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When you want to have a successful day of bass fishing, you may want to think about more than just the weather or the time of year. The gear you use, of course, is also important…. but with so many products out there it can be difficult to know what to use.
To help you choose the best fishing line for bass we’ve put together a short guide to our favorite products and why you might want to have them in your tackle box on your next fishing outing.
Top Choices: Rated Lines For Bass
- Fluorocarbon – Seaguar InvizX
- Braided – KastKing Superpower
- Monofilament – Berkley Trilene Sensation
- Fly Line – KastKing Exergy
How To Choose The Best Bass Fishing Line, And Why It’s Important
Type Of Bass Fishing
Before you decide on the type of fishing line, you will probably need to decide on the type of fishing that you plan to do. This will usually help you decide on the best type of line for that particular application.
The weather and seasons could play a part in the type of fishing you will likely be doing, as this can impact the types of lures you will be using. Topwater lures, for example, may be better used with a floating line, such as monofilament or braided.
> “Walk The Dog” with topwater lures
On the other hand, if you’re fishing on the bottom, a fluorocarbon line may be better since it should sink faster than a monofilament line.
Fly fishing for bass will tend to add a third type of line to the mix, with fly line being designed specifically for fly fishing. Other types of line will tend not to work as well for casting fly lures for bass, and fly line will likely not work so well for other bass fishing applications.
> Good fishing lines for spinning reels
Why Is Fishing Line Important?
The right fishing line could help you catch more fish, as your line is basically what directly connects you to your fish. So if you have the wrong one, it could result in lost fish or even no bites.
For example, using fishing line that’s highly visible under the water could potentially alert a bass that the lure may not be real food, which could scare off bass in clear water conditions.
It can also be important to fish with the right strength of line for the size of bass you want to catch. If your line is too heavy, for example, your reel and lure presentation could be impacted.
What Pound Test For Bass?
Generally speaking, the pound test strength of a fishing line is how much weight or pressure it can take before it snaps. Lighter lines can be useful when casting longer distances but heavier lines may be better if you’re fishing in cover.
For most bass, 6 to 12 pound test lines can be ideal. But you may want to increase the weight if you’re catching larger species of bass, such as sea bass or striped bass. In this case, you can opt for up to 20 pound test line, or even heavier, if your lures are presented for reaction strikes.
4 Best Lines For Bass Fishing
1: Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon Fishing Line (Top Fluorocarbon)
- Weight: 10 pounds
- Diameter: 0.26 millimeters
- Length: 200 yards
The Seaguar InvizX Fluorocarbon line can be used either as a leader or on your spool. It is designed to offer low memory and a high level of knot strength. It is also designed to have high sensitivity.
The InvizX can be a good choice if you’re fishing in clear water where you need an almost invisible presentation, and, similarly, it can be useful for finesse techniques.
Why Fluorocarbon?
Fluorocarbon line is probably best known for its extremely low visibility under the water, which means it can be ideal for finesse fishing, where you need to have invisible line in order to present your bait in a more realistic way.
This type of line can be useful for fishing in clear water and it also has a high level of abrasion resistance, which can make it a good choice for fishing around cover.
Fluorocarbon has a lower stretch rate compared to monofilament line, which can mean higher sensitivity to detect those little nibbles. It is designed to sink faster than monofilament, which can make it useful when fishing along the bottom or in deeper water. However, it may not be the best choice if you’re fishing topwater lures.
Video: How To Choose A Fishing Line
Fluorocarbon Pros
- High sensitivity
- Almost invisible
- Abrasion resistant
Fluorocarbon Cons
- Higher memory
- Fast sinking
2: KastKing Superpower Braided Fishing Line (Top Braided)
- Weight: 20 pounds
- Diameter: 0.18 millimeters
- Length: 327 yards
This KastKing Superpower braided line features high abrasion resistance which can be ideal for fishing in areas of heavy cover. It is designed to have no stretch and be highly sensitive so you can feel when a fish hits.
This braided line comes in a range of weights and lengths to suit different styles of fishing, from 6 pounds up to 150 pounds. It benefits from having low memory to improve casting and is designed to let you tie strong knots.
Why Braided?
Braided line is known for its strength and abrasion resistance. It also floats, so it can be an ideal choice for topwater fishing, as its abrasion resistance can help when fishing in areas of vegetation and the floating line can help keep your lures at the surface.
Braided line also offers a higher strength for its diameter compared to monofilament of the same diameter. It can also be easier to set your hook with braided line because of the sensitivity and low stretch, however this could be a negative with larger fish, as the hook could be forced out of the fish’s mouth.
Braided Pros
- High strength
- High abrasion resistance
- Floats
- Low Stretch
Braided Cons
- Low stretch
- Visible
- Can be more difficult to knot
3: Berkley Trilene Sensation Monofilament Fishing Line (Top Monofilament)
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Diameter: 0.25 millimeters
- Length: 330 yards
The Berkley Trilene Sensation monofilament line is designed to offer a high level of sensitivity with sufficient stretch to allow you to feel the bite and prevent your hook from being ripped out of the fish.
It also has low memory and comes in a variety of weights and lengths, ranging from 2 pound test strength up to 17 pounds. Additionally, there are several colors you can choose from, depending on the water conditions and the level of visibility you want in your line.
Why Monofilament?
Monofilament line is probably one of the most popular types of fishing line, most likely due to its versatility.
The higher level of stretch in this type of line means that it can be less likely to pull the hook from the fish’s mouth when you set the hook and can be useful when reeling in a larger bass.
Monofilament line is also designed to float or be slow sinking, which can make it useful for fishing with topwater lures or using with suspended presentations. However, it may offer less durability because it is less abrasion resistant and can be susceptible to weakening from UV damage.
Monofilament Pros
- Higher stretch
- Ties knots more easily
- Slow sinking
Monofilament Cons
- Lower sensitivity
- Less abrasion resistant
4: KastKing Exergy Fly Fishing Line (Top Fly Line)
- Weight: 2 to 10
- Length: 100 feet
This KastKing Exergy fly line comes in a range of weights so suit your fly rod and reel. It is a freshwater line, designed to float high in the water and cast flies long distances. It also benefits from having micro-loops on the front and back of the line, which can make it easier to tie on your leaders.
Another benefit of this fly line is the biodegradable spool it comes with, making it a more environmentally friendly product. The line also comes in a range of colors.
Why Fly Line?
Fly line is different from other types of line in that it is weighted in order to cast lightweight fly lures over long distances. It is designed to be used with fly rods and reels for fly fishing for a range of species, including bass but can also be useful for trout and salmon fishing.
Fly lines tend to come in a range of different colors, which can be beneficial when it comes to the weather, as some colors may be less visible to the fish when seen from below.
However, the bright colors can make it easier for you to see your line when you’re casting and for detecting strikes from hungry bass.
Fly Line Pros
- Floats
- Visible
- Range of colors
- Great for fly fishing
Fly Line Cons
- Only really for fly gear
In Conclusion
Knowing what type of bass fishing you want to do can make it easier when it comes to narrowing down your options to choose the best fishing line. The best bass fishing line will often be the one that will suit your lure presentation and conditions the best.
Keep in mind if you’ll be fishing in clear water and may need more invisible line or perhaps you want to fish with topwater lures and you’d prefer an abrasion resistant line that can float.
Also remember to consider the strength of line and the size of bass of you plan to target.
Do you have a favorite type of line you like to use? Leave us a comment. And if you want to help out your bass fishing buddies, simply share this guide.
