Reddit mentions: The best monofilament fishing line

It's a broad and general question, so you are likely to get similarly broad advice.

I am assuming you are talking about spin-fishing rather than fly fishing. I'd say:

Get a spinning (not casting) rod, and a spinning (not 'baitcasting') reel. Match your rod to your fish, your reel to your rod, and your line to your reel. The easiest thing to do is buy a combo LIKE THIS because the components are matched already.

If you want to roll-your-own setup:

ROD The rod will say what "weight" it is: ultra-light, Light, ..., heavy). Trout are usually light or ultra-light depending on the size they grow where you are fishing. Unless you know the trout are > 2 lbs. in weight, go with "Light"

REEL The reel should match the rod, look for a 1000 series for Light, or an ultralite for UL. More important though, the spool of the reel will list the how much of which line it can hold in terms of pounds of test. and length. e.g. My ultra-light reel will hold 100 yards of 4 lb. line (still on Imperial measurements here in US). For a Light rod, look for a reel that shows 6 - 8 lb test. About 150 yards of 6 lb is a good target.

LINE Get what is listed on the reel. Monofilament is fine, don't worry about flourocarbon, coated or braided lines.

TIPPET Do get some flourocarbon "tippet" and the smallest barrel swivels you can find. Trout have excellent eyesight, and the tippet is much harder for them to see because it is smaller and flourocarbon is invisible in water. This makes your terminal tackle less 'spooky.' 5x tippet is a good match for 6 lb test. 6x for ultralight. Do this even if you bought the combo above.

RIGGING Generally you will put your main line on the reel's spool and out to a swivel, then a few feet of the lighter, more expensive tippet to your terminal tackle. e.g. My ultralight setup is 4 lb. mono main line to a size 7 swivel and 7x flouro tippet to the terminal tackle. You probably want 6 lb to 5x, and 8 lb. to 5x is totally fine if you buy a combo with 8 lb.

TERMINAL TACKLE For reservoirs you want to use floating bait, tubes/jigs, and lures (inline spinners and/or spoons) from shore. From a boat, same, but more emphasis on spoons. Lures are a blast, but will cost you a LOT of money to acquire a good variety of them. I recommend bait and tubes/jigs if you are just starting out.

Floating Bait If you are shore-fishing, this is going to be your friend. Get some floating bait (real worms, dough, nuggets, etc.) and set up a Carolina Rig. Real worms are the best bait IMO, but they do not float naturally. You have to put air in them with a hypo. If you are just starting out, the artificial baits are fine. Rig it up, throw it in, take the slack out of the line and wait for the lunkers to come get some.

Tubes & Jigs These take more skill, but can produce a lot of fish. If you are fishing snaggy, moving water like rivers I recommend these as the top way to fish (lures are expensive and easy to lose in rivers.) Get a Trout Magnet or Crappie Magnet kit and you have everything you need.

Lures Inline spinners like Panther Martins (esp. the black/yellow dot & yellow/red dot) and Mepps Algias crush Sierra trout, not sure what their Eton comrades prefer. Keep the weight between 1/16 oz. and 1/8 oz. unless the trout are big (match the lure weights that are often listed on your rod) Good spoons here include the Acme Kastmaster, Thomas Bouyant and Super Duper. The rule here that the heavier the lure, the better it casts and the more potentially off-putting it is to a smallish fish like a trout.

Lure Selection The specifics of lure size, color and action can have a big impact on whether you get bites. What works one day may not work the next. This is how you can end up buying a LOT of lures. In general, you want to use light/bright colored lures in clear water and/or bright days and dark lures in turbid water or dimly lit days. THIS THREAD as well as THIS OTHER THREAD has some more detailed info on lure colors, sizes and brands I recommend.

You may also want to check out Fly and Bubble fishing which lets you use a spin rod to cast flies. It's a hoot and pretty effective: Get some adjustable spin floats, some flies and start fly and bubble fishing. Elk Hair Caddis sizes 12 - 18 are good, as are nymphs, and Mayfly imitations. Talk to local fly fishermen to see which bugs are good for your reservoir.

GETTING THE STUFF THAT WORKS Talk to the fishing outfitters near where you fish. They will tell you how the bite is, what the fish like, and where to do your fishing. Invaluable advice to prevent buying the entire world to cover all the bases.

HOW TO FISH This is super situational, but in general trout want to ingest more energy than they expend, i.e. they don't want to die. They like cold water near sources of food (bugs) and cover (rocks, brush, etc.). If you are fishing moving water, take the time to learn to READ THE WATER. Trout use moving water as a conveyor belt that brings them food. In reservoirs, you want to look for spots that are shallow enough to support plants and bugs, with deep water and/or good structure/cover nearby. Trout here will generally be cruising slowly or hanging in the water. Ideally, you will put your bait or lure near enough to entice without spooking them. If the trout are jumping or rising through the surface, they are eating insects from the surface film (emergers or fallen fliers), this would be a great time for the fly and bubble technique mentioned previously.

Generally THERE ARE TONS OF VIDEOS that cover whatever specific scenario you are going to pursue.

The most important technique is getting good at SETTING THE HOOK. It's hard to catch fish if you are bad at this.

FISH HANDLING

Trout are covered in protective slime:

• Wet your hand before touching them to help preserve it
  
• Use a rubber mesh net if you are netting them
  
• NEVER put them on the ground.
  
  Mash the barbs on your hooks if you are doing catch and release.
  
  Hemostats/forceps are the easiest way to remove hooks from fish
  
  Turning the fish upside-down will make them less frantic in their flopping.
  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  
  I hope that helps, have fun!

The most basic all around set up I would recommend for fishing in a lake would be to go buy some crankbaits, jerkbaits, a couple topwater lures (I recommend jitterbugs, and poppers), and some softplastic worms and worm hooks (they have the little angled shaft by the eye of the hook). Get some 12lb monofilament fishing line (it's good for mostly everything you'll catch in a lake).
Also, get some hooks and splitshot sinkers.

In terms of color for the baits, try to mimic the types of baitfish that are in the lake you're fishing at. Shad are pretty common in lakes near me, so 2/3 of my tackle box are filled with shad colored crankbaits and jerkbaits. Bluegill colored bait is always good because most lakes are full of bluegill.

That should help you target almost anything you could want to catch in a lake until you start getting more experience. Once you get more experience you can start tweaking things and buying more specialized stuff. But with the stuff I told you to buy, you really just have to locate the fish and you should be able to catch them.

EDIT:

Here's a pretty good assortment of hardbait to get you started. I'm not sure how wonderful the quality is, but they should catch fish for you and give you a foundation to build on until you get some more experience.

these and these are pretty decent rubber lures that will work for a wide variety of fish. Buy these hooks for them and these weights to help get your rubber lures to the bottom of the lake.

A package of bait hooks like these will help you catch stuff like catfish and bluegill using live bait. [Bobbers] (http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Floats-Assortment-1-Inch/dp/B0009V5QEA/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1462166419&sr=1-1&keywords=Bobber) are pretty good for catching bluegill as well. Catfish suck food off of the bottom of the lake at night, so skip on the bobber if you're fishing for those and I wouldn't waste time fishing for them in the day time.

And some basic 12 pound fishing line. Stick to the clear stuff.

All that gear should help you get started. There shouldn't be a fish in a lake that you can't catch using that stuff.

Sure! 40-ish bucks worth of hooks swivels and weights and braided mainline and mono leader. 5 bucks worth of powerbait(worms are free if you wanna dig) 30 dollars a year for fishing license(depending on what state you live in). Carpool with a couple friends to a lake or river, if one has a boat that's cool but you don't need one. A 30 dollar rod and reel set works. Don't need a 400 dollar rod to catch 2 pound trout. If you go once a week and catch a few fish then you more than break even. Start out cost is low as well as accruing expenses. You only need to keep buying bait and a yearly fishing license

Lines: [braided main line] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPKT9I0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - [Mono leader line] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T7WAN4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Hooks: [#8 baithooks] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0186XEATY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Sinkers: [assorted sinker set] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009V2R2E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Swivels: [These even have swivels, which aren't pictured] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YMJ6ONC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - [heres a picture of the snaps] (http://i.imgur.com/BJeHUso.jpg)

Powerbait: [Take your pick of different colors and scents to see what works where you fish at] (https://www.amazon.com/Berkley-Powerbait-Glitter-Rainblow-1-75-Ounce/dp/B0000AV1L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478070992&sr=8-1&keywords=powerbait)

Rod and reel:[If you go to an outdoors store you can find even cheaper] (https://www.amazon.com/Okuma-Spinning-Combo-Medium-7-Feet/dp/B00LV00CZG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1478070582&sr=8-4&keywords=fishing%2Brod%2Band%2Breel&th=1&psc=1)

All of those one time expenses comes up to 63.30, that includes a rod and reel, lines, hooks, weights, sinkers, snap swivels and a jar of bait. The only thing you need to buy after that is bait every now and again for 4~ dollars

As for the license, it depends where you are, some places it's as cheap at 9 dollars a year, some places its 40.

As for getting my monies worth, I think I do, fresh fish is expensive. That's not even including the experience of it. I love going out into nature and relaxing with friends, catching a few fish and eating them for dinner is pretty fun

Can't go wrong with the Ugly Sticks for the price, however you might want to go down a weight... medium heavy (MH) is a bit much for the species you're targeting unless you're using really large lures and mostly going for big carp, and heavy is way too much. It'll be pretty stiff and with lighter line result in larger fish being more likely to break you off vs a medium action which will flex more when fighting the fish. You could even go medium light if you're catching more smaller walleye, crappie, and rock bass. I do prefer the Ugly Stik Elite over the GX2 though, they're 10 bucks more but lighter with a nice cork handle. Either way is fine though. Also, you mention casting rods and spinning reels... that won't work, you will need either a spinning rod and spinning reel (which is what I would go with) or a baitcaster reel and a casting rod (which is harder to get used to).

The reel you're looking at is not one I've used personally, but they're quite popular and most people love them here, so from everything I've heard it will be a fine choice. I use mostly Penn reels which I've been very happy with, and the compatible Penn would be the new Fierce II which is also a good choice.

If I were buying a new all around use freshwater setup today, here is what I would buy... I'm posting the Amazon link because it's easy to find, but you can get this stuff most anywhere:

Penn Fierce II Spinning Reel size 2500 or 3000. I use the Battle II line which is just a step up, but the Fierce is reliable and durable as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Penn-FRCII4000-Fierce-Spinning-Reel/dp/B011LVCGA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487770336&sr=8-1&keywords=penn%2Bfierce%2B2&th=1&psc=1

Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Rod - this is a matter of preference, but I like a 7' rod for casting out a bit farther, 2 piece for easy transport, in medium power so it has some flex to help with casting and fighting larger fish on lighter line.

https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Elite-Spinning-2-Piece-7-Feet/dp/B00QJ4IE6S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487770384&sr=8-1&keywords=ugly%2Bstick%2Belite&th=1&psc=1

My choice for line (either way you go reel wise) would probably be 8-10lb mono, like this one, or 15-20 braid. If you get an extra spool for the reel you buy, you can have both.

https://www.amazon.com/Stren-Monofilament-Fishing-10-Pound-Fluorescent/dp/B00LDYHTQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487770474&sr=8-1&keywords=stren%2Bmono%2B10lb&th=1&psc=1

Crimping beads! Awesome! That would be a great solution. I'll bet they'd work well.

Fishing line is actually plastic filament, like this. When I was a kid and went fishing with my uncle, I remember it only coming in clear, but evidently they're now making it in colours. If you've ever seen the clear plastic "invisible" thread at a fabric or craft store, it is similar only thicker and stronger.

Oooo...now I have ideas! Thank for the inspiration!

Hoboy. Got a couple that I've tried and used in emergency situations.

First, you need a knife. No matter what. I recommend the Gerber Gator. Mine has been holding strong for the last 8 years, and I always keep it in my pocket, unless I'm flying somewhere. Holds a serious edge, no matter how you abuse it.

Water is a big deal. I have these stashed in my BOB, my car, and a couple floating around the house. Used one on a camping trip, drank boiled water from a murky stream, water tasted delicious and I didn't get any bugs from it, so there you go.

Flashlights are important. This is where you might scoff: The best handheld lights I've purchased are, hands down, these cheap things from the 99 Cent Only stores. We used them during the big blackout of 2010 here in Dallas, aka the Snowpocalypse. My house was without power for 5 days. Hand-cranked, bright as hell, durable, and cost a buck each. Amazing little lights. I went out and bought 10 more of them after that. They're now in every room of the house, and I have given them to friends as gifts.

Aside from flashlights, we used a Coleman Rechargeable in the main living room as well. I sing the praises of this light all the time, and show it off to friends. Comes with both a wall charger, and a car charger. Both chargers tuck into the base for easy storage. This light, on the low setting, is rated for 10 hours, but we used it for 14 hours one night without draining the battery. Low is good enough to read by. High Setting, however, is literally painful to look at directly. If you need it, this lamp can get amazingly BRIGHT, impressively so when you realize it only has one LED bulb. During the blackout, we charged it during the day in my car. Great investment.

Tying materials are damned important, says this guy who loves bushcraft and has seen a couple of disasters firsthand. Get you the following:

• Paracord
  
• 20# test fishing line
  
• Heavy duty cotton thread
  
  They're inexpensive, and if you ever need them, YOU WILL be happy to have them on hand.
  
  Get thee to an Army/Navy Surplus and buy a shit-ton of cheap P38 can openers. Fuck buying them online, unless it's bulk - my Surplus store sells them at $.20 a pop, or 6 for a dollar. I always keep one on my keychain. They're absolutely invaluable.
  
  A good DC inverter for 12v car sockets turns any car into an instant, medium-powered generator. I keep one in my car, as does my wife.
  
  Buy a handcuff key and keep it on your keychain, along with a mini LED light and a P38. Never know when you might have to use it.
  
  FIREMAKING TOOLS ARE A MUST. Bic lighters, Magnesium/striker fire blocks, waterproof matches, hell, I once started a campfire with a magnifying glass. Keep fire tools handy and ready.
  
  Aside from all that, I can only note the following: Lightsticks, a first aid kit, bottled water, a machete, a good length of proper boat anchor rope, blah blah, normal survival shit.

Looking at that lake makes me want to bust out the canoe so much...

That said, if you are just starting out I wouldn't overthink it. People have been catching fish for decades with good ol' Trilene XL. haha. Especially on a setup that light (edit: I thought you linked to the ultralight version, but now I'm not sure sure), I'd just go with whatever weight trilene XL works on your reel and start to get a good feel for the hobby. It's easier to just start fishing without having to worry about leaders and things like that. But ultimately, braid really is the way to go. I've never used fluoro as a main line, but even now I don't use braid on my ultralight setup. Really small diameter braid digs in to itself too easily.

I actually got stren super knot on clearance for $2.50 https://www.amazon.com/Stren-Super-Knot-Monofilament-Fishing/dp/B00S84L3KQ
I honestly wasn't expecting much out of it and mostly bought it because I knew I would be birds nesting a lot in the beginning. To my surprise its quite durable and has been holding up very well!

I recommend an Ugly Stik Elite Medium Action rod paired with a Penn Fierce II size 2500 and spooled with 8lb mono line. It's a combo he can use for anything from brim to bass to catfish and even some light saltwater use. It's easy to use, and pretty tough and low maintenance. Here's the items on Amazon that are around your price limit with free prime shipping. The other option would be a Bass Pro / Cabela's / etc. gift card so he can choose his own.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QJ4IE6S/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

+

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011LVCGA8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1&psc=1

+

https://www.amazon.com/Stren-SOFS4-15-Original/dp/B00MGBG6M2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1491522800&sr=1-1&keywords=stren%2Boriginal&th=1&psc=1

Honestly get two Shakespeare GX2's they are only $40 each. The GX2 is a great combo; I would say get the 6ft medium action. Spool them with 15lb test Mono!

Here are the links

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0KMLCK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OLRQO0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have switched over to using furled leaders (most of the time). Instead of building these with the messy and complicated jigs, I've been hand twisting these. Really simple to do -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbcVaEe3RIs

For a very nice dry fly leader I've been using on my 3 and 4 weight rods, I've been using a 6 lb Rapala "Tough Line", which is a pliable mono that is about perfect for this type of leader -> http://www.amazon.com/Rapala-Tough-Line-Fishing/dp/B007DNOJJA

I've been using 10 lb Berkly Vanish (flouro) for my heavier weight nymph and streamer setups.

I'm headed out for a two week bike tour through southern Wisconsin and plan on hitting a few creeks, rivers, and ponds along the way. From the DNR site it looks like mostly Brown, Brook, and Rainbow are in these areas.

• Reel and Rod combo - Okuma VS-605-20 - I need the rod to break down as small as possible
  
• Line - Trilene XL 6lbs test - Seems like an obvious choice
  
• Tippet - Rio Flouroflex Plus Tippet 5x - Matches the line test
  
• Swivels - Riptail Rolling Barrel Swivels Size #7 30lbs - Small, light swivels
  
• Panther Martin lures:
  
  • 1/32 Silver/Blue - Holographic Trout
    
  • 1/16 Silver/Blue - Holographic Trout
    
  • 1/16 Yellow Body/Red Dots
    
  • 1/16 Black Body/Yellow Dots
    
• Leatherman Juice S2

yep, found some, thanks! http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Fisherman-KastKingTM-Premier-Copolymer/dp/B019154L2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457655040&sr=8-1&keywords=5lb+fishing+line

Oh well, i'm sure you can come up with something using this :

https://www.amazon.com/Electronics-Salon-100pcs-Polycarbonate-Phillips-Countersunk/dp/B01H3GH4R0/ref=sr_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1540907535&sr=1-4&refinements=p_n_feature_seven_browse-bin%3A5485614011

this :

https://www.amazon.com/Stren-SHIQS10-15-Impact-Monofilament-Fishing/dp/B00NWD4NMI/ref=sr_1_4?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1540907667&sr=1-4&keywords=fishing+line

​

and this :

https://www.amazon.fr/pi%C3%A8ces-Retractable-Key-Chain-pouces/dp/B071LFMPD8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540908003&sr=8-3&keywords=porte+clef+enrouleur

It's alright. I'm thinking about switching out the strings to some Trilene Big Games, so hopefully that'll help.

He's not lying. You can buy 100 yards of 500lb test clear monofilament for $22.99 on Amazon right now.

https://www.amazon.com/Monofilament-Fishing-2-2mm-500lb-Clear-25pcs-2-4mmx18mm/dp/B00BDLE2KO

I would probably go with a braided line which can be black/grey in color and doesn't "coil" like a monofilament and would be harder to detect.

Same thing I use. I found a roll of 50 lb line on Amazon for like 2 bucks. It's $2.50 now... still not bad.

I've made something like this (not for climbing), using a musky fishing leader. Just add another snap to the other end.

Cobourg or Peterborough usually. You gotta get the paper box one(100yd?), not the bigger spool in the clamshell plastic case.

$5 on Amazon too
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B001F5H4I0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468508108&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=trilene+xl&dpPl=1&dpID=510LgwdVBFL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

[Here.] (http://www.amazon.com/Zebco-33-Spincast-Fishing-Combo/dp/B000LNZ66E/ref=pd_sbs_sg_10)

Then buy:

Decent line, from six to ten "pound test."

[Terminal tackle.] (http://www.amazon.com/Dolphin-343-Piece-Terminal-Tackle/dp/B005LPVTTA/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1370884155&sr=1-1&keywords=terminal+tackle+kit)

[And a decent beginner lure kit.] (http://www.amazon.com/Mister-Twister-Curly-piece-Assorted/dp/B000WEOPZK/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1370884345&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=curly+tail+jig+kit)

There you go.

I looked on Amazon and found some super-heavy fishing line for speargunning that's up in the 1.6mm-2.5mm range.