The Best Mono Fishing Lines in 2021 (Buying Guide)

Stren is a name that is synonymous with premium, as the company has been a mainstay in the fishing market since it was founded in 1958. Throughout the years, they’ve produced some of the most innovative monofilament fishing lines, such as their High Impact line. This line offers superb strength, abrasion resistance, and durability – all while remaining reasonable in price. While many monofilament lines are prone to failure when drug across submerged limbs, logs, and rock piles, High Impact is built to sustain such abuses. 

There are multiple sizes and color combinations of Stren High Impact available, making it easier for you to find the line best suited for your particular application. Available line sizes include 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, and 30 pound-test. They also come in different colors such as Clear, Hi-Vis Green, Low-Vis Green, and Smoke Blue. Underwater, each of these available colors appear almost completely transparent, which keeps wary fish from becoming wise to anglers’ efforts.

Much of this line’s popularity stems from how effortlessly it can be cast. This is because of the line’s anti-twist and kink design. When a line twists or kinks on a reel, it causes resistance that can rob a cast of much of its reach. But with the Berkley Trilene XL Smooth Casting Line, an angler can cast to points far beyond what they could typically have.

This particular line’s enhanced sensitivity is also a significant advantage for anglers as it makes their hooksets more efficient and enables them to catch more fish. It can often be difficult to detect strikes from light biters like bluegill, crappie, and reluctant bass, but the Berkley Trilene XL Smooth Casting Line makes this problem a thing of the past, as it offers the perfect ratio of stretch to make bite detection a breeze.

This line is also known for its strength, which is of immense value when in the midst of a hard-fought battle against a large flathead catfish or a cagey striped bass. Superior line strength also allows an angler to fish with confidence, especially in instances when a reel’s drag is not optimally set.

Those who have had trouble finding receptive enough monofilament lines in the past will likely favor KastKing World’s Premium Monofilament Line. This line resists waterlogging, which causes most traditional lines to become limp and subdued in their reactiveness. It can be retrieved much more rapidly than other lines on the market.

It also has low memory, which means that it is not as likely to kink, bind, or twist very easily. Anglers will find this to be of immense benefit, as low memory lines are typically able to be cast much further and much more easily than those with a more pronounced level of memory.

This brand of monofilament line also offers significant clarity, meaning that it should be nearly invisible when submerged. This makes it easier to to get a larger catch ratio, as fish would be unable to see the line when an angler presents their bait or lure.

As its name would suggest, Berkley Trilene XT was designed with resilience in mind. This line has received a significant amount of fanfare for its abrasion resistance and ability to be fished along structures with little difficulty. Many bass fishermen, especially those who enjoy flipping and pitching into cover, will find significant value in this line. 

Another key characteristic of this line is its high level of flexibility. While many highly durable lines tend to be extremely stiff, difficult to tie, and limited in responsiveness, Trilene XT offers 45% greater flexibility than any other Trilene monofilament line to date. It also features enhanced knot strength, which is perfect for any angler who has been previously plagued by knot failure. To further aid this level of versatility, Trilene XT is offered in 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 25, and 30 pound tests.

One of this line’s unique features is its use of UV Guard technology. While many line manufacturers design their lines to avoid water absorption, only a few attempt to minimize UV uptake. UV has the potential to degrade fishing lines, in much the same way as these rays cause damage to an angler’s skin over time. Stren’s UV guard keeps the sun’s harmful rays at bay, much like how sunscreen protects our skin.

Stren Original also has low memory, which prevents kinks and twists from forming. This is great for anglers who cast frequently such as bass fishermen, as the Stren Original is capable of being cast with ease and with little chance of hanging up. Casting distances will also be increased, as fewer kinks and twists result in less resistance as the line departs from the reel.

Another one of its top features is its superior knot strength. As opposed to many lower-grade monofilaments on the market, Stren Original retains the vast majority of its line strength even when knotted.

Additionally, this line is 33% stronger than most of its kind on today’s market despite its unique micro-diameter sizing, which makes the line difficult for fish to detect, especially in waters that are heavily fished. It also allows for livelier bait presentation and enhanced sensitivity.

This same level of sensitivity is further aided by SpiderWire Ultracast Ultimate’s reduced stretch. This allows even the lightest of strikes to be felt, which is ideal when fishing for bluegill, crappie, and bass during weather fronts when feeding slows. Its sensitivity also allows you to feel any structures that lie below, such as when you’re crawling a crankbait through matted vegetation.

This line is also known for its resistance to water absorption. Though all monofilaments absorb some degree of water, this process is minimized by SpiderWire Ultracast Ultimate’s specialty composition, which features a higher degree of shock strength. Knot integrity will also benefit for this same reason, as it should remain rigid enough for a knot to hold, even after hours of being submerged in water.

South Bend Monofilament is best known for its sustained durability. This is a quality which many anglers will find of value as less time will be spent replacing their line, leaving more time for fishing. Line durability is also important because it allows an angler to fish with utmost confidence, as they can be assured that their line will not fail when they’re reeling in the catch of their dreams. This is a great option for those who commonly fish around dense vegetations.

Another notable trait of this line is its high level of transparency. The more transparent a particular brand of fishing line is, the easier it is to be undetected underwater. This is perfect for those who fish in areas that see extensive pressure, as the fish within those types of waters are typically slow to bite and wary of anything that seems amiss.

It’s quite easy to find the type of South Bend Monofilament that is best suited to your particular needs, as it comes in several lengths and weights. 4, 6, 8, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and 60 pounds tests are all available.

As stated, Reaction Tackle Monofilament comes in just about any color that you would need. These include Blue, Blue-Camo, Clear, Hi-Vis Green, Ice Blue, Light Blue Camo, Moss Green, Red, and Yellow. Because of this broad range of colors, anglers have the opportunity to choose a line that will most accurately blend into their environment and will be most easily concealed when in use.

This line is notably easier to tie than that offered by its competitors. This is an attribute that a great number of anglers would be pleased to find, as many bulkier monofilament strands can be difficult to tie efficiently. This may come as a relief for younger or lesser-experienced anglers who have yet to fully master the ability to tie knots.

Another benefit of Reaction Tackle’s Monofilament Line’s supple composition is that it is naturally low in memory. This will improve its casting range, as twisting and knotting will be made minimal.

The bulk of anglers who use Hi-Seas Grand Slam do so because of the wide variety of lengths and weights that it is available in. It can be purchased in anywhere between 6 lb. test to 400 pound tests. This is terrific for most anglers, because lines for numerous reels and applications can be purchased from a single manufacturer, thereby streamlining the process of re-stringing reels on any given year.

This line also possesses a low level of memory, which prevents twisting and kinking. As a result, most anglers will find it easier to cast when using the Hi-Seas Grand Slam, since less resistance occurs when the line is free of twists, kinks, and unwanted knots.

Another characteristic of the Hi-Seas Grand Slam that is worth mentioning is its high level of abrasion resistance. This line can take a beating and still serve its intended purpose with little issue. Anglers who regularly fish in heavy cover should find this level of durability as a great point of appeal.

As mentioned, the Kalex Monofilament Line is designed for those who just want to get down to business and put fish in the boat. In order to facilitate such ease of use, this line has been engineered to resist tangling, which should prevent trouble when casting towards hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, most anglers will also find that this level of control allows them to present their lures in a more efficient manner, potentially producing additional strikes.

By all accounts, Kalex Monofilament Line should be ideal for anyone who has limited time for fishing and has no time to spare for repeated attempts to untangle troublesome lines. The line’s low rate of memory has the ability to provide trouble-free performance in most situations, giving the angler the best possible use out of their time.

Most anglers will also find great appeal in the Kalex Monofilament Line’s many colors. This makes it easier to select the perfect line for use on a given body of water, depending on its clarity. It’s available in Clear, Low-Vis Green, and Clearly Blue Fluorescent.