The Line Up – Simon Goldsmith

Not all lines are made equal and not all lines are designed with the same job in mind. An item that definitely follows a horse-for-course approach, especially when it comes to lure fishing, is an angler’s line.

Available in a variety of sizes, genres, thickness, rigidity and abrasion resistance matching the right line to a specific style of fishing is a step forward in maximizing your angling success.

As a long time user and advocate of Daiwa lines I have a range of favourites that have stood the test of time and time on the water. Whether it’s busting out the big baits with a baitcaster or finessing it bream style there’s a few must haves that I always have a reach.

You’re PEing Me Off

PE, GPS, and braided lines are my go-to for 90% of my baitcaster fishing for bass and sooty grunter. While bass sees me fishing a variety of structure types and locations such as timber, weedbeds, flats and points, my sooty fishing sees me fishing timber for the vast majority of the time.

As a result the need for high abrasion resistance in my line is crucial, and my standout choice in achieving this is TD Sensor. Featuring a round profile and an 8 weave construction TD Sensor gives me the confidence and control I need to muscle a hog sized sooty back through a stand of timber with fear of failure. For this style of fishing I’ll use 10, 15, or 20lb line. If I’m fishing deep cover I’ll go 15 or 20lb, while the 10lb generally gets a run when targeting shallower cover and the need for longer for more finesse presentations is required.

Its hi-vis orange colour is another thing I like about TD Sensor, especially when line control, and being able to see you line is necessary. Threading your lure through a slot in a mangle of trees or casting through cover on a windy day is when the need to be able to see your line really comes into its own. Being able to see, and in-turn control your line, is what will enable you to hit your target and avoid hitting everything else around it.

In the air and in the water aren’t the only places where TD Sensor shines. On and off the reel it’s a dream to use. Its round profile allows it to pack down beautifully on the reel and avoids line dig-in. These to attributes in-turn allow for effortless, trouble free line flow from the reel, and help avoid wind knots that can often jam in your guides.

TD Sensor however isn’t just the domain of my baitcaster fishing, and is my go-to on my spin reels. While I’ve have, and still use on occasion other Daiwa lines such as Tournament Hyper PE and Shinobi (primarily when the need for ultra thin, ultra longcast line is required), it’s TD Sensor that I call on for ultimate consistency in longevity and performance.

4lb is my size of choice, whether it’s throwing ultra light soft plastics under pontoons for bream or ripping jerkbaits around weedbeds in winter for bass, or fooling sooty grunter with topwaters in a shallow timbered creek up north.

Let the Competition Begin

A good mainline needs a good leader, and Daiwa TDR Competition is one that has server me well for many years. Highly abrasive, 100% fluorocarbon, and low in stretch makes it a great accompaniment to the TD Sensor, particularly when fishing timber and other equally line taxing structure types and locations.

I’ve used it in sizes from the smallest (2lb) up to the heaviest (30lb) on spin, baitcaster, and fly tackle and have caught a roll call of species from spook finesse bream and trout in gin clear water to tall walking barra in the saltwater tropics and have found the TDR Competition flawless in battle and effortless to work with.

Being Brave

There are times however when a fluorocarbon leader is not enough, and the need to fishing straight through fluro is the only way to go. While I occasionally use fluro for my baitcaster fishing it’s on a spin reel where straight through get’s the lion’s share of work in my fishing.

2, 3, and 4lb are my staple sizes and generally get used for my bream crankbaiting, sinking minnows and jighead rigged soft plastics. For this work Brave has few peers, particularly within its price range, with its combination of abrasion resistance, minimal stretch, limited memory and low stretch, mitigating the long held short comings of straight through line (excessive stretch and memory), while at the same time enhancing the desired traits of line (sensitivity and feel).

Most anglers who fish straight through fluro generally do so on shallow spool reels such as a 1003, 2004, or 2506, and a spool of Brave (comes in 80m spools) fits these reel perfectly without the need for backing. It also means you have a full working spool of line. So rather than having 200m of line on your reel and only ever using the top 50-75m, you’re using the majority of the line which in-turn is more economical and helps minimises weight.

So there you have it my three must-haves when it comes to spooling up my Daiwa reels. To find out more on the Daiwa range of lines visit www.daiwafishing.com.au/productcategory/line/, or visit www.angling-addiction.com for my latest angling addictions.