Well Here it is again another fishing season looms on the horizon. You have dusted off the cobwebs from your trusty boat and headed out to the jetties for that first tug of a new season. With popping cork and the nicest- liveliest shrimp you could find you send your offering sailing out onto the granite infested waters. Within minutes the cork disappears under the waves and your spool sing that old familiar song of a nice red attached to the other end of the line. As is his nature he heads straight toward the jetties to break you off. Instinctively you put the pressure on him and get him turned heading off onto the horizon. After a few second of line spooling action you think it time to tighten down the drag and show him who's boss. Instead of that familiar screech of big red coming to a halt, you hear a pop! A sound you haven't heard since your ankle gave out the last time you tried to emulate Michael Jordan bringing it to the hole. So there you sit with rod and reel in hand line blowing in the salt air and your jaw hanging around your waist. What's Up With That!!! The truth is in your haste to hit the waters you overlooked changing last year line with some fresh Mono for another year of hitting the bays. Which is good news for the fish, but sucks for you, and the first red of the season is still out there somewhere with hook in tow.
So what is a good rule of thumb for changing line? For those weekend anglers once a year should be sufficient. But for those die-hard, "call in sick for work at least once a week" fishermen there are some other subtle hints for instance. For you bay fishermen, when a mere 5 pounds of saltgrass dangle from you lure is enough to snap your line then it is time to re-spool!! For those Jetty anglers, when the biggest anchor you can drag to the boat off the bottom is less than ten pounds, then it is time to re-spool. And you offshore enthusiast when your line gets wrapped around a platform and you give a good tug and the oilrig doesn't have that old familiar sway, then it is time to re-spool!!! And last for you surf fishermen, when your 27 ounce weighted, quadruple leader, 2 pound croaker baited fishing rig sails off into the sunset, with you frozen with that what the heck happen look on your face, holding you 25 ft. rod, then it is time to re-spool.!!!!
O.K, so you have determined it is time to restring your reel, now what?? Strolling down the aisles of the local tackle shop, there is one complete aisle of nothing but fishing line and leaders. With stacks of fishing line in a more weight classes than an Olympic boxing team. And more color selection than a Dennis Rodman hairdo during a nationally televised playoff game!!! It can sometimes make the weekend angler brain go into overload!!! So what is the average Joe Fishermen suppose to do!!! My solution as in most cases is go with the cheapest price but highest quality available. Much like shopping for beer for the weekend fishing outing, a good tackle shopper must go with what is on sell, and still get past the lips and gums, watch beer belly here it comes!!! Not trying to mention too many manufactures in this article, I have yet been disappointed with Ande fishing line. Usually, always, much cheaper than that mono-line with the cool commercials with the terminator spider/ reel. Their commercials ads usually only feature pictures of record breaking fish caught with their line, which is good enough for me. And on a more personal recommendation, I have yet lost a decent size hard-head or unable to bring up a lost anchor due to line breakage.
With a seemly endless supply of different color and tensile strength for any fishing situation an angler could find himself up againstthe proverbal wall. From stretch lines to non-stretch lines, and a rainbow of colors for any imaginable fishing circumstance, the old fishing line has come a lone way from the cane-pole era!!! When finding string around the barn, some hooks, bobber, a shirt pocket for a tackle box and can of worms for a bait bucket was all a kid needed. Nowadays a fishermen must consider water clarity, depth of water, size of quarry, size of reels to be spooled, depth of wallet, the list goes on!!! With all the decisions to be made one might find coaching a little league team less confusing, at least there all you have to do is punch out a few overzealous parents once in a while!!!
The two main things to keep in mind when going to purchase some new line for that hopelessly backlashes reel are, foremost is this thin piece of plastic is all that separates you from a trophy mounting fish on your specially prepared hook. Secondly is the fish worth the few extra bucks for a better line to ensure you can get him in the boat!!! Just remember that old gut wrenching feeling that we all have experience on occasion, when you first get a glimpse of a nice size red or 50 lb king on the end of your line. As he stares back at you with those beady eyes and realizes you’re the same goofy angler he broke off last week!!! Only this time you have come prepared. You will finally get the chance to see how those same beady eyes change their intensity when they are looking at you from the deck of the boat!!! So remember what the best way to keep in touch with all those old break-off scalely pals off yours from the deep blue sea. It's not AT&T, MCI, or even Southwestern Bell, just dial 1-800-NEW LINE for the best connections. They will be glad to here from you since your last conversation when you got rudely disconnected from line technical difficulties!!! This time will your new line service you will be able to finish your conversation when you get them to the boat, for a eye to eye meeting!!! Weekend callers receive 50% more hookups discounts!!!!