Trout Fishing Tips

If you've been to a tackle store lately, you've most likely seen all the different types of fishing line currently available. There's monofilament lines, dacron lines, braided lines, fluorescent, fluorocarbon fishing lines and more. These days, it's easy for a beginner to get overwhelmed by all of the choices.

Many questions have been asked about Flurocarbon fishing lines. What are they? What makes them special? Are they worth your money?

These are all good questions and worth asking. Flurocarbon lines have been used by fly fishers for years. These lines are typically used for the tippet. Flurocarbon line is almost invisible under water, which is very useful in shallow clear water streams that fly fishers love to fish.

Due to ability to be almost invisible in clear water, bass and other fishers have started using flurocarbon lines as well.

While the advantages of flurocarbon fishing line is clear, the disadvantage for many spin fishers is that the line is stiff. It also tends to hold the shape of the spool really well (especially in cold water). This last feature can cause a problem when casting. Flurocarbon lines will not advance off the spool as easy when casting - so you may not be able to achieve distance. Using a lighter test line will help mitigate the casting problem, but it may still be present.

Some anglers have reported that flurocarbon lines tend to be more brittle and break more easily than other lines. This can prevent you from landing that trophy-size trout!

The bottom line (no pun intended) is that you'll have to decide how important line invisibility is when fishing in clear water versus casting ability and strength of the line.

In fishing tournaments, using a line that is nearly invisible in clear water may make all the difference in the world to your chances of winning. But if you're not fishing in clear water and casting distance and the ability to land that trophy trout are important, then you may want to chose a stronger monofilament line instead of a flurocarbon line.

As usual, I recommend testing different lines. Everybody's fishing conditions are slightly different and experience is a great teacher. Great fishers will often change out their lines and tackle to when fishing in different water conditions.

Labels: fishing line, Flurocarbon Fishing Lines, Flurocarbon lines

It's a good idea to change your fishing line at least once a year. And most anglers prefer to do this before they start the spring trout fishing season. This is when they're pulling out all of their tackle to make sure they have everything they'll need in the upcoming months.

Over time, your line is weakened by the sun and snags which stretch the line. It can also become stained from the water and other dirt and debris can help weaken the line. In short, it becomes brittle and worn out over time. And this can result in losing that trophy size trout!

Many anglers will change their lines more frequently than this since they tend to use the same rod and reel for different fishing conditions. But at the very least, you'll want to be sure and change your fishing line at least once per fishing season (or once a year).

Don't forget to clean the reel too once you have all the old line off it. Give it a good rinse with warm water. Use and old toothbrush or Q-Tip to clean hard to reach places. If you're mechanically inclined, you might even want to take the reel apart and clean the gears (but be sure you can put it back together again before doing this).

I would only suggest taking apart your spinning reel if you're using a higher-end reel. Always check the manufacturer's site for specific instructions on caring for your spinning reel. Using too much grease or oil could end up being worse than having left things alone.

When putting new line on the reel, you'll generally want to use 4 or 6 lb test line for trout fishing. You can also use 2 or 8 lb test for trout fishing, but these lines are generally used for specific lakes or rivers where a lighter or heavier line might be warranted.

If you've never changed your fishing line before, it's really easy. The trick is to pay attention when putting the line on the spool. Thread the line through the eyes of the pole first. Make sure the line goes under the bail before tying it to the spool. If done properly, you should be able to reel new line onto the spool.

Reeling will go much faster if you stick a pencil through the new line spool and have somebody hold it while you reel.

While this may seem like a hassle to some, having fresh line will help ensure you're able to land the big trout this season rather than lose him to a broken line!

For more trout fishing tips, check out our complete beginner's trout fishing eBook.

Labels: fishing line, fishing tips, tackle tips, trout fishing tips

When I first started fishing, I never changed my fishing line until it started to mysteriously break - and of course, I'm quite certain that I had a very large fish on the other end at the time!

Fishing lines get stretched, stained and brittle over time. In short, they wear out. Different water conditions can play a factor too. Fishing in saltwater can really corrode your fishing gear if not properly cared for.

When I was growing up in California, we had this ritual of spreading our rods and reels out on the front lawn to hose them off after each fishing trip. This helped lessen the chances of corrosion from salt.

But since moving to Arizona and fishing primarily in freshwater lakes, rivers and streams, I rarely hose down my fishing gear.

A good rule of thumb is to change your fishing line once a season (or once a year). This will ensure that your fishing line is strong enough to handle a good size fish without breaking. You'll also lose less tackle on normal snags.

But while this is a good practice to follow, there may be other times you'll want to change your line too. For example, fishing in different lakes sometimes requires different tackle.

You can get away with using heavier lines (like 8-lb test) in murky water because the line is less visible. But in clear water, you'll need to use lighter line (2-6 lb test).

A lot of trout anglers use 6-lb test because it can usually handle most freshwater fishing situations. This way, they only have to change the line once a season.

But the really good anglers will carry multiple reels or spools filled with different weights of line. This way they can easily swap out the line for different fishing situations.

When you purchase the better reels, they will often come with an extra spool that you can fill with line. You can also just buy an extra reel or two for your rod.

The more you fish, the more you'll discover the benefits of using fresh and different weights of line. Don't underestimate this simple and often overlooked tackle tip.

Labels: fishing line, tackle tip, test line