Topic: The Best Fishing Lines for Bass of 2022 (Read 201 times)
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Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
If you want to fill a spool with quality fluorocarbon without breaking the bank, you can’t go wrong with this consistent, high-grade line that can cover a wide-range of techniques.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
The Trilene brand name has stood the test of time in serious bass fishing circles, and Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon is a reasonably-priced option that will benefit everyone from the first-timer to the serious bass pro. It handles well, is remarkably strong, and has similar refractive characteristics to water so it’s virtually invisible. This is what I use for my chatterbaits and cranking because I don’t have to worry about excessive memory, but I also know that I won’t have to take out a second mortgage if I decide to respool.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
This line co*bines the ease use of monofilament with even more strength and easy handling characteristics.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
If you can’t decide between fluorocarbon or monofilament fishing line for bass, copolymer, like Gamma High Performance, might be the way to go. It takes the best of mono and fluoro—facility of use, strength, and lack of memory—and eliminates most negatives. I still find myself spooling it up in situations where many other anglers use fluoro, and I don’t feel that I’m giving up anything except occasional aggravation. It’s beco*ing increasingly popular for tossing big swimbaits for good reason. The lower memory reduces the dreaded spring you get with mono on the first cast of the season and it has good abrasion resistance for ripping baits through wood. It also co*es in an expansive range of sizes. If you want to give it a try, buy a pony spool, but don’t be surprised if you invest in bulk sizes going forward.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
For finesse applications there’s no better braid than this sinking option from YGK because the sinking quality reduces slack and casts light lures better in the wind.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
This four strand braid from the Japanese market is now increasingly available, and it attacks what may be one of braid’s greatest weaknesses—it floats. That adds drag on slowly-sinking baits and causes your line to act like a sail in breezy conditions. I’ve adapted this for most of my finesse presentations, especially in deeper water. The line even has red markings every 3 feet, so you can get a sense of how much line is out. For my 50- and 65-pound test needs I can use something slightly less refined, but particularly when using spinning gear this is an obvious go-to.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
Power Pro braided spectra is a value-priced proven braid in a remarkable range of sizes and colors. It gets the job done for every kind of fishing and is an excellent choice for getting started with braided line.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
Power Pro was one of the first brands of braids to gain widespread acceptance and while they’ve introduced newer formulations since that time—many of them exceptional—the original Spectra formulation is still reasonably-priced and an exceptional value. I spool up many reels each year with 50- and 65-pound test Power Pro for frogging and grass flipping each year, and use it on hard-fighting beasts like Amazonian peacock bass, with the full expectation that it’ll never let me down because it never has. Other lines may be thinner or sink better, but you cannot go wrong with the original Power Pro for the price and performance.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
If you want the feel and performance of traditional mono, but with upgraded technology and less stretch, then the Suffix Advance is for you.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
Sufix calls this “the mono that thinks it’s a braid” and that’s a good description because while it’s still supple and easy to manage, it doesn’t have the “rubber band” feel that limits the usefulness of some other monofilaments. I found that claim to be true and it’s remarkably strong, yet supple. As noted above, I wasn’t immediately sold on the value of fluorocarbon. I find some of them hard to handle, particularly in cold weather or in smaller sizes. If you too find yourself in that boat, this will do everything that most fluoros will do, without most of the hassles, or cost.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
The Strike King Tour Grade Monofilament is more sensitive than co*peting monofilaments, and is easy to spool. Adding to its performance is the fact that Strike King includes a prepaid envelope that lets you recycle used line.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
Strike King has long been known for top quality lures, but now they’ve entered the line game in a big way. While they have quality braid and fluorocarbon, they didn’t forget the monofilament addicts. This line is wound on the spool precisely and functions well in all weather and water conditions. I’ve liked it for spinnerbaits, topwaters, swimbaits, and even Senkos. Moreover, the smaller spools have a built-in “Sidewinder” spooling tool and tensioner. That added feature makes learning how to spool a spinning reel or baitcasting reel easier. Even better, the co*pany includes a prepaid envelope that enables anglers to recycle used line, ensuring that it won’t end up polluting the environment.
Most serious bass anglers use thousands of yards of 8- to 25-pound test line in the course of a year, as well as braid in the 50- to 65-pound class. The most-used sizes include 8 for finesse presentations, 12-17 for moving baits, and anything heavier for thick cover and oversized lures.
For spooky or pressured fish, the best fishing line for bass are clear, at least where the lure joins the line. When using opaque braids, think natural colors such as moss green if the lure is tied directly to the braid, or high visibility shades of yellow, green, or even pink if using a fluorocarbon leader.
Pro bass anglers depend heavily on fluorocarbon lines, changing it out frequently to maintain suppleness and minimize memory. They also frequently use braided lines for heavy cover, or on a braid-to-fluorocarbon rig for finesse. Some still use monofilament and copolymers, but the percentage is rapidly decreasing.
As noted above, there are more best fishing lines for bass than ever, and sometimes picking the size and style that work best is a personal matter. For example, someone who flips for big fish in clear water might need a lighter or less visible line than someone who pursues the same technique in dirtier water or heavier cover. Similarly, if I use a medium action, moderate rod for spinnerbaiting, that might require a line with less stretch than someone who uses the same lure on a heavier, faster rod. Grabbing rods with different lines—from mono, to fluoro to braid, and back again—in the course of a day requires a changing of attitude and hook sets. I find that the more I simplify my system, the more effective I beco*e.
I may be a rod and reel snob, but the one area where I truly will not co*promise is my line. It’s the ultimate connection and the most likely to suffer from abuse. I think I’ve fished every brand on the market at some point and some just don’t do it for me—my particular bugaboo is memory. A line that coils up after even a reasonable amount of usage is distracting and limits effectiveness. I was a late convert to fluorocarbon and still use it sparingly, while I probably use braid (with or without a leader) more than most bassheads. Still, I tried to keep an open mind as I experimented, using both “conventional” and oddball choices across the spectrum.
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