The spinning reel is one of the most versatile and popular types of fishing reels available that’s also extremely easy to use. With the ability to use spinning gear for a variety of species, it’s no wonder the spinning reel is so popular. But what is the best fishing line for spinning reel anglers? We’ve broken down the three main types of fishing line- fluorocarbon, monofilament, and braid and provided both pros and cons for each line. Overall, we prefer braided line for having the least memory retention allowing it to peel off the spool easily with minimum tangle.
Best Fishing Line for Spinning Reel Anglers – Monofilament
Berkley NanoFil Uni-Filament Fishing Line
Used more widely than any other, mono fishing line is probably the most balanced of all your options. Mono line has more action than any other offering with its fantastic stretch characteristics. With light line applications, the stretching can really enhance the fight with a solid fish. Be careful, though, as these characteristics require you to frequently adjust your drag to prevent the line from breaking. Mono line is usually the cheapest fishing line on the market, too, making it an obvious choice for beginners and anglers on a budget. Plus, mono line can be purchased as a clear color which helps refract light making it barely visible to the fish. Mono tends to be a popular leader line because of this.
A big drawback for spinning anglers though is mono’s memory. Because mono holds its form, it can lead to tangling, or emptying the spool prematurely, which can cause headaches for a spinning angler. You have to be very careful at what pound test your reel is rated for and be sure to match it with the mono line you pick. Otherwise, you could be spending far too much time working out line issues rather than fishing. The other big drawback to mono is because of its elasticity, it needs to be replaced more frequently than the other options. Fraying, stretching, and regular stress on the line wear down mono line faster than the others, so it’s important to inspect your line before every outing, just to be sure you don’t have your bait snap off the line. If you’re looking for a line with some action on it and willing to sacrifice line memory and longevity, mono fishing line is a good choice.
Best Fishing Line for Spinning Reel Anglers – Fluorocarbon
Seaguar Blue Label 25 Yards Fluorocarbon Leader
- 100 Fluorocarbon Leader
- DSF - Double Structure Fluorocarbon
- Best Tensile Strength
- America's # 1 Leader
- Least Stretch
A newer fishing line to really take the market by storm has been fluorocarbon fishing line. Fluorocarbon line is a special compound that combines two absolutely essential qualities in any fishing line: durability and clarity. Because of its chemical composition, fluorocarbon line is ultra smooth yet incredibly durable. Highly resistant to abrasions, fluorocarbon gives the angler strength not found in similar sized mono lines. Like braided line, fluorocarbon is rated at a higher pound test while maintaining a small diameter. Even better than its strength is its clarity. Practically invisible in water, fluorocarbon line refracts sunlight more effectively than mono. Once under water, the light passing through the line makes it almost impossible for fish to see. Even more so than mono, fluorocarbon is a great choice for use as a leader line.
The downside to fluorocarbon as it pertains to spinning reel anglers is its memory. Fluorocarbon has even worse memory characteristics than mono, which means it holds its shape far longer and barely loosens when spooled to a reel. Expect constant line issues when spooling specifically with fluorocarbon. Another problem with fluorocarbon is its price. Good fluorocarbon line is the most expensive option of the three choices. You can expect to pay 1.5 – 3 times the amount for the same monofilament line. Because of its price, it’s really only a good option for spinning reel anglers as a leader line. Beyond that, I’d stay away unless you’re absolutely comfortable with the brand and its memory on your reel. There are plenty of good options of fluorocarbon line to choose from.
Best Fishing Line for Spinning Reel Anglers – Braided
Suffix 832 Braid 20 lb Low-Vis Green 150 yards
- 8 Fibers (Featuring one GORE Performance Fiber and 7 Dyneema Fibers)
- Ultimate Abrasion Resistance
- Unbeatable Strength
- Proven Castability Improvements
- TGPTechnology Enhances Color Retention
My personal favorite line to use when fishing with a spinning reel has to be braided fishing line. Braided fishing line captures all the best characteristics of the other options and improves upon them. Braided line is stronger than mono line with the same diameter. If you’re looking for light action, you can go with a small pound test in braided and have an ultra thin diameter line, allowing it to cut through the water with more ease and helping it sink faster. If you want heavy pound test, you can do that without having to upgrade reels because of its basic properties. For spinning reel anglers, memory is the biggest pain with fishing line. Braided line has the least amount of memory of all the options, meaning you can expect a nearly flat, smooth line after only a few casts. This drastically reduces spooling issues basically eliminating maintenance time while fishing. Additionally, you can expect braided line to last a lot longer on the reel than its counterparts. Rot resistant, UV resistant, abrasion resistant are all characteristics of braided line that keep it lasting on your spool longer than the others. If you’re looking for extra sensitivity, you want to stick with braided fishing line. Braided line has virtually no stretch which means you’ll feel even the slightest tap from a fish.
The biggest drawback to braided line is visibility in the water. Braided line is not transparent at all, so fishing in clear water or targeting extremely difficult sight fish will be a challenge. As mentioned earlier, pairing a solid braided line with a good fluorocarbon leader is the best of both worlds. Of course, adding a leader introduces another break point in the line, which can make fighting a fish slightly more difficult. If you’re not good with swivels or tying line-to-line knots, you should absolutely practice and read about the best fishing knots you can tie your line with.
Braided line takes the best possible characteristics of all the fishing line on the market and improves upon them. For long lasting, super strong, super thin, shortest memory fishing line to spool on your spinning reel, you cannot go wrong with a good braided fishing line, like Sufix 832. Whatever you pick, you should pair it up with a strong fluorocarbon leader to enhance your presentation in the water so you can catch those smart fish that can’t be so easily fooled. Braided line will give you everything you need from a line and keep you happy and fishing longer than the others.
This page was last updated on 2022-08-29. Affiliate links and Product Images are from Amazon PAAPI
