Best Line for Squid Fishing Australia: PE, Braid and Leader Setup

Line choice is one of the most underrated parts of a successful eging setup. It affects casting distance, how well you can track the jig on the sink, and how much control you keep once the wind starts pushing a bow into the line.

If you are still building the rest of the system, pair this guide with the Best Squid Jig Australia guide and the Squid Jig Size Guide.

The hard truth: squid usually do not care, but your wallet does

A common eging myth is that squid are extremely line shy. In practice, squid rarely care anywhere near as much as anglers do.

Ultra-light lines absolutely offer performance advantages, but there is a trade-off that gets ignored too often: snag cost.

If you go too light around reef, pier pylons or heavy weed, every solid hang-up has a better chance of ending in a lost jig. In the Australian market, where good Japanese jigs are not cheap, dropping jigs repeatedly is not just frustrating. It gets expensive quickly.

The practical rule is this: use the strongest line you can get away with without ruining your casting distance or jig action.

That is usually a smarter way to think than blindly chasing the lightest setup possible.

PE braid is the nervous system of eging

Dedicated eging setups almost always use PE braid because it offers a thin diameter with very low stretch. That makes the whole system feel more direct.

Why thin braid helps

Thin braid helps in three very real ways:

• it creates less drag in wind and current
• it keeps the connection between rod tip and jig feeling crisp
• it lets the jig sink and work more naturally instead of being held up by bulky line

This becomes especially obvious in places such as Melbourne Squid Fishing or Mornington Pier Squid Fishing, where wind angle and line belly can change the whole feel of a session.

Why some anglers still go a little heavier

This is the part that gets missed in a lot of finesse-heavy advice.

If you are fishing around heavier reef, ribbon weed, rock edges or pier pylons, a touch of extra line strength can be the difference between pulling a jig free and leaving it on the bottom.

That does not mean heavy line is always better. It means there is a practical middle ground between pure finesse and pure insurance.

The role of leader: your insurance policy

Leader is the bridge between sensitive braid and abrasive structure.

Abrasion resistance

Unlike braid, fluorocarbon leader can survive a brief rub against rock, weed stalks or a pylon much more cleanly.

A little bit of shock absorption

Leader also gives the setup a small amount of forgiveness when a better squid loads up suddenly or changes direction close to the landing point.

If you want the full breakdown of fluorocarbon, length and setup logic, read the Squid Fishing Leader Guide.

Avoid over-lining, but stay practical

Over-lining is one of the fastest ways to make an eging outfit feel dull. If the braid is too heavy for the rod and jig size, the lure loses some of its crispness and starts feeling blunter through the water.

That matters a lot with common jig sizes such as 2.5 and 3.0, where too much drag can flatten the action and slow the sink more than you realise.

At the same time, do not go too light just because a Japanese pro does it from a boat in ideal water. For land-based pier fishing in Port Phillip Bay or Western Port, you still need enough strength to win the occasional tug-of-war with weed, reef or structure.

Practical PE recommendations

The cleanest way to think about PE line is by fishing situation.

Finesse and calm-water setups

PE 0.4 to 0.6 makes the most sense when:

• the water is clear and shallow
• the conditions are calm
• the squid are cautious
• you want maximum sensitivity and minimal drag

This is the light end of the range and is best treated as a specialist setup rather than the default answer for every angler.

The all-rounder sweet spot

PE 0.8 is often the most practical all-round starting point for Australian land-based eging.

Why it works so well:

• strong enough to save many jigs from minor snags
• still thin enough to cast well
• keeps good line control in most average bay and pier conditions
• does not overcomplicate the setup for newer anglers

If you are learning the hop-and-drop properly, PE 0.8 is usually easier to live with than going extremely light.

Heavier reef or bigger-water setups

PE 1.0 to 1.2 starts making more sense when:

• the structure is rougher
• the snag risk is higher
• the current is stronger
• the water is deeper
• you are fishing harder Victorian or WA-style conditions

This is not the universal answer, but it has a valid place in more demanding situations where losing expensive jigs becomes a bigger risk than losing a little finesse.

How line affects sink rate and feel

Line does not change a jig on its own, but it absolutely changes how that jig behaves in the real world.

Thicker line tends to:

• create more drag
• slow the sink
• increase bow in the wind
• reduce the crispness of the connection

Thinner line tends to:

• keep the jig feeling cleaner and more direct
• let the lure reach depth more naturally
• make it easier to read a subtle take or pause

That is why line choice needs to make sense alongside the Squid Jig Sinking Rate Guide Australia, not separately from it.

Final advice: do not let a snag ruin your day

Technical advantages such as sensitivity and sink-rate control matter, but they are not the whole story. If your setup is so light that every reef touch costs you a jig, it stops being practical very quickly.

For many beginners, starting slightly heavier is the smarter move. A braid around PE 0.8 gives you a lot more room to learn without constantly worrying about snapping off on weed, reef or pylons.

Once you really understand bottom contact, line angle and the feel of the jig, you can decide whether going lighter is worth the extra risk.

Recommended Gear

If you want a clean starting point for your line setup, this YGK PE braid is the most relevant next product from this guide.

Shop YGK PE Braid Line