Fishing line selection

Question
HI Matthew,

I am about to get into flippin and pitching jigs, I am looking at to select a fishing for it, what should I be looking for and what do you recommend? my jigs size are 3/8-3/4 oz, I have a team daiwa light & tough 7'6 pitching rod, reels are either shimano curado CU200 or Chornarch 100. I fish mostly at weedbed and sometime at docks.

Thanks

Bernie


Answer
Hey Bernie,
I am not an expert jig fisherman by any means but I think I can lead you in the right direction.
The old stand by is 25 lb. test monofilament. I have used Trilene Big Game for years with great results. Never any problems and it is inexpensive to boot.

There are now two other choices that should also be considered - braided line and fluorocarbon. Braided line is now the first choice of many flippers and pitchers. The high strength compared to the small diameter and the zero stretch are keys to making this line a great choice for heavy cover situations. I like 50 or 65 lb. test Stren Super Braid. Just remember that you don't need to use the same "cross-their-eyes" type of hook set that is used with mono lines. The no-stretch in braids calls for more of a solid, sweeping set in order to get the hook where you want it.

I have recently been experimenting with fluorocarbon lines for flipping and pitching soft plastics and I have had mixed results. I like the fact that not only is fluoro less visible than braid but it is also very sensitive and is a low stretch line. I have been using P-Line Fluorocarbon in 30 lb. test. The one caution about using fluorocarbon would be to tie your knots very carefully. Apparently fluorocarbon "burns" easily when a knot is cinched. I use a palomar but I tie it meticulously, wetting the lie almost continuously and cinching it down very slowly. The knot really needs to be perfect to avoid a break-off.

In conclusion, if I were just starting in this endeavor as you are I would probably start off with the mono. It is the most low maintenance and will catch plenty of fish. However, if you are fishing very heavy cover, braid is definitely something to start experimenting with.


Good luck and tight lines!
Matthew T. Drew