There’s a thin line (literally) between coming home empty and landing a big catch, as far as bass fishing is concerned. That line is your fishing line. In the past, anglers had only a few line types that essentially included frayed and brittle monofilament options. Fortunately, the modern angler has a wide variety of choices.

That said, the best fishing line for bass is one with outstanding abrasion resistance, significantly thin, soft, and offer great casts. Bass fishing lines should come in a variety of low-visible colors, including green, blue, and clear, as well as hi-vis shades such as yellow, orange, and red.

The Best Fishing Line for Bass

If you plan to bring home bass, your fishing line choice will be from the three major modern options, including braid, fluorocarbon, and monofilament. It is crucial to recognize that one type of line is not necessarily better; they all have their strengths and weaknesses that anglers must consider when choosing the best option for their specific technique and application.

We have rounded some of the best picks available to save you some time. Consider these top fishing line options the next time you plan to cast a lure or spool a reel with the biggest bass in mind.

Our Top Picks

PowerPro Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line

Fishing in heavy cover or searching for trophy bass requires using a line with excellent abrasion resistance. The PowerPro Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line fits the bill perfectly. The line is constructed from very strong braided spectra fiber with a remarkable strength/diameter ratio.

Usually, anyone would expect a braided line to come with an expensive price tag, but that’s not the case with the Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line. PowerPro’s workhorse braided line is surprisingly very affordable without sacrificing quality, making it take the top spot as the best fishing line for bass on our list.

The line is rounder and smoother than other similar options on the market, thanks to the brand’s Enhanced Body Technology (EBT) used in treating the fishing line. The result is improved handling performance that lets you cast further due to the superior smoothness. The roundness also prevents tangling as the line nicely reels back onto the spool.

But that’s not all. An innovative near-zero stretch construction makes the line the most sensitive model ever to be offered by PowerPro. It also features a built-in line cutter and comes complete with an arbor tape.

Spectra Fiber Braided Fishing Line is available in a variety of colors, including vermilion red, moss green, white, green, yellow, and hi-vis yellow. It also comes in many lengths, and pound tests ranging from 150-yard/8 lbs line all the way to 1,500-yard/150 lbs line – just in case you want to target something significantly bigger than bass.

Orvis Hydros Warmwater Fly Line

Arguably the top choice for big freshwater predators, Orvis Hydros Warmwater Fly comes to mind when many experienced anglers think of reeling in the biggest catch. Designed exclusively to tackle bass, bluegill, carp, and crappie, this fishing line does an excellent job of getting big flies into tight spaces.

Thanks to the brand’s patented dry-slick technology that provides lubrication, anglers can cast effortlessly. It also provides long-lasting protection, keeping the line supple for years to come.

The enhanced welded loop lets you quickly attach your leader. But it gets even better. Picking out your line from your tackle box is more convenient with the brand’s Line ID. You can quickly see the weight, taper, and other information at a glance, so there is little chance of a mix-up, even when you are in a hurry.

Warmwater Fly Line is available in 6- to 9-pound tests and comes as a two-color line (light olive front and peach rear) with a total length of 90 feet. The highly visible color blends nicely at the 30-feet mark, allowing you to get a clear view of your line placement and to see strikes.

Orvis seems to have put a lot of thought into manufacturing the Warmwater Fly line, and that’s not too surprising considering its price. It certainly deserves a spot on our list of the best fishing line for bass. If you have the budget, we recommend this option because it is worth it.

KastKing Monofilament Fishing Line 

The KastKing Monofilament Fishing Line is a highly affordable option, yet it delivers impressive performance. Unlike other lines in its price category that are poorly made, this fishing line is built to last, thanks to the superior tournament-grade mono nylon material used in constructing it.

Designed as a single strand of nylon fiber, the fishing line offers impressive abrasion resistance and eliminates line memory so that it spools easily and provides good cast control. You will hardly experience backlashes and wind knots with this line because of the unique parallel roll technology that increases the reel capacity.

You can fish almost any technique and condition with the fishing line, as well as maximize efficiency on moving baits. Although the monoline is budget-friendly, the 2015 ICAST award-winning manufacturer designed it to provide the powerful tensile strength needed to tackle bass and other big freshwater fish.

The innovative keeper package is designed to protect the line and offers quick availability when and where you need it most. You can be sure that there won’t be any limpness in the line, so you can fish with confidence.

You can choose from 300 to 600-yard lengths of different pound tests from 4 lbs up to 30 lbs. Available shades include green, red, blue, yellow, and clear. The clear line remains unseen to fish, leading to a greater chance of success.

P-Line Tactical Premium Fluorocarbon Fishing Line – Best Fluorocarbon

Gone are the days when fishermen use fluorocarbon strictly as a leader for braided line. More anglers now fill their spools with these superior quality fishing lines, and P-Line’s Tactical option takes the lead in the fluorocarbon category when it comes to targeting bass.

Fishing bass in clear water is pretty easy with this line because it is great at refracting light, making it almost invisible once it gets into the water. It has a much higher density than ordinary nylon lines, meaning it will sink much faster and transmit strikes better than other options.

P-Line made this fishing line with 100% premium materials combined with top-notch extrusion techniques to give anglers a highly durable and strong line. But Tactical is not only about strength and withstanding wear and tear; it is specially designed to be clearer and has more abrasion resistance than many other fluorocarbon lines.

It also allows for greater casting distance with its increased smoothness. The 200-yard line is available in 6- to 20-pound tests.

Spiderwire Braided Stealth Superline – Best Braid

Your best bet when it comes to fitting more line on your reel, regardless of pound test, is a braided line. That’s because it is typically made to pack a lot of strength into a small diameter.

If this is a quality that appeals to you, we recommend the Spiderwire Braided Stealth Superline. The fishing line is constructed using Dyneema (the strongest fiber available anywhere on our planet) to give anglers the perfect combo of ultra-strength and unmatched thinness.

Another notable feature of the Stealth Superline is its quiet operation, just as the name suggests. This quality results from the fluoropolymer treatment, making the microfibers produce almost no sound and achieve longer casts. It winds on and off the spool very smoothly due to its roundness, and it minimizes backlash.

Achieving a positive hook set is considerably easier with the Stealth Superline because of its zero stretch property that lets you feel bites almost instantly. The 10-pound line is available in 125-yard length and comes in moss green color. We have created a guide on how to tie a leader to your braided line.

Berkley Trilene XL Monofilament Fishing Line – Best Monofilament

Trilene XL is a widely popular monofilament line among anglers, and for a good reason. It has a unique stretchy characteristic that makes it difficult for the bass to spit it out bait during a tackle. This explains why it is an excellent line choice for diving crankbaits and lipless lures. Fishing for bass with topwater lures is usually more productive with this monofilament line because it floats better than braid and fluorocarbon.

Berkley’s Trilene XL is known for its superior resistance to kinks and twists, allowing for smoother casting devoid of tangles. That’s another way of saying you will achieve greater accuracy and longer casts with this monofilament fishing line. It is highly sensitive and packs a lot of strength to withstand bass fight. Besides, it is designed to have ample wet strength and high flexibility geared toward greater performance.

Trilene XL line is available in a wide range of pound tests starting from 2 lbs to 30 lbs, and lengths that go from 110 yards up to 9,000 yards. Consider choosing a fluorescent clear/blue color line if you are fishing in clear water or green if you plan to target bass in heavy vegetation.

Berkley NanoFil Uni-Filament Fishing Line – Best Ultra-light

Here’s another entry from Berkley, and it is a first of its kind. The NanoFil Uni-Filament Fishing Line is not a monofilament, yet it isn’t a braided line. Instead, it is a fine cross between the two, made from the thinnest Dyneema, with a diameter of only 0.005-inch. Even a small spinning reel can hold a significant amount of this line, making it ideal for ultra-light bass fishing.

NanoFil Uni-Filament is Berkley’s longest casting line, making it effortless to cast and giving anglers outstanding accuracy. There is hardly any chance of tangles with this line because it has zero memory. The highly sensitive line also has no stretch, so you will feel strikes very quickly. Certainly, this line deserves a spot on our list of the best fishing line for bass, and many fishermen agree.

You can choose from varying lengths ranging from 150 yards to 1,500 yards, while pound tests go from 2 lbs up to 17 lbs. Available colors include low-vis green, hi-vis chartreuse, and clear mist.

KastKing Copolymer Fishing Line – Best Copolymer

Our last entry is from KastKing, and this option, similar to our previous fishing line, is a fine blend between braid and monofilament. It stretches more than the former but not quite as much as the latter.

In other words, it is designed with more abrasion resistance compared to a standard monofilament, and it also comes with significantly minimal line memory. That means there are fewer tangles, smoother casts, and good casting distance with the Copolymer.

On the other hand, its stretchy quality makes it a better choice than traditional fluorocarbon, especially when you want your target fish to hold on a bit longer. It is also designed with lots of flexibility, affording you to tie secure knots quite easily.

With the exception of a topwater lure, Copolymer is a great option when it comes to the different techniques for fishing bass. The line comes in 300-yard length with weights ranging from 15 lbs to 25 lbs. Choose between green and copper color, depending on what suits your fishing condition best.

Best Fishing Line for Bass – Buying Guide

Fishing lines are generally made from either fluorocarbon, monofilament, braid or some mix of these materials. But the type of line you choose for your bass rod really depends on the type of fish you are after and where you’re fishing. Because we’re reviewing bass fishing lines in this article, we’ll go over a few things to consider when purchasing the right line.

Which Pound Test Line Should I Use for Bass Fishing?

No matter what type of line you end up using (fluorocarbon, braided, monofilament), you need to ensure that it’s going to hold up against a 10 – 65 lbs test. Since you’re not sure how big of a bass you’ll end up catching, it’s always good to make sure it can handle heavier weight and flip heavy cover.

What Line is Best for Largemouth Bass?

You’ll most likely be using treble hooks to hook largemouth bass, which means you’ll need a stretchable monofilament line. It is also a good line for lipless and diving crankbaits, mainly because it floats better compared to braided or fluorocarbon. The stretch also allows bass anglers to incorporate movement in the line and better bites.

What Line is Best for Smallmouth Bass?

For smallmouth bass, we’d suggest using using copolymer rather than fluorocarbon or braided. This is mainly because a copolymer is a lot more sensitive and provides better confidence for first timers and increases your chances of catching a bass.