Best Fishing Line for Crappie - Review & Buying Guide

The fishing line is one of the most important tools for the perfect fishing experience. There is a lot you need to consider before buying your fishing line. Such as, what type of fish will you be fishing for, what type of technique do you usually opt for, what type of waters will you be going for, if you’ll be fishing inshore or from a boat.

When it comes to fishing crappie, you don’t have to put on much of a fight as crappie are generally not that difficult to catch. You need to have your drag setting at the least and let the fish squirm about a bit and reel them in nice and steady. Lighter and more sensitive ones are actually preferred in this case.

There are 3 types of fishing lines that are commonly used that is monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided.

Let’s see what the factors that you need to consider when it comes to buying the best fishing line for crappie are.

Weight

Weight may seem like an unusual thing to consider when buying a fish line, but weight in this context means the strength of the line. While fishing for crappie fish, heavier gear calls for lighter fishing line.

Although light fishing lines are preferable, it highly depends upon the type of technique that you will be opting to catch the crappie.

Jigging or stump bumping (which is a vertical jigging technique) in heavy cover requires you to use heavier weight fishing lines. Jigging and bumping in heavy cover requires a lot of jerking motion, and fishing lines can easily be snapped into two.

So, a stronger wire that has cleared 10+ pound tests should be chosen. At the same time, when jigging or fishing in open water, feeble fishing lines work just fine.

Visibility

Fish are smart animals. Lures and hooks attached to a shiny thin line will be visible to them, and hence, they will avoid it at any cost. To trick the fish, visibility or lack thereof is an important factor to consider. When fishing in clear freshwater, a fishing line that is transparent or close to transparent is a good choice.

The fluorocarbon fishing line will do the trick here. But if you’re going to be fishing in muddy or dirty water, then choosing the line color to match the water would be a good way to go. Not only color but refractive index of the wire also matters.

Having a refractive index that is close to the water will help the line blend in with the surrounding more and will easily trick the fish into biting the bait. There are a ton of fishing lines that are labeled as “High Vis” and are usually in bright and vivid colors.

Although it will help you clearly see when a fish bites the bait, it might also spook the fish and potentially scare away your target fish.

Knots

Knotting a fishing line is one of the most important things in fishing. You need to knot the line to bind the fishing line with the fishing lure or the fishing hook. This is the ultimate test.

Most fishing lines that claim to be the best fail here because lines are at its weakest in a knot. So, it is important to see the knotting capability of the fishing line before buying one.

Although one knotting style can’t determine the knotting capability of all types of fishing lines. Each fishing line has its own knotting style that not only binds to the lure properly but also stays strong despite a fish tugging at it.

Types of Fishing Line

There are 3 main types of fishing line.

Monofilament fishing line

Monofilament fishing line

Monofilament fishing line is one of the most affordable, the most widely used and available fishing line. Monofilament lines are transparent, and that is one of their best features. However, these lines are rather stretchy and relatively weaker.

While it may seem like a disadvantage, it’s kind of an advantage when fishing for crappie or other light-weight and deep water species. Since crappie is a smaller fish with relatively less strength; monofilament fishing lines work just fine.

You may have to take some time to get used to the lines and its stretchy nature, but overall, it’ll work just fine. But, if you’re looking for an overall fishing line, this may not be the option for you.

Braided fishing line

Braided lines are termed so due to the fact that 2 or more fishing lines are wound or braided together. So, even with smaller diameter, these lines are a lot stronger than any other fishing line. With high visibility and good strength, these fishing lines are a great option when fishing in algal or dirty water and for larger and stronger fish.

Since we are talking about crappie, this line may not necessarily be the best choice. These fish have a very thin and delicate mouth that can rip very easily if tugged at strongly. Braided lines also provide no stretch at all, which makes it an even weaker candidate. Braided lines also are very visible under fresh water.

All that being said, there is still an argument to be made for them, as they are unmatched in durability and can be a good choice in muddy water.

Additionally, being heavy lends itself good to fishing deeper and if you end up having to cut it, you can do it with a decent pair of fishing pliers.

Fluorocarbon fishing line

Fluorocarbon fishing lines are the most controversial fishing line. These lines may not be perfect, but they do have their own unique specialties. These lines are very translucent and almost invisible, which makes them perfect for fishing in freshwater bodies.

These lines also have nice strength to diameter ratio, less stretch in them and are highly sensitive. This feature makes it easy for you to notice when and if the fish has bitten into the hook. It also makes it preferable to use in icy water as there you need to be very quick to reel the fish in as soon as it has bitten into the hook.

Also, fluorocarbon lines are very resistant to wear due to the external factors, which makes them durable too.

The Best Fishing Line for Crappie – Our Top Picks 2021

Crappie fish are known to be paper mouthed. They have very thin lips that tend to be easily ripped by the hook when you try to use a lot of force or have a high drag setting. These reviews and this buying guide will help you in selecting a good fishing line for crappie that goes well with the fishing gear you have.

Let’s get started.

The Best Braided Fishing Line for Crappie

SUFIX 832 SUPERLINE

Pros

Resilient
Strong
Abrasion resistance

Reduced shedding and vibration

Cons

Needs a sharp tool to snap

Sufix 832 Advanced Superline Braid fishing line has 8 separate fishing lines braided together to form one line. Still, it has a small diameter. This allows the line to be not only strong but also provide minimum stretch and greater sensitivity.

A braided fishing line means that there are a bunch of fishing lines twisted or braided together and form one line, which will be more resilient and more sensitive than a regular single line. Its durability is the main reason for featuring it here, because you might only need to get one of these lines for every couple of monofilament lines.

These lines also have a higher sink rate than other fishing lines. Due to this, they are ideal for crappie fishing.

Crappie is deep water specie, and braided fishing lines reach them faster. Braided lines are preferable when light rods and reels are used.

Heavy-duty fishing rods, fishing reels, and fishing lines will put a lot of force on the thin mouth of the crappie fish, and you will eventually lose it, leaving you empty-handed and the crappie fish with a torn mouth.

Sufix braided lines have an ultimate improvement since they don’t shed tiny particles like most of the braided lines do. These lines also have improved casting distance and also have increased color retention. This particular line has improved accuracy and controlled line vibration that reduces unwanted wobble in the line when you’re trying to reel the fish in

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The Best Fluorocarbon Fishing Line for Crappie

Sunline Super Fluorocarbon Fishing Line

Pros

Abrasion-resistant
Good casting
Good sensitivity

Cons

Pricier than the alternatives
Knot strength is weak

This fishing line features 3 whole coatings of resin that helps minimize vibration and also have maximum abrasion resistance. Fluorocarbon is not very common when talking about fishing lines, but it does have its own specialties. Excellent sensitivity is one of them.

This Fluorocarbon fishing line allows good casting as it has low memory and great abrasion resistance due to resin coatings that prevent excess shedding. It is mostly preferred with spinning reels. It also has a higher sinking rate due to increased density than water and hence, reaches the deepwater crappie fish faster.

It also has a higher invisibility rate and also almost identical refractive index as that of water. This allows it to be invisible, even underwater. Since it is made up of fluorocarbon, it is not easily worn down or affected by the weather or the sun.

It remains manageable due to supple consistency, which is the result of resin coatings. It comes in 4 different yard lengths and comes in either green color or complete transparent one.

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The Best Monofilament Fishing Line for Crappie

STREN Spool Fishing Line

Pros

Strong
Low-priced

Supple texture

Cons

Not long-lasting
Less memory

Stren Original Service Spool is one of the most affordable yet high-quality monofilament fishing lines. Monofilament may not be as strong as a braided fishing line, but they are fairly strong too. As we are talking about crappie fish, you don’t need much strength anyway.

It is also fairly resistant to the shedding of tiny particles of the line. The line also has a very supple texture that not only makes the line smooth against the thumb but also improves the casting distance and increases the speed of retrieval.

While fluorocarbon fishing lines are difficult to tie knots, stern original service spool fishing lines are very easy to tie into knots. Monofilament wires tend to be most affected by the sun, but this improved fishing line is not as much affected by the sun as its peers. This line also allows a bit of stretch to be able to sustain stronger and fighter fish.

This line is not as sensitive just as most monofilament lines aren’t, but still, it provides a good amount of sensitivity. It is available in a bunch of different colors and different yard sizes.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is line memory?

Line memory is referred to the feature of the fishing line that causes it to revert back to its original shape or the shape in which it is kept.

What fishing line is best for crappie?

Other than braided lines, any fishing line would work. You will need low visibility and good stretch to get that trophy crappie fish.

I want to go Ice Fishing for Crappie. Should I get a special line?

Yes, there are special lines for ice fishing and it does make sense to get a separate one for this purpose. We have reviewed some viable ones to do crappie fishing here.

Should my fishing line be invisible?

For crappie fishing? Absolutely. It is ideal to have a line that matches the type of water it will be used in. Hence why there are a variety of colors present. Even if you are going fishing at night, if you are taking crappie lights with you, the color still does matter.

Where can I find some tips for crappie fishing?

Check out our article on crappie fishing tips!

I want to fish crappie from a boat. What reel should I go with?

Consider getting a line counter reel.

Happy Crappie Fishing!

If we were to recommend our best fishing line for crappie, then it would be a monofilament line. But, there are other factors you need to consider so that the fishing line suits your needs and demands.

And, that is it. These are all the important factors that you needed to know before shopping for a fishing line for crappie. Now, you will be better prepared and will know what you want to get.

For spooling the line onto your reel, check out fishing line spoolers and if you have any questions left, look no further than our ultimate fishing line guide or check out these articles for special lines for walleye or trout!

Happy fishing!