20 Best Monofilament Fishing Lines

Monofilament fishing line is a basic fishing line that is widely used by both freshwater and saltwater angels. Clear nylon monofilament is what most anglers think of as a monofilament line and was first sold in 1938. Advances in monofilament have made the line thinner, softer, and less visible to fish. Monofilament by definition is a single strand of plastic or polymer that is extruded into a single stand. Technically fluorocarbon is a type of monofilament as well but that is considered a separate type of line by most anglers.

There are many types of monofilament that each have different characteristics and performance. For spinning reels and baitcasting reels, a smooth, thin, light line with little memory is best. For conventional fishing reels, the thickness of the line is less important but a soft line with low memory is still preferred. Knot strength and abrasions resistance are also important factors to consider. Monofilament lines can be different colors including clear, green, blue, camo, smoke, high visibility yellow, and high visibility orange.

Here Are the Best Monofilament Fishing Lines

1. Berkley Trilene XL Monofilament Fishing Line

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This is a new and improved Berkley Trilene XL smooth casting. This line is designed to be smooth which is good for spinning reels, baitcasting reels, and conventional reels. The improved line is 20 percent more flexible and has a 50 percent increase in wet knot strength. This line is labeled as smooth casting, super strong, and maximum manageability.

Trilene Big Game is decent for conventional reels but not great for spinning reels. This is the Triline that works best on spinning reels. This line is also sensitive and resists line twists and line kinks which is important when using a spinning reel with a monofilament line. The 20 pound line diameter is .40mm which is very thin for mono line. Thin line make it less visible to the fish so this is plus when fishing for leader shy fish such as trout, salmon, perch, crappie, snapper and tuna.

2. Spiderwire Ultracast Ultimate Monofilament

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SpiderWire Ultracast Ultimate is a clear monofilament fishing line. This line is made of a co-polymer resin that is 33 percent stronger than stadard monofilamnt. The result is a thiner less visible line for any line of the same strenght. SpiderWire is known for their braided fishing lines but this is a top quality monofilanet line.

4. Berkley Trilene Big Game Monofilament Line

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Berkley Trilene is one of the most widely using fishing lines. It is an average quality monofilament line found at a reasonable price. There are six line color options to best match the color water and lighting conditions. Clear and ultra-clear are good for clear water and bright sunny days. Green is a very popular color for stained water in lakes and green murky ocean water. The solar collector is a high visibility line that is easy for an angler to see above water and at night with fluorescent light or black light.

This line works ok on spinning reels but works great on conventional reels. It is strong, absorbs shocks, and is abrasion-resistant. Berkley first introduced the Trilene line in 1959 and now has several types including Big Game, XL Smooth Casting, XT Extra Tough, Big Cat, TransOptic, and Sensation. Several of these will be reviewed later in this article. All of these Trilene lines are made in the USA.

5. Ande Premium Monofilament Fishing Line

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Ande Premium Monofilament is known for being one of the least visible monofilament lines. It is even used as a lower cost leader material. Snapper and bottom fishermen commonly use Ande premium pink as a low visibility leader line. This line has good knot strength, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance. It great fishing line for both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

6. Berkley Vanish Nylon Fishing Line

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Berkley Vanish is one of the best fishing lines on the market. This is a fluorocarbon fishing line which is technically a type of monofilament. This article is mostly dedicated to standard nylon monofilament but this is a great line to use so it was added to the list.

When using a monofilament line with under 10-pound test I would highly recommend using this line. It is actually thinner, less visible, and more abrasion resistant than most nylon monofilament fishing lines. For heaver line sizes it is not a soft as top quality monofilament lines. However, it does still work well on conventional reels. A fluorocarbon line can be less visible to fish since the index of refraction of light is a closer value to the index of refraction of water. I really like to use this line with 4 pound test to fish for trout.

7. Stren Original Monofilament Fishing Line

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Stren line is an average-quality monofilament fishing line. This line is very similar to Berkley Trilene. Stren line was developed by Dupont in 1958 as a thin soft monofilament. At that time monofilament lines were very stiff and not widely used. Trilene and Stren came on the market at about the same time and both became very popular and widely used. Clear blue fluorescent is a good line to use at night as it becomes hight visible to the angler under a blacklight.

This is Stren Original line and is still made in the USA. The line has a good balance of strength, line stretch, sensitivity, and abrasion resistance. For this reason, it remains a widely used fishing line today.

8. Sufix Superior Monofilament Fishing Line

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Sufix Superior is a quality low-cost monofilament fishing line. It is labeled as high tensile, controlled stretch, and shock-resistant. This line is soft and spools nicely on all types of reels. The line has good stretch and is good to use when fishing for fast aggressive fish like wahoo, sailfish, tarpon mahi-mahi, and kingfish.

This line in a 30-pound test works great for inshore and offshore spinning reels setups. I have used this line to catch mahi-mahi, tarpon, snapper, barracuda, kingfish and many other type of saltwater fish. On conventional reels for big game fish the 60-pound mainline works well. I have used the 60 pound line to catch mahi-mahi, wahoo, tuna, sharks, and marlin and never had any issues.  When fishing freshwater 6-20 pound line works well on spinning and baitcasting reels and a 20-30 pound line is good for conventional reels.

When buying a fishing line in bulk this is a good option. Just remember that most monofilament has a shelf life of 2-3 years. The monofilament line does break down from UV light and should be replaced at least once a year on the reel. When running charters it is common to have to re-spool one reel just about every day. Lines get messed up for lots of reasons but most often the line gets twisted from novice anglers reeling why drag is going out on spinning reels.

9. Berkley Trilene XT Monofilament Fishing Line

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Berkley Trilene XT is an extra tough monofilament fishing line. This line is very similar to Trilene Big Game but is made to be more flexible and more abrasion-resistant.

This is a good line for conventional reels but it a bit stiff for spinning reels. It might be a bit tougher and flexible than standard Trilene big game but is more expensive per foot.

10. Sufix Elite Monofilament Fishing Line

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Sufix Elite is a quality monofilament fishing line. This line works well in both freshwater and saltwater. It is also a good line to use on spinning, baitcasting, and conventional fishing reels. Sufix is a fishing line made by Rapala.

Micro resin technology allows this advanced line to have high knot strength and tensile strength. The line is soft and flexible which makes casting easy. An advanced winding process reduces line memory on the spool. If you are looking for a better monofilament line this would be a great option to try.

11. Momoi Hi-Catch Monofilament Fishing Line

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Momoi Hi-Catch Monofilament is a very popular monofilament fishing line for saltwater anglers. It is a basic nylon monofilament but is thinner than most lines on the market for a given line strength. The line also has good flexibility, stretch, abrasion resistance, and knot strength. This line is most commonly used for inshore and offshore fishing but it also can be used in freshwater fishing.

12. Hi-Catch IGFA Nylon Mono-Line Tournament Line

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Momoi High-Catch IGFA is Tourmanet Grade Monofilament line. The fluorescent yellow line offers high visibility above water to help track lines to prevent lines from crossing and getting tangles. This line has an average thickness to strength ratio but is made with strict strength and quality control. It is a great line to use when trolling offshore. Bass Pros shops has Momoi High-Catch Diamond which is very similar fishing line.

13. Berkley ProSpec Chrome Premium Monofilament

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Berkley Prospec Chrome comes in 1 pound spools. This is a premium monofilament and works well for spoiling large conventional reels for big game saltwater fishing. The line is abrasion resistant and has good knot strength.

Blaze Orange is a high visibility monofilament line above the water. This is great for seeing lines and preventing tangles. Clear is good for fishing on bright days and in clear water, blue is good for low light and stained water.

14. Hi-Seas Grand Slam Monofilament Fishing Line

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Hi-Seas Grand Slam monofilament line is an average quality reasonably priced fishing line. It is labeled as ideal sensitivity, high knot strength, abrasion-resistant, and smooth casting. Grand Slam Mono is under the umbrella of AFW fishing brands.

15. Hi-Seas Quattro Monofilament Fishing Line

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Hi-Seas Quattro is a camouflage monofilament line. There are several multi-color camouflage braided lines available but this is the only one I know of that is a monofilament line. The colors do not change at specific line intervals for this monofilament line so it is not metered. A metered line can be a great way to estimate line depths. It does have four different colors that can help break up and blend the line into the background. The colors are dark and this is a good line to use in low-light and murky water. The dark line is easy to see above the water during the day. 

16. Maxima Ultragreen Monofilament Fishing Line

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Maxima Ultragreen is a quality strong monofilament fishing line. There is also Maxima Ultragreen leader material that is great for making salmon leaders. The line has good tensile strength, knot strength, and holds up well even in the hard mouths of salmon. I have used this line in Alaska to catch salmon, ling cod, rockfish, and halibut. It is great line for the water color in the pacific northwest including California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and Alaska.

The grayish-green tint of this line is less visible in stained green water very common in lakes and oceans. This is a very popular line to use when salmon fishing. It is very uncommon for lines to break when using this line. For trolling reels a 30-pound line is good and when fishing from shore and in streams, 10-20 pound line works well for salmon.

17. Yo-Zuri Hybrid Clear Monofilament Line

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Yo-Zuri Hybrid is made of both nylon and fluorocarbon. It is a patented line that is made by bonding both types of resin in the extrusion process. This allows the line to have positive attributes of both types of lines including low-visibility, little absorption of water for high wet knot strength, abrasion resistance, and UV light resistance to line breakdown.

18. Kastking Fluorokote Monofilament Fishing Line

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Kastking Fluorokote is a nylon monofilament line that is coated with a thin layer of fluorocarbon. This is an interesting concept and there are several other lines that also use the process including P-Line Floroclear and Runcl PowerFluoro.

This Kastking line shows a very thin line diameter for a given strength. Sometimes I think KastKing over markets their products which are made in China. I do not see why this nylon line would be thinner than every monofilament and most fluorocarbon lines on the market. It would be worth measuring the line diameter and testing the tensile strength, knot strength, and abrasion resistance to other well-established fishing lines.

19. Stren High Impact Monofilament Fishing Line

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Stren High Impact Monofilament fishing line is an average quality affordable fishing line. It is labeled as super shock-resistant and durable. This line works well on saltwater reels and freshwater reels. Due to its low cost, this is a good line to spool on large conventional reels.

Stren Original line was reviewed above. This High Impact version is actually found at a lower cost and has similar line characteristics and performance. The low cost of this line makes it a good line to use as a backing material on large reels. High visibility green is a good color to see at night with fluorescent and black lights.

20. Trout Magnet SOS Fishing Line

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Trout Magnet SOS fishing line is specifically made for trout fishing. SOS stands for Strong, Obscure, and Small. This is a basic nylon monofilament. The diameter of lines under 6 pounds is small and a fishing line this size is nice and flexible. This is a low-cost option but almost any clear line would work. When trout fishing I think 4-pound Berkley Vanish is the best line to use. It is tough, thin, and offers reduced line visibility in the water.

Monofilament vs Braid Line Diameter Chart

The chart below shows the average line diameter for a monofilament line and braided line. Depending on the brand of line these diameters do vary. Fourcrabon line diameters are typically slightly smaller than monofilament line diameters. Smaller line diameters for each type of line typically means a less visible line. However, a braided line is more visible than a monofilament even though it is thinner. When targeting leader shy fish using a thin monofilament or fluorocarbon line is best.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best saltwater monofilament fishing line?

The best saltwater monofilament line is Sufix Superior Monofilament. It is a reasonably priced line that offers high stretch, good knot strength, and minimal line memory. The line comes on large spools and works well on both spinning reels and conventional reels. For big game offshore fishing, a 60-pound line is a good pound test. For inshore and offshore spinning reels a 30-pound test line is good.

Make sure to store the line out of the sun as the monofilament line breaks down from UV light. A monofilament line should be changed out on the reels every few months of use. The line on the spool it comes on should last for two or three years if stored properly. Ande Premium monofilament and Momoi Hi-Catch are also good saltwater monofilament lines.

Does a monofilament fishing line go bad?

Yes, a monofilament line does breakdown and go bad for several reasons. First, the line breaks down for UV light.  Monofilament line should be stored in an opaque container if possible to prevent UV break down. Second, a monofilament line breaks down over time, typically the shelflife of monofilament is around 2-3 years. If stored properly it may last longer.

Finally, a nylon monofilament line breaks down as it absorbs water and then dries out. The line absorbs water which actually decreases knot strength. This is why anglers refer to a wet knot strength and a dry knot strength. When a line absorbs water and dry outs for many cycles it can weaken the line. This is why it is good to replace the line every few months.

What fishing line is better mono or fluorocarbon?

A monofilament line and fluorocarbon line both have advantages and disadvantages depending on the fishing situation. The advantages of fluorocarbon are the line is less visible, abrasion-resistant,  does not absorb water, sinks fast, and is sensitive due to its low stretch. The disadvantages of fluorocarbon are that the line is less shock absorbent, less flexible, and more difficult to manage due to high line memory. For this reason, fluorocarbon is typically only used a the main fishing line if it is under a 10-pound test line.

The advantage of a quality monofilament line is that it can absorb shocks and is a soft flexible line that is good for casting. A soft flexible line is also easier to use on conventional reels and baitcasting reels.

Is braid stronger than mono?

Braid line is stronger than a monofilament line for a given thickness of the line. However, that is not the only factor to consider when selecting a fishing line. Even though the braided line is thinner the monofilament line is still likely less visible to the fish. A braided line has very little stretch with is good for line sensitivity and setting the hook. However, a monofilament line is better and absorbing shocks for fast-moving thrashing fish. This means that a 20-pound monofilament line would be less likely to break than a 20-pound braided line. However, knot strength would also come into play in this situation.

Does the color of the fishing line matter?

Yes, the color and type of fishing line can be important for underwear and above water line-visibility. Underwater a clear or color line the matches the background can help a fishing line blend in and be less visible to the fish. A fluorocarbon line has an index of refraction close that that of water which can reduce light reflecting off the line. The fishing line that is thinner is also less visible than a thick version of the same type of line.

Above water, a high visibility yellow or high visibility orange can be easier to see. This can help prevent lines from crossing resulting in fewer tangles. At night there are some fishing lines that are visible under a black light to allow lines to be tied and kept tangle-free without having to use bright lights that take away an angler’s night vision and possibly spook fish.

What fishing lines can be seen under a black light? 

When night fishing many anglers use a black light or fluorescent lights to shin off the edged of the boat. Some lines will reflect this light and be easily visible to the anglers. Any fluorescent line should light up under a black light. Stren’s Original in clear blue fluorescent and Stren’s High Impact in high visibility green are two of the most popular monofilament lines to use. Power Pro now offers the Super8Slick V2 moon-shine color which is a braided line that will also show up under a black light or fluorescent light.

What pound fishing line should I use?

The best pound fishing line really depends on what fish is being targeted. In streams when fishing for trout a four-pound line is best. When fishing in lakes and ponds for crappie and small bass an 8-pound monofilament line is a good choice. In freshwater for big bass, hybrid striped bass, and catfish a 20-pound braided line with a 5 foot 20-pound fluorocarbon leader is my favorite line setup. For northern pike and musky, a 30-pound braided line with a 30-pound steel leader is a good setup.

When fishing in the ocean for small yellowtail snappers, mango snappers, porgy, grunts, and fluke a 20-pound line is a good choice. The leader size can be from a 10-20 pound test depending if the fish are being leader shy. For inshore and offshore big game fish on spinning reels, a 30-pound monofilament or 50-80 pound braided line is typically used. When trolling offshore for big fish like marlin, tuna, wahoo, and mahi-mahi, a 60-pound monofilament line or 80-100 pound braided line is commonly used. For a really big bluefin tuna 130-pound monofilament line on a size 80 plus class reels is a popular setup.

Is 150 yards enough fishing line?

For spinning tackle, 150 yards is about how much fishing line and average size reel will hold. This is typically enough line but when catching large fish from a boat the fish might have to be chased with the boat to gain line back to prevent the reel from running out of line. In shallow water, this is a decent game plan. When fishing in deep water offshore the fish can swim deep so having more line capacity can be important. When fishing for tuna for example it is common to use a much bigger spinning reel with 300 plus yards of 80-pound braid on the reel with quality strong drag. For freshwater fishing, 150 yards is almost always enough line if the fish can be chased with the boat.

What size fish can I catch on a 10-pound line?

In 1995 a 573-pound blue marlin was caught on a 4-pound test fishing line. So several hundred-pound fish can be caught on a very light fishing line. This is because fish are neutrally balanced and even a light line adds resistance. Also when a fish realizes it is hooked the fish often swims away very fast which tires them out. Line resistance can help tire a fish but sometimes adding more resistance actually gives the fish a better chance of getting away and breaking the line. I have caught large 30-pound plus kingfish which are very fast aggressive fish with the drag set under 10 pounds.

It is important to not try and lift a fish out of the water with the line if the fish weighs anywhere near the strength of the line. Most fishing knots make the line strength only 80 percent the strength of its rated value. Also, when a fish thrashes this puts higher forces on the line that can cause it to break. A fish should be netted or gaffed if it is going to be brought onto the boat when using a light fishing line.

What is the best 4-pound fishing line?

My favorite four-pound test fishing line is Berkley Vanish 100 percent fluorocarbon fishing line. A 4-pound test line is so thin that even fluorocarbon is flexible enough to be fished on spinning reels. This means that a low-visibility line with abrasion resistance can be used without having to add a leader. A four-pound line is most commonly used for trout and panfish which use light lures. The thin lightweight fishing line allows these lures to be cast a reasonable distance. If really light lures are used a fly fishing rod and reel are needed.

Why does my fishing line keep tangling?

There are two common reasons lines get tangled. On baitcasting reels and conventional reels, a backlash is the most common reason a line gets tangled. This happens with the spoon gains momentum and spins faster than the line coming off the tip of the fishing rod. The result is that loose line builds-up on the spool while the spool is still spinning which can cause a real mess. If the line has memory lots of fishing line can jump off the spool like a spring coil making the tangle worse very quickly.

The key to prevent this is to always have resistance on the spool when letting out a fishing line. Resistance can be added with your finger, line clicker, or with a resistance setting on the reel. To fix a bid nest keep resistance on the spool and slowly pull the line out until all the loose line is pulled off the reel.

On a spinning reel, the most common reason for a line to get tangles is that the line gets twisted first. The most probable cause of this is that the angler is reeling as drag is turning the spool in the opposite direction. This quickly tangles the line the next time the line is cast out. To fix this all the twisted line needs to be taken off the reel. Luckily most often the line is twisted near the end of the line. When catching a big fish with a light drag setting is when this happens the most often.

How do you prevent line twist?

Fishing lines getting twisted is most commonly a problem on spinning reels. This can happen for two reasons. First, if the lure spins and a swivel is not on the line it can twist the line. Over time this can build up and create tangles when casting. To prevent this a good ball bearing swivel should be used.

The second reason a fishing line gets twisted is that the angler reels when the line is not coming back on to the spool or the drag is going out. The rotor of the reel brings the line in a circle but the spool is not moving or is actually moving in the opposite direction. This twists the line. To prevent this the angler should be mindful of this or a heavy line with heavy drag should be used which makes it less likely the anger will reel over the drag. The line twist happens most often as people try and keep the tension of a big fish when using a light line and light drag.

Is fishing line stretch bad?

Monofilament fishing line has stretch to it. This can be a good thing as it can act as a shock absorber for a fast swimming fash or when a fish makes big head shakes. Without the line stretching the line can break. When fishing for wahoo and swordfish with a braided fishing line a shock leader is added just for this purpose.

The stretch of a line does make it less sensitive to feeling fish bites. A static braided line or fluorocarbon line with less stretch is more sensitive. When fishing really deep a line with less stretch is better for feeling bits and setting the hook quickly. This can largely be overcome though by using circle hooks.

How do you spool a fishing reel?

When spooling a reel the first thing to check is how much fishing line should go on the spool based on the line size. Then thread the line through the eyes of the fishing rod. Make sure the bail is open on a spinning rod and then tie the line to the spool with your favorite fishing knot.

Now the line is ready to be added to the reel. Make sure there is resistance added to the line. The easiest way to do this is by placing the line spool into a bucket of water. The spool spinning in the water provides resistance. If more resistance is needed have the line go through two fingers that are pinched together. It is best to spool a monofilament line tightly and spool it the day before you go fishing so the line memory matches the fishing reel spool. Soaking the spool in water for 10 minutes also helps set the line memory to the spool of the reel.

Does fishing line strength decrease when wet?

Yes, when fishing with a monofilament line the wet knot strength is less than the dry knot strength. This is because a monofilament line absorbs water. A fluorocarbon line absorbs less water and the line strength remains about the same when wet. Braided fishing line strength is also the same in and out of the water. It is possible for the line to become slicker and having knots pull through if not initially seated properly. Always wet knots and pull hard before clipping the tag end.

Is a monofilament line good for a baitcasting reel?

A monofilament line is a good line to use with a baitcasting reel. It is important to always have some resistance on the spool when using a monofilament line or the spool can become bird nested. For beginners using a baitcasting reel, it is much easier to use a braided line. A braided line is thin, flexible, and does not have line memory so it is much less likely to get tangled. It is important to use a fluorocarbon leader when bass fishing though so the line is less visible to the fish.

Captain Cody Wabiszewski

Captain Cody has worked on charter fishing boats in the Florida Keys, Virgin Islands, and Alaska. Growing up in Pennsylvania Cody has also done extensive freshwater fishing including bass fishing tournaments. Cody strives to provide detailed information about the best fishing gear and tactics to help both novice and experienced anglers have a more productive and enjoyable time on the water. Cody also has a background in aerospace engineering and neuroscience but really only takes pride in being good at one thing and that is fishing!