SNOODED TROTLINES - What's the difference?
Line
#6 Main Lines
Pros
It's inexpensive. It's the line of choice for the beginning or occasional recreational crabber, it's made from nylon and will not rot and will last for years.
Cons
If you are not careful when you are baiting, or bringing in back in from the water, the loops in the lines will turn into knots.
#8 Solid Braid
A sinking line that's soft, on the hands when you pull line in, less likely to knot up than #6. If a loop develops usually all you have to do is just to shake it out, coils up easily in your basket.
None. It's a good, all around line.
3 Strand Nylon
The "Cadillac" of all lines and also the most expensive, Also a sinking line (that doesn't require "seasoning") and the favorite of commercial crabbers who use winders because of the great wear resistance. This is one time that you get what you pay for. It's been reported with proper care that this line will last 20 years and if you get a loop in your line when you're letting it out, or bringing it in, just shake the line and the tangle usually falls out and very rarely gets knotted up.
Some might say it's the price, but you get what you pay for. With proper care this line can last 20 years.
Snoods, 1/8"
Thinner snoods are more "flexible" and absorb more vibrations resulting in less crabs dropping off your line with more crabs coming to the surface... The bottom line is at the end of the day you will catch more crabs.Not recommended for crabbers who use a line winder because they over stretch coming thru the winder.
4' used mostly with auto dippers, or young and fast dippers, and crabbers who mostly use chicken necks, salted eels, bull lips, or small (light) types of bait and occasionally uses heavier baits like razor clams with clam bags.
Snoods, 3/16"
Won't break as easy as 1/8" dia snoods if you get your snood line hung up. That's why most commercial crabbers prefer the 3/16" snoods over the 1/8" snoods. They are more durable than 1/8" dia snoods,works best for heavier baits that use clam bags and,recommended if you use a line winders.
3/16" dia being thicker, have a little less elasticity than the 1/8" dia snoods, but a lot of recreational crabbers also prefer using them. Works best with heavier baits that use clam bags, and will also work well with lighter baits like chicken necks.
Snood Line Spacing
- 6' standard spacing for hand dipping with smaller baits
- 10' spacing with razor clams-Commercial crabbers who use razor clams prefer
- 10' spacing with razor clams because this cost less money for bait to bait the line, takes less time, and catches more crabs than the smaller type baits because the sent of the razor clams are stronger and from crabs to your line from a further distance resulting in a 50% increase in catch rate over smaller type baits.
- 4' used mostly with auto dippers, or young and fast dippers. Most crabbers use smaller type baits with 4' spacing
Is Quality line worth the extra money? You decide!
Ever wonder why some lines have to be “seasoned" to sink, while other lines sink without seasoning? The lighter (cheaper) line starts out with a fiber core and then has a jacket spun around the fiber to make the finished line. In order for the fiber core lines to sink, the fiber core must absorb water to become heavier in order to sink, thus so named “seasoning.”
This is the first question you should ask if you are buying a crab line!
(This type of line is not crab line because it's not sinking line and you never know if it's going to sinks to the bottom, and if your crab line isn't on the bottom of the river,you are not going to catch crabs
In addition to the sinking factor, the life of the cheaper quality line is much less (2-3 years on average) because the outer shell wears thru to the fiber core and the line breaks continually resulting in you having to replace your line every 2-3 years.
Captain Bruce’s lines do not have fiber fillers. All lines are made in the manufacturing process by using ALL polyester, or ALL nylon, resulting in a heaver “SINKING LINE” because they don’t have a soft filler core. If your line is not sinking to the bottom (on its own), you are not going to catch as many crabs.
In addition to the self-sinking line, Captain Bruce’s line will last up to 3 times longer (9-10 years) on average. Some customers have reported that they have been using this type of quality line for 20 years or more and its still being used today. When Captain Bruce inquired as to what is the secret to keeping a line that long they all say just take care of it. Taking care of it means use it as often as you want, but when you are not using it, keep in out of the sun, and dry it out and store it dry in the off season.
And Captain Bruce only sells sinking crab line - Made in the USA, because crab line made in the USA has superior quality over imported line.
So what’s the difference between Imported and Made in USA line?
Imported
This line is made overseas. The main difference between imported crab line and USA made line is that the imported line is a poorer in quality, and a little stiffer than the USA made line which makes it a little more difficult when you use a winder or to store it in your basket.
Made in the USA
Captain Bruce's crab line is made in the USA. It's medium lay, its better quality, and coils up easily to store in your bucket or basket.
This is one time that you really get what you pay for!