Braided fishing line has become an extremely popular choice among seasoned anglers. This type of line is made up of micro-strands braid together to create a stronger, durable, and narrower braided fishing line.
In this article, we’ve included the pros and cons of braided lines, when and where to best use braid over mono/fluoro lines, and additional helpful tips and things to consider. We also included our top picks with comparisons and reviews.
What is a braided line?
Braided line is made up of micro strands of line interwoven together. The strands are made of different fibers such as Dacron, Spectra or micro-Dyneema, hydrophobic gore, etc. Braid is typically composed of 4 to 8 strands, but the manufacturer now starts creating 12 and 16 strands. A braided line is thinner than mono or fluorocarbon lines, so you can fit a much longer braided line on the spool on the same pound test. This is much more useful for deep sea fishing, you don’t need to have bigger reels to accommodate long lines.
When and where best to use braided lines?
Braided line is useful in almost any situation, but different challenges are depending on the water conditions. Braided lines are highly visible in the water, it can be an excellent choice when fishing in stained water with lower visibility. For crystal clear water, it is common to use it as a mainline and attach a monofilament or fluorocarbon line that serves as a leader.
Here are some other benefits to braid that are useful to know.
Cast Long Distances
Braided fishing lines are very flexible and easier to cast long distances. Its super thin line diameter weighs less and is very flexible making it easy to cast further. This is an advantage for shore fishing. Also, the braided line typically floats on top of the water, making it a top choice for topwater rigs, etc.
No Stretch, High Sensitivity
Braided lines have very little to no stretch, making fishing rigs very sensitive to fish bites. This is a huge advantage for deep-sea fishing, you can easily feel even the gentle bite. The drawback with no stretch is when fighting with big and more aggressive fish will cause the line to break if you miss setting the reel drag ratio to slow values.
Knot Technique
Knotting a braided line can be a bit of a challenge due to its thickness, slippery surface, and lack of stretch. There are several knot techniques that you can use to ensure you tie the knots very carefully. The most common are Berkley Braid Knot, Double Palomar knot, San Diego Jam Knot, Trilene knot, etc.
How to Connect Braid to a Leader Line
As the braided line is very visible in clear water, it is common to connect a leader line of either fluorocarbon/monofilament. When tying two different lines together, it’s important to ensure that the knot is done correctly to avoid line twists and leader line break off. There are several ways to connect the two lines but we recommend the Blood knot, FG, Double Uni Knot, and Alberto knot.
Pros and Cons of Braided Line
Pros
- Thinner diameter than mono/fluorocarbon
- Good resistance to abrasion
- Floats on top of the water
- Great line sensitivity for light bites
- Minimal to zero stretch
- Stronger breaking strength (lb rating)
- Casts easier & further
Cons
- Highly visible in the water
- Challenging to tie knots
- More expensive than typical monofilament
- Difficult to cut/remove snag
- Line can cut into reel spool or rod line guides
Braided Fishing Line Reviews
The table above compares the most important specs of the top 5 models side by side. Now let’s take a look at each model in more detail.
1. KastKing SuperPower Braided Fishing Line
Key Features:
- Strong knot strength
- Low memory
- Greater abrasion resistance
- Ultra-high sensitivity & Zero stretch
- Smaller diameter
- Quiet through the guides when casting
Specs:
- Material: Double-Knit-fabric
- Line Weight: 6 – 150 lb. test
- Line Spool Lenght: 327 – 1097 yd.
KastKing braided fishing is designed for increased casting distance and durability. It is made with durable fiber with superior abrasion resistance. It comes in pound test raging from 6 – 150 lbs. Superpower Braid fishing line of 6 – 50 pounds is made with 4 strands of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers while the higher tensile strength of 65 – 150 pounds has 8 powerful strands for even more smooth power.
Whether you are fishing from shore or offshore, this line can deal with lots of rocks and reefs without break-off. It also features a super smooth casting even after several uses in saltwater, the line never got stiff and the cast is still smooth and quiet. The knot is good, and it feels like a strong and durable braid.
We observe though that the line color fades after several uses, it doesn’t affect the overall performance.
2. Power Pro Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line
- Incredibly round, smooth, and sensitive line
- Enhanced body technology (bet) boosts handling performance
- Constructed with spectra fiber for incredible abrasion resistance
- High strength-to-diameter ratio
Specs:
- Material: Spectra fibers
- Line Weight: 50-lb.
- Line Spool Length: 3000 yds.
PowerPro braided line is made of exceptionally thin Spectra fibers. Its enhanced strength and durability work well in various fishing conditions both in freshwater and saltwater without break-offs. Its strand count depends on each pound test. The lower pound test uses 4 strands, the 80-pound test uses 6 strands, and for over 150 pounds have 8 strands count.
It also features a smoother line for better casting with higher abrasion resistance. The line is designed with no stretch and is more sensitive to even a gentle bite. We have tried using this hundred of times with no wear or break off. It’s also easier to tie knots.
There’s been complain of color retention, it does tend to color fade over time, but it doesn’t affect the overall fishing performance.
3. Reaction Tackle High Performance Braided Fishing Line
Key Features:
- Ultra-strong, extreme casting distance, lots of power
- Zero-stretch, high sensitivity
- High abrasion resistance
- Round and smooth, extra-long casting
- Small diameter, extra strong
- Color lock technology, color lasts long and resists bleeding
Specs:
- Material: 100% UHMWPE (Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene)
- Line Weight: 10 – 300 lbs.
- Line Spool Length: 150 – 1500 yd.
The Reaction Tackle Braided Fishing Line is made of 100% high-quality UHMWPE material making it a super strong line with near zero-stretch. It is designed to work phenomenally well whether you’re fishing in freshwater, saltwater, or even ice fishing. It comes with different color options and a variety of lengths and sizes that you can choose from. They have everything from 10-100 lb. that uses 4 strands and 120-300 lb. that uses 8 strands lines.
Aside from its almost zero-stretch, this line also offers incredibly high sensitivity with high abrasion resistance. It’s so easy to feel even a tiny bite which is so helpful to catch more fish. It also comes with a coated line for extra durability and castability. With this line, extra-long casting comes in handy.
This line though is more thick compared to other braided lines. And as we know, the thickness can increase line visibility, so to mask visibility, you can get a green camouflage color option. Some beginner anglers find it a bit hard to knot due to line thickness.
4. SpiderWire Stealth Braid Fishing Line
- Specialized color-lock coating technology
- Excellent breaking point and knot strength
- Handles well on both baitcasting and spinning reels
- Color lasts a very long time
- Very easy to cast a good distance
Specs:
- Material: Polyethylene
- Line Weight: 10-150 lb
- Line Spool Length: 125 – 3000 yd.
SpiderWire Stealth Braid Fishing Line is designed to provide ultimate strength and durability with the thinnest diameter for smooth and quiet performance. It also features zero stretch and high sensitivity to instantly feel even the tiniest bit. It comes with varying lengths, pound tests, and color options to perfectly suit any water condition you may come across. There are a few complaints about other color options started to fade over time, but it’s not much of an issue.
Its impressive Dyneema PE microfiber construction and rounded design, making it easy to spool and cast longer distances effortlessly and feels incredibly smooth.
While it is best to use in calmer water, it’s not suitable for extreme currents and waves or water that moves faster. The waves and little friction can weaken the fiber.
5. Piscifun Onyx Braided Fishing Line
- Superior Abrasion Resistance and Durable
- Strong Knot Strength
- Faster Cutting Water
- Highly Sensitivity and Minimal Stretch
- Precision Braiding and Fiber
Specs:
- Material: Polyethylene
- Line Weight: 6-150 lb.
- Line Spool Length: 150 – 547 yd.
Piscifun braided line is made for durability and superior abrasion resistance. It’s an excellent choice for any fishing situation and performs great in freshwater, saltwater, surf fishing, and even ice fishing. It comes with different tensile strengths, the 6lb-50lb is made with 4 high strength strands while the higher tensile strength of 65lb-150lb has 8 powerful strands for even more power the results in better casting and knot strength.
It features a very minimal stretch that creates high sensitivity and minimal line memory. It significantly improves line smoothness and casting performance. It’s very easy to cast a good distance without any line twist. It also has a small diameter which helps you to tie the knot quickly.
With so many braided fishing line options to choose from, selecting the right one can be intimidating. But it all comes down to your preference and fishing application. We hope this guide helps provide you useful information related to braided fishing lines, and how to get the best one for you.