Pound test
Also called lb test, breaking strain, line strength
The rated strength of a line, meaning roughly the straight pull in pounds it should hold before breaking.
The number on the spool is a manufacturer's rating for a straight, steady pull on new line under lab conditions. Real fishing is not that. A knot takes 20 to 40 percent of the strength away, a nick from a rock takes more, sunlight degrades nylon over a season, and a sudden shock load is nothing like a steady pull.
Heavier is not automatically better. Thicker line casts shorter, is more visible, and puts more drag in the water, which changes how a lure runs. It also means that when you snag, something has to give, and if the line is stronger than your rod you will find out which part that is.
Braid ratings confuse things further, because braid is usually underrated. A line sold as 30 pound braid frequently tests well above that, which is part of why people spool such heavy braid without thinking about it.
Six to eight pound for panfish and trout, ten to twelve for general bass fishing, twenty and up for heavy cover, catfish and pike.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use pound test and show it on real gear.
Pound test is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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