What LINE Should You Use For ULTRALIGHT FISHING?

One of the most common questions I get for ultralight fishing is what line works best. In this video, I explain the main advantages and disadvantages of each major type of line for ultralight fishing. I also share some of my preferences and explain why I fish with what I do. This video is long overdue!

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HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY:
Monofilament - inexpensive, soft, stretches, available in clear and hi-vis, low diameter options cast light lures far & have minimal line twist
Fluorocarbon - you tend to get what you pay for so the best options tend to be pricey, high sensitivity, low stretch, very low diameter, available in clear, minimal line twist on high end options
Braid - you get what you pay for so the best options tend to be pricey, no stretch, easy to detect bites due to line visibility, it is best to use a leader, available in numerous colors, can get some line twist if you are not careful

Overall, I will continue to use all three options. I don't think there is necessarily a right or wrong answer but I do think that the lower diameter you go, the further cast distance you tend to get. That is why I love 2lb test. I catch a lot more fish because I use it!

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[metalroofer]

i just caught a 5lb bass (best catch of my life so far) and it was on 6lb mono on small jig head with a 1.5" twister worm...we drove 2 hours and were getting skunked all day so i switched to small setup just to catch anything and bam caught my biggest bass...really made me rethink what i know about fishing

[equinsuocha]

In my opinion the right choice is using braid as a main line and using fluorocarbon as a leader material. You just have to get good at tying a line to leader knot such as the FG knot, uni-to-uni knot or my favorite the Alberto knot. The leader gives you the low line visibility to the fish and fluorocarbon line also sinks much better than braid which helps with ultralight line and lures, and the way fluorocarbon stretches makes hook setting better than monofilament. The braided mainline gives you better casting distance, higher line visibility, more sensitivity, and no line stretch which also means better hook sets. The only crucial part is getting good at tying line to leader knots, but once you get that down then this is IMO the best way to go

[mthompson]

6lb. Braid to 4lb floro leader for my ultralight setup. Just in case you hook a decent size one! Still casts 1/32oz. decently.

[InTheWoodsToday]

This was such a fun day great video once again dude! I personally love floro and braid but use mono because it is cost effective as a budget angler.

[LSTSKR]

I've been ultralight fishing since the 1970s and the gear certainly has changed. When I got seriously involved it was mostly to pursue high-mountain trout in lakes and streams, plus I'm a bit of a techie engineer. My go-to rigs today are imported Daiwa and Shimano finesse reels on light and UL rods or fly-rod hybrids. My favorite rod is best described as a "fast" fly rod blank made up like a spinning rod. Nothing beats an effortless 1000-size reel with "infinite" drag; but there's no market for them in the US so they have to be imported from Japan or Australia.

Regarding lines, I settled on 4-lb and 6-lb monofilament (Spiderwire) and 4-lb and 3-lb Berkeley Nanofil as on my UL spools. It's not unusual for neighboring anglers to ask me what I'm using because my casts appear long and effortless. Some of it's the line but also pairing the rods, reels and baits for best performance. My favorite trout rig is fly-and-bubble (either dry fly or nymph) although a hopper-dropper rig is perfect for stream fishing.

NOTE: Users report problems with Nanofil (breakage, etc.). Somehow I don't have the problems with Nanofil, probably because I always use leaders and am gentle with set-ups.

Best day ever was a 100+ day on a mountain lake with my SO and some friends, so many trout we honestly lost count after 40+ each. It seemed like every other cast got a hookset.

[srsykes]

Love that FireLine! Over the years I've used Spiderwire, Power pro, but Fireline beats them all for spinning reels. Thanks for the video. 👍

[augustwest]

For trout fishing, I go straight Fluorocarbon. After using many brands, my choice is 4LB Kastking FluoroKote. Since I switched to Kastking I never have problems with wind knots or bird nests.

[fishingwithvin]

Dude it took me forever and a day to figure out what works best for me and it's trilene in a red box. This is good information to know for beginner's!!!

[jasonlopez]

Mono is the one I like for years with no problem I can't see 2 lbs no more so I've been getting 4 lbs line for stocking the fish. I like colors is easy for me to see moving. I like bait fishing and sit and relax. And wach the grandkids great times.

[Junebug]

I fish a lot and personally I like Lelands SOS trout monofilament in 2 and 4lb test its super limp lays flat and strong. I like it so well I bought a 7000 yard spool in 4lb test. In the spring time when the white bass run is on I use Onyx braid in yellow or the green color in 6lb test. As far as braid goes I like it and both these lines are very affordable. 👍

[mauser]

It goes onto the reel in the same direction it comes off the spool. That's the key to mono. No more twists etc. I've been fishing with my ultralights since my early teens which is about 25years. Usually 6lb line mono is what I use. The reels I have are Shimano 500, 750 spin cast. I've broken 3-4 rods, and never lost a fish die to mono. After 6-7 fish I always cut 10 inches off and retie.

[pipsqueak]

Varivas Bait Finesse PE 5lb has become my favorite for ultralight

[boikman]

Thoroughly appreciate all the videos man! Just got started with BFS/Ultralight fishing out in SE Michigan this year and you, rawr, and Hobie Wan have all been massively helpful!

[FitzYakin]

Great talk about line Ethan and a fun session of UL multispecies fishing. You always make things so fun 😁

[peterfetzer]

I love berkley 4lb nanofil or fireline for ultralight jig fishing. I can toss a 1/64oz. Jig 40-50’ in light wind conditions with my St. Croix 6’9” ul panfish rod with a 1000 sized Daiwa reel . Also, I really like how sensitive the line is. I’ve recently realized that the better balanced my tackle is the more successful my fishing has been.

[jimking]

Another fun and informative outing. Must say I prefer braid with a fluoro leader for just about anything. I don't see any reason to go lower than 6 pounds for the braid, since it's going to be thinner than 2-pound mono. But if you want a fair casting-distance contest (pound for pound) you have to go right down to 2-pound braid, which is so thin it barely exists. I've had fewer tangles and handling hassles with braid than with mono. I don't use fluoro for anything but leader material, and that helps keep me happy.

[wildcatindustries]

Thanks to your content I’ve been getting pretty invested into ultralight fishing, for my trout setups and some of the larger ultralight setups I use 6lb Copolymer. I wish you could have demonstrated it because I feel like it is a very good middle of the road between mono and fluro but to each their own. I use larger line because one minute it’s a dink bluegill, next could be a 24in smallmouth. I’ve caught huge bass on 6lb no issues, I usually do better ultralight than full-size baits. Probably because of fishing pressure but funny to note

[KitebuildingGenius]

Daiwa 8x J-Braid Grand (6 lb) with a Sunline Fluorocarbon leader (4 lb) is absolute FIRE on my ultralight. I can throw a 1/64 jig a country mile and it's sensitive

[friedrichknicely]

I agree! Try Trilene Micro Ice Mono (available in solar or clear)…very tough and casts even the <1 grams fairly well in 2 or 3#. Sometimes simple is just better

[evanslaton]

Great video, lots of excellent info about the pros and cons of each type of line. I personally like using braided line with mono for leader.
I think an important thing to note about braid is that one spool-up will last you all year and then some. When I use mono it seems like it needs to be replaced every couple weeks, it gets brittle and coiled up and line management gets annoying. Braid took some getting used to but once you do I rarely get loops or tangles, and it just lays flat in the water no matter how long its been on the spool.
My ultralight has been spooled up with 10lb Sufix Performance since the beginning of last year and still going strong. Power Pro has been a let down in comparison - knots slip, more tangles, seems to fray more in less time. Although I've also had them both spooled up for the same amount of time, so that's the difference versus mono/fluoro to me is that braid just last forever in comparison.