When fishing is your hobby, it can be easy to get lost in a sea of choices when it comes to equipment. With so many options for fishing line you may wonder what works best for catching trout and other gamefish. Most commonly you will probably be using monofilament line, braided line, or fluorocarbon fishing line. But which one really is the best? Here we will take a look at the best line for trout fishing.
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Best Fishing Line for Trout
- KastKing FluoroKote Fishing Line
- Seaguar Blue Label Fluorocarbon Leader
- Berkley Trilene XL Smooth Casting Monofilament Service Spools
- Stren FluoroCast
- Seaguar STS Trout/Steelhead 100% Fluorocarbon Leader 100yd 8lb
1. KastKing FluoroKote Fishing Line
Product Features
Brand Name: KastKing
Type: Fluorocarbon
Diameter: .18mm – .48mm
Spool Sizes: 300 yards
Test LB Range: 4 – 30lbs
Our top recommendation for trout fishing is the KastKing Fluorokote fishing line. This fluorocarbon line is available in diameter ranging from .18mm to .48mm and line test weights from 4lbs to 30 lbs. The fluorocarbon coating makes the line invisible when in water, which is great for easily spooked fish that won’t bite when the line is visible. This line is designed to be low stretch while being abrasion resistant and strong. It is also made for fast sinking ability. Overall this is an excellent option. It’s budget-friendly, strong, and has all the size options you need for trout. We recommend choosing between 4lbs and 15lbs depending on the size trout you are fishing. For smaller fish a lower weight is fine, but if you’re after larger steelheads stay around the 10-15lb range.
2. Seaguar Blue Label Fluorocarbon Leader
Product Features
Brand Name: Seaguar
Type: .117mm – .810mm
Diameter: .117mm – .810mm
Spool Sizes: 25 Yards
Test LB Range: 2 – 80lbs
The second spot on our list goes to the Seaguar Bluelabel Fluorocarbon Leader Line. This extremely durable leader is available in 2lb to 80lb test ranges. It’s abrasion-resistant and nearly invisible while providing good knot strength. Each roll has 25 yards of leader line, making it a good value overall. Seaguar line is extremely popular among anglers for their quality fishing line, and this one lives up to that name. The only drawback is that it is a little bit stiffer than your standard fluorocarbon line.
3. Berkley Trilene XL Smooth Casting Monofilament Service Spools
Product Features
Brand Name: Berkley
Type: Monofilament
Diameter: .005inch – .016inch
Spool Sizes: 110 – 3000 Yards
Test LB Range: 2 – 20lbs
The third spot on the list belongs to the Berkley XL Trilene. This is a mono line that is designed for smooth casting, strength, and control. It has low memory and excellent sensitivity, which is always something we look for in a good fishing line. They offer this line in three colors: clear, clear blue and low visibility green. Overall this is an excellent monofilament line that works great for fishing trout. It’s versatile and can be used with spinning reels and baitcasters.
4. Stren FluoroCast
Product Features
Brand Name: Stren
Type: Fluorocarbon
Diameter: .17mm – .40mm
Spool Sizes: 100 – 200 Yards
Test LB Range: 4 – 17lbs
The fourth spot belongs to the Stren Fluorocast Fluorocarbon Fishing Line. This line is available in 100 to 200 yards spools with break strengths ranging from 4 t0 17lbs. The line is made to be nearly invisible with excellent strength and shock strength. There is nothing really fancy about this line. It performs well, and it’s one of the cheaper options on the market.
5. Seaguar STS Trout/Steelhead 100% Fluorocarbon Leader 100yd 8lb
Product Features
Brand Name: Seaguar
Type: Fluorocarbon
Diameter: .165mm – .370mm
Spool Sizes: 100 Yards
Test LB Range: 4 – 17lbs
The fifth spot on the list is brought to you once again by Seaguar with their STS Trout/Steelhead Fluorocarbon Leader Line. This line is specifically designed with salmon, trout, and steelhead in mind and boasts being the first every fluorocarbon leader specific to those species of fish. Line any good fluorocarbon leader, this line is nearly invisible in the water and is abrasion-resistant. It also is made to provide good knot strength and fast sinking ability. When it comes to fishing line Seaguar always delivers a quality product, and this one lives up to its brand name.
Trout Fishing Line Guide
When choosing a good fishing line to catch trout, there are a few things you want to look for
- Type of Line
- Strength
- Sensitivity
Type of Line
Trout have been known to be a little bit line shy, which means if they see the line, they might not bite quite as often. This is why we prefer fluorocarbon line. Fluorocarbon line is nearly invisible when it’s the water, which is great for fish that get spooked by a line. Another reason fluorocarbon line is preferred is that it has almost no stretch which allows you to feel strikes faster.
Some anglers prefer monofilament line. Mono line is also great for beginners because it stretches under drag and helps to absorb some of the impact when fighting fish. Ultimately it comes down to a matter of preference.
Strength
The break strength of your line is going to be dependent on the size of the trout you are fishing. For most trout, something between 1.75 to 8.5lbs should be fine. However, if you’re after large fish like steelhead something around 12lbs to 17lbs would be a safe bet.
Sensitivity
We like a fishing line with a high amount of sensitivity because you can feel what is going on in the water. Feeling what is going on with your lure and be able to quickly set your hook is something we like, which is why sensitivity is a good thing.
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