Ultralight Fishing Line

[Bray]

My favorite type of fishing involves an ultralight, a creek, and a small mouth. In years past I spooled whatever was handy on my ultralights. Now that I have started reading more I am begining to understand that line choice plays a big role in the fish you catch. So I was wondering what type of line you guys use on your light/ultralight fishing setups.

[Col Forbin]

I use Seaguar invis-X on all my light set ups.

[AJM]

The flourocarbon listed above would be good for most applications due to streghth, visibility and small diameter. However while you are in the creek your bait arsenal may vary, as mine does. I do alot of topwater fishing and the flourocarbon can hinder that success. So I stay true to a 6# monofilament, Sufix brand, in clear. It is VERY strong and about the strongest per diameter mono i have ever used. If the creek gets low and the water Ultra clear, i use 4#. Mono gives me the ability to tie on ANY bait and fish it the way iits meant to be fished.
More so than anything when you are fishing rocky bottoms you must check your line near the hook and weight often. When light line is frayed in that kind of terrain you might as well not even worry about setting the hook, because it will break.

[Col Forbin]

The flourocarbon listed above would be good for most applications due to streghth, visibility and small diameter. However while you are in the creek your bait arsenal may vary, as mine does. I do alot of topwater fishing and the flourocarbon can hinder that success. So I stay true to a 6# monofilament, Sufix brand, in clear. It is VERY strong and about the strongest per diameter mono i have ever used. If the creek gets low and the water Ultra clear, i use 4#. Mono gives me the ability to tie on ANY bait and fish it the way iits meant to be fished.
More so than anything when you are fishing rocky bottoms you must check your line near the hook and weight often. When light line is frayed in that kind of terrain you might as well not even worry about setting the hook, because it will break.

Good call on the mono - I am not used to fishing topwater with ultralight - however, I haven't fished a cree in a couple of years. I used to fly fish the elkhorn almost daily for a few years, and usually did the best on topwater.

[kygorski]

I like 8/1 spiderwire.If the stream has any color at all, no leader is needed.Dont over load the spool. A small snap will get you all the action your small cranks need.Just watch your line when you close the bail the first few times you use it, till you become adjusted to it.

[leakinwader]

In small easily waded creeks, I always used to use 2 lb Bass Pro fluorocarbon, with 1/32 Roostertails. Loved it. On the bigger creeks, I would use 4 lb.
Since moving to Taylor county, haven't stepped in a creek.
I always liked using the lightest line possible.
A 3 lb cat on 1 lb test in Nolin River is something I'll never forget.
Good luck, Tommy

[kygorski]

I used to do a whole lot of ultra light fishing, using 4 and twp pound lines. NEVER again!The new braids have been the answer to line stretch, and poor hook sets.We used to troll rapalas on lake michigan at night for those hugfe brown trout, in shallow water. 50yds of light line, and a long limber rod were the tools you needed, and many a fish was lost because of poor hook sets due to long line and the stretch factor. I'm too old to go back there now, but I know that there are guys using the new lines and doing very well.

[AJM]

Well, to the guys that have listed braided lines above... I have a few questions.
I use braid specifically for my big topwaters, when not in the creek. I have never really tried braid in the creek at all. DO they make a good one that is a little less visible? Also when fishing softplastics or jigs, does the braid hurt the fall or the ability to maintain contact with the bottom on light lures due to its floating compounds? thanks.

[pineknott]

I'm a big fan of Fireline. I've spooled up with 4lb./smoke color for years on my ultralight. It's tough to beat the sensitivity (no stretch) and strength. I mostly go after bluegill and crappie, but my biggest fish on the 4lb Fireline was a 6.25 pound walleye caught out of Paintsville Lake. I mainly fish small hair jigs around heavy cover. I've broken off several times, but there have been countless times that I've straightened the hook. My favorite ultralight rod and reel is currently spooled with 2lb. Fireline crystal (supposedly has a 1/2 lb. diameter). I've had great success with it as well. I've hauled in several walleye and catfish on the 2lb. Though its a bit pricey, I'm hooked on Fireline!

Good luck fishin this year!

[slowride]

I don't like to throw braid for topwater, no strectch and i rip it out of the fishes mouth alot, i can't control myself? But for ultralight fishing you can get a 10lb braid that has the diam of 4lb mono, and also take into consideration that all this new line cost a mini fortune? At times i don't know that its worth $100 to go out and and buy line to spool up 5 rods?

[kygorski]

Cost? It will last all season long, and longer if you go end to end. My original spider wire, which I got a gift with a rod and reel is almost 5 yre old, and strong as ever, do that with mono!Also if you want to pich pennys, and dont do any long line trolling, only use fifty yds of it, a spool of good braid will cost you about 15 bucks per 5o yd fills, and lasts a long long timemono a good brand will run you about 6 bucks per 50 yd fill.

[slowride]

I was taking fluro into consideration along with braid. I do agree that braid will last through one season, but their is no way i would fish it for 5 years?? Now i fish fluro too but it's $23-$28 for 250-300 yards of line, and changing that out every so often depending on how much you fish, it adds up.