Best Braided Fishing Line

The first time I used a braided fishing line, it felt like I was tapping into some mystical fishing power. I remember the exact morning. My tired eyes watching the clouds part as the sun came up, lighting the coho rolling in the little eddy I often fished on cool fall mornings before class.

The plan had been to meet a friend at the mystical backwater. We were going to get our hour of fishing in before we trekked off to school to be taught whatever topic we’d be ignoring for the day. He was late, of course.

Anyways, I was fishing for the silvers with my typical 12 pound mono in the eddy when he finally rolled up and brought it out, a reel outfitted with the latest and greatest. He called it “spiderwire,” a term we’d call all braided line for years to come, and said it was unbreakable. He said you could pull a small block off the bottom with it.

Now listen, we fished but did not fish hard and basically used our father’s and grandfather’s old tackle. This “spiderwire,” or whatever it was, though, was going to be the answer to all our needs. Or so we thought.

Of course, we eventually found out you couldn’t pull a small block off the bottom with it, but it was mystical, and it did feel like the future. To make a long story short, I believe I got skunked that day, like most days, but I also got my first taste of a line I’d be using for years to come for everything from frogging for bass to floating for Steelhead.

What’s the deal with braided fishing line?

Although braided line has become increasingly popular over the last decade or two, the high knot strength fishing line with killer power to diameter and lack of stretch was one of the first types of fishing line invented. Actually, before the invention of mono and fluorocarbon line, nearly all fishing lines were braided.

Originally braided line was natural threads braided together to increase line strength. Eventually, manufacturers switched to Dacron. Today you’ll find line braided with artificial fibers ranging the trademarked from Dacron to the trademarked spectra and a host of other tiny solid plastic fibers in between.

All of these lines have their benefits and drawbacks, but the number one reason you’ll want to consider using them is the power to diameter ratio. Braided lines have killer breaking strength and are downright tiny. Some anglers also use super glue on their braided fishing line to make them stronger.

What benefits does braided line have over mono or fluoro?

The nature of the braid or woven material makes braided line just flat-out strong. And the beauty of the material is that flat-out strength comes in a small diameter, like a quarter the diameter of mono. It also lacks stretch. That means you can not only fit a higher strength braided line on a spool than mono or fluoro, but you can also cast it with less resistance.

And once cast because of the light diameter and lack of stretch, you’ll be able to “feel” the lure better, set the hook harder, and drag fish in quicker, even through thick growth.

Another benefit of that braided line and that breaking strength is lure retrieval or, better yet, the former lack thereof. Snags will never be a thing of the past if you’re fishing right, but that breaking strength means losing lures will be. The braided line simply bends the hook and pulls the bait in.

What drawbacks does braided line have?

Although it benefits ridden, when purchasing braided line, it’s important to consider the few drawbacks you’ll encounter, although most of those drawbacks are repercussions of its strengths.

The first major drawback to consider when purchasing braided line is that lack of stretch. Although that’s great for catching and feeling fish, that lack of play means if your drag is not set correctly, you can actually lose fish due to a quick hard bite and line break. That lack of stretch paired with quality braided lines smoothness also means you may need to learn new knots, as many standard fishing knots won’t “sink” into the braided line. There’s a good chance, often, when anglers experience a line break on braid, it’s really a knot coming undone.

Beyond almost too much strength and smoothness, as braided line is made up of various fibers, its high visibility is another thing to consider. Wary fish may spook at the sight of the line. To combat this, many anglers throw a mono or fluoro leader on, mimicking a fly fishing setup.

Finally, you’ll want to be careful with your braided line around knives and sharp objects, like rocks. Braided line has incredible pulling strength but low abrasion resistance. To combat this many new high quality braided lines do come coated in abrasion resistant material, so consider purchasing that variety if you’re tough on your tackle.

Best Uses for Braided Line

Although you can really use braided line for all types of fishing, its strengths play into a few specialties.

The most common use for braided line is topwater bass fishing. If you’re frogging through the lily pads or pulling your Texas-rigged Senko through the muck, having a line that can bust through the weeds without losing a lure is essential. An added benefit here is that the braided line also floats, pulling over the top of the water and junk.

Another fairly common use for braided line is on the far other end of the fishing world out in the deep salt. Deep-Sea fishing requires a ton of line. If you’re deep dropping for swordfish at high noon, you’ll be fishing over a thousand feet deep. Throwing braid on your reel means you’ll not only have a more robust line, but you’ll also have more of it. And when that current gets a pulling, the braided line’s diameter means it’ll float through the water with a lack of resistance.

Finally, an often-overlooked application for braid is finesse fishing. Throwing light braid on allows you to cast efficiently, effectively, and with accuracy. Really, if you’re using a baitcaster without braid, sit down, have a beer, and rethink your life.

Seriously though, if you’re looking at getting into more fish in hard-to-reach places, throw it on. An added benefit will be the feel of the lure through the water and the feeling of light bites on the other end of the line.

How to choose the best braided line

Whether looking to outfit your baitcasting fleet or line that oversized deep dropping electric spool for the big one, there are a few things you’ll want to consider when purchasing a braided line.

Material

All braided lines on the market today are made from polyethylene (otherwise known as plastic) extruded microfibers pulled into strands and then woven together.

The two most common forms you’ll find are spectra and Dyneema. In the end, nearly all compositions of braided line material have the same or similar breaking strength. What you’ll want to consider more over actual material is the number of strands in the line itself.

Number of Strands

Individual braided line strands woven together are known as bundles. The majority of braided lines come in options with bundles of four, six, or eight strands.

When considering bundle amounts, always remember that the lower the bundle number, the rougher the strand and the less compact the line. That means a four strand bundle will have the roughest finish and be the least compact.

So, if you’re looking to fish topwater through weeds, a four-strand is the way to go. It’s rough and tough and designed to cut through the thick of it.

On the other end of the chart is the eight strand bundle. An eight strand bundle will be quieter and smoother through your guidelines. If you’re finesse fishing or casting far, consider an eight strand.

Coating

Braided line is less abrasion resistant than mono or fluoro, so you’ll often find braided line that comes coated. Coating not only strengthens the body of the line but also makes it more compact.

When considering coating, remember that although the layer will make the line more abrasion resistant, it may also make it more resistant in general. Unfortunately, that resistance can actually result in added friction on your line. So if you’re casting for all day, opt for a light coated or non coated line.

Clarity/color

When shopping for braided line, you’ll find nearly every color of the rainbow available. At the end of the day, color is a personal preference. If you’re adding a leader and have poor eyesight, you may consider a brighter color that you can see in the low light.

Price

It’s no secret that braided line is on the spendy side. Just remember when purchasing it that the price comes with added benefits. It’s stronger, thinner, easier to cast, and it’ll last longer. Know how long a fishing line lasts here.

Conclusion

Remember when fishing used to be simple? Just standing on the edge of a river casting to coho with a good buddy. It can certainly feel like all the progress and innovation in fishing have taken that away, but I’m here to tell you braided line isn’t here to do that.

Braided line isn’t here to take anything away but to bring it back. Considering it was the first type of fishing line there was, we’re talking way back.

If you’re looking to throw some line on your reel that is stronger, lighter, easier to cast, and has set it and forget its durability that will give you cast after cast worry-free enjoyment, look no further.