Does Line Color Matter? 2024
Bpett2552 reply :
Hey guys,
I normally fish with clear copolymer line but recently I was forced to buy P-Line CXX "moss green" because my tackle shop didn't have my usual line at the time. My question is do you think that having some color to my line will affect the bite? I typically fish in fairly clear water so that why I prefer the clear line. I do know some guys though who fish with straight braid, no leader, even in clear shallow water and say that it does not turn off the fish. I would love to know what you guys think.
Thanks.
Raul reply :
It matters everything ...... to me, one of the reasons why for many years I didn´t fish with FC was that it blends so well that I can´t see the darn thing, as for the fish, I really doubt it matters, the ponds I fish regularly with fluorescent line has super extra crystal clear and the fish still bite.
scaleface reply :
I like for my string to be invisible . In green water I like green or clear line . I'm also a line watcher and use blue fluorescent for soft plastics and jigs. I use the old doug Hannon trick and camouflage my line with a marker by coloring two inch strips a couple of feet up . Others think it is a waste of time to do it . I think it will help me catch a few more fish by the end of the day . I dont use florocarbon because I dont like it .
WRB reply :
Line color matters if it matters to you. The line diameter is more of a factor to bass because it can affect how the lure works. I use both clear and low visibility green like moss green FC, prefer the green tones for jig fishing because I can see it better than clear line under low light conditions, about equal in bright light.
Don't like fluorescent color line and that matters to me.
I have used coffee stained mono, line with cameo dashes, etc, if I catch bass it's good, if I don't it's not good.
Tom
Kentuckysteve reply :
Some people use the thick braid with no leader and they catch fish.That's gotta appear like a rope tied to the lure from the fishes view but they still bite.Mono is not invisible and the fish must see it also but they don't seem to mind.As far as a color....maybe if its some really bright high visibility line i would think it might spook bass.Colors alone don't really seem to be a problem for me.I have fished the green,red and blue line and caught fish on all.I like my clear fluorocarbon line now because i like the invisibility.I use it most of the time unless i am fishing something top water.Even with the braided line i use a fluoro leader.I can't say that i am catching more than someone fishing with another type or color line though.It comes down to personal preference.Most people fish with whatever they feel comfortable using.
Wayne P. reply :
I use YELLOW superline, the fish don't care.
Some of my yellow lines are striped with red lure dye to get some contrast for some lighting conditions.
Ever head of the Alabama rig? All those wires leading to the baits don't scare the fish and those wires are not clear.
If you need an excuse for not catching, you can blame the line color.
the reel ess reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 8:17 AM, Wayne P. said:I use YELLOW superline, the fish don't care.
Some of my yellow lines are striped with red lure dye to get some contrast for some lighting conditions.
Ever head of the Alabama rig? All those wires leading to the baits don't scare the fish and those wires are not clear.
Yeah, this right here. I've started fishing with straight braid on single hook lures and even some trebles on a medium spinning combo. I've caught as many and some very nice fish on braid that I can plainly see in the water. It took me 45 years to get to this point. 
scaleface reply :
You might catch 5 fish on an Alabama rig . How do you know that you wouldnt catch ten if the wires were invisible . You dont know. . Ive heard that argument before and I think it is a poor reasoning .
Bassguytom reply :
I use yellow power pro super slick 10 lbs braid with a 5 foot flourocarbon leader. I also cut a V into a thick black sharpie and run about 12 feet of the braid through it. I'm a line watcher and the yellow is easier to see for me. The flouro serves two purposes one being that it is invisible in the water and two it is easier to tie a lure to quickly. Never fished straight braid but this seems to be the best of both for me. No issues spooking fish as far as I can tell. I still haven't caught anything this way but... Just kidding I slay them this way. Good luck.
scaleface reply :
A person can tie a lure to 550 paracord and catch a fish but that does not prove that line visibility doesnt matter .
Josh Smith reply :
I generally prefer my line to be visible as it helps me spool the reel.
The bass are too dumb to know the differnce.
Josh
scaleface reply :
The
On 9/12/2015 at 10:20 AM, Josh Smith said:I generally prefer my line to be visible as it helps me spool the reel.
The bass are too dumb to know the differnce.
Josh
By that reasoning then you would get just as many bites using a drop shot with 100 lb test than you would with 10 lb test.
scaleface reply :
The difference between a twenty fish day and a fifty fish day , small details .
the reel ess reply :
Do you guys really believe florocarbon is invisible to a fish, a creature that lives underwater and starts its life off eating things so small we cant see them without a magnifying glass?
Dave Jakes reply :
I have a different approach: All my mono line is moss green, all my fluorocarbon is clear. I do this just so I can keep track of what line is on what reel. I switch my rods and reels around quite often depending on what lake/technique I'll be using most for any given trip, just makes it a bit easier for me to keep track of things. I don't think that slight difference is enough to screw up anything too badly, but it's also true that I suppose I will never truly know, just like the Alabama Rig argument.
MIbassyaker reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 10:35 AM, scaleface said:The difference between a twenty fish day and a fifty fish day , small details .
Yes, sure.
The real question, though, is: which details?
Some presentation details are simply going to be more important than others.
And if line invisibility was a detail that more than doubled your catch with any regularity, there would be no dispute on this topic -- it would simply be part of common experience. Nobody would even be selling, or buying, colored lines of any kind.
In any case, in the absence of clear evidence that line visibility matters, I have a hard time believing a fish who will strike virtually every artificial lure design ever conceived could reasonably be expected to care about it.
RoLo reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 8:56 AM, scaleface said:You might catch 5 fish on an Alabama rig . How do you know that you wouldnt catch ten if the wires were invisible . You dont know. . Ive heard that argument before and I think it is a poor reasoning .
But aren't you using the same reasoning?
Let's say you catch 3 bass on transparent line,
how do you know you wouldn't have caught the same 3 bass on braid?
In fact, you might've caught 4 bass on braid, because thinner line offers a more natural delivery.
Roger
Kentuckysteve reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 11:04 AM, the reel ess said:Do you guys really believe florocarbon is invisible to a fish, a creature that lives underwater and starts its life off eating things so small we cant see them without a magnifying glass?
Sure i don't but if it's harder for me to see in the water don't you think it would have to be a little harder for the fish to detect?
Fun4Me reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 7:41 PM, Kentuckysteve said:Sure i don't but if it's harder for me to see in the water don't you think it would have to be a little harder for the fish to detect?
That all depends on if the fish see exactly like we do.
They'll hit an A-rig, spinnerbait, look past treble hook, regular hook, etc.
I don't think line really matters all that much.
scaleface reply :
I dont see any Bass anglers using High visibility green line . If line visibility didnt matter , then why not ?
Fun4Me reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 8:46 PM, scaleface said:I dont see any Bass anglers using High visibility green line . If line visibility didnt matter , then why not ?
Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
Again, if line visibility is so critical, how do you explain fish being caught on spinnerbaits, A-rigs, and lures with treble hooks and regular hooks, made with large diameter shinny metal either on them or leading them?
scaleface reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 9:02 PM, Fun4Me said:Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
Again, if line visibility is so critical, how do you explain fish being caught on spinnerbaits, A-rigs, and lures with treble hooks and regular hooks, made with large diameter shinny metal either on them or leading them?
Never will 100 per cent of bass hit and more than 0 percent will . In my experience , large spinnerbaits lose their effectiveness in summer . I still catch them on smaller ones with muted colors and smaller blades. Its not hard to understand. Plus theres a difference using spinnerbaits which are most often fished faster than worms and jigs . I like to burn them to not give bass a good look at them .Its a good technique employed by anglers everywhere .
I rented a slip at super clear Table Rock lake. The Aunts creek resort to be exact. There was a keeper bass under the walk way . I tried catching it with a brown Salt Craw and 12 lb test clear line . The fish had zero interest in it. I tied the brown Salt Craw on a spinning outfit with 6 lb test and dropped it down to that fish repeatedly . The bass ignored it. I then took a black marker and colored two inch strips on the line , to break up the outline. This time when I dropped it on the fish it got hit immediately. So at least one time it appeared that line visibility mattered . I camouflage my line a lot when using worms and jigs. Im convinced that it helps put a few extra fish in the boat , I cant prove it does and you cant prove it does not.
Trout anglers are convinced line visibility matters but it has zero impact on bass ? I just dont buy that . Surely there comes a time where a bass will refuse a bait because of line visibility . Barge rope , half inch rope , paracord , 100 lb test , 50 lb test ...6 lb test .
Fun4Me reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 9:33 PM, scaleface said:Never will 100 per cent of bass hit and more than 0 percent will . In my experience , large spinnerbaits lose their effectiveness in summer . I still catch them on smaller ones with muted colors and smaller blades. Its not hard to understand. Plus theres a difference using spinnerbaits which are most often fished faster than worms and jigs . I like to burn them to not give bass a good look at them .Its a good technique employed by anglers everywhere .
I rented a slip at super clear Table Rock lake. The Aunts creek resort to be exact. There was a keeper bass under the walk way . I tried catching it with a brown Salt Craw and 12 lb test clear line . The fish had zero interest in it. I tied the brown Salt Craw on a spinning outfit with 6 lb test and dropped it down to that fish repeatedly . The bass ignored it. I then took a black marker and colored two inch strips on the line , to break up the outline. This time when I dropped it on the fish it got hit immediately. So at least one time it appeared that line visibility mattered . I camouflage my line a lot when using worms and jigs. Im convinced that it helps put a few extra fish in the boat , I cant prove it does and you cant prove it does not.
Trout anglers are convinced line visibility matters but it has zero impact on bass ? I just dont buy that . Surely there comes a time where a bass will refuse a bait because of line visibility . Barge rope , half inch rope , paracord , 100 lb test , 50 lb test ...6 lb test .
It's also possible that by coloring your clear line black, you essentially made the line visible where you colored it, making the fish bite because he saw the line.
Or, maybe he only bit it the third time because he got frustrated and just decided to hit it.
The point is fish can't talk, and unless we can tap into their little brains, we'll never know the answers to any of our questions.
If line visibility mattesr to you, and by you I mean anyone, go for it. it's just hard for me to think it really matters in the context of normal fishing. Sure, we could make the argument that a fish might see my line if I use a tow rope, but that's fairly unrealistic.
scaleface reply :
Anyhow I presented my case . The jury is still out . LOL
Fun4Me reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 9:53 PM, scaleface said:Anyhow I presented my case . The jury is still out . LOL
And it's very possible you're correct.
I just can't get my head around a fish that would require 100 LB test not being able to see the line, but a bass can, or any fish for that matter.
I think this debate is analogous to how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop. The world may never know. 
Wayne P. reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 9:33 PM, scaleface said:Never will 100 per cent of bass hit and more than 0 percent will . In my experience , large spinnerbaits lose their effectiveness in summer . I still catch them on smaller ones with muted colors and smaller blades. Its not hard to understand. Plus theres a difference using spinnerbaits which are most often fished faster than worms and jigs . I like to burn them to not give bass a good look at them .Its a good technique employed by anglers everywhere .
I rented a slip at super clear Table Rock lake. The Aunts creek resort to be exact. There was a keeper bass under the walk way . I tried catching it with a brown Salt Craw and 12 lb test clear line . The fish had zero interest in it. I tied the brown Salt Craw on a spinning outfit with 6 lb test and dropped it down to that fish repeatedly . The bass ignored it. I then took a black marker and colored two inch strips on the line , to break up the outline. This time when I dropped it on the fish it got hit immediately. So at least one time it appeared that line visibility mattered . I camouflage my line a lot when using worms and jigs. Im convinced that it helps put a few extra fish in the boat , I cant prove it does and you cant prove it does not.
Trout anglers are convinced line visibility matters but it has zero impact on bass ? I just dont buy that . Surely there comes a time where a bass will refuse a bait because of line visibility . Barge rope , half inch rope , paracord , 100 lb test , 50 lb test ...6 lb test .
You think a bass is scared of this rig?
If you throw this combination of 30# gold superline and chartreuse Senko in super clear water with smallmouth, you better be holding your rod firmly or the fish will take it away from you.
scaleface reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 11:29 PM, Wayne P. said:
You think a bass is scared of this rig?
If you throw this combination of 30# gold superline and chartreuse Senko in super clear water with smallmouth, you better be holding your rod firmly or the fish will take it away from you.
I'm done debating . I can give an answer but it would go nowhere.
the reel ess reply :
We obviously think about fishing a lot more than the average person. I think too often we attribute human thoughts and feelings to an animal with a pea-sized brain and very little in the way of thoughts or reason. I think a fish might see the line, hook, boat and person standing 7' over their heads. But when they see something shiny or delicious looking their brain says "You must kill this!" If the water was gin clear, I might be open to some debate. But here it never is even when it's most clear.
S Hovanec reply :
It matters more to me than the fish. I also think it depends on the water clarity. The waters I fish are very clear, can see bottom in 25' on some days. I fish braid with a long FC leader. I was using P-line Halo as leader. It was mist green and i couldn't see it on the water. When I ran out, I bought Inviz-X. The only reason I switched was because the store didn't have Halo.
Fishes in trees reply :
Line color matters to me - kinda. Reaction baits, like spinner baits, cranks, chatter baits, I don't think that it matters so much. I often use greenish line. I like Iron Silk for cranks and it is a greenish color. For slower baits like jigs & soft plastics, I use fluorocarbon lines of whatever test I deem appropriate for the situation. I use braid for some situations. Frogs & heavier wake baits I don't use a fluorocarbon leader. Jerkbaits, I use braid on a spinning reel with a fluorocarbon leader because I frequently pause the bait for many seconds at a time.
Bpett2552 reply :
I really appreciate all the advice that I'm getting so far guys! It's interesting to hear all of your opinions on this topic.
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