What to Look for in a Quality Carp Fishing Line
When I first began fishing for carp, aside from a strong carp fishing hook, I knew that I also required a strong carp fishing line. At first, I was overwhelmed by the different types and styles of line available for carp fishing. Braid, monofilament, fluorocarbon, coated, non-coated, lead core, floating, sinking, etc.
I have created this article to help you decide what you need in a carp fishing line for the conditions that you are facing. Many different lines excel in many different situations, therefore choosing the right line is more of a personal preference. The information below will go into detail about the characteristics and features of carp fishing lines to help you choose which is best for the conditions that you’re up against.
What is the Best Carp Fishing Line?
For me, the best carp fishing line is a 30 lb. – 50 lb. test braided line. It has the proper strength, elasticity, abrasion resistance, diameter and colour for the locations I fish. Line is the single most important piece of fishing tackle that usually spells the difference between success and failure.
Top Brands of Carp Fishing Line
Here in North America, the choice of carp fishing line can be quite limited at the local tackle shops.
Nowadays, all name-brand carp fishing lines are found at special online carp gear shops. There is a vast selection, and each company has various lines for each situation.
Some of my favourites include Sonik, Korda, Nash, Fox, Gardner, NGT, Daiwa, and Power Pro. For more information on The Best Carp Fishing Line, head over and check out our current recommendations on our Recommended Carp Fishing Line Page.
What Features to look for in a Quality Carp Fishing Line
These features aren’t listed in any type of order or importance. As mentioned above, that is something only you can decide according to the conditions you are faced with.
Type of Carp Fishing Line
There are three basic “types” of Carp Fishing Lines – Braided, Monofilament and Fluorocarbon. Each has its pros and cons, and each excels in its uses for different situations.
Braided Carp Fishing Line
My go-to carp fishing line. I need not concern myself with fish cracking off mid-fight with a heavier braid. It lacks the stretch that other types of lines have, but I can compensate by adjusting the drag on my reel or type of test curve on my rod to battle fish quickly and efficiently to the net.
Recommended Braid for Carp Fishing – 25 lb. Test or Greater.
Elasticity
Braid is an excellent carp fishing line due to its non-stretching characteristics. This allows it to have greater sensitivity for improved bite indication and allows greater accuracy with casting. With braid, when your line hits the line clip during casting, your bait will drop exactly where it is meant to.
Cost
Braided lines can vary in price. The higher-priced better quality braids are worth the price. They last much longer than the discount brands.
Line Memory
Braided line has less memory than the other two types of line. This can prevent line twists from sitting on the spool for long periods.
Visibility
Braid is normally highly visible in the water column, but more advanced custom camouflage colours are now available to help it blend in when it rests along the bottom. Special sinking types of braided lines are perfectly designed for carp anglers. The braid will sink quickly and form to the contours of the bottom, where it will go undetected by fish.
Abrasion Resistance
Braid has a great strength-to-diameter ratio and is quite resistant to abrasion.
Size
With a braided line, you don’t have to worry as much about a bigger diameter as you increase the breaking strain. Even the higher breaking strain lines can have a small diameter, unlike monofilament or fluorocarbon lines.
When braided line first came out, it had a thicker weave. It got a bad reputation for cutting grooves in rod eyelets and slicing one’s fingers. Today’s braid is more advanced, and most brands have a tighter weave and/or coating, which prevents the saw-like cutting action when a fish puts pressure on your line. These new patterns also greatly improve the casting distance of braid.
Monofilament Carp Fishing Line
Monofilament Line used to be my go-to line for every other species of fish I used to target. When I discovered carp angling many years ago, I switched to using a stronger braided line. If I’m fishing large bodies of water where casting distance and abrasion resistance are of importance, I will switch back to Monofilament from time to time as needed.
Recommended Monofilament for Carp Fishing – 20 lb. Test or Greater.
Elasticity
One of the main characteristics of Monofilament line is that it is made from a single nylon strand. This makes it very stretchy. The stretch can give it a greater breaking strain, but this also reduces its sensitivity and accuracy when casting.
Cost
Monofilament is the most used and manufactured of fishing lines. A common item in any angler’s arsenal. This also makes it one of the most affordable types of fishing line on the market.
Line Memory
Being one strand, monofilament lines have a decent amount of memory to them, and after time they begin to form in the spool. This creates a greater chance of tangling when casting.
Visibility
Monofilament lines can come in clear or tinted versions. The clear versions are excellent for going undetected by fish.
Abrasion Resistance
Monofilament has almost a slippery texture allowing it to slide over snags and obstacles easier. It is quite resistant to abrasion as it will also stretch more than other lines before snapping.
Size
Monofilament, a single nylon strand, can get quite large and rigid in the higher breaking strains.
Monofilament lines are the most commonly used lines for angling. Their price and durability are unmatched.
Fluorocarbon Carp Fishing Line
I only use fluorocarbon carp fishing line when I need a shock leader on the end of my braided line or for hook link material. Otherwise, I just find it too pricey to spool up my carp fishing reels with it. Monofilament is much cheaper and very similar in its characteristics for carp angling.
Recommended Fluorocarbon for Carp Fishing – 20 lb. Test or Greater.
Elasticity
Not as elastic as Monofilament line but more than braid. Fluorocarbon line is a happy medium between the two which many anglers prefer.
Cost
Fluorocarbon is the most expensive type of carp fishing line. The majority of carp anglers use it solely for leaders. If you can afford it, fluorocarbon is usually the best on the market for any type of fishing.
Line Memory
Being one strand, fluorocarbon lines have a decent amount of memory to them, and after time they begin to form in the spool. This creates a greater chance of tangling when casting.
Visibility
It is very clear and is very hard for fish to see. After time you will have to clean the line to keep it in its near invisible state. The debris and particulates in water easily stick to the fluorocarbon line making it quite visible. It is toted to have the same refractive index as water, thus making it nearly invisible in the water column.
Abrasion Resistance
Fluorocarbon has a slippery texture, allowing it to slide over snags and obstacles more easily.
Size
A downside to fluorocarbon is that it doesn’t have very good knot strength and some knots tend to slip easily. Especially in the higher breaking strains and higher diameter lines.
Unlike monofilament, fluorocarbon lines sink quickly and will rest on the bottom when allowed to go slack.
Fly Fishing Line for Carp
If you’re an avid carp angler and thinking of trying to fly fish for them, you should know a few things about fly fishing lines.
Recommended Fly Fishing Line for Carp Fishing – 7+ Fly Fishing Line Class or Greater.
First off, you may be wondering How Fly Fishing Lines are classified:
- They are not classified in lb. test or breaking strain like other fishing lines.
- Fly fishing lines are generally classified on a scale of 1 – 14.
- 1 being the weakest panfish fishing line and 14 being the strongest sea fly fishing line.
- Depending on the size of carp you are targeting, I would generally go with a 6 – 8 Fly Fishing Line. If you’re after large specimen carp, definitely aim for 7+ Fly Fishing Line Class.
Carp Fly Fishing Line Characteristics:
Elasticity
Carp Fly Fishing Line is very elastic; due to its thick floating qualities, it will stretch a long way before snapping. It is more likely that your leader will crack off before your fly fishing mainline.
Cost
The carp fishing line itself will be fairly cost-effective. The area you will most likely spend the most money will be on proper tapered leaders.
Line Memory
Fly Fishing Mainline for Carp Fishing is generally fairly soft and not prone to holding its memory. Tapered leaders on the other hand will form kinks and loops quite easily, its recommended to swap out your leader often.
Visibility
Most of your carp fishing line will be quite visible to carp as it floats on the water’s surface. The main trick is to use a long enough leader (which will go nearly undetected by the fish) to make your bait seem as natural as possible.
Abrasion Resistance
Another key bonus to fly fishing for carp is that your mainline can be quite thick and very abrasion resistant. Although you are hooking carp on the surface or mid-water column most of the time, rubbing against snags is less of a concern.
Floating or SInking
If you’re sight fishing for carp using flies or buoyant sweetcorn baits, you will want to opt for a floating fly fishing line.
How is Carp Fishing Line Strength Measured?
The strength of carp fishing line can be measured in two ways, the Diameter and/or the Breaking Strain. The actual breaking strength of the line will be anywhere from 10 – 25% higher. Depending on the manufacturer, some test their lines while wet, and others test them while dry, which makes a difference that you won’t be able to determine.
Diameter – is usually measured in millimetres(mm). For example 0.10mm 0.15mm 0.20mm.
Breaking Strain – is measured in pounds(lb.). For example, 10lb. 15lb. 20lb.
Diameter affects many things, such as:
- Spool Capacity.
- Wind Resistance.
- Casting Distance.
- Casting Accuracy.
- Water Drag.
- Bulkiness or Size on Knots.
- Sensitivity.
- Visibility.
The optimal lines, such as fluorocarbon and braid, will have a smaller diameter but higher breaking strain.
Why is Carp Fishing Line Weight Important?
Unlike fishing for other
Situations where this factor differs are if you’re fishing at long range. A lighter line will play off of your spool easier when casting, resulting in greater distance.
I prefer a heavier line as most of the locations I target are close to shore. This changes during carp tournaments. When designated a certain peg to fish from, it is a greater advantage to equip
Visibility and Transparency of Carp Fishing Line
Fluorocarbon lines are the least visible of the three types of lines. Monofilament is probably second and braided lines are the most visible. Braided lines have had many advancements in recent years, one such advancement being their colour. They now come in various colours to help blend in with the bottom substrate or vegetation.
Transparency can also be an important factor. I’ve heard some anglers mention the fact that it is not the line the fish see but the shadows that the line casts on the bottom. Therefore if you’re fishing a taught line that will cast a shadow, it is best to go with Monofilament as it is the most transparent of the three different types of line. Although if you’re fishing slack line, transparency shouldn’t be an issue as your line is laying flat on the bottom, thus not casting any shadow.
There are also special braided lines for spod and marker rods. They come in highly visible colours such as orange, yellow and bright green. These lines are more visible, so you can see where they are in the water. Some anglers even say they deter birds and other animals from feeding on your bait as you cast, although, in my experience, no matter what colour line I use, the ducks and geese always seem undeterred! These lines also come with a greater breaking strain. For use with high test curve spod and marker rods, they prevent the line from breaking and causing the loss of spods, spombs or marker floats.
Cost of Carp Fishing Line
The three types of fishing lines vary in their cost. Fluorocarbon is the most expensive, braided line is mid-priced, and monofilament is most often the cheapest.
- If you stick to the top-dollar, top-of-the-line brands, you can’t go wrong. Aside from better quality materials going into the products, quality lines that go through rigorous testing and quality control stages will undoubtedly cost more.
- In the medium ranges, you will have to rely upon word of mouth, reviews and your own experience.
- I would avoid cheap lines at all costs. I think it isn’t worth cheaping out and risking losing a fish of a lifetime. With the cheap lines, I have found the quality to be very inconsistent and have heard that some companies buy old expired spools of line and merely relabel them and sell them at a lower price.
Changing line once a year won’t break anyone’s bank account. If you’re looking to replace it more frequently, be sure to purchase line in bulk spools to help cut down on costs.
For carp anglers, especially specimen anglers, fishing line can be one of the
Carp Fishing Line Casting Distance
Casting Distance can be an important factor depending on your fishing location. In pressured waters where carp feel safe feeding out of normal casting range, it is important to pick a line that can cast farther than normal. This little fact can differentiate between a successful or failed session and seasoned anglers from the inexperienced.
Braided line has a reputation for being the shortest casting line. It can still reach great distances with advancements such as smooth coatings and tighter weave patterns.
Monofilament or Fluorocarbon will be the lines of choice if you wish to fish at distances of 150 yards or greater.
Although rod and reel choices also significantly impact these characteristics of carp fishing, smaller diameter lines will cast farther as there is less resistance coming off the spool.
Here in North America, most anglers target species such as walleye, bass, pike and trout. They are used to using smaller rods and lighter tackle than that of carp anglers.
I sometimes drop a marker float when I pre-bait an area for carp by boat. The next day I will cast to the marker float at range from shore. On one occasion, bass anglers stopped to pick up my marker float after looking around and not seeing anyone within range. They couldn’t hear my shouting from the wind, but they most certainly noticed my weight BOSH into the water beside their boat to get their attention. A lot of anglers are surprised at the distances carp anglers can reach with specialized carp rods, reels and line.
Carp Fishing Line Durability
The average angler, including myself, can get away with re-spooling their reels at a minimum of once or twice per year, so long as you keep cutting back the damaged sections. Amazingly some tournament anglers change lines after every competition.
Fishing line can break down over time. When not in use, consider storing reels with line on them in a well-ventilated, dry and cool location that is out of direct sunlight. Sunlight can be hard on Monofilament lines as UV rays and heat can break down synthetics. Specialized rod sleeves not only protect your rods and reels, but also prolong the life of your spooled carp fishing line.
Modern fishing line is extremely durable and needs only a bare minimum of maintenance and care to hold up for long periods of time.
Why is Carp Fishing Line Abrasion Resistance Important?
One of the worst sounds an angler can hear when battling a big fish. The snap or rather CRACK a line makes when under too much pressure or rubs up against the wrong object under water.
The importance of abrasion resistance is mainly based on your fishing location. More importantly, the number of snags or natural hazards for your line to get caught on or rub up against.
If you are fishing in a flat location with a sandy or silty bottom, you won’t likely be bothered by a line with low abrasion resistance.
Single-stranded lines are much more resistant to abrasion than multi-stranded lines. Multi-stranded lines will not slip over obstacles as easily as single-stranded lines, and each fine strand in a multi-stranded line will be severed easier, making them less resistant to abrasion. Therefore Monofilament and Fluorocarbon lines will have a greater
What Carp Fishing Line has the Best Knot Strength?
Knot strength is a key factor in carp fishing lines due to the complexity of some of the rigs carp anglers use. Sometimes, up to six knots can be involved from reel to line to hook to the bait.
Knotting a line weakens it. The weakest part of your line is always where your knots are, as the knot causes your line to bend and cut into itself under pressure.
Braided lines have the greatest knot strength. Once wetted and tightened, they rarely slip. Monofilament and Fluorocarbon lines are prone to difficulties with knot strength. They are both single-stranded lines that will kink easily and also have smooth surfaces where knots will slip easier if not tightened down properly.
How Does Elasticity or Stretch Effect Carp Fishing Lines?
The amount of stretch a good carp fishing line can have is one of the most important factors when deciding which type to use. All fishing lines will stretch to some degree. Stretch is both good and bad in a line. When it keeps a line from breaking under pressure, it is good, but if it keeps you from detecting a bite, setting the hook or turning a running fish, it is bad.
- Less stretch will make it easier to turn a fish mid-battle. This will tire the fish quicker, which will, in turn, bring it to shore for a successful catch sooner.
- Less stretch will also make the line more sensitive. It will be easier to detect bites/takes and to set the hook.
- Less stretch will give greater accuracy to casting. When setting the line in a line clip to cast to a certain distance, it will hit the mark every time when there is little to no stretch in a line.
- More elasticity is better in a line when fishing a very snaggy area or in situations where you want the line to stretch a bit more before breaking.
A good strategy to get the best of both worlds is to use a braided mainline with a Fluorocarbon or Monofilament shock leader. The shock leader will provide a bit of stretch when needed, for example, when casting, fighting a fish or navigating snags. With the braided mainline, your setup will still provide enough rigidity to provide decent bite detection and accuracy when casting.
Why it is Important to Understand Carp Fishing Line Shock Resistance
Shock resistance is a term I didn’t learn until I was well into my carp angling addiction. I knew little about higher test curve rods and the intricacies of casting heavier marker/probe leads and loaded spombs.
Let’s just say when I used my first 3 lb. test curve 12 ft. marker/spod rod, I lost many weights and a few spombs. I quickly learned that braided line had a very poor shock resistance factor no matter what pound test.
Shock Resistance is directly related to elasticity or stretch. It allows the line to compensate for a significant amount of strain to be applied to a line in a short period of time. As the example above demonstrates, with no shock leader, the weight of a
Now I highly recommend anyone using a spod or marker rod equipped with braid to use a fluorocarbon or mono-filament shock leader. The leader’s cost will make up for itself quickly with the number of marker leads and baiting tools it will save.
Carp Fishing Line Uses
Carp fishing line can be used for many different purposes. Rigs, backing, mainline and leaders.
Rigs
Most carp fishing rigs are tied with braided line. The specially coated braids are great for this due to their stiffness and added weight. The stiffness prevents the line from coming back on itself, possibly tangling mid-cast and the weight keeps it firmly in place when fishing on the bottom.
Mainline
All three types of lines can be used as mainlines. Although, as stated above, I prefer to use braid as a mainline for carp angling.
Backing
The backing on a spool is mainly monofilament because it is cost-effective. A monofilament backing is required when using a braided line. If the braided line is tied directly to the spool, it will tend to slip over time.
Leaders
Many anglers choose fluorocarbon line for leaders. It is the least visible of all the lines and less likely to be detected by wary carp. It also has decent elasticity to be used as a shock leader when casting heavier weights or heavy baits.
Occasionally, a reel can be spooled with all three types of lines fluorocarbon, monofilament and braided. Monofilament can be used for cheap backing on a spool and then attached to a braided mainline, which is attached to a fluorocarbon leader. This setup takes advantage of the best characteristics in each type of line.
