

[dodgeguy]

I used to do it when the line faded.  Now that I use Viscious No Fade Braid I no longer do it.

[Bluebasser86]

I color my braid when it starts to get faded. I carry a fat Sharpie with the flat tip just for that purpose. Also works well for writing my identifiers for kayak tournaments. 

[J._Bricker]

I do, and have been for years. I keep a couple in the boat and a bunch laying around various places in the garage. Whether or not using a Sharpie on your faded braid helps can be debated, but as far as I’m concerned it sure doesn’t hurt. I even use it on my frog bellies and legs to add a little contrast.

[Big Swimbait]

Before I started using 832 Camo, I carried brown, green & black Sharpies. I know a lot of guys that use scented bait dyes to do the same.

 

[papajoe222]

I do the camo deal on my Hi-Viz braid. The last 18in. or so gets it. The super clear visibility of my favorite lake had me doing the fluoro leader for a couple of years. I haven't noticed any difference since I changed. Straight Hi-Viz was never an option.

[Mike L]

I just don’t get it.
Some use a sharpie, some use hi-vis line, some pick a line solely on the color of the water, the sound it makes or even if the sun is out!

 

This is the one area of the Bass fishing puzzle that I just don’t get. 
 

But Hey, I’m the guy who won’t use mono for anything, ever

Just gotta do you
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Choporoz]

Small bluegill and baby bass are fascinated by 4# mono.  They obviously see it and check it out.  I am not convinced that there's anything I can do to make line invisible enough to make much if any difference. I'm much more concerned about the sound and vibrations caused by line, especially braid.

[ike8120]

Try KK Tripolymer Crappie Advanced Monofilament in Camo.

[Bazoo]

I pretty much use dark green mono for all of my needs. I rarely fish anything that could be considered clear, if I fished primarily clear I'd be using clear mono. I do use braid, but I primarily use mono.

[Bankc]

In my opinion, if bass were smart enough to look for the line, they'd be smart enough to look for the hooks. 

Plus, whales and dolphins are always getting caught up in fishing nets, and those animals are like 100x smarter than bass and the nets have to be at least 1000x more visible. 

 

So I'm betting it doesn't matter. 

 

But... it also doesn't hurt to try. 

[GreenPig]

Never Shapied my braid. I just fish for the old fat girls with cataracts. 

[Smirak]

I use seaguar tactx. It’s camo already.

[J Francho]

I've done it, though I'm not sure why.  I'm not sure it makes a difference, and if it does, I would have no way of knowing.  Why would a fish prefer black braid over white, pink, yellow, blue or green?

[Tennessee Boy]

I don’t color my line with a marker.  I try to break up the color of my line.   Makes it look less like line.  Does it help?

 

[evilcatfish]

I’ve never really understood the coloring your line thing. To me, the color of faded braid looks much more “natural” than fresh or braid that’s been colored with a sharpie. Granted, I only fish straight braid with frogs or when punching, sometimes topwater 

[Bazoo]

I normally only fish straight braid when fishing plastic worms. I only have 1 reel with braid currently, a spinning rig.

 

I fish most of my worms and everything else with mono. I appreciate how far braid will cast, and the low stretch for solid hooksets at a distance. I like the sensitivity too.

 

For topwater though, I can't stand having to get the braid out of the split rings or out of the hooks.

[dodgeguy]

Get no fade braid and toss the marker.

[T-Billy]

I used to, but don't any longer. The fish don't care.

[Mike L]

3 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

I used to, but don't any longer. The fish don't care.

Ditto

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[scbassin]

Catt said

Everywhere I fish has Hydrilla, Coontail, Milfoil, lily pads, water hyacinth, reeds, brush, timber, Cypress trees, ect.

 

I highly doubt any bass can pick my line out of that mess. I fish the same Heavy stuff & have no idea if a fish cane see the line in that stuff. My point was why sit around with a sharpie to color your line, when you can get a spool that has it done for you.

[NorthernBasser]

For those who do color their line, the quickest/easiest way is to get one of the chisel tip Sharpies and take a razor blade and make one slice down the middle. Slide the line in there and and just swipe up and down a few times. Much easier that way IMO.