“As a guide, I see it all,” says Brad Whitehead of Alabama. “Some fishermen tell me they buy the cheapest line for their crappie outfit because they figure the fish aren’t that big, or because they break off so many times on snags why invest in more costly line. I tell them that cheap line will cost them more in the long run in lost baits and rigs as well as lost fish.”

Tennessee guide Jim Duckworth has had similar experiences.

- Advertisement -

“I’ll have clients come aboard with stiff, springy line on little spinning reels,” he says. “Or sometimes the spool is only half filled, or the line comes off the reel like a coiled Slinky. They can’t cast efficiently and end up spending a good part of the day with line-management issues.”
Experienced anglers know that having the right line can mean the difference between success and failure. Unfortunately, some fishermen figure any line will do when it comes to crappie.
There are excellent lines on the market to choose from, with the initial consideration being the different types of line — monofilament/copolymer, fluorocarbon or superline braids. Within those categories are many outstanding brands. While each manufacturer wants you to believe its line is better than all competitors, it’s important to realize no one line is ideally suited to every crappie-fishing contingency.

A Balanced System
Although some manufacturers list more than a dozen different characteristics that set lines apart, the features of interest to most crappie anglers are manageability, break strength, abrasion resistance, stretch, and line visibility for both angler and fish.
Bill Siemantel may be best known for his techniques to catch monster bass in California, but he is also a dedicated crappie angler.
“Many anglers do not understand a balanced system — rod, reel, line and lure — is an enormous factor in achieving the proper presentation,” Siemantel says. “Understanding what certain lines bring to the table in terms of their capabilities is what separates good crappie fishermen from great ones.”
Depending on what line characteristics are needed in a given situation, Siemantel may use monofilament, fluorocarbon or braid. One of Siemantel’s signature crappie presentations is a float-and-fly setup. For this technique, he is always spooled with 4- or 6-pound monofilament due to its floatation characteristics and shock-resistant capabilities.
However, when he employs a lure presentation that needs to sink quickly or when he is confronted with very clear water and spooky fish, he goes with fluorocarbon. Finally, when fishing extremely deep where sensitivity is critical to strike detection, a superline braid is his choice.
“Choose the wrong type of line for the job, and it will surely become the weakest link in your system real fast,” adds Siemantel. “No matter what brand you choose, find the one that best complements your system in the techniques that you are using.”
Mike Kuna, president of the Keystone Crappie Association, agrees with Siemantel’s advice.
“One thing I’ve seen with some fishermen is their unwillingness to change line according to the situation,” he says.
Even though anglers may be spooled with a good brand-name line, many try to make it work for every situation. That can be a problem when they switch to a presentation for which that line is not the best choice.
Kuna utilizes a specific type based on the situation. For open water, his spinning reel will be spooled with 4-pound test monofilament that has low memory to prevent coiling. However, for fishing around fallen trees and brushpiles, Kuna’s choice is braided line.
“Braid provides the strength to pull a jig out of cover when hung,” says Kuna. “Plus, the no-stretch attribute of braid allows you to feel the most subtle bite while rubbing branches.”
When it comes to the hard-water season up north, Kuna says that invisibility is critical in a line because the water will be clearer than at any other time of the year. For this, he favors Gamma Fluorocarbon Ice in 1- to 3-pound test.

Casting Considerations
Experienced crappie anglers prefer a strong, but thin-diameter supple line when casting tiny baits. But softer, supple lines generally have lower abrasion resistance and some stretch. However, that is not a major concern when casting short distances in relatively open water. Most anglers are willing to give up low abrasion resistance and low stretch in these circumstances in favor of manageability on small spools of crappie-sized spinning reels. Continued tweaking of copolymer lines will likely improve all of these characteristics within certain limits.
Charlie Brewer Jr., president of Charlie Brewer’s Slider Company, spends a lot of time field-testing his products.
“Many crappie anglers use line that is too heavy (thick diameter) for casting small lures,” he says. “Smaller-diameter line casts farther and sinks quicker. Generally, I use 4-pound test monofilament, although I’ll go to 6-pound test in heavy cover. The light-wire hooks on my baits will straighten out with 4-pound test in most cases.”
Crappie guide Garry Mason’s main line concern is strength.
“I want a small-diameter line that is strong enough to pull a 1⁄16-ounce lure free from brush time after time without breaking,” he says.
For casting crappie baits, Duckworth favors fluorocarbon when the air temperature is above 60 degrees and monofilament when the temperature is below 60 degrees.
“Switching between these two lines is a matter of line manageability,” says Duckworth. “Fluorocarbon is not as flexible in colder temperatures.”
Dock-shooting is included in Whitehead’s repertoire, so he must consider this technique when selecting a line.
“For shooting a jig under docks, I want a line that has a small diameter compared to its break strength and blends into the shallow-water environment,” he says.

Vertical Fishing, Tight-Lining And Pulling Lines
Since these techniques do not involve casting and retrieving, and because encounters with submerged trees, brush and rock are more frequent, the abrasion-resistant factors override the limpness and manageability issues. Anglers are generally willing to accept additional stiffness in a line when using these cover-contact techniques. Besides, many fishermen use baitcasting reels for these techniques, and stiffer lines behave better on baitcasters.
The abrasion-resistant characteristic of fluorocarbon line would seem to be a natural for this style of fishing. But for some veteran crappie anglers, the wiry nature of fluorocarbon leaves them cold. Instead, many look to a copolymer that is specially tweaked for greater abrasion resistance.
“When vertical jigging, the bait is directly below the rod tip and usually in heavy cover like brush, standing timber or bridge abutments,” explains Whitehead. “You need a line that is going to handle rubbing against cover and not break on hooksets.”
As for braid, Whitehead claims he knows fishermen who tried braid for tight-lining and pulling but broke their rods when they set the hooks too hard.
“I do not see a no-stretch line in my future,” he adds.
However, Duckworth is a proponent of braid, which he employs for trolling crankbaits and other special applications. He says the secret to hooksets is not to set the hook but to simply lift the rod and wind.
When fishing bobbers in spring and fall, Duckworth ties the braid directly to his live-bait hook.
“That way I straighten out my hook when it’s snagged in brush but don’t break off my float,” he says.

Color Commentary
Crappie-fishing experts generally agree on line characteristics needed for specific situations. But when it comes to the topic of line visibility, there is a wide variance of opinion among even the most experienced and successful anglers.
“Some people think crappie are not line wise, but I believe differently,” says Duckworth. “I have fished natural-color low-visibility line side by side with clients using red or yellow line, and I have caught more crappie than they did. It seems pretty easy to figure out. If crappie can see your line, it is detrimental to your fishing.”
Of course, Duckworth fishes the clear-water reservoirs of Tennessee.
“Maybe you can get away with easier-to-see colored lines in dingy water,” he admits.
Mason has a different view regarding what crappie see and how they react to line.
“Crappie anglers for the most part follow what bass fishermen believe — that you don’t want fish to see your line,” he says. “But this isn’t my opinion. Consider that crappie are attracted to chartreuse. Just ask any crappie angler to name his top colors for jigs, and chartreuse will appear on every list. A crappie attracted to chartreuse-colored line in the water is already looking in the direction of the lure when it comes by because you have got the fish’s attention.”
Whitehead believes the color of your line can be very important based on the time of year.
“When you’re fishing clear water, a clear or green line will result in more crappie on a slow day,” he explains. “I would never fish a yellow or red line during summer, fall or winter when the water is generally clearer. However, in spring it’s a different matter. I have successfully fished bright yellow line on my rods when trolling or tight-lining so both clients and I can track 12 lines easier in the turns. I think you can get away with bright-colored lines in spring because crappie are more aggressive and the water is dirtier than at any other time of the year.”
For Brewer, water clarity is not a factor.
“Bright-colored lines work well, and I don’t think they take away from the number of crappie bites at all,” he says. “A person needs to be a line watcher, and bright lines are easier to see, especially as a person gets older. I generally use a chartreuse or fluorescent green line. If a fisherman thinks crappie are spooked by bright-colored line, then tie a clear leader to the main line.”
Siemantel chooses his line color based on the situation.
“If you are fishing shallow cover with brush or weeds, I do not believe line color has any impact on fish because a visible line simply is something else in the water with a lot of other stuff,” he says. “Basically, any line becomes part of the environment. But when fishing open water on clear-water lakes that receive a lot of fishing pressure, I am absolutely going to use invisible fluorocarbon, especially during winter when water has its greatest transparency.”
When Siemantel spoons or jigs for crappie in deep water, he goes to braid.
“At 30 feet, you lose all sense of feel with 4-pound test, whether monofilament or fluorocarbon, and the stretch in these lines prevents solid hooksets,” he adds. “The no-stretch characteristic of braid is vital. Because braid is very visible, I use a 6-foot fluorocarbon leader.”
So don’t let anyone tell you that a particular line is the best one for you because there are many variables to consider. Only you know all the factors in how and where you normally fish for crappie that can impact line choice.
While you may feel a bit intimidated by the many claims, it’s all those different choices that keep manufacturers on their toes and looking to build better lines. Although brand loyalty is something that line manufacturers love to talk about, you do not want to be locked into using only a couple of lines year after year. Be sure to check out new offerings periodically. At the rate of recent improvements in all types of line, in another five years it will be interesting to see which lines are considered the best for crappie fishing.



Want more great articles from Bassin' and Crappie World magazines?
Click here to download PDF articles just as they appeared in print.