)
There is nothing more frustrating than battling with a massive fish that you have spent hours waiting for only to have your cheap fishing line get caught on a rock and rip just as you are about to reel in your prized fish. Instead of risking losing the catch (and the expected meal over the campfire), consider opting for a braided fishing line as a way to never again lose a fish that you have successfully hooked.
Braided fishing lines have been around for a long time, as fishers learned from the beginning that the these types of fishing lines offered an extremely high knot strength, lack of stretch, and great overall power in relation to the relatively small diameter of the line itself. While earlier incarnations of this type of line were made from natural materials such as natural cotton, linen, or other fibers, the modern day braided fishing line is made almost exclusively from synthetic materials such as Dacron, Spectra or micro-dyneema. Furthermore, a quality braided fishing line can be used on virtually any type of fishing reel.
In this short article, we will first explain why you need to switch to a braided fishing line if you have not done so already. We then offer a complete review of the top 12 braided fishing lines on the market today.
Why You Need a Braided Fishing Line
There are several benefits associated with a braided fishing line compared to other types of lines such as a mono fishing line. We will go through the benefits individually below.
Resistance to Abrasion: When you are out fishing in the middle of a deep lake, there might be a limited chance of catching your line on rocks or other sharp objects. When fishing from the shoreline, however, catching your line on rocks, sticks, and other foreign objects often leads to a broken line. This can be frustrating, especially when you have hooked a fish and are struggling to bring it in. A braided fishing line offers added strength and resistance to abrasion meaning that you will not have to worry about losing your catch even if you are fishing from a rocky shore.
Thinner Diameter: Another benefit of the braided fishing line against its competitors like the monofilament line is that it has a thinner diameter. The braided nature allows for more strength while also allowing the line to be thinner. As fishermen know, the thinner the line, the more line you can pack onto your reel. Additionally, the thinner diameter allows spin-cast fishermen to use lighter test line, thus giving a higher probability at landing such drag screamers like the tarpon, kingfish and grouper. The thinner line also benefits flats fishermen by being able to outcast mono lines, and access shy fish who stay away from the shore. The farther you can cast out, the larger fishing area you can test out.
No Stretch Factor: Another advantage that braided fishing line has over monofilament line is that it has almost no stretch. This allows for firm hook setting ability, which is important when trying to haul in the fish.
Overall Strength: Lastly, braided fishing line is notably stronger than monofilament line. While this helps to avoid getting the line cut, it also plays an important role in getting to bottom feeding fish. Pacific Brawlers, to name just one example, like to spend time at the bottom of the water underneath a thick layer of kelp, and braided fishing line is able to slice right through that hiding spot so that you can get to those hard to reach fish.
While some fishers will say that braided fishing line is harder to knot, once you become accustomed to this type of line, it should be just as quick and easy as using monofilament line. Another supposed drawback to braided fishing line is that it is supposedly more noticeable in clear waters, thus diminishing your chances of landing a fish. However, since many fishers choose braided fishing line for trying to land bottom feeders or fish in deeper waters, this eliminates the concern of visibility.
When searching for the best braided fishing line on the market, you need to take into consideration what type of fishing you are planning to do. There is obviously a huge difference between fishing in a still lake and heading out deep-sea fishing on a choppy sea. Braided fishing lines are sold according to their strength and the type of fishing you are doing, so make sure to choose accordingly.
Furthermore, if you are looking for a braided line, it is best to make sure that it is advertised as no-stretch. Since braided fishing lines can also float on top of the water for surface level fishing, you might want to choose a thinner braided line to limit the visibility of the line within the water.
Top 12 Best Braided Fishing Lines
There are dozens of companies selling different braided fishing lines. As we mentioned above, the best braided fishing line for you will depend on the type of fishing you are planning on doing and the characteristics of the body of water where you will be. Nonetheless, there are braided fishing lines that are of a higher quality on the market. Below, we offer a quick review of the top 12 braided fishing lines on the market today.
1. KastKing SuperPower Braided Fishing Line: This product has a much smaller diameter than other similar products while also incorporating an impressive overall knot strength. While some people complain about tying knots with braided fishing line, with this product it is easy to even tie an improved clinch knot. The lack of a waxy coating allows the supple fishing line to move easily through the water. The abrasion resistance with this line is also superior and has absolutely zero stretch.
2. Power Pro Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line: One of the major benefits of this line is that you can order the product in a wide variety of colors and lengths, according to your own fishing plans and needs. This product is also treated with Enhanced Body Technology to make for a round and sensitive line. The varying diameters range from 0.005inch to 0.035inch, which will allow you to choose the best line for the type of fishing you are doing.
3. Spiderwire Braided Stealth Superline: The Spiderwire braided fishing line stands apart from the rest in that the Dyneema PE Microfiber construction makes for a strong, smooth and round line. Furthermore, the Fluor polymer- treated microfibers allows the line to move swiftly through the water and anything that might come in its way. The slick design and reduced diameter will also let you cast this line farther and stronger than with monofilament lines.
4. Bravefishermen Super Strong PE Braided Fishing Line: This great braided fishing line is rated according to the tension supported in pounds, and you can choose a product anywhere from 10 to 100 pounds of supported tension. In addition, this line is tough and round to prevent snares on the reels. The abrasion resistance is also of superior quality.
5. Sougayilang Multifilament Superbraid and Braided Fishing Line: Who says that fishing has to be boring? This multicolored line certainly looks unique and it also performs exceptionally well. Offering between 12 and 72 pounds of resistance, you can use this line for a wide variety of fishing. Furthermore, you can try this product for a 60-day trial period, and if you are not satisfied you can send it back for a money-back guarantee.
6. Reaction Tackle High Performance Braided Fishing Line: The braided fishing line provided by the company Reaction Tackle is made from 100% UHMWPE, one of the world’s strongest fibers. It is also manufactured to the highest quality standards and has one of the thinnest diameters on the market. Furthermore, this line is highly versatile, allowing you to fish for several species of fish such as bass, trout, walleye, Muskie and more.
7. Hercules Braided Fishing Line: The name of this product certainly implies strength, and it does well to live up to that reputation. This line comes in a wide variety of colors and also has almost no stretch. This allows for high sensitivity and no reel memory so that even amateur fishers can easily cast and handle their reel.
8. Piscifun Improved Braided Fishing Line: If you like to fish in rocky areas, or along riverbanks where catching tree roots are about as common as catching a fish, then the Piscifun Improved Braided Fishing Line is for you. This product has maximum abrasion resistance because of the new epoxy coating technology. Furthermore, the product offers unmatched knot strength. The four-strand line makes it easy to make even difficult knots on the line.
9. Mpeter Armor Braided Fishing Line: If you like to keep an eye on your line when it is in the water, this quality braided fishing line will keep its color for the long-term due to the high technology epoxy coatings. Furthermore, the dynamically incorporated strands allow for superior knot strength. The smaller diameter of the line itself will let you spool more fishing line onto your reel so you can cast out to farther distances.
10. Handing Braided Fishing Line: Offering between 18 and 96 pounds of resistance, this braided fishing line is idea for all different types and levels of fishing. It comes with eight strands of MultiTuf PE fibers that are both affordable and durable. Furthermore, the smooth finish on the line reduces friction allowing you to cast to further distances.
11. Ashconfish Super Strong Braided Fishing Line: The Ashconfish braided fishing line is manufactured from HHMWPE synthetic fibers, which stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber. The four fibers allow for high sensitivity and absolutely zero stretch. This braided fishing thread also offers superior abrasion resistance, near zero stretch, low memory and a super thin diameter for easy casting and handling.
12. Dorisea Extreme Braid: Finally, we come to the Dorisea Extreme Braid. This product comes in ten different colors allowing you to choose the best line for different types of fishing experiences. Furthermore, the advanced braid fishing wire construction is extremely sensitive with zero stretch. This will allow you to detect even the lightest of bites to make sure you land the fish you have been waiting for.