Easy to cast with little stiffness, ideal for no-stretch sensitivity for those braids that don’t want kinks or loops on the top guide line.
The combination of high sensitivity and control makes this line ideal for jigging and casting crappie monopoles.
We may earn income from the products offered on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
With the recent buzz around fancy electronics and fishing gear mounted on the front of a boat, the most important link between angler and fish remains line. It hasn’t seen the same marketing hype and attention as other parts of modern day fishing, but lines have quietly survived the technological revolution. You’ve seen the transition from stretchy, brittle nylons to advanced formulations of denser fluorocarbons and even the same Dyneema fibers used in bulletproof vests. Here are some of the best lines to wind crappie on your reel. Whether you prefer to sit on the bank watching minnow plugs and rigs, or tease them to bite with real-time sonar and artificial lures dangling in deep bushes.
Anglers have been fishing for crappie for decades with simple monofilament line. But advances in materials and technology have increased the chances of experienced anglers to get more fish on board, reducing the time spent fiddling with equipment. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a new coil from all the options on the counter.
Crappie threads fall into three main categories: nylon monofilament, braid, and fluorocarbon. Everyone has their own application and time to shine on the crappie fisherman’s boat.
Catching a panfish can be as simple as fishing with a live flasher under a clip-on plastic bobber, or as complex as launching a few rods from a rod stand, or scanning depth with sonar and putting a jig on the nose until they decide to bite. Basic line is suitable for live bait fishing and trolling. In fact, many guides still use mono because it saves a lot of money installing dozens of poles for clients to use. But when anglers use a jig or spinning rod to pick fish from stumps and other heavy mulches, braids and fluorocarbon susceptibility are worth the extra money.
Super-smooth casting combined with low stiffness makes this thread ideal for sensitive, stretch-free braids that don’t want kinks or loops in the top thread guide.
Many unfortunate anglers who use a single rod to hang their gear near stumps and other potential hiding places use braided line for power and incredible feel. Berkley Nanofil is technically considered a monofilament, which means it has only one strand, not multiple strands woven together. However, its properties are so similar to braids that it is often referred to as “hyperwire”. The Nanofil range is treated with a special coating that gives it an exceptionally smooth finish. This smoothness gives the angler extra distance to cast small baits onto the spinning rod on every cast. It also runs smoothly through the guides on the retriever, preventing the thread from cutting into the guides, which is a problem with some thicker braids. The only downside to the smooth properties of Nanofil is that it is not suitable for simple rivet or loop assemblies. Although this is the first line I reach on my jigger and spinning reel, usually 4 feet of fluorocarbon is tied in as a guide line, allowing me to catch my favorite knots and still enjoy the full benefits of braiding. The line is not as soft as some real braids, which can cause the bait to lose its action if a leader is not hired. Clear Fog is my favorite because it’s easy to see on the water but not as intense as the High Vis Yellow variant.
The wear-resistant coating on the monofilament core makes the P-line extremely durable for anglers probing around cypress knees, stumps and other heavy mulch. It is also one of the best options for fishing around rocks and piers. CXX X-tra Strong outperforms fluorocarbons, braided and most other monofilaments when pulled over sharp hard edges in riprap, sagging concrete and other hard surfaces. The relatively low stretch provides good sensitivity to light hits, and it comes in a variety of colors, making it easy for the angler’s eye to see jumping or moving line. Anglers who prefer to fish in the dark at night will even find two fluorescent options that glow like laser beams when the sun goes down.
Berkeley’s flagship line isn’t just for herring. It combines high sensitivity and controllability, making it ideal for monopolar jigging and casting for crappie.
100% fluorocarbon Berkley Trilene line is the preferred choice for anglers who want direct contact with the lure from the moment it hits the surface until the bait is swallowed by the fish. While not as sensitive as braided line, Trilene Fluorocarbon provides a fantastic feel with the added benefit of not being as picky about the type of knot you use. This line has a standard buckle or loop knot that many anglers prefer offline. In fact, this is the line that many anglers use as a leader when using a braided main line. I have found over years of fishing that this brand is less prone to kinks and loops on the reel than other fluorocarbon lines. Like all fluorocarbon lines, Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon is dense enough to sink with the lure, preventing line slack and allowing you to find more hits on initial bait drop and pause. The only downside to this line is that it’s hard to see the surface of the water to help detect bites, and it needs to be replaced more often than other types of line. It should be checked for wear more frequently than monofilament of the same diameter, but this applies to all fluorocarbon yarns. While this product is slightly more expensive than the basic monofilament product, it is still very affordable and one of the best buys on the fluorocarbon market, regardless of the species pursued.
This special crappie formula is available in a variety of popular sizes and colors to suit any angler’s needs. Very affordable reels make it easy to assemble a whole library of crappie rods for spider rigs and multi-pole methods.
Crappie leaders and multi-rod anglers often cannot afford to wrap all their rigs in expensive braided or fluorocarbon line. This does not mean that they are willing to sacrifice productivity or results for themselves or their clients. Crappie Maxx Fishing Lines are ideal for anglers setting up multiple lines of floats and small fish or pushing four jigs and minnows from the front of a web rig boat. It’s a bit bouncy so it doesn’t make the jerky noise that braids and fluorocarbon lines do, but the line’s high visibility definitely helps anglers see bites in the water and respond quickly. The camouflage color option also allows anglers who are worried about line damage to tie their bait to less visible line segments but still be able to see the more visible line segments above the water. Line is somewhat prone to line distortion if used for continuous projection and extraction. If you start noticing loops, you should fix them quickly to avoid confusion. Anglers trolling, vertical jigging, or dangling cork clarifiers don’t see many problems with line twist because you spend more time baiting in good fishing spots and less time cutting and tangling.
In addition to catching bass, crappie, catfish and other freshwater sport fish for over 30 years, I have had the opportunity to work with manufacturers and sales representatives of various fishing tackle companies, as well as dozens of fishing guides, on fishing reports and product sales on throughout the central United States. Personal experience with different lines, comparison of current line specifications and regular conversations with experts who create and use the many product options available, drive this choice.
In general, you can never go wrong with a 6 or 8 pound test reel when chasing black or white crappie, but other lines may be required in some cases. If the water is very clear or the fish are under a lot of stress, downsizing to 4lbs can improve catches for small rigs and artificial fish. The lighter thread creates a smaller silhouette, but it also tends to be softer, resulting in a slightly more lively action. However, if you find yourself fishing on the edge of seaweed or thick mulch in polluted water, you may need to do a 10- or even 12-pound test to get the fish out of the lettuce. Obstacles are a fact of life if you fish in the right place. Constant pulling on thicker line can often straighten light line hooks used for crabbing, allowing you to bend them back and fish faster than losing the clip and over tightening the line.
The question of whether crappie can actually see high visibility line should be, “Do they need to take care of high visibility line?” When trolling, casting, or otherwise using fast moving baits, the fish lose their reaction, so visibility is less important. . Also, when anglers use live bait on the rigs described in our Best Live Lure Crappie Rigs article, the lure of the live bait outweighs any negative line color effects. Vertical jigging or slowly crawling pipe fixtures or grubs are really the only two areas that can affect color. However, line size plays a much more important role in visibility than color. The smaller the diameter of the wire, the less noticeable it will be and the more realistic your feed will be, focusing your attention on the bait. An angler’s ability to see how the line twitches or bounces on a light hit is even more important to success on tough days, which is why high visibility lines are so popular. Some anglers swear by the almost invisible fluorocarbon line to increase their catch in harsh conditions, but that could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Confidence in your equipment will make you stay longer and pay more attention on a busy day. Until we meet a talking crappie, we’ll never know for sure if he cares about line color. For anglers who still need a clear lined safety net, a high visibility reel combined with a lightweight 4ft premium fluorocarbon lead provides the best of both worlds.
All lines mentioned in this article have been specially selected for their ability to work with standard fishing techniques used for crappie fishing. Snapper and other types of panfish may require smaller lines, but these same brands will work for this purpose. If you’re looking for something more versatile, click here for a list of series covering a wider variety of looks.
Subscribe to the Field & Stream newsletter to receive the latest insights straight to your inbox.
Post time: Nov-06-2022