Top anglers consider the material, length, strength, and weight of fishing lines before deciding on the best for their specific application. You need something that guarantees you a great fishing experience with the best catch in all applications. Not a line that will break when you try to pull your dream fish out of the water.
There are four types of fishing lines, copolymer, monofilament, braided, and fluorocarbon. Of all these, the copolymer is most anglers’ favorite. Why is it so?
Copolymers’ fishing lines rank better than most lines when it comes to strength, visibility, stretch castability, and knot strength. It is almost a guarantee that you won’t lose your line in water regardless of the size of the fish you are targeting. They are also one of the best for long-distance casting.
The following article discusses how copolymer fishing lines compare with their close rivals, as pros, and cons.
A copolymer fishing line applies a combination of two polymers as its base materials. It is an advanced version of the monofilament line and comes with two distinct types of nylons that combine to maximize their strength and resistance. The double polymer applied eliminates the quirks available in monofilaments.
You can use a copolymer fishing line in a type of fishing instance. It has several benefits of all other types and doesn’t have many disadvantages to hold it back. Copolymers sink easily when they hit. This makes it not suitable for topwater fishing because it tends to throw off your topwater lures.
So, this fishing is great for bass fishing, especially when you use suspending jerk baits or swimbaits. It also does well with other sinking lures.
While they are great for all types of fishing, copolymers may not be the perfect choice for beginners. They are ideal for medium and heavy-sized fish, which put up big fights that beginners may not handle easily.
Pros of Copolymer Fishing Lines
Copolymers’ fishing lines are arguably some of the finest lines in various scenarios. They are much stronger and more durable than fluorocarbon or monofilament lines. Different nylon materials in different rations reinforce
Most people use copolymers because of how manufacturers fine-tune the feature and the capabilities. Fine-tuning makes the line have better stretch, abrasion, resistance, sensitivity, and other important factors in fishing.
Low Memory
Line memory refers to the shape it retains, the spiral or circular spool shape. The longer your fishing line stays on a spool in that spiral or circular shape, the more it is likely to retain the shape. Higher shape memory plays a major disadvantage in tangling, casting, reeling, and overall manageability.
Copolymers’ fishing line does not retain any spool memory, lowering their risks of spooling and tangling when you cast them. They retain their shapes and stay nice and straight even after spending long periods in the water.
Lower line memory also helps with few rind knots, and you can cast longer distances with better accuracy.
Sinkable and Water Resistant
Copolymer lines have an excellent level of water resistance. Most fishing lines tend to absorb some amount of water, making them weaker as they spend more time underwater.
If you want a line that you can submerge into the water for extended periods without absorbing water, then go for a copolymer line. It will stay strong and solid for all that while.
They are also abrasion-resistant, making them a bad choice for fishing in shorelines and shallow streams.
Sensitivity
These fishing lines are relatively less elastic, making them more responsive and quick to action when you set the hook. Together with the strength, the stiffness gives you better control of the and lets you feel even the tiniest bites.
It gives you a better hook set and increases your chance of landing your fish. The sensitivity enables you to notice even when small fish bites on your lure.
Almost Invisible in Water
Copolymer lines perform well when it comes to refracting light. The lower the refraction index in a fishing line, the lower its visibility. It is less visible than braided lines and monofilaments. This means that fish do not notice it through sight, making it a better line in most lighting conditions.
Knot Strength
Another area that copolymers are impeccable is in their knot strengths. The knot you achieve by tying these lines is more strong than those in monopolies. Stronger knots translate to fewer lost tackles. You will probably bend or lose your hooks before the copolymer line breaks.
Disadvantages of Copolymer Fishing Lines
While copolymers have some of the greatest features for fishing lines, they have certain cons, as illustrated below.
Not Ideal for Surface Fishing
Their ability to sink quickly may make copolymers a better choice for deep-water crank baiting but not for bobbers or surface fishing. They are only great for deep-sea fishing, suspender rings, and bottom fishing.
Susceptible to Damage from Heat and Sun’s Rays
Another disadvantage comes with the material. Because copolymer fishing lines are nylon, they are vulnerable to getting damaged from exposure to heat and the sun’s rays. We advise that you change your copolymer fishing line as often as you do your monolines, especially when fishing in tough climates.
Ideal Places to Use Copolymer Fishing Lines
Copolymer fishing lines are great for various fishing applications without having an extremely poor rating. Among the fishing habits that these lines excel in include;
Jigging
Copolymer lines are strong, stretchy, and have an excellent sinking profile. This makes them the best choice for jigging into tough waters with rocks, weeds, and other tough obstacles. It has the best strength for cranking the biggest bass even in the toughest and deepest water bodies.
Suspension Rigging
These fishing lines have a fairly great sinking profile. They do great in deep fishing and can handle situations where you need moderate sinkers, such as suspension fishing. Copolymers are an ideal choice when you are targeting a certain depth.
Deep Water Crankbaits
With many positive traits inducing low visibility, strength, durability, water resistance, and high sensitivity, they are perfect for crank baiting. This fishing style needs a lot of pressure and force, which copolymer lines can handle well.
What Is the Difference Between Copolymers and Monofilament Fishing Lines?
The general explanation for this is obvious. Copolymers feature two distinct nylon polymers, while monofilament lines only have one type of nylon. However, this combination brings more to the table, as explained below.
Copolymers are Thinner
A typical copolymer line is about 2 to 3 times thinner than a monofilament fishing line of the same strength. This aspect matters to anglers because you can put more lines in a reel if they are thin. Copolymer fishing lines are thin but strong, so this factor makes them better choices.
With copolymer lines, you can fish over long distances for big fish, knowing that you still have enough line left on your reel; and that the strength can still hold.
Double Nylon Advantage
Still, with the ability to hold the force from larger fish, copolymers are way better. They have two nylon lines that give them a double advantage in strength and abrasion resistance that mono liners cannot even match.
Copolymer fishing lines also have a better refracting index than their single nylon line counterparts. This means that fish are more likely to spot a monoline than a copolymer. Even with the best fishing skills, you want to avoid showing fish clues about lies ahead.
Price Disadvantage
While Copolymers are better in most aspects, monolines are a perfect choice if you are looking for a cheaper option. This is ideal for beginners looking to sharpen their skills ins shallow streams before they can venture deeper for big basses.
Difference between Copolymers and Fluorocarbon Lines
Fluorocarbon and copolymer fishing lines have various contrasting traits, as explained below.
Knot Simplicity
Fluorocarbons are a bit stiff, meaning that the knot is not that secure. They have one of the worst knows ever. You may need a better knot to reduce the chances of breakages or spillages.
Again, once you get the knot right, you will have to work on the technique to ensure that friction doesn’t burn your line. Or it doesn’t cut itself out.
On the other hand, copolymer knots are arguably the best in the industry, thanks to their thinness and flexibility of the line.
Price
Copolymers are also less expensive than fluorocarbon lines. So they can be a better choice if you are on a budget but looking for maximum effectiveness in medium and deep water. Plus, copolymers catch large bases, making them as good as their rival.
Conclusion
Copolymers are versatile fishing options for various applications. They have a unique combination of properties with strength, abrasion resistance, and decent stretch, making them a great choice for anglers targeting medium and heavyweight fish.
However, they are an all-rounder, and their application goes beyond these two. Copolymers are also great for jigging, suspension baits, and swimbaits. We hope that you now understand what these fishing lines are and how you can apply them.
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