Please. No, PLEASE, spend the money and get great fishing line. There are few things you will appreciate more than a reliable fishing line you can count on when you have an amazing fish on the line that you don’t want to lose.
Many of us started with clear monofilament line on a covered Shakespeare reel as kids. That line stayed on the reel from the day we got the rod as a gift until today. Nobody ever throws their fishing rod out, even when they’re old.
You probably still have some very old fishing rods in your basement or garage that doesn’t work. The same line has been on for years, and sometimes decades!
With the advent of braided lines, people began to become more knowledgeable about line quality and strength.
Braided Fishing Line Advantages
- Very strong
- Abrasion resistant
- No memory
- No stretch
- Last longer
- Thinner – so more fits on your spool!
- Many colors
- Prices have come down a lot
I think it was early 2000’s when I decided to give Power Pro or one of the other quality braided lines a try on my baitcasting reel. I was casting for snook in the mangroves that weekend and I thought I might as well try it.
I had broken off a number of times recently after hooking decent sized snook at Fort Desoto State Park, but I wasn’t sure if it was the strength of the line or if the line was just bad. Looking back now, I’m SURE it was the old line that just wasn’t up to the task!
I put on 30 lb. Power Pro without leader and I didn’t have any broken lines that entire weekend. I landed snook, reds, and a massive skate (stingray) that was 3+ feet in diameter.
It pulled as hard as a fifty pound fish or more. There is so much surface area in the wings, they can really pull. The line held.
I became a fan of braided lines immediately. I not only like the strength of braided, but the total lack of memory in the line means I can use it on any reel and not have to worry about it not unspoiling easily (wind knots) and correctly when I cast. It’s always the same – zero line memory.
It’s a dream, to be honest. Line is expensive, and knowing I didn’t have to keep replacing my mono every couple of weeks (or trips) was a good feeling.
Over the past two decades I’ve definitely saved money on line, and yet my line quality has never been better.
There are many good brands of line out there, I’m not going to tell you that I’ve tried them all. I haven’t. I will tell you that Power Pro has never let me down, so I tend to stick with that, Kastking, or Spyderwire as my main go-to choices for braided fishing line.
Are there others? Sure there are. If you care to, you can try some out and report back. I’d love to hear your experience. If you don’t want to play around, just buy one of the few I list below and you’ll almost surely have a great fishing experience on the water.
The following lines have many choices of strength (pound ratings). Just click one to see availability at Amazon.
Power Pro Line
Power Pro is my go-to line when I need braided. I usually can find it HERE at Amazon, so I almost always use it when on the water.
You know why I prefer Power Pro? For 20 years they’ve offered a guarantee. In the very rare case you have any faulty line, you can make a request direct to Power Pro to be compensated for it. They give their address and phone on their website. Here it is: 1 Holland Dr., Irvine, CA 92618 Phone: 1-877-577-0600
Spyderwire Line
Spyderwire fishing line in moss green color (my favorite) in many different lengths and strengths is HERE at Amazon.
Kastking Line
Many color and strength combinations of Kastking Line can be found HERE at Amazon.
More Fishing Guides with All You Need to Know
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