The best braided fishing line should cast well, be super strong for the diameter and tie reliable knots.
Braid has become very popular over the last decade due to these characteristics.
Lots of fishermen are making the change from monofilament and fluorocarbon to using braided fishing line as their main line.
If you are new to braided fishing line then you should be aware of it's strengths and weaknesses.
Below we have listed the main issues that you will need to be aware of when choosing your fishing line.
What are the advantages of choosing bradied line over mono/fluoro ?
- Braid is extremely strong for it's diameter
- It has great casting properties
- Has virtually no stretch
- More resilient to degrading through exposure to sun light
What are the disadvantages of braided fishing line?
- Highly visible in the water
- Requires the use of a leader, either mono or fluorocarbon
- Can be prone to knot slippage if not tied correctly
- Can suffer from wind knots
Lots of bass fishermen will use braided line on their baitcasting reels for throwing large crankbaits and spinner baits among submerged structures and weed beds when hunting big bass . One of the great qualities of braid is it's near zero stretch.
No stretch allows for near instant hook sets. No stretch and a thin diameter also means that braid can slice through weeds in heavy weed beds when working topwater lures and weedless baits such as frogs across the surface.
Best Braided Fishing Line
- KastKing SuperPower
- SpiderWire Stealth
- PowerPro Spectra Fiber
- Suffix 832 Superline
- Berkley Fireline Crystal
Our top choice for best braided fishing line has to be KastKing SuperPower. Versus the other brands it is the thinnest diameter braided line out there.
Not only is it thin but it also has possibly the lowest memory of any of the lines listed here.
The SuperPower is a great braid to try if it is your first time using this type of line. It is a solid performer all round so you should't hit too many issues with it as you adapt to fishing with braid.
Features
- Diameter 0.003 to 0.018
- Lengths available 500 to 1000 yards
- Low memory
- Made from Ultra High Molecular Polyethylene Fiber
Best Braided Fishing Line for Saltwater
The best braided fishing line for saltwater is SpiderWire Braided Stealth.
The Stealth fishing line comes with a Color-Lock coating that can help significantly reduce the amount of fade usually associated with braided line used in saltwater.
The stresses on a line in saltwater are much higher than in freshwater, the SpiderWire Stealth is the most capable and durable braided fishing line available.
Features
- Abrasion resistant
- Dyneema PE Microfiber
- Color-Lock coating
- Strength improved by 30%
Braided Line for Casting
Power Pro has gained a lot of traction in recent years among fishermen especially for surf casting. It has great casting characteristics due to a smooth rounded profile.
If you are looking for a line that will glide effortlessly through your line guides then this is it.
Features
- Diameter 0.005 to 0.035 inches
- Great value
- Spectra fibers
- Built in cutter in the box
- Can be spooled directly from the box
Best Braided Line for Bass
Highly popular among bass fishermen due to it's high durability and abrasion resistance.
It's thin profile means higher strengths can be used and yet still remain intact when run over snags and submerged structures.
Features
- 8 filament construction
- 1 Gore and 7 Dyneema fibers
- 32 weaves per inch
- Highly abrasion resistant
Best Braided Fishing Line For Spinning Reels
The Fireline Crystal braided fishing line from Berkley is the only braided line specifically formulated for use with spinning reels.
It has a great round profile that allows it to spool onto the spinning reel evenly and to slide with ease through the line guides.
Braided line is the best for spinning reels however the Fused Crystal Fireline outperforms all others especially on ultralight spinning gear.
Features
- Thermally fused Fireline Crystal
- Optimized for spinning reels
- Thin profile
Braid for Trolling
Berkley Trilene Tracer is the best braid for trolling. It helps to track how much line you have out.
When trolling on large lakes for big trout or deep offshore knowing how much line you have out is important. Sure you can go to the expense of a line counter reel. Or alternatively use a line that has a set distance marked by color.
Trilene Tracer line comes marked every 2.5 feet alternating between low-viz green and high-viz chartreuse. Keeping track of how much line is easy. For every count of the high-viz green you have let out 5 feet.
Features
- Alternating low/high viz colors every 2.5 feet
- 8 strand braid for a round profile
- Very durable
Best Braided for Flippin
Seaguar and Danny Brauer teamed up to create the best braided fishing line for flippin for bass.
This along with the Seaguar fluorocarbon fishing line from the same series is probably the only fishing line developed with a particular style of casting in mind.
Features
- Black color camouflages easily over underwater structures
- Specifically designed with flippin in mind
- 8 micro-weave strands
- No stretch
Braided Fishing Line
Where the best braided fishing line really shines is on spinning reels, especially ultralight spinning reels.
Due to braided line's thinner diameter you can load a spinning reel spool with much more line than the equivalent mono or fluoro.
And given it great casting ability you can cast very light weights a long distance whether that's a size #3 Rapala lure or a nightcrawler with a small shot weight you can achieve some pretty decent casts.
That being said braided fishing line is also highly popular on baitcasting reels and on trolling reels.
For saltwater use braid is popular for inshore surf casting reels and offshore trolling reels.
Inshore it combines good casting distances and high strength. It's tough enough to withstand there rigors of being bounced around in choppy surf and yet still glides through the line guide with ease.
For trolling offshore it's used extensively due to it's high strength to diameter ratio. Big trolling needs a lot of line and strong line at that. This is were braided line excels.
It also has a big advantage over monofilament line in that it does not degrade due to heavy exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays. Mono usually needs to be replaced every season, braided fishing line however can last several seasons, justifying it's expense over mono.
The best is somewhat subjective. There can be a best all rounder but some lines are better suited to certain types of fishing and others not so.
For example a line that is really good at casting may not be suitable for trolling, in that regard you are far better off with a line that has color indicators on it that tells you how much line you have let out.
Do you need to use a leader for braided fishing line?
In a word yes. Braided line's main drawback is it's visibility and if you are trying to entice fish that spook easily you will need to ensure that your presentation is a stealthy as possible.
The best option if using braid as your main line is to attach a length of either monofilament or fluorocarbon line between the hook/lure and the braid. This joining can either be done with a suitable knot or you can use a swivel between the two.
So what is the best braided fishing line ?
Our number one choice for best braided fishing line is KastKing SuperPower. KastKing braid is the most versatile over all the brands. The other brands listed are some of the best out there however we believe KastKing SuperPower to be the best all rounder for the money.