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Have you ever wondered to yourself, are crappie line shy? Over the years I, and many others, have come to the conclusion that the answer is a definitive NO. The brightness of your fishing line seems to have little impact on whether crappie bite or not. With that said, why would you even want to use high visibility fishing line for crappie? Let’s discuss “Hi Vis” fishing lines, and why you might want to use them.
What Is Hi Vis Fishing Line
“Hi-Vis” has become the most common phrase used to describe brightly colored fishing line. It seems like nowadays most manufacturers use this phrasing.
Hi Vis just stands for high visibility. It references the brightly colored line options available from many of the popular fishing line companies. The actual color could be some bright shade of yellow, gold, green, orange or blue. I personally like the yellow and gold options. I find them to be very easy to see in most light conditions.
Does Hi Vis Line Scare Crappie?
While it’s true that some species of fish are very line shy, that doesn’t seem to be the case for crappie. This seems very ironic to me, considering that crappie are often so sensitive to jig color.
I think part of the reason they don’t spook from hi-viz line is because the line is not actually as bright as you think it is, once it’s underwater. My other guess is, that for whatever reason, they simply don’t correlate fishing line with danger. They are much more interested in the lure or bait at the end of the line than they are in the line itself.
I’m not going to pretend to know for sure why crappie ignore bright fishing line. What I do know is that they generally don’t pay much attention to bright yellow monofilament. I’m sure other colors work well too, but hi-viz yellow or gold mono is my preference.
Why Use Hi-Vis Line For Crappie
There are several reasons you might want to consider using a high visibility line when crappie fishing. All of them really come down to being able to see the line better. Having better line visibility usually translates into you being a more successful crappie fisherman. Following are the reasons I personally use hi-vis line 80%-90% of the time.
- Detecting subtle bites is much easier with hi vis
- Bright line allows you to see better when tying knots
- Helps you quickly keep track of many lines when spider rigging
- Sometimes older eyes just need it
Hi-viz line helps you detect subtle bites
Oftentimes crappie are the most subtle of biters, so being able to clearly see your line will increase your productivity on the water. Hi Vis line gives you the extra edge you need to detect those light bites.
Bright lines work well for both jigging vertically, or for casting and retrieving. The ability to quickly determine if “anything” is different with your line will translate into quicker hook sets and more fish.
Any minor decrease in bites due to line visibility will more than be made up for by being able to detect the bites that you do get. This can’t be overstated. If you’ve not developed a solid line-watching ability, it’s time to tie on some bright line and hone your skills.
Bright fishing line makes knot tying easier
Being able to clearly see the line as you tie knots is going to result in tidier knots that are tied much quicker.
Helps you quickly keep track of multiple lines at once
I’m personally a huge fan of spider rigging for crappie. I find that bright fishing line allows me to be able to keep track of what’s going on out in front of the boat.
When using bright yellow fishing line, I can quickly scan all 6 to 8 lines to determine if anything is happening.
Older eyes benefit from more visible line
Even if your eyes are in excellent condition, being able to more easily see your line is going to make you a better crappie fisherman. Certainly if your vision has started to fade with age, like mine, you will benefit greatly from a more visible fishing line.
Good Hi-Viz Lines For Crappie
*Click image above to check prices on Amazon
Below are some great line options for crappie. I only listed monofilament options below because that’s what I prefer when crappie fishing. I feel like braided lines are more prone to tear a crappies paper mouth. With that said, some guys still do prefer braid. If you fall in that category, I would still opt to use a very brightly colored braided line as well.
- Mr. Crappie Hi-Viz
- Stren Original High-Vis Gold
- Stren Crappie Mono Hi-Vis yellow
- Vicious Fishing Panfish Hi-Vis yellow
- Sufix Elite Hi-Vis Yellow
When purchasing your fishing line, be sure to get something not only with high visibility, but also with low line memory.
High memory fishing line will defeat some of the purpose of using bright line in the first place. Curled up line will make it more difficult to detect subtle line movement. To avoid this issue, try to stick with fresh line from reputable brands.
Conclusion
With the exception of crystal clear waters, most crappie you chase won’t be deterred by bright fishing line. Detecting the most subtle of bites is sometimes the name of the game, and high visibility line helps you do just that. If you try it out, I bet you’ll be glad you did.
Happy Fishing
Augustus Clay
If you found this article helpful, you’ll really love this one about the 3 best baits for crappie. Or, head on over to crappie.com for all the crappie info you could ever care to read.
