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> Store line in cool dark places. Direct contact with sunlight wears some lines down over a period of time. So will overexposure to heat.
> If you flip and pitch a lot, you'll appreciate a stiffer line. Your backlashes will pick out much easier!
> Stiffer, low stretch line material such as fluorocarbons and extra tuff mono will help you detect bites better in the deep water. In depths of over 25 feet, many top Pros and anglers use braided line with a leader to detect even the most subtle strike. The low stretch, low diameter braid gets down to the bottom fast, even in the wind, and you can feel a fish breath on your bait in depths of 40 plus feet. Braid + Leader + Tubes = Perfection.
Experiment with leader material as well. Base your decision depending on cover/structure, or action of the lure desired. All around, Copolymer's are awesome!
> When fishing crankbaits, use a limper line. One with a bit of stretch. You'll get longer casts and when a bass smashes that crankbait, the line will absorb some of the shock and those little hooks will stay put in the fish's mouth. Copolymers and Mono are great for crankin'.
> To get the maximum depth out of your lures, use Fluorocarbon lines ... they sink! Fluorocarbon is actually heavier than water and sinks on its own. When these lines hit the water, they get your lures heading "down". Some benefits would be tossing Senkos in the wind or getting an extra foot of depth out of your crankbaits.
> When re-spooling, don't strip off all of your line. Take off about 2/3rds, leaving the last 1/3rd of the old line on the spool. Use a blood knot to attach the two lines. Over a season you'll save tons of line and money. You'll have line when you need it! We never get down to that bottom 1/3rd of the spool anyway ... think about it.
> Regularly check your line for nicks and frays. Check after every fish you catch. Each and every one! Be careful when you stow your rods, as reels and rods bump into each other, they bump into the line too. Here's a hint ... when metal meets line ... metal wins. BE CAREFUL when storing and traveling with one rod too close to the other.
> When temperatures exceed 90 degrees, try to fish with one rod and store the rest in your rod locker. Same as with a magnifying glass, spools left to bake in the direct sunlight can have bad effects. The combination of an extra hot day and the chance of light reflecting/penetrating through or off of your line and magnifying the heat from the sun is more than enough reason not to leave your non-used rods to bake on the deck. This magnifying glass effect is more associated with clear and fluorocarbon lines. Tests show a likelihood of having weakened line when one leaves rods to bake out on the boat deck a in the direct sun in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
> Using thin diameter lines such as braid allows you to get the maximum depth out of your jerkbaits. Braid casts very far allowing your jerkbait plenty of room on each cast to kick down to it's maximum diving depth. The thin diameter of the braid also allows the bait to dive further than other lines. Use a 3-4 ft Fluorocarbon leader.
> Use heavier 12 to 14lb test line to keep the nose of your topwater baits from sinking in the water.
> Only use mono for your topwater lures, or braid. Co-Polymer lines and Fluorocarbons sink in the water making them a bad choice for topwater fishing.
> In the cold, limpness in a line is essential. Most lines tend to stiffen up and coil in the cold so look for a line that can handle the cooler temperatures, a line that will remain nice and limp.
> Use braided line at night. The fish don't notice it in the darker lighting, and, nighttime is notorious for producing some giants. Plus you can't see the obstacles in the water, be secure, use braid.
> When drop-shotting, using a low stretch line is helpful in detecting bites. However, drop-shotting requires the use of 6 and 8lb test. Make sure the rod has some give to it, you need cushion somewhere.
> Another great drop-shot tip is to use limp line. Raise your rod tip and allow your baits to flutter aimlessly down to the bottom. Limp and subtle line will allow for a natural flutter, stiff lines hinder this falling and free wandering action.
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