A Guide to the Best Fishing Line for Bass

Bass fishing is one of the most popular and challenging sports in the US. Getting the right fishing line is vital in all types of fishing, essentially with bass fishing. Bass are known to break low-quality lines.

When it comes to bass fishing, certain types of lines are better depending on applications. In this article, we’ll cover the different types of line that works well with bass. We also include some key factors to consider before buying one and review our top-picks monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided lines.

What is the best fishing line for bass fishing?

Knowing the best fishing line for bass fishing can be overwhelming especially for beginner anglers. But here we cover some tips and outline the things to consider, so you’ll narrow your options and get the right one for your fishing application.

Types of Lines for Bass Fishing

Let’s start discussing the three most common types, the monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braid line. These 3 lines have different characteristics and features that can make and break the quality of your fishing.

Monofilament line

The monofilament line is also known as ‘mono’ is one of the most commonly used types for bass fishing. Because of its wider variety of colors and pound tests, it is versatile enough to use in any fishing location and weather conditions, and on different fishing applications.

For bass, the best kind of mono line to use depends on the size of bass you’re fishing. For smaller ones like smallmouth bass, a lighter test mono line is good enough. It is also so thin and invisible, so fish can hardly see it in the water. For larger species like largemouth, you’ll need extra line strength, so we recommend 20lb or above. The downside with a higher pound test is line thickness which means fish are likely to spook due to its visibility.

Mono offers superior abrasion resistance due to its increased diameter. But you can’t fit as much line onto your reel’s spool, thus affect castability.

What mono lacks is sensitivity. Because of the high level of stretch, it hinders bite detection. It does help as a shock absorber on more aggressive bigger fish which is a plus. For most of our bass fishing, mono is only ever used as a leader on braided lines. Mono absorbs some of the impacts from fighting fish, while braided line supplies sensitivity.

Fluorocarbon line

The fluorocarbon line also known as ‘fluoro’ is similar to the monofilament line. They are both made from very similar materials. The Fluorocarbon’s molecules are packed tightly together making it denser and heavier than monofilament. This density adds strength and offers less stretch.

For invisibility, nothing beats it. It has very low visibility, which is almost invisible underwater. It’s a plus when you are fishing in clear water. Fluorocarbon line also offers more features like abrasion resistance, sensitivity, hooking power, toughness, and low memory. When it comes to reusability, it’s less likely to degrade even when left in storage.

More anglers prefer to use this line in finesse fishing applications due to its sensitivity and lower stretch. It is used as a mainline for most applications except topwater. This line sinks so doesn’t work well with topwater baits. Poppers and walk-the-dog baits will more likely get tangled in your line and hinder your casting distance.

If you’re looking for the best line for bass fishing that has little stretch and can withstand abrasions, fluorocarbon is considered to be the best in that regard. And it turns almost invisible when submerged.

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 fishing bigger bass, you don’t need to have bigger reels to accommodate long lines.

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.

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. It’s great for bass fishing because they give a robust hook set. The downside 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.


How to Choose the Best Fishing Line for Bass

Each line differs depending on how you plan to fish. Before choosing the fishing line to use, it’s best to evaluate the conditions of the water first, then decide the line and lures that best suit those conditions. Here are the factors that you have to look for:

Strength of Fishing Line

If you target to catch big fish, you need to have a high-strength line. If you want a stronger line, you should know about the figure. Say for the 20-Ib test means that you can hold up to 50 pounds of weight outside of the water before it gets to its breaking point. Note though that fish are buoyant in the water, so a 50-lb line can still hold a much larger fish when it’s underwater. That’s why more experienced anglers routinely caught big fish on smaller test lines.

What pound line is best for bass fishing?

For bass fishing, when using a monofilament/fluorocarbon line on a spinning reel for finesse application, we recommend using a lighter test line of 8 to12 pound test. For a heavy cover, you can use a 15 to 20-pound test line.

When casting spinnerbaits, jigs, texas, or topwater baits, it’s best to use a braided mainline in the 30-50 pound test range is incredibly versatile.

Color and Visibility of Fishing Line

According to studies, bass color vision is strongest in red-orange, yellow-green, and medium to light reds and weak on purples and blues. First, know about your fishing environment and pick the line color that is almost the same color as the water. Then pick a line that can blend its color to the water for it to appear invisible to the fish.

Also, it helps to know the line color characteristics when submerged in the water.

Clear. It’s a great multi-purpose fishing line and the default color choice, nearly invisible in most water.

Yellow. Extra visible to make it easier to spot movement on your line, but also very visible to fish. So use in muddy waters primarily.

Red. Appears invisible underwater, use mostly in darker waters or deep-sea fishing.

Blue. Helps to blend in with blue water. Use primarily when fishing in very blue water.

Green. Helps to blend in with water green in color, and can use primarily in green water.

Abrasion Resistance

Abrasion resistance is a crucial part of picking the right line as abrasions can lead to line breakage. There are a lot of things that cause line abrasions such as strong current and waves, dock posts, rocks, fish with sharp teeth, and other hard objects.

Every high-quality fishing line has an abrasion resistance feature. One standard method to measure it is by running a piece of the line back and forth over a sandpaper-like substance. The more times it goes across the surface until it breaks the better.  Fishing lines made from different materials vary in abrasion resistance.

From the 3 main types of line, giving all equals in diameter,  fluorocarbon is usually the most abrasion-resistant.


Best Fishing Line for Bass Reviews

Now let’s take a look at each model in more detail.

Monofilament

1. Stren High Impact Monofilament Fishing Line

Stren High Impact Monofilament

Key Features:

  • Extreme shock resistance
  • It is durable and invisible
  • It works well for inshore saltwater fishing

Specs:

  • Line Weight: 12 – 15 lb. test
  • Line Spool Lenght: 400 – 1,275 yd

Stren High Impact Monofilament Fishing Line is a high-impact and incredibly durable line that is suited for a wide range of fishing situations. This line is designed with a great combination of strength, durability, and impact resistance, and works well with spinning, casting, and trolling reels.

The high-impact resistance offers a great hook set. You’ll be able to hook large-sized fish without having to worry about line breaking or snapping when you start reeling in your catch. To keep it secure, it does have a controlled stretch, and with that, it is less sensitive compares to other options.

This line also features high abrasion resistance and works as a great leader for braided lines.


2. KastKing World’s Premium Monofilament Fishing Line

KastKing World's Premium Monofilament

Key Features:

  • Paralleled roll track technology
  • Silky smooth casting and anti-wear
  • Low absorption for quicker retrieval
  • It is strong enough to hold knots and fish
  • It has a thin yet durable diameter

Specs:

  • Line Weight: 4-30 lb. test
  • Line Spool Lenght: 300-600 yd.

KastKing monofilament brags its better reel capacity and low line memory with its paralleled roll track technology. It keeps the line digging from the spool for easier handling and long casting control which significantly reduces backlashes and line breakage.

This line is made of nylon material, its soft and supple features make it easy to tie knots over lures. Its abrasion-resistant make it durable enough for bass fishing. It works well in both saltwater and freshwater with heavy cover.

Many say that this spool lasted them years and retain its superior color clarity. Colored options are also available for different fishing applications.


Fluorocarbon

3. Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Fishing Line

Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon

Key Features:

  • Improved Flexibility with best Vanish formula
  • High abrasion resistance
  • Sinks underwater and more sensitive
  • Remains Clear Underwater
  • Superior Wet Strength

Specs:

  • Line Weight: 2 – 80 lb. test
  • Line Spool Lenght: 20 – 2000 yds.

Berkley Vanish is one of the top-quality fluorocarbon fishing leaders, designed to be invisible to the fish. Its high abrasion resistance,  high sink rate, and lower visibility made this line so popular among anglers.

It also has a smooth coating that makes it easy to knot and gives it excellent knot strength.

Fluorocarbon doesn’t absorb water, this line tends to have increased UV resistance and longer shelf life. Its non-absorbing fluorocarbon helps maintain strength and abrasion resistance underwater. The low stretch offers high sensitivity, so you’ll easily feel even tiny bites, thus increases strike rates.


4. Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon Fishing Line

Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon

Key Features:

  • Extreme abrasion resistance
  • Excellent for heavy cover applications
  • Uniform line diameter
  • Triple resin coating for softer supple handling

Specs:

  • Material: Polyvinylidene Fluoride
  • Line Weight: 5 – 20 lb. test
  • Line Spool Lenght: 165 – 1200 yd.

Sunline Super FC Sniper is made of 100% fluorocarbon and one of the best all-purpose lines many anglers used. It has a triple resin coating that gives it a softer supple feel when handling and offers low line memory for easy casting.  It comes off the spool relatively smooth and less prone to backlash. It works well in both casting and spinning reels.

Its high abrasion resistance makes it a good choice for fishing heavy cover. It is highly castable and durable to handle various conditions and fishing applications. It’s not a hyper-sensitive line though, but it gives a good balance between easy to handle and sensitive enough.


Braided Line

5. KastKing SuperPower Braided Fishing Line

KastKing SuperPower Braided

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.

6. Power Pro Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line

Power Pro Spectra Fiber Braided

Key Features:

  • Incredibly round, smooth, and sensitive line
  • Enhanced body technology
  • 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.


With so many fishing line options for bass fishing 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 bass fishing lines, and how to get the best one for you.

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