Tinboats member kmfw160 stepped up to the plate to do a Trilene Big Game Review for us. Reviews by the members for the members are the best because there is no agenda. These reviews are one member’s opinion and experience and it is awesome that they want to share that with us. On that, I want to thank kmfw160 for doing this for us here at Tin Boats.
Trilene Big Game Review
Trilene Big Game monofilament fishing line is a bulk economy line that is widely considered to be the best bang for buck offering for fisherman. Trilene Big Game is sold at almost all the stores that have a fishing section and currently costs six to fifteen dollars. Now for this low price you get 600 to 1500 yards of line depending on the test. It comes in several colors; Clear, Coastal Brown, Green, Solar Collector, and steel blue.
I have been using Big Game for about fifteen years now. I rely on it, especially when the budget gets tight. It’s been a solid performer in every terrain for Largemouth Bass that I have encountered; from the grassy Lake Barkley to the rip-rap at Kentucky Lake and Arkansas River. I have used braid and fluorocarbon and really like them but their cost becomes problematic for me the more I fish and add rods to my collection. My experience has found Big Game to be a tad finicky at first but soon turns quite friendly after a short break-in. It’s extremely strong even when you can feel nicks in it and always stays put when I tie a Palomar knot. My personal best catch was an eight-pound Female Largemouth on Lake Barkley. That day was a freezing March morning and good ole Big Game got her in the boat.
I prefer the twelve-pound test but have started using fifteen and twenty to teach my kids to fish. Now again, I can’t remember losing a fish on this line, unlike my experience with Stren, and although it’s not as sensitive as braid or fluorocarbon it does provide reliable ‘feel’. The visibility is good enough for me to track in the water which means conversely the fish can probably see it too but realistically I don’t think it costs me many fish.
Final Thoughts
If you want a good line that won’t break the bank, this line is for you. I always recommend Big Game but also concede there are some better line choices out there. The price point of fishing tackle is becoming a big issue for me. If nothing else, it’s a great choice for beginners or ‘spare rods’ for friends.
i use it on my catfishing rigs I use 20lb main line with a 40lb leader line the catfish will chew through a 20lb line ina heart beat their mouth pads are like 80grit sandpaper, I don’t use full 40 due to the fact its pretty stiff and dosent hold a lot on my reel I yanked in 15lb channel cats, blue cats ect and never had a issue the color wasn’t a problem as well I also brought in a 3ft diameter snapping turtle on that very same rig so it does the job