I'm about ready to teach DD how to fish and find myself bewildered by the new choices of fishing lines. Can someone recommend a few good lines (brands & weights) for bass, sunfish, crappies, catfish, and maybe an alligator gar(!)

Thanks.
-Blast

I don't fish much anymore, but I usually go with 10 lb. test and find myself reaching for trusty Stren when considering an all-around line like that. If I expect to run into gar, I would just get wire leaders. For my smaller, collapsible rod and reel that fits in my daypack, I go with 6 lb. test.

Maybe there might be a more up-to-date angler out there with better advice for you, though.

Teaching someone to fish?

I would stay away from the braided lines for two reasons. First, braided lines are a little expensive. Second is the safety factor. With braids, they cut flesh easily. Remember how easy it is to get hung up on something? What do you do? You pull the line, hench with braid you slice a digit to the bone.

Mono is the way to go. I fish some fresh water and salt water. Stren, Trilene Big Game, Sufix are all good brands.

Me personally I like Sufix Tritinum Plus. Comes in several different wights. It has very little memory and holds knots well.

Just go with a good brand of monofiliment. Stren is good.
For sunfish, trout, other panfish even bass you can go with 6lb test. If you go with much more you risk the fish seeing the line. For catfish you will need a bit stronger set up but even with 6lb test you can catch the smaller ones; if you hook a big cat it will break your line and you will loose less than a dollars worth of hooks , weights and swivels.
Start out with a light spin cast set up and you will be able to catch mostly anything you will encounter.

In fact when it comes to survival; sunfish are a great resource. They multiply like rabbits and will eat almost anything from bugs to worms to even bread balls. you can even catch them with a modest handline such as a spool of line with a small hook. Just bait a small piece of worm on the hook and let it sink slowly; you will catch the sunnies real easy this way. They are the most fun fish to catch and even though they are small and have bones; they are very tasty.

Thanks all! I haven't fished seriously in ten years but it's definately something I want to teach my little girl while she still thinks holding worms is cool!

-Blast

For adults, a light spininning outfit with 6-8# test line is great to start. Ditto on Stren or Trilene for a good no frills mono that won't break the bank. For kids, I prefer a good ol cane pole and bobber. Second would be the little Snoopy, Barbie, GIJoe or whatever closed face rod & reel setups are good for panfish and your child has their own fishing gear.

For hooks, I really have liked the Tru-Turns and am starting to play with circle hooks. For panfish, a small TruTurn is hard to beat.

For sinkers, the easily removable split shot are good and Thill are top of the line bobbers.

All my fiberglass crappie poles are strung with Original 6 lb Hi-Viz Stren monofilament. It keeps the wife and kids interested longer if the can see where the line is at and what it's doing.