This article gives an overview of everything you need to know abut braided fishing line including its advantages and disadvantages. Other tips include different ways of connecting the braid line to other types and when to use it vs. fluoro/monocarbon. In addition, we bring you a highlight of the best braided fishing line with both reviews and comparisons.
Braided fishing lines come in a variety of designs which means there’s a wide range to choose from. However, your choice of the best line always narrows down to personal taste and preferences and other important factors like the type of fishing. Read on.
Best Braided Fishing Line
What’s a braided fishing line?
A braided fishing line is typically a combination of micro strands woven together to a single strand. Manufacturers usually try using different fibers such as micro-dyneema, hydrophobic gore, spectra and Dacron among others to make braided line. However, most braided fishing line are made from polyethylene fibers.
A braided fishing line consists of about 4 up to 8 strands although there are some with a maximum of 16 strands. A strand is also known as a carrier. For instance, a braided fishing line with eight strands is said to be an eight-carrier braid. Different strands in a braided fishing line makes it a bit different from fluorocarbon and monofilament braided lines made of a plastic fiber.
Braided Fishing Lines Pros and Cons
Pros
- It has a small diameter as compared to fluoro and monocarbon
- It easily floats on the water
- It has a great resistance to any abrasion
- It has an excellent line sensitivity ideal for lighter bites
- It doesn’t stretch
- Low line memory
- It a strong breaking strength
- It casts further and a lot easier
Cons
- It’s a little hard to remove or even cut snag
- Tying knots is quite challenging
- It doesn’t stretch but this is only a downside depending on the type of fishing
- It’s highly visible especially in water
Braided Fishing Line to Monofilament Equivalent – Strength and Diameter
A braided fishing line usually has a small diameter as compared to fluorocarbon, monofilament and other fishing lines. It’s about 1/3 to ¼ the size of other types of fishing lines. This typically means that the user can spool more braided fishing line than fluoro or monocarbon on the reel. Extra line always comes in handy when you lose or cut line and for those long drifts and runs.
In addition, the breaking strength of a braided fishing line is much higher than that of fluoro and monocarbon with the same specifications and diameter. For instance, a typical 8lb monofilament fishing line with a 0.11-inch diameter, and an equivalent braided fishing line with the same diameter has a 30lb rating. This therefore means that, for a fishing line with similar diameter, the breaking strength is almost 4 times higher.
Where Braided Fishing Line is High Performing – Outperforms Both Fluorocarbon and Monofilament
Different situations and fishing locations tend to present different challenges. Choosing the best braded fishing line suited for a particular situation is not a walk in the park as it can be quite subjective. You can use these guidelines from a general point of view.
Dirty Water Conditions or Clarity
One of the most significant drawbacks of a braided fishing line is the visibility of the underwater. A braided line would be an excellent choice if you plan on fishing in a water body with low visibility. This is because the fish won’t be able to see the line which increases your chances of catching them. On the other hand, a monofilament or fluorocarbon would work perfectly well in clear water.
Remember, there are different types of fish and some are usually more aggressive than their counterparts regardless of the water clarity. In this case, it’s important to be conversant with the condition of the water body and the type of fish species you are going for. This is because, you’ll have a better fishing experience when you understand how to align the fishing line and the different water conditions.
Heavy Cover, Structure or Foliage
A braided fishing line is best suited for dropping and pitching weighted lures to thicker foliage and also wrestling larger fish from a heavy cover. For instance, throwing weighted plastics to thick lily pads to catch bass, a 2lb bass can feel like a 10lb bass especially when the foliage is connected to the fishing line. In such scenarios, braided fishing lines usually stand out owing to their high breaking strength and abrasion resistance.
Top Water
A braided line is best suited for fishing some top water lures such as shallow cranks, frogs, whopper ploppers, poppers and spooks among others. This is because a braided line easily floats without stretching, allowing the user to activate or move the baits with ease. In addition, braided line tends to cut through the water better as compared to other fishing lines for lesser drag.
However, some monofilament lines float equally well. In this case, you’ll have to factor in other things like the water clarity and surroundings like wood, foliage, and open water among others. Putting these factors into consideration will help you choose the best fishing line to suit your needs.
Sensitive Bite
Braided fishing lines don’t stretch. This typically means that the angler will feel any action on the lure. The no stretch feature is both an advantage and a disadvantage in equal measure. This is because the fish can easily detect the lure especially with a tighter line.
On the other hand, monofilament lines are more forgiving. When watching for light bites using a braided fishing line, a rod with a sensitive tip will come in handy as it provides more play for your lure.
Beach Fishing
The best braided fishing line is usually very castable. The diameter of a narrow line weighs a little less than its monofilament equivalent, that enables the angler to bomb the lures in the water.
When fishing from the shore, the casting distance is an advantage. In addition, you will encounter higher abrasion terrains on the beach such as coral and sharp rocks. A braided fishing line can withstand elements better than a fluorocarbon or monofilament line.
Deep Sea Fishing
A line with no stretch is ideal for jigging in the ocean or bottom fishing. When you jig deep waters every movement of the arm should have maximum action of the lure. When deep fishing, the little to no stretch and a line with small diameter provides a huge benefit. In addition, when fishing in open waters, its always important to have a lot of line on the reel especially when going for the big fish.
A braided fishing line with a small diameter has a higher breaking strength as earlier mentioned. This means that you can put on more line up to three times on your spool.
Connecting a Braided Fishing Line to Monofilament or Fluorocarbon Lines
You can connect different fishing lines together. This means, if you need the low visibility of a monofilament or fluorocarbon lines but have a reel spooled up with braided fishing line, you can tie them together. You’ll first need to connect the monofilament or fluorocarbon line to the braided mainline. This is known as a shock leader, usually ranging from 6ft to 12 inches depending on the type of fishing.
In addition, you can attach the fishing lines in different ways including the barrel swivel and the double uni knot. Always ensure you do the knots correctly when tying the fishing lines together since the braid tends to cut through, compromising the fluorocarbon or monofilament line. In such scenarios, the braid will always stand out owing to its resistance and high breaking strength.
However, if you don’t like doing the double uni knot, you can connect the two fishing lines to a barrel swivel. Most people prefer the latter because, just as the name suggests, they swivel thereby reducing line twists on the shock leaders.
Reusing Braided Fishing Lines
The best thing about braided lines is that they are reusable. Let’s get into the details. For instance, when the reel is spooled up with a new braided fishing line about 150 yards. You use the line to fish during the entire summer season, only to notice the color of the line is fading, is either flat or compromised and has abrasions. In addition, you’ve had several snags and tangles in the course of the year forcing you to cut some parts of the line. After cutting the snags and tangles, it leaves you with 120 yards or thereabout. These are some of the problems that you should expect when using a braided fishing line, notwithstanding quality.
In the same breath, here are some of the things to put into consideration:
Remove the damaged or worn out line – Cut off the worn out part which is typically the furthest length of the cast. Simply put, the part that came off your reel. The only downside to removing the damaged section is that you might need to cut off almost half of the fishing line if you’ve spooled 150 yards leaving you with barely enough to use for fishing.
However, you can get creative and connect two different fishing lines together using the double uni knot technique.
Replace the damaged line – This is quite obvious. Remove the entire line from your reel and replace it with a new one. If the braid didn’t come off the reel, then you can keep it as a backup.
The length of the braid should be the same even when reusing – Braided fishing lines usually have low memory. This typically means that they don’t hold its coils and twists when coming off and on the spool. The low memory enables the angler to take off the braided line from the spool and also respool it. The best braided fishing line is relatively expensive that’s why it’s reusable.
Always ensure the used line goes on the spool first. This allows you to use the extra line that wasn’t used initially since it didn’t come off the spool. Use two different reels to transfer the braided line from one reel to the other to make the process easier. You can use one spool but it will be more challenging since you need to pull off the entire line and access both ends.
Best Braided Fishing Line Reviews and Comparisons
Here’s a round-up of the best braided fishing line on the market:
BUY ON AMAZON
Power Pro Braid is made with high-quality materials that’s why it falls on the higher side of the pricing spectrum. It’s relatively expensive as compared to its counterparts. The hooks are the fishing line are two important things that you can never compromise when it comes to fishing tackle. This braided fishing line is a worthy investment as it comes in different variations ranging from 150 to 3000 yards in length and 3lbs to 250 lbs weight.
In addition, Power Pro Braid comes in a range of colours.
Key Features
- Offers a wide range of weights and strengths
- It’s highly sensitive thanks to the Enhanced Body Treatment Technology
- It’s made with sturdy Spectra fiber
BUY ON AMAZON
KastKing SuperPower Braid has a small diameter line as compared to other fishing lines. This means that you can spool more line on the reel. It’s hands down the best braided fishing line available on the market as it guarantees value for money. What’s more, it’s reasonably priced!
Key Features
- It’s affordable
- It has a small diameter
- It’s abrasion resistant
- It offers different variations of lengths and strengths
BUY ON AMAZON
Spiderwire Braided Stealth Superline is made of PE microfiber – Dyneema. It has a smooth, round and strong structure and comes in lower visibility colors such as Moss Green.
Key Features
- It’s less visible
- It has a high strength rating
- It offers fishing lines with different lengths and weights
BUY ON AMAZON
Reaction Tackle High Performance Braid features four strands made from an incredibly strong fiber. It’s coated to provide smooth casting and long-lasting durability. Its’ made in USA with high quality materials and is relatively cheap.
BUY ON AMAZON
Sufix 832 Braid is made of 8 fibers – 1 gore performance fiber and 7 Dyneema. The former makes it more resistant to abrasion. This braided fishing line has a small diameter which increases the line capacity and makes for smooth and easy casting.
BUY ON AMAZON
Berkely Fused Crystal Fireline is the best braided fishing line available on the market. It’s made from Dyneema fibers offering a fast and long casting line. Plus, it’s less visible in the water.
Conclusion
The best braided fishing line play a significant role in the fishing industry. It’s important to understand how and when to use braided line for a better fishing experience.