What is the best fishing line for bass? If someone asked you that question, how would you respond? It’s a difficult question right?
Many people might say monofilament, while others only throw fluorocarbon and lastly there are even some anglers that know nothing but braid. So which one should you throw?
In this post, we are going to talk about the different characteristics of each line available to you on the market so you can make the best decision.
Let’s begin…
Table of Contents
What is the best fishing line for bass?
Here is a quick preview of my favorites:
- Berkley Trilene Big Game
- Seaguar Red Label
- Seaguar Invizx
- Berkley Vanish Transition Line
- Seaguar Abrazx
- Seaguar TATSU
- Sufix 832 Advanced Superline Braid
- KastKing SuperPower Braid
- SpiderWire Braided Stealth Superline
To begin, let’s take a look at some of the advantages of each line. Next, we will highlight a few situations where this type of line shines and lastly, we will talk about a few of our favorite options on the market.
Monofilament Advantages
Price. Of all the fishing lines that we are going to consider in this post, monofilament is by far the cheapest. It is because of this that many anglers choose to first, back their baitcaster or spinning reel with mono and then put on their more expensive fishing line.
User-Friendly. Fluorocarbon and braid tend to be stiffer lines, this can make casting a baitcaster for the first time a nightmare. So, if you are still trying to master your cast, I would recommend starting out with a monofilament line as it tends to be more user-friendly. Mono is also much easier to use because the knots are easier to tie. Once again, if you are new to the fishing scene and just want to get out there and start practicing rather than spending a whole day learning different knots, I would recommend going with monofilament.
Stretch. Monofilament has stretch. Why is this important? Fishing with a line that has stretch properties helps to make it more forgiving. For example, if you are fishing with braid, which has no stretch, and the drag isn’t set correctly, or you have the wrong rod action you risk losing the fish. On the hand, monofilament has some stretch and thus can be more forgiving particularly on the hookset. The added stretch can also help when fishing with trebles hooks as it makes it more difficult for the fish to throw the lure. With that being said it is a great fishing line for beginners.
Buoyancy. Braid floats, fluorocarbon does not, mono is somewhere in between. While it doesn’t float like braid, it does sink at a slower rate than fluorocarbon. Keep this in mind when using different fishing techniques.
Tradeoffs
Now that we have talked about some advantages, it is important that we mention some trade-offs or disadvantages.
Stretch. As we mentioned earlier mono has stretch and can be more forgiving, but this does have a trade-off. Because it does have stretch it isn’t as sensitive as other lines on the market. Sensitivity is important when trying to detect exactly what is going on below the surface water. Fluorocarbon is better in this respect, but more on that later.
Not Abrasion Resistant. Mono is not abrasion resistant. If you are fishing with this line around rocks or structure and your line rubs up against these elements you risk losing your lure. To prevent this from happening to you, always many sure to check your line periodically for nicks or cuts.
It absorbs water. This fishing line absorbs water and it also absorbs light. Monofilament is also weakened by UV rays. So the more time you spend on the water, the more you need to change out your fishing line. I would recommend changing out your line that has been exposed to UV light at least once a year.
When to throw mono
Crankbaits or treble hooks. Monofilament is a great line to throw when fishing with treble hooks. The reason is because of the stretch. The stretch helps to keep pressure on the fish, so that it won’t throw the hook. Keep in mind that monofilament does have some buoyancy so it will affect the depth of your lures. For example, you will notice a difference fishing a square bill with monofilament that sinks slowly, fluorocarbon that sinks and braid that floats.
Topwater baits. Speaking of buoyancy monofilament is great for topwater lures because it doesn’t sink. So when throwing lures that you want to be on the surface of the water or that you want to suspend, I would use mono. However, because it isn’t abrasion resistant I wouldn’t recommend throwing mono when fishing around structures, wood, rocks or heavy vegetation. I would only recommend using it when fishing with jerkbaits or stick baits in an open water setting.
Topwater frogs. Many times when fishing a topwater frog with braid and the bass takes the bait and we react so quickly that we literally pull the lure out of the fish’s mouth. One way to change that is with monofilament. In order to set the hook we need to first pull out all of that stretch, this can delay our hookset and hopefully land more topwater frog bites.
Beginner Anglers. Mono is easy to tie, easy to cast and can be used on any fishing reel out there. For those reasons, it is a great option for the beginner angler.
Now that we have talked about a few of the properties let’s take a look at a few of my favorite monofilament fishing lines.
The first fishing line that I would recommend is Stren Original. This is a low memory monofilament line that is easy to cast and ties great knots.
As we know monofilament absorbs sunlight and over time it can be weakened by the UV rays. For that reason, I like the Stren Original because it has an UV guard designed to protect your fishing line and ultimately extend the life of your line.
As the name implies this line was designed for big fish. We can say that with confidence because this line was designed to withstand those sudden impacts of motion such as: a strong hookset or a bass coming out of the water to throw the lure.
So, the next time you are fishing for bass with monofilament, make sure you tie on Berkley’s Trilene Big Game Fishing Line.
Fluorocarbon Advantages.
Low visibility. Underwater fluorocarbon is nearly invisible. This can give you the advantages when fishing a finesse presentation or finicky fish. Many anglers have said they have noticed many more bites when changing over to fluoro.
Abrasion Resistant. Fluorocarbon fishing line is much more abrasion resistant than nylon fishing line and does not get affected by UV light.
Sensitivity. Fluorocarbon is much more sensitive than standard nylon fishing line. This can make a big difference when you are trying to feel what is on the bottom of the water or detecting those bites.
Low – Stretch. While is does contain some stretch, it is much less than monofilament. What this means is that when fishing with single hook presentations such as jigs, it will allow you to really drive the hook into the fish’s mouth. You can notice the difference in the stretch when setting the hook on a long cast. Remember with mono, you first need to pull out the stretch, then you can set the hook. With fluorocarbon, it is a quicker hookset. Keep this in mind when fishing with trebles hooks.
Sink Rate. Fluoro sinks. This can be to your advantage when you are fishing with deep diving crankbaits, or dragging a football jig across the bottom as it will help the lure to sink.
Fluorocarbon Trade-Offs
Pricey. It is much more expensive than monofilament. As we mentioned earlier, if you are planning on spooling up with fluorocarbon it would be best to first use monofilament as a backing and then tie on your fluoro.
Stiffer. Fluorocarbon is stiffer and has a lot more memory than monofilament. This can make it difficult to manage particularly when casting a baitcasting reel. I am not saying it is impossible, but it can be done with practice. Also, because it has more memory than other lines it can be difficult to put on spinning reels, but not impossible. If you do decide to put it on a spinning reel, I would downsize the diameter and put nothing larger than 8-pound test.
Knots. When tying a knot with fluoro it is important to wet the line. If you fail to wet the line during this process you can risk actually weakening the line at the knot.
When to throw fluorocarbon line
Deep Diving Crankbaits. Fluoro sinks and so when you use it with deep diving crankbaits it can help you to get the maximum our of the lure’s maximum depth rate. It does have some stretch properties so you won’t risk pulling the treble hooks out of the fish’s mouth.
Finesse Presentations. Fluorocarbon is a very sensitive line and is nearly invisible when underwater. For that reason, it works great when fishing with any kind of finesse presentations such as shaky heads, Texas rig, or drop shots.
Fishing the bottom. Whenever you are throwing a lure that is going to be sitting on the bottom of the lake such as a football jig, or a drop shot, I would recommend you throw fluoro. Not only will it sink to the bottom quickly, but it is extremely sensitive.
Let’s take a look at a few of my favorites in this category.
If you are on a budget or just starting out with fluorocarbon, I would definitely recommend you check out the Seaguar Red Label.
All in all, this is a more affordable option on the market, but just because it is more affordable doesn’t mean it is less quality. This is a very strong and yet a very sensitive line for allowing you to feel exactly what is going on with you lure under the water. It is without a doubt a good all around option for fishing with fluoro.
The next on our list of the best bass fishing line is the Seaguar Invizx. Yes, all fluorocarbon lines have low visibility properties, but as the name implies this one is like no other. It is also because of these near-invisible properties that it works great as leader material. For example, if you want to fish with braid, but you want a fluoro leader, Seaguar Invizx is your answer.
Another property to this line is that it isn’t as stiff as other fluorocarbon lines on the market. With that being said it works well on all types of reels particularly spinning reels. Many anglers will use a fluoro leader on spinning tackle because they are afraid of the memory that these lines tend to have. However, this line was specifically designed for spinning tackle.
This line actually changes colors above water making it extremely easy for us, the fishermen, to see any line movement and to help us set the hook on the slightest of movements.
It has all those great properties that make fluorocarbon so popular amongst bass fishermen, but at the same time, it excels at one in particular: abrasion resistant. Without a doubt, it is the most abrasion resistant line that Seaguar has on that market.
This fishing line was specifically designed for the fisherman that like to flip their lure up into the tough slop without having to worry about losing their lure.
Of course, when it comes to this category of fishing line, no other line takes the title of the best of the best like Seaguar TATSU.
What makes this line different is that it is a double structure fluorocarbon. What that means is they took two lines and fused them into one. We thus could say “Double the fluorocarbon, double the fun”. The results are a fishing line that is extremely abrasion resistant and at the same time, extremely sensitive. This is going to allow you to feel more bites and be able to bring it through thicker cover easily.
The one drawback is the price. This line is quite a bit more expensive than others in its category, but if you are looking for the best bass fishing line, I would definitely recommend you check this one out.
Braid Advantages
No Stretch. As we mentioned earlier, mono has stretch while fluoro has very little. On the opposite side of the spectrum is braid. Braid has no stretch. This is going to give you the ability to drive the hook into the fish’s mouth.
Sensitivity. Because there is no stretch in the line, braid is oftentimes very sensitive to the slightest movements on the other end.
No memory. Unlike mono, it has no memory. This means that it works great on spinning reels as you won’t feel like the line is trying to jump off the spool.
Buoyancy. Unlike mono and fluorocarbon, braid floats, making it the go-to fishing line when fishing topwater.
Extremely Strong. Braid is extremely strong and abrasion resistant. It is for that reason, that many anglers choose it when fishing around heavy vegetation as it will give them better control of the fish.
Braid Trade-Offs.
Visibility. While fluoro is nearly invisible, braid is very visible. For that reason, many anglers will fish braid, but tie on a fluorocarbon leader. In a sense, they have the no stretch and strong properties of braid with the invisible properties of fluorocarbon.
Shock Strength. Monofilament does a nice job handling the impact from a hookset, but braid does not. Many anglers compensate by lowering their drag settings or using a rod with a softer tip.
No stretch. While having no stretch can definitely be an advantage, it can also be a disadvantage as you can risk ripping the lure right out of the fish’s mouth. However, with practice, many anglers have learned to do so effectively.
Knots. Knots aren’t as easy as monofilament. A common knot with braid is a Palomar knot
When to throw braid
Flipping into heavy vegetation. Braid is my go-to line when fishing the heavy stuff for at least two reasons. First, it has no stretch. This is going to give you the control over the fish and be able to bring him back to the boat. The next reason is because of its abrasion resistance properties. Many times when you hook a fish in the heavy slop you line is going to be rubbing up against rocks, wood or whatever is in the water. Having a very tough line is essential to get the fish back to the boat.
Use it with a leader. Many anglers like the properties of braid, but they don’t like the fact that you can see it. So, they use mono or fluoro as a leader. By doing this you can have a line that is abrasion resistant, shock absorbent and at the same time nearly invisible.
Let’s take a look at my favorite options on the market…
This braid is actually made up of 8 different fibers that are woven together to create a super strong braid. In fact, according to the website there are 32 weaves per inch. What does that mean to you and me? That means that there is a whole lot of strength in a very small diameter of the line.
With that many fibers and that many weaves per inch, I wouldn’t think twice about throwing this fishing line in the thickest of vegetation.
Another interesting feature is that the line is protected by a hydrophobic water-repellent. Monofilament actually absorbs wants and this is part of the reason why it doesn’t last that long, but with a hydrophobic water-repellent we are ensured that this line will last many fishing seasons to come.
According to their website, the fibers used to make this braid are the same fibers used to make bulletproof vests. Yes, you read that correctly bulletproof vest! What does that tell you about the quality? What does that tell you about the strength of this braid? Without a doubt, you would agree that this is a braid that is like no other.
Not only is the choice of material important, but it is also important how these fibers are used. In this case, how they are woven. These particular fibers are woven so tight that it allows for better casting and better knot tying abilities.
Few braided fishing line have a thinner diameter than the SpiderWire Braided Stealth Superline. For example, 30lb stealth has the same diameter as 8lb monofilament. The fibers used to create this braid have been treated with fluoropolymer, this helps with casting and it allows the line to go through the line guides more freely.
Final Thoughts…
What is the best fishing line for bass? That really depends on the situation. For example, while some would choose to use fluorocarbon under certain circumstances, others in the same situation might use braid. That tells us that it mainly comes down to your personal preference and what you feel most comfortable fishing with.
This post is a reflection of my knowledge and experience. It is by no means is the only way to choose a fishing line for bass.
For that reason, please share with us your thoughts, what do you think is the best fishing line for bass?
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