Today, whether for casting or trolling, most muskie anglers and many pike anglers rely on superlines, a category that includes braided and thermally fused lines. These lines have fundamentally changed the way we fish.

Compared to monofilament, superlines are thinner, stronger, more sensitive, and have little to virtually no stretch. They’re constructed with high-molecular weight polyethylene (HMWP) fibers—trade names: Dyneema and Spectra. Superfibers are made by gel-spinning (a type of extrusion process) the base polyethylene material, resulting in long, molecular chains that provide high tensile strength. Consequently, these fibers have been used in products from body armor to parachute cord to kite string.

Companies have strived to make superlines easier to fish with. Efforts have focused on building a braid with rounder shape, to spool and cast more smoothly while not cutting into the reel spool under pressure. Coatings applied to the fibers also make lines easier to handle by making it slightly less supple, thereby avoiding wind knots and rod-tip twists. This has also improved knot strength. Colors also have been added to make the lines blend better with the surrounding environment.

The lines from most companies start with similar base materials, so it’s how each company constructs its line that provides unique performance characteristics. Anglers need to experiment to see which superline best suits the way they fish.

The Lineup

Berkley: Berkley’s superline workhorse, FireLine, entered the market in the mid-1990s. Not a braid, FireLine is constructed by thermally fusing a bundle of Dyneema fibers. Bass, pike, and walleye anglers like its smooth and castable properties, along with its small diameter and high strength. Available in tests up to 30 pounds in smoke and flame-green colors, it meets the demands of most pike situations, although muskie anglers generally prefer higher break-strengths.

Berkley recently introduced FireLine Crystal, the first superline with transparent properties for low visibility. Their newest braid is Big Game Braid, available in tests up to 200 pounds. The company says this Dyneema line is a good option for trolling, jigging, and livebait fishing. berkley-fishing.com

Cajun: Expanding on their red line selection, Cajun introduces Cajun Braid in 2008. It features an “Advanced Cajun Guard” protective coating that helps lock on the red color, improve abrasion-resistance, and enhance flexibility. Available to 100-pound-test. cajunline.com

Cortland: With almost 100 years of braiding experience, Cortland introduces Master Braid, featuring a unique coating that keeps the line stiff and a construction process that makes it rounder. Cortland says their proprietary process bonds the color and finish into the braid’s fibers, eliminating fading and flaking. A water-repellent coating keeps the line dry. Available in green, yellow, and brown, in break-strengths to 200 pounds.

Spectron, also available in breaking strengths to 200 pounds, features roundness and a limp body for better casting. Muskie anglers like Spectron Green for its dull sheen and low-vis properties. Made from low-stretch Micron fibers, Musky Master remains a classic. Offered in black up to 60-pound test. cortlandline.com

Daiwa: Daiwa’s new Samurai Braid has a unique 8-strand weave and boasts strength, sensitivity, smoothness, softness, and flexibility. It’s said to have less line noise on the retrieve, and a faster sink-rate due to reduced current resistance. Low-vis green, available in up to 150-pound test. daiwa.com

P-Line: Spectrex IV, braided with Spectra fibers, is cross-linked with a color matrix that locks the color into the fibers to ensure color stability. A reinforced resin system increases tensile strength and makes the line water-repellent. P-Line says it has an unlimited life on the reel because the line is UV-resistant and hydrophobic. Available to 200-pound test in moss green. p-line.com

PowerPro: Starting with braided Spectra fiber, “Enhanced Body Technology” gives PowerPro its round, smooth, sensitive properties. PowerPro says this braid won’t bury in the spool, holds knots better, has longer casts, and maintains performance over time. Offered in moss green, white, high-vis yellow, and phantom red to 250-pound test. powerpro.com

Rapala: In 2007, Rapala introduced three new Rapala Titanium Superlines. Each version, built around Spectra fiber, has unique characteristics for different fishing situations. In Titanium Braid, available to 80-pound test, the Spectra fibers are bonded to a resin matrix reinforced with particles of titanium alloy, providing enhanced castability, improved knot strength, and abrasion-resistance.

Spectra and Dacron fibers were braided together to form Titanium Stretch Braid, resulting in the sensitivity of braid with 7-percent stretch for forgiveness, reportedly increasing strength over other superlines of similar diameter. Stretch Braid is offered in tests to 65 pounds. Two coatings, one for color and one for abrasion-resistance, are applied to a single strand of Spectra fibers to form Titanium Core, resulting in a tough line with a smooth surface. Available in up to 80-pound tests. rapala.com

Spiderwire: Ultracast Invisi-Braid is Spiderwire’s latest introduction. Constructed with Dyneema GPS fibers, this line’s patented translucency makes it nearly invisible underwater. Their “cold fusion” process generates a higher tensile strength and a greater strength-per-diameter line. Available in tests to 80 pounds, its roundness and durability equates to farther casts and longer life.

Spiderwire declares their Ultracast as “the best braid ever.” Ultracast, offered in low-vis green and high-vis yellow to 130-pound test, is long-casting, smooth, and durable. Stealth—made of Teflon pressure-treated microfibers—is a tough, quiet, smooth-casting braid that resists burying in spools. It comes in tracer yellow or moss green in break-strengths to 100 pounds. spiderwire.com

Stren: New for 2008 is Stren Microfuse, a thermally fused braided line made from Dyneema microfibers. Available in tests up to 30 pounds, it’s an option for pike and light-duty muskie fishing. Stren says this clear superline is nearly invisible underwater. Above water, UV light turns it a high-vis fluorescent blue (clouds or sun), and glows neon blue under a black light for night-fishing. The smooth surface enhances castability. Stren Super Braid, available in tests up to 200 pounds, features “Advanced Microbond Technology” to maintain body and shape. A highly castable and reliable line in high-vis gold and low-vis green. stren.com

Sufix: Performance Braid from Sufix is built with “Y6 Digital Braiding” to ensure easy handling, along with extreme strength at small diameter. To expand on their moss green and hi-vis yellow colors, Sufix has developed a new blaze-orange Neon Fluorescent Fire Braid, which infuses fluorescent pigments into the line’s fibers so the line is highly visible in low light and glows at night under ultraviolet light. Available in tests to 130 pounds. sufix.com

TUF-Line: TUF-Line XP braid from Western Filament is made with “Tension Lock Technology,” allowing more compaction of the fibers for a braid that’s smaller in diameter and packs tighter on reels. XP is offered in high-vis yellow up to 200-pound test. Original TUF-Line is made from Spectra fibers. Salt-and-pepper pattern comes in tests to 200 pounds. wfilament.com