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Looking to add a reliable fishing line to your pike fishing gear bag? Then this article is for you!
Today, we’re reviewing our top 6 favorite monofilament and braided lines on the market, as well as sharing a detailed buying guide to help you land the best line for pike fishing according to your fishing technique and budget.
In a Hurry? Here’s Our Top Picks…
Best Monofilament Lines for Pike Fishing
To make things easier for you, we decided to split our reviews into two lists: one for the best monofilament lines and one for the best braid lines. So first up, here’s a list of the 3 top-performing monofilament lines for pike fishing.
1. Berkley Big Game Trilene Super Strong Fishing Line
Even if you’re a newbie to the fishing world, chances are you’ve already heard of Berkley. This brand is one of the biggest in the fishing gear industry, and the Big Game fishing line is one of their most popular products among anglers when it comes to choosing a reliable monofilament line to add to their gear bag.
Made of Trilene, the Berkley Big Game offers tremendous strength and resistance against abrasions. It also has great shock absorption, which enables it to withstand hard-fighting fish across a wide range of weight options.
Speaking of which, if you’re looking for a shock leader to support your braided line setup, the Big Game monofilament line is an excellent choice. This line does have a bit of memory, but this is something you need to deal with when using any monofilament line and it’s minimal in this particular product.
Specs
- Line material – Trilene
- Available weights (in pounds) – 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 130
- Available colors – Steel blue, coastal brown, clear, green, solar collector
What We Like
- Superior quality of Trilene material
- Smooth casting through guides
- You can tie it easily
- Very sensitive line
What We Don’t Like
- Somewhat increased memory compared to braided lines
2. Stren Original Mono Fishing Line
Although the Stren Original fishing has been around for a hot minute, it’s an all-time favorite among thousands of fishing enthusiasts. Yes, it’s not manufactured with cutting-edge technology as some of the newer products out there, but it’s still one of the most dependable monofilaments you can get your hands on.
While it’s not available in heavier-tier weights, it has enough options to accommodate both average and trophy pike anglers. Also, if you’re concerned about sensitivity and castability, you have no reason to with the Stren Original.
This monofilament fishing line ranks rather low on the memory scale, which means it offers anglers good sensitivity and castability without compromising on shock absorption. These are all crucial characteristics when pike fishing.
What’s more, the Stren Original is highly resistant to abrasions and you can use it to lead your braided lines if that’s your thing. Not to mention, this line ties pretty easily and creates solid knots.
Specs
- Line Material – Nylon
- Available weights (in pounds)– 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20
- Available colors – Hi-Vis gold, Lo-Vis green, clear/blue fluorescent, clear
What We Like
- Great sensitivity without sacrificing shock strength
- Ties easily
- Makes tough knots
- Very abrasion-resistant
What We Don’t Like
- A bit on the thicker side
3. Zebco Ragin’ Red Cajun Fishing Line
Our third and final best monofilament line for pike fishing is the Zebco Cajun fishing line. Right from the first look, it’s obvious that there’s something different here.
Unlike average monofilaments on the market, this one comes in a unique bright red color. But don’t get fooled by its appearance — the flashiness of this line dies off completely when submerged in water.
That’s right, the Zebco Cajun turns clear underwater due to a mechanism revolving around color wavelengths. You see, when this mono goes into the water, the wavelengths of the red color are filtered out, resulting in a disappearing effect that makes the line practically invisible when fishing for picky pike.
Additionally, the nylon material of the Zebco Cajun is specially formulated to deliver maximum durability and create hard knots. Its design promotes smooth casting off the spool to help you achieve longer distances with better accuracy.
The Zebco Cajun Mono is a great choice if you’re on a budget. Despite being affordable, it has good stretch control to give you some fighting room minus the risk of line breakage.
Specs
- Line material – Nylon
- Available weights (in pounds) – 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 30, 30, 40, 50
- Available colors – red turns clear underwater
What We Like
- Remarkable low visibility underwater
- Efficiently holds knots
- Designed to improve casting distance and precision
- Budget-friendly price
What We Don’t Like
- Some users don’t appreciate the memory
Best Braided Lines for Pike Fishing
Time to take a look at our favorite options for braids. Here’s a review of the 3 top-performing braided lines for pike fishing.
1. Spectra Fishing Line by Power Pro
First up, we have the Spectra Fishing Line by Power Pro. This is a very popular braided line among thousands of anglers whether they’re tackling freshwater or saltwater fish thanks to its notably wide range of weights, high-tech design, and impressive results in performance tests.
As such, you know you’re getting exceptional durability and smoothness when you buy the Power Pro line, even in comparison with most braided lines for pike fishing on the market.
The diameter of the Power Pro line ensures massive tensile strength. But as in the case of all braids, the abrasion resistance, knot-holding capacity, and shock absorption are slightly less than monofilament lines.
That being said, you can resolve this issue if you’re set on buying the Power Pro Spectra Fiber line — just choose double whatever mono line test you usually use. For example, get the 8-pound option if you normally spool a 4-pound mono.
Specs
- Line material – Spectra fiber
- Available weights (in pounds) – 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65, 80, 100, 150, 200, 250
- Available colors – White, clear, high-vis yellow, vermillion red, moss green
What We Like
- Outstanding strength and smoothness
- Great spool capacity
- Excellent hi-vis color
- A multi-season investment
What We Don’t Like
- The reduced knot-holding efficiency means reaching for a heavier line
2. KastKing SuperPower Fishing Line
If you’re searching for a reliable braided line to go pike fishing but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg in the process, then the KastKing SuperPower line can be just what you need.
This mid-range braided line has low memory, which means you won’t have to deal with the tangling hassle that usually happens when using other line types. Additionally, it sports a seriously thin diameter to let you fit a generous amount of line onto your spool.
What’s more, the SuperPower braided fishing line by KastKing features a petroleum derivative-based coating that helps it glide smoothly through the guides and create rather solid knots.
Specs
- Line material – Polyethylene
- Available weights (in pounds) – 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 30, 40, 50, 65, 80, 100, 120, 150
- Available colors – low-vis grey, moss green, yellow, multicolor, ocean blue
What We Like
- The small diameter translates into a higher spool capacity
- Farther casts
- No tangles
- The finishing coat supports smooth gliding and hard knots
What We Don’t Like
- The high-visibility color fades with prolonged use
3. HERCULES Cost-Effective Super Cast Fishing Line
It’s a known fact that braided fishing lines are more expensive than other line types. However, if you’re on a bit of a budget and looking to get good value for your cash, then consider trying the Cost-Effective Super Cast fishing line by HERCULES.
Inspired by its Greek hero reference, this braided fishing line offers massive strength and durability, but it’s more affordable compared to other high-end brands. Not only do you get a generous amount of line with the Super Cast, but you’ll also witness excellent abrasion resistance thanks to the tightly woven 8-strand design on the line.
This braided line comes with a smooth texture to facilitate casting for a longer distance, also courtesy of the featured diamond weave. Additionally, it has low memory and a fine diameter design to boost spool capacity.
Equipped with virtually no stretch, the HERCULES Cost-Effective Super Cast grants anglers incredible sensitivity that you can feel at your fingertips.
Specs
- Line material – Fiber wire
- Available weights (in pounds) – 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180, 200, 250, 300
- Available colors – Fluorescent yellow, green, black, pink, white, army green, blue, red, fluorescent green, grey, camo, orange, yellow, multicolor, blue camo
What We Like
- Lasts for a long time
- Allows for smooth casting
- Good value for money
- Almost no stretch
What We Don’t Like
- The extended use tends to wear out the colors
How to Choose the Best Line for Pike Fishing
When shopping for the best line for pike fishing, you should first consider the following aspects:
Monofilament vs Braided
As far as pike fishing goes, the type of line you should use is among two options: monofilament or braided. A lot of anglers think that one of these is better than the other, but in reality, each type of line has its special advantages.
While both lines will do you good when pike fishing, monofilament lines excel in trolling and live bait methods, whereas braided lines are better in spinning and dead bait techniques.
Top Tip: Braided lines are also superior in the sensitivity department because of their virtually non-existent stretch. This means you’ll be able to better feel and pick up on even the faintest tugs.
Another plus for the braided line type is being much smoother than monofilament lines. This enables you to cast for longer distances with less effort. Not to mention, it makes sliding through the guides quieter and quicker.
One more thing, thicker braids line is incredibly tough. This is particularly beneficial in case your lure gets snagged because pulling it free won’t cost you a new line.
On the other hand, monofilament fishing lines have a bit of a stretch, which helps absorb the shock of tugs when a pike puts up a fight. This stretch also boosts the flexibility of the line, which comes in handy for giving live bait a more realistic display.
Pound Test
The choice of pound test depends on the type of line you’re using and the water you’re pike fishing in.
For example, monofilament lines are weaker than braided lines, so you should choose a higher pound test for your mono mainline compared to a braided mainline when pike fishing. Also, if you’re fishing in a snaggy area, you should go for a higher line strength regardless of the type you’re spooling.
As such, we recommend a minimum of 20- to 30-pound test for pike fishing with a braided line. For particularly snaggy waters, you can up the pound test to 40 or 50 pounds.
As for monofilament lines, a good middle ground between strength and flexibility would be 15 pounds. Since pike doesn’t care much about a somewhat visible fishing line underwater, try to keep it below 20 pounds to avoid stiffness issues.
Wrap Up
Choosing the best line for pike can be a tricky task, especially with important factors to think about such as type of line and pound test. This is why our list includes only the top-performing products on the market to make sure you end up with a dependable fishing line no matter what you pick.
That being said, we recommend the Berkley Big Game Trilene Super Strong Fishing Line as today’s best choice in the monofilament department. This line features a superior quality material, amazing sensitivity, and reliable abrasion resistance. Not to mention, you’ll have no trouble casting and tying it.
As for the braided department, we recommend the Spectra Fishing Line by Power Pro thanks to its outstanding strength, impeccable smoothness, and impressive spool capacity.
Happy Hunting!
