Rating the Lines

• 1). Decide how you are going to fish for walleye before you try to determine the best line to use. Will you be primarily jigging or trolling? Will you be fishing in deep or shallow water? Along rocky ledges or on sandy flats? There are many types of line because they each have their strengths and weaknesses for different types of fishing.
  
  
• 2). Choose monofilament for a great-all purpose fishing line. Having stood the test of time, it has decent strength properties, and low visibility for fish under water. It is inexpensive, not too difficult to tie, and has decent abrasion resistance, though scuffed line becomes weakened. Negatives include its tendency to twist and snarl, and the natural stretch of the line tends to mute sensitivity, a big issue when trying to feel a light walleye bite.
  
  
• 3). Tie on a braided nylon line to experience maximum sensitivity. Nothing is more critical with walleye fishing, and the large assortment of available braided nylon lines takes tops in this category. They are known for great tensile strength, small diameter, and no memory, which translates into minimal twisting and tangling. Best teamed with super-sensitive fairly stiff carbon graphite fishing rods, their minimal stretch translates to quick action and solid hook setting. These lines are the most visible underwater of all the lines, and their narrow diameter can be a weakness in abrasion resistance.
  
  
• 4). Disappear in the water with fluorocarbon lines. Walleye are known for their ability to see and feed on prey in murky waters. If a walleye sees something that doesn't add up, he won't bite. Fluorocarbons are king for vanishing in the water. Comparable in price with the braided lines they are somewhat more fragile, but are becoming extremely popular due to their underwater invisibility. These lines are fairly new on the market, so time will be the test.