What Is The Best Line For Cranking? 2025

TyTheAngler reply :

Right now I have now cranking rig set up with some seagar fluorocarbon. but I have heard numerous times that mono is better than fluoro and braid for swimbaits and crankbaits because the stretch is "more forgiving" and that the "no stretch" lines will rip the hook out of the fish's mouth. Is this true? If so I'll need to respool :crazy:

FishinDaddy reply :

Yes it's true, mostly. I use 12# Berkely big game on 95% of my treble baits. Good stretch and abrasion resistant.

SpencerLittle reply :

I use flouro on all my treble baits whether it be deep or shallow cranks. It just gives that little bit extra feel. I do throw them on a medium rod at the heaviest to counter the no stretch. ..: that being said I throw swim baits one 20lb trilene big game. I like it for the fact that it castes well and is about the toughest stuff out there.( disclaimer I still use flouro for swim baits when fishing them deep)

Alpha Male reply :

I use braid. I will add a fluoro leader if I'm not getting bit. A good medium action rod will offset the lack of stretch, and as long as you don't swing for the fences on a hookset you will be fine with braid.

Also I have seen some tests and experienced it myself that most fluoro still has almost the same stretch as mono.

HoosierHawgs reply :

I use mono, Berkley Trilene XL is a good quality mono choice. The reasons being:

1) Berkley Trilene XL is about $6 for 300 yds and Berkley Trilene Fluoro is about $19 for 200 yds.. I buy all Berkley, so I get a rebate on all my line, but it still saves me money.

2) Stretch, Trilene XL is very forgiving in terms of treble baits. I rarely rip hooks out, and usually it's my own fault because I put too much pressure on the fish

3) Handling and Castability, There are fluoros that handle well, but even Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro XL does not handle as well as regular XL

This is just me, and I started my angling career use mono, and it's the most familiar to me. I use flouro and braid when warranted, but I use mono when I don't need the advantages offered by braid/fluoro because these 3 factors outweigh the negatives of mono in situations where I don't need sensitivity or abrasion resistance.

TyTheAngler reply :

On 1/14/2015 at 9:14 AM, SpencerLittle said:
I use flouro on all my treble baits whether it be deep or shallow cranks. It just gives that little bit extra feel. I do throw them on a medium rod at the heaviest to counter the no stretch. ..: that being said I throw swim baits one 20lb trilene big game. I like it for the fact that it castes well and is about the toughest stuff out there.( disclaimer I still use flouro for swim baits when fishing them deep)

That makes a lot of sense. thanks man

uncustered reply :

I prefer suffix tri+ for all my treble lures. very sensitive with enough stretch to work with the rod and prevent pull offs..... Ties great knots. I love the abrasion resistance, I can usually get 2-3 tournaments out of it..

FloridaFishinFool reply :

I don't use fluoro or mono any longer. I have not used it in probably 15 years. I like a fused superline for cranking. Smooth and powerful, no stretch. No leaders either. PE fused superline from reel to lure.

Bankbeater reply :

15# mono. Usually Big Game.

gardnerjigman reply :

I use 10# seagar red label. Never have a problem tearing it out of a fish mouth. Don't swing for the fences with a crank and you'll be fine.

OntarioFishingGuy reply :

Braid+leader. Very sensitive and cuts weeds better.

TorqueConverter reply :

On 1/14/2015 at 8:21 AM, TyTheAngler said:
Right now I have now cranking rig set up with some seagar fluorocarbon. but I have heard numerous times that mono is better than fluoro and braid for swimbaits and crankbaits because the stretch is "more forgiving" and that the "no stretch" lines will rip the hook out of the fish's mouth. Is this true? If so I'll need to respool

Rod give matters a whole heck of a lot more than line give when it comes to keeping treble hooked fished pined. If you're rod is up to snuff then you can fish braid with cranks and hook the fish deep. I've got two 6.6 med moderates, one with braid and the other with the most elastic mono I can find and the braid stick d**n near gut hooks fish and the mono stick loses fish like crazy.

The reason why? The braid stick is very soft for a med and the mono stick is a med broom handle. Rod give > line give.

papajoe222 reply :

Don't be fooled into thinking that fluoro doesn't stretch, it does. What you should look at is the rod you'll be using for the application. Many anglers use the stretch in mono to counter using a fast tip rod. The rod isn't 'forgiving' but the line is. That same line on a rod designed for cranking would result in poor hooking. Although I have a hate/hate relationship with fluoro, it is a much better choice for cranking for a couple of reasons. I just prefer mono and use a rod with a faster tip. Many anglers use spinning gear for cranking purposes and pair it with braid and when you look at the bend in their rods from this perspective, you'll see why it works for them.

Bluebasser86 reply :

Big Game or Mustad Thor in 8-15 pound test depending on where/what I'm cranking.

scaleface reply :

I use mono just because Im use to it and I fish mainly lowland reservoirs . I rarely crank deeper than 10 foot. If I was going for maximum depth I'd give floro a good go at it . I just dont get as technical as a lot of fisherman ans stick with what works and what I'm comfortable with . Trilene XL to be specific .

roadwarrior reply :

#12 Sunline Super Natural/ Medium Power, MH & Heavy/ Moderate or Slow Action

scaleface reply :

Floro stretches .Its been proven in testing. It just lays straighter in the water than mono , not a big bow in the line. A more direct connection from lure to rod.

Sam reply :

Ty, once again your query appears on the Forum.

Simple question, difficult answer.

In the good ole days, the pros would always use the rule: Mono for treble hook baits; flouro for all others.

Then came the "braid revolution" when guys started using braid for all presentations, even cranking and topwaters.

Today, you will hear and read about the pros using only fluorocarbon line.

Some pros like to use braid, like Ish Monroe, for his frog fishing and throwing in deep grass and slop.

So the line you select depends on your confidence in that line for each presentation.

Just remember to spool some mono on your reel and then tie the braid to the mono to help stop the braid from slipping.

Now read all of the posts; watch the bass fishing shows on WFN; read books; read fishing magazines; watch DVD's and confuse your self like the rest of us.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

To begin with the myth of fluoro being low or no stretch has been debunked so that's a non-issue. Secondly, after seeing first hand bed fishing, how fast a fish can inhale and spit a bait I don't buy the theory of the fish needing more time to eat the bait. IMO the main things to consider in crankbait line are line diameter to reach max depth, abrasion resistance and cast-ability. My deep cranking setup is a Lami SR 765 custom, Revo Winch spooled with 10# Suffix elite. Seems to be working.

WIGuide reply :

I use 12# Berkley 100% Fluoro. I like the way it feels and handles. I don't have any issues hooking fish even on a fast action rod, although I'd recommend backing your drag off quite a bit if you do.

Mike L reply :

I use Yo Zuri for all moving baits...

and Yes, back that drag down.

Mike

robster80 reply :

i use mccoys mean green 12lb

rawjuice reply :

I typically use 10-12 lb seaguar fluoro but last year my cousin let me try Yo-Zuri Hybrid 12lb and it worked great! Super strong line, I got a crankbait stuck this one day and i pulled it so hard, the hook snapped in half but the line was fine. This year I am going to try 10lb.

Robert Riley reply :

There was a post/poll a while back if you are interested in looking it up. It was a close race between mono and fluoro, mono winning out in the end.

And I personally use 10-12# Yo-zuri

Fishes in trees reply :

Berkley recently re-released Iron Silk and I think that is a good cranking line. 10 lb for cranking deep, 14lb for throwing square bills, 17 or 20 for throwing Rattle traps, it was also a decent spinner bait line. The old Iron Silk did have some memory issues, which could be addressed by using the KVD line treatment or Line Magic. The other thing that worked for me was getting the line warmed up, i.e. taking it easy the first few casts, letting the line get wet and stretched out a little bit before I put a bunch of muscle into it and went for maximum distance. What I liked most about this line was the abrasion resistance and knot strength.

Choporoz reply :

On 1/14/2015 at 9:09 PM, Sam said:

Now read all of the posts; watch the bass fishing shows on WFN; read books; read fishing magazines; watch DVD's and confuse your self like the rest of us.

I'm with Sam. I can confuse myself like nobody else!

These "Which line?" topics used to create an awful lot of anxiety in me. I am very uncomfortable with spooling 3, 4, 5 different kinds of line at various tests and then having to keep track of what is for what. Since I tried Yo-zuri hybrid, a sense of calm has come over me and I can read and enjoy these 'mono vs floro vs braid' posts much more for a little knowledge and a mostly entertainment. There's times when it isn't the perfect line for what I'm doing, but with some very few and specific exceptions.......I'm at peace.

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