That last one, unless you're fishing for trout in gin-clear water, is very hard for me to believe. After all, you're probably throwing a crank bait with at least two sets of treble hooks attached, a plastic bill on the front, and usually, rattles inside.

Pick up a minnow or a shad sometime and shake it. No matter how hard you shake or what position in which you hold it, it doesn't rattle. And there are no shiny appendages hanging from its underside nor is there a shiny plastic-type lip up front.

But line size matters? Through my own personal experiences, if a bass is going to bite, whether from a sense of hunger or purely as a reaction to an object invading its territory, the size of the line is not as important as where the lure is placed.

And if line size does matter to the extreme some anglers impose, then why do I continue to catch fish on braided line that is sun-bleached to the point of being almost white? One would think the bright white leading to the lure would make a bass shy away.

We do a lot of things to make our line seem to disappear when it enters the water. From the different colored monofilaments to the use of a water-proof marking pen on the last two or three feet of line before the lure, there are many ways anglers try to hide the most important tool of the trade.

But is it really necessary?

Actually? No. Mentally? It can't hurt.

If you think it helps, then by all means do it. Confidence catches as many fish as skill. And if you think it will help, then it probably will, just by adding to your confidence.

When I started using braided line (Spiderwire to be exact.), one of the main reasons was the line's ability to disappear underwater. Especially under a bright, sunny sky. The video tape that was enclosed with the line showed renowned videographer, Glenn Lau, with a board underwater. Attached to the board were many different sizes and colors of mono line and one strand of Spiderwire. No matter which way the board was turned, towards or away from the sunlight, the monos glistened like a laser beam. The braid was unseen. It had no reflectivity whatsoever.

Do I think it helps me catch fish? Yes, but not because of its reflective properties, but because of its sensitivity. Though it doesn't hurt because the fish can't see it as well as mono.

So next time you're out, do what makes you feel best. Heavy line or light line. It doesn't matter to the fish.....but it does to you!

Until next month, good luck and good fishing!