When it comes to fishing lines most anglers don’t really think too much about it. You know you need the right lb test and you might like one type more than another. If you are really having fun you might choose colors. In most cases, you might not be fishing for things that would warrant too much thinking about fishing line, but if you are using a baitcasting reel it becomes important.
Through my personal testing and experience, I believe that the braided fishing line is the best overall choice. The reason for this I will be talking about below. If you have used baitcasting reels, you might already know why. I also have a favorite brand as well, but you will find comparable choices outside of mine. Just remember one thing. Actually go fishing with your baitcaster because it has no value when it is collecting spider webs in the corner of your basement or garage.
Best Fishing Line For Baitcasting Reels
As I previously mentioned, braided line is the best line for baitcasting reels. The reason for this has to do with what you do with a baitcasting reel. The application of the reel determines what kind of fishing rod you should use.
Reaction Speed
You will find yourself using lures that need constant cranking or jerking with baitcasting rod and reels. You need a stick line so you know when you get a strike and can react within that split second. Once a bass bites these baits they will know it’s not real and will try to remove it. You need to be able to react with your hookset as quickly as possible.
Fishing Line Strength
You also need a strong fishing line to use such finesse lures like a jig in the thick structure. Whenever you see a professional fishermen jig fishing in the middle of lily pads are some kind of muck they have a baitcasting reel. They have to make sure when they make a super hard hookset that there is 100% torque.
This goes just the same for your fishing line. If there is too much stretch the hookset will be weak. On top of that, your line may not be strong enough to get a huge fish outside of the structure. You can’t do this continuously with monofilament or fluorocarbon.
Fishing Line Sensitivity
Braided fishing line is known for having high sensitivity because it doesn’t really stretch. This goes with the playing field. However, why is that important specifically for baitcasting reels? That reason is the fact that feeling a fish is harder with a baitcasting rod, which is usually stiffer than most spinning rods. This stiffness gives you torque and power, but less sensitivity.
If you are like me you keep your finger on the line the entire time when you cast and when you reel. This way I always have my thumb on the pulse of the lure and the fish. This helps me detect deep structure so I know what is below the surface. It also helps me detect what I call “Negative Strikes” where the fish swims toward you.
Fishing Spool Winding
One particular part of baitcasting reels that fishermen don’t think about is how their fishing line lays on the spool. It is known that braided line has the ability to cut into itself when you put torque on it. This can cause part of the fishing line to dig several layers down and cause your line to hang when cast. This sucks!
This happens a lot with spinning reels because they lay the line lightly and don’t utilize torque when hooking and instead use the flexibility of the fishing rod. A baitcasting reel forces you to tightly wind the fishing line otherwise deal with a bad bird’s nest that will drive you crazy.
Casting Performance
Another big thing that is great with braided line is that it doesn’t have memory. Basically, once you have spooled it the fishing line doesn’t remember that shape once it is unspooled. This allows it to easily free spool off the line. This increases casting performance. If you use monofilament the line memory will hamper your casting ability
Fluorocarbon is also good for this because it has a lot less line memory than monofilament. However, that is no reason to use that unless you are fishing super clear waters and need your fishing line to be invisible.
Best Braid For Baitcaster
I believe that Berkley Fireline Ultra 8 is the best braided fishing line you can get in 2020. One of the reasons why is because of its sheer strength. It is an 8 carrier fishing line that is 4x stronger than it’s predecessor and casts 10% farther. They have thermally fused their braided line so it is nice and round and smooth. This makes for better casting and even the ability to use on a spinning reel.
It’s about time that braided line has upgraded and this is what you need. The strength and smoothness put into one spot. Now is the time to make a single choice for your fishing line if you aren’t trying to be the next Bassmasters Classic Champion. Don’t waste time choosing fishing line, spend more time fishing!
Best Braided Fishing Line Color
I still believe the best color fishing line you can get is clear or off-white because that is what the color of the water is supposed to be. Most braided lines are going to be green and hope you have murky water like most rivers and ponds have. However, they are a specific color of green and your fishing line will look like a long piece of grass going through the water. Larger, smarter bass will beware instead of becoming curious.
Best Braided Fishing Line Cutters
The best line cutters you can get for the braided fishing line can be found in your local convenience store. Toenail Clippers! I used to use these when I was young and monofilament and they work just as well on the braided line. The best part is they get a clean cut and you don’t have to slice on the line with a knife.
I sometimes use my needle nose pliers that have the cheap wire stripper section, but sometimes I don’t get a clean-cut, and then I just have a frayed braided string that looks like I am pulling cotton from my jeans.
Best Braided Fishing Line Knot
The best know you are going to get with any line and especially braided is a Palomar knot. The reason is you don’t have to thread the braided line through multiple small holes while barely having a grip on your fishing lure.
I can’t tell you how many… bad wordsI have stated over the years because I miss the loop on my improved clinch knot. It is even worse when it is windy, which is a whole other story! Just do yourself a favor and learn the Palomar knot and you will be happy you did. I even made a video about it that you can watch here.
Best Mono Fishing Line For Baitcaster
The best monofilament for your baitcaster would have to be Stren Super Knot. It is an odd fishing line because it has a self-lubricating technology that helps you create super tight knots. The most important thing is that it has low memory compared to most monofilaments. That makes it a great choice for a baitcaster. Your knots will hold up too so when you make that big hook set you can still plan on pulling that fish out with brute strength.
Best Mono Fishing Line For Bass
Stren Original is the true baseline for freshwater fishing. That is the reason I believe it is the best monofilament for bass. It has great abrasion resistance and strong knots, slightly reduced memory and with a black light, it Glows In The Dark!
Best Monofilament Fishing Line For Saltwater
I have used Stren High Impact for a long time while Surf Fishing and it has served me well. You always get a very large spool of it so when you try it… you have it for a long time. From Tautog to Scup you won’t have a problem using this. If you fish on Jetties like me the rocks and barnacles can eat up your line fast. However, I haven’t had those problems for a long time and when I do I can actually see the fishing line fraying and it still won’t crack.
Best Fluorocarbon Line For Baitcasters
The best is definitely Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro Professional Grade. It takes a lot for Berkley to upgrade one of their fishing lines to “Trilene” status. They have a trademarked formula for this particular fishing line. The coolest part is the refraction right is extremely close to water. That means the fish will not see your fishing line!
I need to do more testing with this for different types of lures. More specifically anything that is not in the dark regions of the water. I believe this could help many trout fishermen that use spinners and spoons to catch fish and don’t want to fly fish.