Tuf-Line Braided Line Review

I was extremely happy with my previous brand of braided line and never thought about changing brands until I won a spool of Tuf-Line braid during an online contest. Over the last two years, I have given a variety of Tuf-Line braids a thorough and demanding test, and I put together a Tuf-Line braided line review. I am so happy with the results, the Tuf-Line brand of braid is now all I use!

Tuf-Line is made in the United States by Western Filament Inc. I wasn’t aware of Western Filament, so I did a little research. Western Filament, Inc. has been in existence for over 75 years and manufactures a large variety of products used in high-tech industries including medical, automotive, motor manufacturing, aerospace, military, and textile markets. I was surprised to find out Western Filament products are on NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover, in Formula 1 race cars, on airplanes, and utilized throughout the Armed Forces. So, what does all of this mean to us bass fishermen? Tuf-Line is touted to be built to the same rigorous standards as these other products.

Tuf-Line offers a variety of fishing products including: Nylon Rigging Floss, Tuf-Leaders, Downrigger Replacement Lines, Planner Board Lines, and Fly Line Backings, among other products. For this review, I will focus solely on Tuf-Line’s selection of braided superlines commonly used for bass fishing. Let’s get started, with my Tuf-Line braided line review!

Tuf-Line Braided Line Review Tuf-Line Supercast:

Supercast is touted as the longest casting and easiest handling superline. It comes in 2 colors (green and yellow) and is available in 6 to 50 lb. test. This line uses Spectra Fiber construction with an ultra-round cross section causing very little friction coming through the guides.

Supercast was the first Tuf-Line product I tested. I spooled up my medium light spinning outfit with 10 lb. Supercast in green. My first impression, the line was very manageable and much limper than any of the braids I previously used. I tied on a Texas-rigged finesse worm with a 1/16 oz. weight and walked down to my neighborhood retention pond to give the line a good “water test”. I was immediately impressed by how smooth the line was to cast and was also impressed with the ability to easily launch the light bait half way across the pond. The line was clearly living up to its’ name, “Supercast”. Sensitivity was excellent, and I could detect the slightest hit with ease. During my initial test, I worked my bait through a submerged fish attracter in the retention pond and felt a sudden tap transmitted up the line. I reeled down, set the hook and the fight was on! I instantly knew it was a good fish as it wrapped me up in the fish attractor. I held on and worked the bass free of the tangle and after several runs laid my hands on a nice 5 lb. bass! Since the initial test, I have had the opportunity to fish with Supercast in various situations and have been nothing but impressed!

Tuf-Line Braided Line Review Tuf-Line XP:

Tuf-Line XP is reported to be braided under high tension resulting in a rounder profile than other braided lines. Tuf-Line XP uses a state of the art coating which remains permanently bonded to the line’s fibers resulting in long life with no shredding. Tuf-Line XP comes in blue, green, yellow, and white and is available in 6 to 250 lb. test.

I spooled up my flipping and pitching outfit with 65 lb. Tuf-Line XP in green for this test. I immediately noticed the green color was not as dark as several other braids I was familiar with, but I experienced no fading or color bleeding of the line. The line was noticeably limper and not as stiff as other braids right out of the box and required no break in period. Over the course of a year, I have had the opportunity to put this braid through rigorous tests flipping, pitching and punching soft plastic baits and jigs into the nastiest Florida cover. The results were impressive with zero break-offs and no fade in color. I did not experience as many major (line in spool) digging occurrence’s often plaguing anglers after catching a fish on braid. I also experienced minimal line wrapping around the rod tip and guides. Overall, I was very impressed with Tuf-Line XP and happy it was very affordable too!

Tuf-Line Braided Line Review Tuf-Line 4ORCE:

Tuf-Line 4ORCE is one of the newer Tuf-Line products. 4ORCE is a 4-carrier braid utilizing Tuf-X Fiber to create an incredibly strong, round, abrasion resistant line. 4ORCE is also made with Tuf-Line’s proprietary coating process which increases longevity and produces a permanent coloration to the line. 4ORCE comes in green and yellow and is available from 6 to 80 lb. test.

I picked up a spool of Tuf-Line 4ORCE 50 lb. braid in green at my local Dick’s Sporting Goods and was immediately impressed by the price, which was lower than many other braided lines. My application for this test was frogging in Florida’s swampy waters. I found 4ORCE to be very similar to Tuf-Line XP in look and feel. It was very limp and required no break in period. Like Tuf-Line XP, the color was not as dark green as some of the other braids, however I experienced no line fading or color bleeding with 4ORCE throughout the course of this test. Casting distance was excellent and an improvement over my former braid. I had the chance to tussle with some really nice bass in some of the heaviest cover I could find and experienced no failures or complaints. As with all my lines, I would frequently retie baits throughout the day to make sure the line was fresh and free of any nicks or damages. I was very impressed with Tuf-Line 4ORCE and found it available at my local tackle shops and sporting goods stores.

Tuf-Line Braided Line Review Tuf-Line Domin8:

Domin8 is Tuf-Line’s premium 8 carrier braid and is touted as the best braid choice for superior handling. It uses a round ultra-smooth finish making it silent through the guides resulting in excellent casting distance. Domin8 also uses Tuf-Line’s proprietary coating process resulting in excellent abrasion resistance as well as a more permanent coloration of the line. Domin8 is available in 10 to 80 lb. test and comes in green and yellow color.

I did not have the opportunity to test Domin8, however felt it was important to mention this line in order to gain a complete overview of Tuf-Line’s superlines commonly used for bass fishing.

Tuf-Line Braided Line Review Conclusion:

I am a hardcore recreational bass fisherman with no allegiance to any company or product. I am very particular about which products I use and I require products to be both a good quality and available at an affordable price. Tuf-Line easily met both of my requirements. Pros: Made in America, offered in a variety of lines, sizes and colors, easy handling, great casting distance, long lasting, no fading, no color bleeding, minimal wind knots, minimal binding or tangling and most importantly tough as nails. Cons: Can be a challenge to find a local retailer of Tuf-Line in some areas. I have found my local Dick’s Sporting Goods and Bass Pro Shops carry several different Tuf-Line products as well as online retailers such as Monster Fishing Tackle and Tackle Warehouse.

See you on the water,
Steve Wayne

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