You are only as good as your equipment and, when it comes to fishing, this means your reel, rod, lures and fishing line. Of course, your fishing line is one of the most important pieces of equipment you have. It is what’s between you and the fish you have worked so hard to catch.
Many anglers consider braided fishing line a game changer. Its strength is no match when compared to monofilament or fluorocarbon fishing lines. One of the benefits of a braided fishing line is it uses the strength of microfiber bound together and finished to make the line extra smooth and robust. Let’s look a little further at braided fishing lines and a few of the very best braided fishing lines available.
What Is a Braided Fishing Line?
If you know how to tie a fishing knot, you should know something about the line you’re tying a lure to. There are a couple of types of lines, including monofilament, braid and fluorocarbon.
Braided line is one of the more popular types due to the low abrasion rate and pound-for-pound strength. This fishing line consists of polyethylene microfibers bunched into bundles or strands and then twisted into a braid.
You can get braided lines in four, six or eight bundles. The more bundles used, the more compact the line. Even though it seems counterintuitive, the line with a higher count is thinner, and the lower number of bundles means more abrasion resistance. There are different methods to finish the line, like thermal bonding, which increases the line’s strength and snap resistance.
These tiny differences can help make a braided line more abrasion resistant, easy to tie knots with and quiet through the guides. We have done the research for you, so you can spend more time catching fish and less time in the bait shop. Here are seven of the best-braided lines you can get when you head out with your rod and reel.
Seven of the Best Braided Fishing Lines
1. PowerPro Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line
Made in the USA from a trusted company, this line features Honeywell Spectra fibers for a solid and durable product. The high-tech fibers are made from polyethylene and are stronger than steel, with high UV resistance, making them ideal for high-load strain rate velocities. The braid is rounded and smoothed by Enhanced Body Technology, a process that also makes it super sensitive.
PowerPro Spectra Fiber offers weight capacities from eight to 250 lbs. Anglers use it for everything from summer bass fishing to deep sea fishing because this braided line has such an extensive range. It also comes in moss green, yellow for high visibility and transparent for those gin-clear lakes. Because this braid is so thin, you can still make long casts with no extra effort. You can also fish with confidence knowing your line won’t break.
It pays to keep a couple of rods with spools of different weights. As conditions change, you may have to move to a lighter weight line. You just never know what lure they will hit and what conditions you have to horse a big toad from.
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2. Sufix 832 Advanced Superline
This braid is one of the more expensive lines on the market, but it is an eight-strand braid and exceptionally smooth. Even though it’s a braided line, it still has excellent castability. It is one of the strongest small-diameter lines available, and the 832 can help you cast farther with smoother acceleration, especially with chatter bait or swim jig setups. It’s a good feeling limp line that doesn’t jump off the reel when you open the bail.
The 832 refers to its eight interconnecting fibers with 32 weaves per inch. There are seven Dyneema strands for water repellency and durability, and the eighth is a GORE fiber, which builds a stronger defense against fraying. This braided line is also quiet as it glides through the eyes of your rod. It also holds knots well for a braided line. You can get 832 in ghost, low-visibility or neon green.
Many tournament anglers swear by Sufix 832 — and to them, the quality and abrasion resistance of this line is worth the added cost. Of course, many everyday fishermen feel the same way. However, everyday fishermen don’t have thousands of dollars on the line.
3. Spiderwire Stealth Braid
If you need a tough line that can help you reel in some deep water monsters, Spiderwire Stealth Braid may be an ideal choice for you. It has a super-smooth line that makes casting silent and stealthy and, more than that, many anglers swear Spiderwire Stealth will not break, no matter the conditions. It really does provide strength without thickness. It comes in six colors including translucent and six to 100-pound test.
This line is made from Dyneema PE microfiber, one of the most robust materials for line, and it flies through guides, maximizing your fishing capabilities. One of this line’s most substantial assets is it does not dig into reels the way some other braided lines do.
Many tournament fishermen can’t afford to have a braided fishing line tearing up a reel. They don’t want to have a fishing reel problem in the middle of a tournament. There is simply too much at stake. Spiderwire gives them the peace of mind that they want regarding a braided line eating into the spool of their reel.
4. Berkley Fireline Superline
When you first take this line out of its box, you may notice Berkley Fireline feels differently from other braided lines. That’s because it is subjected to a thermal fusion process that makes it slightly sticky, not slick.
Berkley Fireline makes a premier spinning reel and, over the years, many adjustments have been made to optimize it specifically for this kind of rig. This line has a bit of wiriness, so it doesn’t spring off the spool and tangle. There are two colors to Fireline Superline — smoke and crystal.
If you want to use a braided fishing line for the first time, this is a great choice. Its tendency to not tangle makes it a very forgiving fishing line for beginners. Beginners will also appreciate that Berkley Fireline Superline does not stretch, making this braid one of the most sensitive on the market. You can’t go wrong with Berkley Fireline.
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5. Seaguar Smackdown Braided Line
This company has consistently produced excellent fluorocarbon, and now they have branched out into braided lines. Seaguar Smackdown is made of eight strands and has a tiny diameter — a 10-lb. line is only 0.370mm wide, which is the width of a two-lb. monofilament.
A fluorocarbon leader would be best with this type of braided line when it’s used as a high-visibility mainline. Seaguar Smackdown braided line comes in two colors: stealth gray and flash green. The line itself has some wiriness to it, but it isn’t too waxy and it has a polished smooth feel.
Even though it’s a braided line, you can still make long driving casts. Even in the wind, long casts are easy. The Seaguar Smackdown is not prone to wind knots in spincast reels. The Seaguar Smackdown is also quiet through your guides — something that professional anglers can appreciate.
6. Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid Superline
The main strength of this line is that it is almost invisible, so you can use the Invisi-Braid Superline in almost transparent waters where standard braided lines might cause your prey to shy away. The cold fusion finishing process gives the eight braided fibers additional strength.
The Invisi-Braid line has an incredible strength-to-diameter ratio, and the line’s round shape sits on your reel and allows for smooth and easy casting. You can get the Invisi-Braid in 125-, 250- or 300-yard lengths and a variety of pound tests.
Tournament fishermen will especially appreciate the Invisi-Braid line. They don’t have to worry about tying on leaders to keep their braided line from being noticed. This is a big-time saver for fishermen who are in a hurry and fishing in a variety of conditions in a single day. It also lets you fish shallow on sunny days without tipping off bedded fish.
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7. Piscifun Onyx Braided Fishing Line
For the most abrasion resistance and durability on the market, the Piscifun Onyx line is treated with a particular epoxy process to make it even stronger. As with the best line, Piscifun Onyx braided line runs through your guides like a hot knife through butter and is strong enough to fight ferocious sailfish.
Anglers who love to go after big beasts who swim deep love this small diameter but super-strong line, as it lets them cast farther in choppy off-shore waters. The long-lasting color won’t fade in salt water and sun, and its strength isn’t compromised by the elements, either.
It comes in two strands — the four strand has a tensile strength of 12 to 50 pounds and the eight strand has a tensile strength of 65 to 150 pounds. Both hold knots well and allow for accurate long distance casting. The Piscifun Onyx braided line will not break the bank, so you can afford to put it on all your reels.
Wrapping Up
If you’re headed out on the water, you need a robust and abrasion-resistant line that is smooth for great casting distance and durable enough to withstand some sizable opposition by your prey. With the benefit of high-tech polyethylene microfibers and specific finishing processes like thermal treatments, epoxy or cold fusion, braided lines will never let you down with a snarl or a snap.
You can’t go wrong with any of the seven braided fishing lines mentioned above. Hopefully, you have one of these braided lines spooled up for your next fishing trip and you catch the big one. Be sure to take plenty of pictures and post them on social media for your family and friends to see. You will want to look your best for those pictures, so visit Mossy Oak to check out their wide range of high-performance fishing apparel. You will want to look good before your next big adventure.
