4 ms·

You don’t just pull the fish in with all your might. That’s a sure way to break your line and let the fish escape. How much stronger would fishing line have t

You don’t just pull the fish in with all your might. That’s a sure way to break your line and let the fish escape. How much stronger would fishing line have to be before you could brute force 95% of fish in?

slcjordan 3y ago
They definitely make line that is strong enough but it's thicker and fish that spot it are hesitant to take the bait. So there's a balance: strong enough not to lose fish but thin enough to gain an edge over the other competitors.
- Y_Y 3y ago
  I was thinking about designing a line that thickened and strengthened in response to the tension of reeling, but that I realized a negative poisson ratio was the opposite of what I wanted.
  - pontifk8r 3y ago
    How many kids do you have, dad engineer?
munificent 3y ago
This is a complicated question. In general, yes, you can absolutely put strong enough line on that will let you haul a fish straight out of the water dangling from it. It you fish for small fish (perch, bluegill, etc.), that's basically what you do every time. They are small enough that even the lightest line will still hold them. The challenge, though, is that the stronger the line is, the more visible it is to the fish, and the less finesse you have when fishing with it. More visible line can spook fish and get you fewer bites. And a thicker, stiffer line can make it harder for you to work the lure in a realistic way that entices fish to bite. So you're always making the trade-off where lighter line means more bites but a greater risk of not landing the fish if it breaks the line. Stronger lines mean fewer bites but if you get a hookset, you can probably land the fish. There are other complications too: fish aren't the only thing in the water. Stronger line can help you not lose lures if it gets tangled on branches or other obstructions. On the other hand, lighter line is more fun to fish with. You feel what the fish is doing much more clearly and the fight is more interactive. Catching a small fish using a big stiff fishing rod with heavy line feels like listening to music with earplugs in. You lose a lot of the experience. Also, there are different kinds of line: monofilament, fluorocarbon, braid. And you don't have to use the same kind of line for the whole length. Sometimes it makes sense to have a leader (a short section of line at the end) that's lighter or heavier than your main line. One of the delights of fishing is that it's an endless problem-solving exercise in gear optimization.
- RajT88 3y ago
  Just to add on a bit more, there is a saying (more among fly fisherman), "the tug is the drug". Some people get a thrill knowing they are at the limit of their gear and find that heightened sense of excitement to be pleasurable, not knowing what is going to happen. I imagine it is like gamblers watching roulette. This is also why some guys like to pike fish on ultralight gear.
- Severian 3y ago
  Yup, I once worked in a 18lb freshwater drum on 6lb rated line. Took me about 1/2 hour. Was in a dam spillway with some noticeable current. Both the fish and I was worn out. And the poor dude was thrown back in, they aren't really very eatable.
  - munificent 3y ago
    That's a life-long memory right there.
- dylan604 3y ago
  Not just the line, but the rod too. As a kid, we always thought we landed a "big one" by the way the poles would bend. It wasn't until I was older that my dad told me about kids poles made that way just to increase the excitement. Just the slightest nibble on the bait would cause the pole to bend significantly.
  - munificent 3y ago
    I basically only fish using ultralight gear and it has that same property. A little palm-sized bluegill bends the rod like I hooked a shark. It's fun.
- Terr_ 3y ago
  Now I'm imagining a heavy line that is actually multiple parallel strands, somehow treated so that in air they will curl and stick together, but when submerged they separate into multiple filaments that are harder for fish to see. (Converging, of course, onto the hook.) 'Course, then they'll probably snag all the time.
dwighttk 3y ago
Also the hook still has to hold

slcjordan 3y ago

They definitely make line that is strong enough but it's thicker and fish that spot it are hesitant to take the bait. So there's a balance: strong enough not to lose fish but thin enough to gain an edge over the other competitors.

Y_Y 3y ago
I was thinking about designing a line that thickened and strengthened in response to the tension of reeling, but that I realized a negative poisson ratio was the opposite of what I wanted.
- pontifk8r 3y ago
  How many kids do you have, dad engineer?

munificent 3y ago

This is a complicated question. In general, yes, you can absolutely put strong enough line on that will let you haul a fish straight out of the water dangling from it. It you fish for small fish (perch, bluegill, etc.), that's basically what you do every time. They are small enough that even the lightest line will still hold them. The challenge, though, is that the stronger the line is, the more visible it is to the fish, and the less finesse you have when fishing with it. More visible line can spook fish and get you fewer bites. And a thicker, stiffer line can make it harder for you to work the lure in a realistic way that entices fish to bite. So you're always making the trade-off where lighter line means more bites but a greater risk of not landing the fish if it breaks the line. Stronger lines mean fewer bites but if you get a hookset, you can probably land the fish. There are other complications too: fish aren't the only thing in the water. Stronger line can help you not lose lures if it gets tangled on branches or other obstructions. On the other hand, lighter line is more fun to fish with. You feel what the fish is doing much more clearly and the fight is more interactive. Catching a small fish using a big stiff fishing rod with heavy line feels like listening to music with earplugs in. You lose a lot of the experience. Also, there are different kinds of line: monofilament, fluorocarbon, braid. And you don't have to use the same kind of line for the whole length. Sometimes it makes sense to have a leader (a short section of line at the end) that's lighter or heavier than your main line. One of the delights of fishing is that it's an endless problem-solving exercise in gear optimization.

RajT88 3y ago
Just to add on a bit more, there is a saying (more among fly fisherman), "the tug is the drug". Some people get a thrill knowing they are at the limit of their gear and find that heightened sense of excitement to be pleasurable, not knowing what is going to happen. I imagine it is like gamblers watching roulette. This is also why some guys like to pike fish on ultralight gear.
Severian 3y ago
Yup, I once worked in a 18lb freshwater drum on 6lb rated line. Took me about 1/2 hour. Was in a dam spillway with some noticeable current. Both the fish and I was worn out. And the poor dude was thrown back in, they aren't really very eatable.
- munificent 3y ago
  That's a life-long memory right there.
dylan604 3y ago
Not just the line, but the rod too. As a kid, we always thought we landed a "big one" by the way the poles would bend. It wasn't until I was older that my dad told me about kids poles made that way just to increase the excitement. Just the slightest nibble on the bait would cause the pole to bend significantly.
- munificent 3y ago
  I basically only fish using ultralight gear and it has that same property. A little palm-sized bluegill bends the rod like I hooked a shark. It's fun.
Terr_ 3y ago
Now I'm imagining a heavy line that is actually multiple parallel strands, somehow treated so that in air they will curl and stick together, but when submerged they separate into multiple filaments that are harder for fish to see. (Converging, of course, onto the hook.) 'Course, then they'll probably snag all the time.

dwighttk 3y ago

Also the hook still has to hold