Can You Feel It?

It doesn’t matter if you’re fishing in freshwater or salt, many of the techniques we use to catch fish rely on the angler’s ability to “feel” what’s going on at the other end of the line.

I remember when I first started fishing plastic worms for largemouth bass. That was back in the day when there were only a couple companies’ even making plastic worms. I was using the best baitcasting reels and one of the first graphite rods blanks to come on the market. It had all the action of a pool cue, but man you could really stretch a fish’s neck with that sucker! A bass pretty much had to swim away with the worm to feel the bite because of the stretch in the monofilament line.

If I had the advantage of lines like HI-SEAS Wildfire, Grand Slam Braid or Quattro Fluorocarbon my hook-up ratio would have soared! These great new lines make feeling the bite so much easier. Wildfire and Grand Slam Braid have virtually no stretch so they transmit the most subtle sensations directly back to the angler’s hand. Quattro 100% Fluorocarbon has a small amount of stretch, but not enough to dampen the connection between the angler and the lure. It’s ideal for lures like plastic worms and finesse baits because it sinking more uniformly with the lure allowing you to maintain a tighter line as it is dropping. Tighter line means a more direct connection and the ability to feel and respond instantly.

The ability to “feel” isn’t exclusive to freshwater techniques. There are many techniques used in saltwater that benefit dramatically from using low stretch lines. Butterfly jigging for grouper or tuna is impossible without superbraid lines. With Grand Slam Braid and a high speed reel you can work lighter jigs deeper because the line is so thin and still feel every bite. Then a quick lift transmits all the energy and force of the rod into the hook set.

I enjoy bottom fish for a wide variety of species. Sometimes I use jigs or bucktails and other times I use bottom rigs and bait. Regardless, braided line makes feeling the most subtle bite and results in fewer missed opportunities. It makes filling the cooler with tasty fillets a lot easier.

Hi-Seas has the right line to match up with any fishing technique. Spend some time looking around www.hiseas.net and you’ll find the perfect line to make your fishing more productive, no matter what you are fishing for.

Caputi’s Blog Tip: For most applications a leader of fluorocarbon or monofilament is used with braided lines. When fish are being finicky and bites hard to come by try changing leaders. If you are using mono, switch to fluorocarbon to reduce visibility. If you are already using fluorocarbon switch to a lighter pound test.

-Gary Caputi