Berkley® FireLine® Fused Braid Line

The scientific community is constantly bringing new innovation to the fishing industry and one area that has shown recent gains is the world of fishing lines. For decades, line was simple monofilament. Then braid came on the scene, followed by more complex chemical and co-polymer variations such as fluorocarbon. Berkley has now introduced thermally-fused braid in their FireLine product series.

First Impressions

When it comes to fishing, nothing is more critical to your success than the line you are casting. It's easy to overlook, but even when they are biting, bad line on a great day will ruin your fishing trip. Although a couple dollars more than the competitors, Berkley lines have always been among my favorite. First thing I noticed upon spooling the reel was that the line was incredible thin for the stated pound test (8#). After rigging, I noticed it left black stains on my fingers (I was using the Smoke color) and seemed to have a somewhat slightly waxy feel. It also became apparent that this line was incredibly strong as I couldn't twist, yank, bite or otherwise break it. I needed needle nose clippers to cut the tie off.

Fishing the Line

Berkley FireLine is technically a braided line which traditionally don't do to well on a spinning set-up, but that's exactly what I use: Shimano Symetre 2500 (review) on a Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Signature 6'6" Med stick. Fortunately, this line retains it's shape and does very well with spinning reels. Because it is so thin, you can load a lot of line on and it has very little memory allowing for clean spooling.

Casting the line is a dream. My first cast (granted I was using a spoon) went nearly 60 yards, easily 20% further than the same lure went with a different line earlier. The light weight and thin diameter allow for little wind resistance. When compared with more traditional braided lines, it almost like it's not even there. The sensitivity of this line is also incredible. When taut, it's almost like your fingers are extended out to the lure itself. This allows for incredible control of many types of crankbaits and swimbaits, but especially jerkbaits. And when they hit, look out! You'll feel every battle and the line won't snap. The 8# test I had on brought in a 3lb. bass along with about 30 pounds of weeds and grass. The muck was so thick, I honestly wasn't sure if there was a fish under there!

Review Summary

Berkley has always been known for quality and their FireLine fused braid doesn't disappoint: 12# Smoke has become my "go-to" line. It casts long and can be relied upon to pull lunkers out of heavy slop. I find the line incredibly reactive and durable. The only negative thing I can say is that, despite advertising claims, this line will deteriorate over time. But, it takes a long time and you'll be able to tell by simple line fray - you'll still find this line more reliable than most other lines and certainly stronger than others of similar diameter. Overall, I'd recommend as a primary line. Outstanding.