I still remember the first time I took my son fishing. We went to the sporting goods store to buy some fishing line, expecting to quickly pick up a spool. However, I was overwhelmed by the many different options available. We ended up spending 45 minutes trying to decide which line was right for us.
Needless to say, this was not a fun way to start our first fishing trip together. I hope this resource will help you make the decision of how to choose the right fishing line color a little easier.
There are three main factors to consider when selecting a fishing line: type, weight, and color. In this article, we will focus on color and help you determine which color is right for you.
Here are some of the most common fishing line colors and their uses:
- Clear: This is the most invisible color and is a good choice for fishing in clear water.
- Green: This is a good all-around color that blends in well with most environments.
- Blue: This is a good choice for fishing in murky water.
- Yellow: This is a highly visible color that is good for sight-fishing.
- Red: This is another highly visible color that is good for sight-fishing.
Choosing The Right Fishing Line Color
Let’s get one thing clear right from the start – if you’re planning on taking a quick little trip with the family to go fishing and don’t anticipate reeling in a trophy fish, choosing the right fishing line color doesn’t matter all that much. For the most part, if you stick with a clear line you should have no issues at least getting some nibbles and having some fun with it.
With that being said, if you plan on going fishing more than once in a blue moon, it will be very helpful to learn your fishing line colors and which one is best used in which situation. Each one of them has a very specific purpose, so let’s go through them one by one, and we’ll help you learn which color fishing line to use for each situation.
Clear Fishing Line
One of the simplest and most basic colors, this is going to be your Swiss army knife approach to going fishing. Your everyday generic clear monofilament fishing line is a good choice for most applications since it’s fairly invisible underwater. If you don’t plan on going fishing all that often, stick with a basic clear monofilament fishing line like Stren.
The Stren Original® monofilament line offers a versatile combination of toughness and abrasion resistance with supple sensitivity. This line is tangle resistant and designed for low memory – gliding off the reel for effortless, precision casting.
A special mention has to go to the Fluorocarbon fishing line here. While technically most people would argue that the Fluorocarbon fishing line is still clear, because of its filament type, it actually is going to be even more invisible underwater than a standard clear monofilament fishing line. Since the Fluorocarbon fishing line is nearly invisible, it’s a great choice for pretty much any water and will be especially helpful in very clear water. As the nearly invisible line will be that much harder for easily frightened fish to see.
Yellow Fishing Line
Yellow fishing line, or sometimes even a bright neon green color often marked ‘high-visibility’ is most often used to help spot movement on your fishing line, especially when you’re using a bobber. Because the yellow fishing line is so bright, it’s a very special use off of the line.
The bright-colored line does make it very easy to see for you, but also that much easier to see for fish as well. So typically the only times you’re really going to choose a yellow fishing line is in muddy water. It’s going to be a trade-off for you, either way, go here since using this type of high visibility fishing line will make it easier for you to notice activity on your bobber. It’s also going to make it that much more visible to your fish if the water is clear enough.
If you are going to use a yellow fishing line, we recommend Sufix Elite.
Sufix Elite has unbeatable strength and easy handling. Superior tensile and knot strength due to Micro Resin Technology. It handles better and casts with ease due to a proprietary extrusion process.
Green Fishing Line
The green fishing line is a great choice for you depending on the color of the water you are fishing in. Most bodies of water tend to have a green tint to them, so using a green-tinted fishing line will help it to be that much more invisible to the fish and blend into the surrounding water, much like camouflage.
If the water you are fishing in is too clear though, the green fishing line will be more easily spotted by approaching fish. So much like yellow fishing line, green has its time and place, although in our opinion will be a bit more versatile than yellow. We’d recommend using Trilene if you’re going to go green.
Tough against all rough or sharp objects. Superior strength to fight fish in heavy cover. Manageable for flipping, pitching or casting.
Blue Fishing Line
Much like green fishing line, the primary benefit to choosing a blue fishing line is going to be blending into the water you’re fishing in. So if you plan on going fishing in water that’s more blue in color than green, of course you’d want to select the blue fishing line to blend in.
Believe it or not, even though most people tend to think water is blue, there’s more often than not going to be a higher percentage of green tinting to the water, So for most cases, we’d recommend the green fishing line over the blue, but if you do decide to choose the blue fishing line, go for this Ocean Blue KastKing line.
KastKing SuperPower braid line is a fishing line like no other! Our braided fishing lines are designed for increased casting distance and durability. You don’t have to worry about fraying or break-offs. K
Red Fishing Line
Of all the colors of the fishing line, red is probably the most debated color. Red lines are said to become totally invisible underwater, and that’s mostly based on studies that show how red objects lost their color first underwater. The debate part comes because most people who scuba dive say that red objects underwater appear black, and so instead of being invisible those red fishing lines may instead appear black and a stark contrast to the surrounding watercolor.
You’re also going to have plenty of people tell you that the red fishing line works better because the red color looks like blood. Which is a common marketing message used by companies who make red colored hooks and claim they get a higher percentage of bites. Choosing a red fishing line is probably not something you’ll do unless you’re pretty serious about fishing and want to test out the theories for yourself. If you do decide to give it a try, we’d suggest this Cajun red fishing line.
Great for bottom fishing, the red color of Cajun Line disappears quickly below the surface of the water, making the line nearly invisible to fish for a natural presentation of bait.
Fishing Line Color Choices
As I said in the beginning, choosing the right color fishing line is something that will be very beneficial to you if you plan on going fishing often and want to give yourself the best odds at reeling in a fish. You can most certainly still get lucky using just about any fishing line and reel in that big one you’ve been chasing, but knowing which color fishing line to use and when will be very helpful in increasing your odds of success!
You may also get superstitious about your color if you wind up catching a keeper with a red fishing line, and then always stick with that. At the end of the day, choosing the right color fishing line is mostly a tactic to help you better blend in with the water and catch more fish, but either way, so long as you’re still fishing, it’s pretty hard to complain!
Here are some additional tips for choosing a fishing line color:
- Consider the type of fish you are targeting. Some fish are more visible as others, so you may want to choose a line color that will blend in with the background.
- Consider the clarity of the water. If you are fishing in clear water, you may want to choose a line color that is less visible.
- Consider the time of day. If you are fishing in the morning or evening, when the light is low, you may want to choose a line color that is more visible.
- Consider your personal preference. Some anglers prefer to use bright colors, so they can easily see their line, while others prefer to use more natural colors that blend in with the background.
im about to go on a week long fishing trip this is helping me thanks
One of the best fishing equipment articles I’ve read. I rarely leave comments. Very concise and informative. Kudos to the author.
Excellent article.
When I was a kid 5 years ago, I had Zebco (33) spin-caster and I used Zebco mono. I do not remember the line strength, but it was clear mono and all I could afford. While fishing on the Monongahela below the Maxwell Locks, I remember catching Channels Cats, Flatheads, S. Bass, L. Bass, Carp, Bluegill, Walleye, and more. We fished at night and during the day and always caught something.
Today freshwater fishing has exploded in a frenzy of reels, rods, line types, and colors. There is just too much! I currently fish salt and fresh so I appreciate all the info, especially on my favorite nighttime color of RED. I guess if I was using lures in clear water color would be more of an issue. I like to use live or cut bait.
Here is a quick question, if you like to bottom fish at night or in deep water, does the line color matter when the fish can’t see the line? But, can fish see in the dark like Owls and other animals?
Braid, Maxcuatro all the way for 20 and 30 LB line.
Yes, line color can matter for bottom fishing at night or in deep water, even though fish can’t see as well in the dark as owls and other animals. This is because the line can reflect light, even in low-light conditions, and this reflection can spook fish.