Fishing-line cheat sheet
How does each line type do on this? Tap or hover a cell for the reason.
Weak · Fair · Strong
| x8+ PE braid (8-carrier and up) | x4 PE braid | Sinking PE | Fused superline (Fireline / unified filament) | Fibre, weave & surface finish | Dacron braid (polyester) | Nylon monofilament | Copolymer / fluoro-coated nylon | Soft fluorocarbon | Stiff fluorocarbon | Ester line (polyester monofilament) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | |||||||||||
| Material quality (consistency at a price) | Strong — Often lists PE number and approximate diameter: easy to compare | Fair — Cost-first; yarn and coating vary widely | Fair — Blend or weighted coating is rarely stated | Strong — One fused construction, few brands (FireLine) | Weak — Sold by lb and "mono-equivalent" diameter; yarn and coating unstated | Strong — Little difference between brands: buy the cheap spool | Fair — Formulas vary; budget spools are inconsistent | Fair — An "upgrade" label is not one formula | Strong — Check it says 100% fluorocarbon | Strong — Check it says 100% fluorocarbon | Fair — Niche category, few models |
| Thinner for the same strength | Strong — PE #1 ≈ 20 lb at ~0.171 mm (VARIVAS example) | Strong — PE fibre: far thinner than mono at equal strength | Fair — Coating or blend adds diameter at the same PE number | Strong — PE fibre, rated in lb | Fair — 20 lb 832 = 0.229 mm (0.009″); thick coating | Weak — 30 lb Dacron ≈ the diameter of 20 lb nylon | Weak — 20 lb Sufix Elite = 0.457 mm (0.018″) | Weak — Monofilament: far thicker than PE | Weak — 20 lb Advance FC = 0.432 mm (0.017″) | Weak — Monofilament: far thicker than PE | Weak — Monofilament: far thicker than PE |
| Floats | Strong — PE specific gravity ≈ 0.97, lighter than fresh water | Strong — PE specific gravity ≈ 0.97 | Hardly ever — Built to sink | Strong — PE specific gravity ≈ 0.97 | Strong — PE specific gravity ≈ 0.97 | Hardly ever — Polyester ≈ 1.38: sinks | Fair — ≈ 1.14; rides the surface film for a while | Weak — Near neutral | Hardly ever — Specific gravity 1.78: sinks fast | Hardly ever — Specific gravity 1.78: sinks fast | Hardly ever — Polyester ≈ 1.38: sinks |
| Sinks | Hardly ever — Floats | Hardly ever — Floats | Fair — Only slightly heavier than water: sinks slowly, cuts the wind bow | Hardly ever — Floats; denser than braid but does not truly sink | Hardly ever — Floats; the coating is for handling, not density | Fair — ≈ 1.38: sinks, but thick | Weak — Sinks slowly | Weak — Near neutral | Strong — 1.78: fastest | Strong — 1.78: fastest | Fair — ≈ 1.38: sinks |
| Water resistance (no uptake, little carried water) | Fair — Fibre absorbs almost nothing; the weave holds water | Fair — Fibre absorbs almost nothing; coarse weave holds water | Fair — As braid; more carried water once the coating wears | Fair — No weave gaps, but carries water into guides in hard frost | Fair — Little carried water while the coating lasts | Weak — Weave holds water: swells on the spool, mildews if stored wet | Weak — The polymer absorbs water; wet properties change | Weak — Still a nylon; check the product | Strong — Absorbs almost no water | Strong — Absorbs almost no water | Strong — Polyester mono: very low uptake |
| Casting | |||||||||||
| Quiet through the guides | Strong — Round and smooth: quiet in the guides | Weak — Textured surface: hums in the guides | Fair — x8 build, but a grippier coating | Strong — No braid texture | Fair — Quiet while coated, louder once worn | — — Not a casting line | Strong — Smooth monofilament | Strong — Smooth monofilament | Strong — Smooth monofilament | Strong — Smooth monofilament | Strong — Smooth monofilament |
| Smooth line flow | Strong — Round and slick: clean payout | Weak — Coarse: poor payout with light lures | Fair — Slick, but the coating stiffens it | Fair — Stiff and flat; less supple than x8 | Fair — Smooth while coated, rough once worn | Weak — Thick, soft and draggy | Strong — Supple: flows easily | Strong — Supple: flows easily | Fair — Fairly supple, still stiffer than nylon | Weak — Stiff, with memory | Fair — Stiffish; manage slack |
| Casting distance (light lures) | Strong — Best for long casts with 3–7 g lures | Weak — Clearly worse with 3–7 g lures | Fair — Bought for line control at range; casts well enough | Fair — Clean with light lures; worse with a leader knot | Fair — Thicker per lb: average with light lures | Hardly ever — Not a casting main line | Fair — Thicker, but supple | Fair — Thicker, but supple | Fair — Thicker and heavier | Weak — Stiff: high payout drag | Fair — Made for fine sizes and tiny lures |
| Resists wind knots (low memory) | Fair — Loops if filled to the lip; leave 1–2 mm | Strong — Firmer; beds on itself | Fair — Slick and coated: throws loops | Strong — Stiff: very few wind knots | Strong — Very manageable while coated | Fair — Soft, no memory | Fair — Has memory; takes a set | Fair — Has memory | Fair — Has memory; manage slack on spinning | Weak — A full spinning spool coils like a spring | Weak — Stiff with memory: tangles easily |
| Durability | |||||||||||
| Abrasion (rock, shell) | Weak — 20 lb braid kept 1.05 lb after 3 light sanding passes | Weak — "Fewer carriers wear better" is unproven on rock | Weak — A sinking line lies on the shell | Weak — Damage splits white and fuzzy; strength goes there | Weak — The coating is not armour | Weak — Polyester is no armour either | Fair — 6 lb nylon kept 4.5 lb in the same test | Fair — Product-specific | Fair — A common contact section; compare products | Strong — Chosen for an abrasion-resistant contact section | Weak — Fine and easily scuffed |
| Cover-friendly (weeds, timber) | Fair — Fine in weeds; add a contact section on rock | Strong — Punching, frogs and flipping, tied direct | Weak — Drapes over structure and shell | Weak — Dislikes cover | Strong — 30 lb+ tied direct for reaction baits | Weak — Not a cover line | Fair — Forgiving, but lets fish into weeds | Fair — Product-specific | Fair — The lighter end of cover leaders | Strong — First choice for cover leaders | Hardly ever — Not suited |
| Feel & stealth | |||||||||||
| Sensitivity (seeing and feeling bites) | Strong — Near-zero stretch, and it floats where you can see it | Strong — Near-zero stretch: reads the bottom | Strong — Transmits well, but no visual line watching | Strong — Stiff line carries light bites | Strong — Near-zero stretch | Weak — Stretchy, little feedback | Weak — High stretch | Weak — High stretch | Fair — Stretches, but more direct than nylon | Fair — Stretches, but more direct than nylon | Strong — Low stretch: light bites read clearly |
| Stretch (shock absorption) | Weak — Near zero: the rod tip and drag do the cushioning | Weak — Near zero | Weak — Near zero | Weak — Near zero | Weak — Near zero | Fair — Usable stretch: keeps trolled trebles pinned | Strong — Most stretch | Strong — High stretch | Fair — Stretches under load | Fair — Stretches under load | Weak — Low stretch |
| Stealth (to fish) | Weak — Opaque: relies on the leader | Weak — Opaque, often tied direct | Weak — Dark and opaque | Weak — "Crystal" is pale, not clear | Weak — Opaque | Weak — Opaque | Fair — Clear or tinted | Fair — Clear or tinted | Strong — Clear; the usual leader | Strong — Clear; the usual leader | Fair — Clear monofilament |
| Knot-friendly (knot strength) | Fair — Slick: FG to the leader, wet and seat slowly | Fair — A dry, fast Palomar slips on coated braid | Fair — Slicker: add two or three wraps to the FG | Weak — FG will not grip: use a double uni or Alberto | Fair — FG seats well on thicker coated braid | Strong — Does not slip: clinch and uni seat properly | Strong — Knots easily | Strong — Knots easily | Fair — Wet and seat slowly; inspect the knot | Fair — Avoid sharp kinks | Weak — Weak at the knot |
| Fishing | |||||||||||
| Small-lure friendly | Strong — 3–7 g rigs rely on its round surface | Weak — Poor with light lures | Strong — Deep finesse at PE 0.5–0.8 | Strong — Perch, crappie and ice jigs | Weak — Rarely made below 10 lb | Hardly ever — Not used for this | Fair — Supple, but thick | Fair — Supple, but thick | Strong — Keeps tiny lures moving naturally | Weak — Can deaden tiny lures | Strong — Made for tiny lures at 0.2–0.6 gou |
| Big-lure friendly | Fair — PE 2–3 for big swimbaits and glides | Strong — PE 3–8 | Weak — The market stops at PE 2.5 | Hardly ever — Not made above 30 lb | Strong — 30–80 lb | Fair — Trolling big hard baits only (50–80 lb) | Fair — Stretch keeps trebles pinned | Fair — Product-specific | Weak — 4–16 lb: a finesse range | Strong — 12–30 lb | Hardly ever — 1–4 lb |
| Bite-friendly (colour, stiffness, stretch, sensitivity, stealth) | Fair — Sensitive and supple, but opaque: needs a leader | Weak — Thick and opaque, tied direct | Fair — Sensitive, but dark and opaque | Fair — Sensitive, but stiff and opaque | Weak — Thick and opaque | Weak — Thick, opaque, no feedback | Fair — Soft and forgiving, but low sensitivity | Fair — Soft and forgiving | Strong — Clear, supple, some stretch | Fair — Clear, but stiff | Fair — Sensitive and clear, but little cushion |
| Finesse-rig friendly | Strong — Drop shot, Ned, Neko and wacky with an FC leader | Hardly ever — Not suited | Strong — Drop shot and hover rigs in wind | Fair — Ice and light spinning for perch and crappie | Weak — Rarely made in fine sizes | Hardly ever — Not suited | Fair — Workable; thick and stretchy | Fair — Workable | Strong — Soft FC keeps the action | Weak — On the stiff side | Strong — Japanese light-lure fine line |
| Power-rig friendly (heavy cover, big fish) | Fair — PE 3–8 for pike and muskie with a bite leader | Strong — Frogs, punching, flipping | Weak — Tops out at PE 2.5 | Hardly ever — Not made | Strong — 50–80 lb for flipping and mats | Weak — Backing and trolling only | Weak — Stretchy and thick | Fair — Product-specific | Weak — Finesse ratings | Strong — Cover leaders | Hardly ever — Not suited |
| Cost | |||||||||||
| Price-friendly | Fair — Mid-priced | Strong — Cheap per metre | Weak — Most expensive per metre; the coating wears fast | Fair — Fair in the light ratings | Strong — 300 yd (275 m) spools fill two reels | Strong — Cheap | Strong — Cheapest | Fair — A little above plain nylon | Fair — Mid-priced | Weak — Pricier | Fair — Mid-priced |
PE wins on thinness, sensitivity and cost per strength; fluorocarbon and nylon win on stealth, stretch and knots. That is why most spinning setups are PE plus a leader.
Levels compare line types, not brands: one product can sit a level higher or lower. Diameter figures are manufacturer labels, not measured break loads.