Photo: Lucky Craft
	Gerald Swindle likes mono because he swings hard on fish and feels fluorocarbon breaks too easily.

Week 43 ・What's My Line?
10/21/2005

Which line should you choose when you fire out your favorite Lucky Craft crankbait? Three Team Lucky Craft pros ・Gerald Swindle, Joe Thomas and Skeet Reese ・have different opinions on what string to tie on.

All of them like mono, while a couple prefer the lower-stretch qualities of braid and the near invisibility of fluorocarbon.

Reckless Abandon

Gerald Swindle is known for his flamboyant personality and his ability to catch fish with a variety of techniques. Crankbaits are one of his favorites and the Lucky Craft BDS gets a workout when "G" is on the bow.

"I'm not like a lot of the other guys when it comes to crankbaits," he said. "I fish them very aggressively. I mean, I'm to the point of almost being reckless with them. I'll put a crankbait where most guys would only pitch a jig or a spinnerbait.

"To do this, I stick with a little heavier line," he said. "When I've got a BDS 1 tied on, I'll use 12-pound P-Line mono. I step it up to 15-pound P-Line mono when I've got a BDS 2 on."

Fluorocarbon is not on his line menu.

"I've got to be the most un-fluorocarbon guy in the business," he said. "I feel like it tends to break when you set the hook really hard. It doesn't have enough give. I set the hook so hard, I mean I almost black out and crack 'em when I get bit. The mono is what holds up to that abuse."

Try 'Em All

Joe Thomas feels the need to use the best tool for the job. He prefers to keep a variety of lines available for his crankbait activities.

"I guess I choose the right line for the right situation," he said. "For example, I'll always use (Berkley) Trilene XT in lo-vis green when I'm fishing my Lucky Craft cranks along wood or rocks. And I tend to use 12-pound line.

"When I'm using a Pointer (jerkbait), I'll switch to fluorocarbon," he said. "I use 12-pound Vanish for that application. I use this lure in clear, open water and feel the near invisibility of the line, along with its low stretch, give me what I need to hook more fish."

He feels vegetation is the place to apply the braids.

"When I'm using a lipless bait in the grass or other vegetation, it's hard to beat braided line," he said. "I use 40-pound Spiderwire Stealth for these conditions. It just rips right through the grass better than anything else."

Spinner-cranks?

Skeet Reese isn't afraid to tie on heavy line when he's on a crankbait bite. He's also not afraid of heavy cover when it comes to his Lucky Craft crankbaits.

"When I'm using a Lucky Craft BDS 1 through 4, I'll often fish it like a spinnerbait in the 1- to 5-foot depth zone," he said. "Those BDS models move a lot of water and are especially effective in warmer water in areas a spinnerbait is usually fished.

"The size of line I use depends on the depth and cover I'm fishing," he added. "I'll use anywhere from 12- to 20-pound Trilene Sensation. I've got no problem fishing these lures in the heavy cover, especially if it's what the fish want."

Notable

> Reese varies his line choice for lipless Lucky Craft baits. "In the spring or fall when I'm using the Lucky Craft LV-100 or LV-500, I use either Trilene Sensation or 30-pound Spiderwire," he said. The mono is best in the more open water with wood or rocks and the Spiderwire cuts through the heavy grass. Both lines work very well for the individual applications.