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Choosing aspinning reel that will suit all of your needs can be hard.
But when you have finally chosen one, you will have to choose a suitable fishing line.
When choosing a line, you will have to consider a few factors.
First of all, you will have to choose the type, color and strength which has to be in accordance with the fishing reel, and the fish species you are trying to catch.
Spincasting reels are easy to use and suitable for beginners, so this guide should help you decide about the line.
I have tested a number of lines for Zebco 33 spincast reel, and here I am going to tell you more about the reel itself and list the best fishing line for Zebco 33 in the following chapters:
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My No. 1: Berkley Trilene Big Game (#ad)
Runner-Up: Stren High Impact (#ad)
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What is the Best Fishing Line for Zebco 33? Mono, Fluoro, Or Braided?
There are three main types of fishing lines, and they all have different characteristics.
Mono is cheap, stretchy, shock absorbing and easy to handle. Tying knots is quite simple.
Braided lines are thinner, stronger, easier to cast and less stretchy.
Fluorocarbon is almost invisible, made from a single strand (similar to mono), durable, abrasion resistant, and it sinks better. Many anglers use fluorocarbon lines as leaders. So, ...
Which one of this three is the best fishing line for Zebco 33?
The best line for Zebco 33 when it comes to line type is mono. Mono is also recommended by the manufacturer and you can actually buy this reel pre-spooled with the mono line.
Spincasting reels are great for beginners because they are extremely easy to use. This will enable anglers to fully concentrate on their fishing technique instead of focusing on the reel itself.
With that in mind, using mono line is natural. This line is very affordable, and easy to use. It is excellent to learn how to properly tie hooks and knots.
Mono performs really good in most environments and it is good for setting hooks.
Additionally, topwater fishing will be much easier with mono. Because mono is a bit “softer”, it will nicely sit on a spool.
Another important factor for choosing mono for your spincasting reel is the fact that the spool is closed and it has an opening for the line to go through. Mono will easily “flow” through the opening.
Yes, mono has some drawbacks too. The same strength mono has a larger diameter than braided, but with Zebco 33 you are not going to fish for Wels catfish, so this feature is not that important.
Can you Use Braided Line on a Zebco 33?
Well, in theory, you can. But in real life, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you need to use a braided line because it is stronger and more suitable for the large fish species you are targeting, than using spincasting reel is not the best option.
Braided line can also cause wear and tear on pickup pins on your spincasting reel. Majority of manufacturers will also advise you against it. This is especially important for cheaper reels.
Braided lines will also negatively influence your casting ability with a spincasting reel, and you won’t be able to achieve the same distance as you would be able to do with mono.
Some anglers use braided lines on their spincating reels, however, in my experience, I would advise you against it.
So, the best line for Zebco 33 is monofilament, as previously mentioned.
What Kind of Reel is Zebco 33? For What Fish?
Zebco 33 has a few versions. The standard one (#ad), the micro and max version, and some other versions too.
Here I am going to focus on the standard Zebco 33 and its use ...
But first, I will mention some features: this reel has a 4.1:1 gear ratio. This model has been on the market for a long time and the previous Zebco 33 reels have been slower. This is quite good for spincasting reel, but of course, not comparable with other types of reels. This will influence your fishing technique and limit the use of some lures.
Also, this reel, due to its characteristics, is not the best choice for saltwater fishing use as it lacks proper protection - but if you'll clean it correctly ....
When it comes to fish species, you can catch a variety of them, on a smaller to medium side, and that includes the following:
• Panfish
• Trout (smaller to medium size)
• Walley
• Bass (smaller to medium size)
• Catfish (smaller specimens)
All of these species are not too heavy or strong, so using monofilament lines is more than enough.
It is important to choose a line in accordance with the fish species you are catching.
This is a small reel and catching large fish with it is not an option. According to a manufacturer’s recommendation, it comes with the 10 lb mono. With such line, you should use light lures. If you fill the spool with heavier lines, you will have to sacrifice the length of the line and with such a small reel, catching larger fish still won’t be possible.
What is the Zebco 33 Max Line Capacity?
Zebco 33 has a line capacity of 10lb/120yd. If you plan to use lighter lines, you can increase the capacity to reach more than 200 yards, but those will be 2 or 4lb lines, and there is not much you can do with those.
In my opinion, it is better to follow the recommendation, because it really suits this reel and its usage.
Keep in mind that 120 yd is the max capacity if you are using 10 lb line, and overfilling the spool can cause line tangling.
Some anglers prefer to use 6lb lines, and if you decide to do so, you can fit about 160 yd. The manufacturer states only the 10/120 capacity, so if you fill it with a thinner line, you will have to adjust the length yourself.
Using heavier lines on this reel wouldn’t make a lot of sense.
There are online calculators and conversion charts that can give you an estimate of the capacity for lines that are not mentioned by the manufacturer, but keep in mind that those may not always be completely correct.
So, What is the Best Fishing Line for Zebco 33?
And finally, here are my top choices in table for fast review:
This is the list of 5 best fishing line for Zebco 33 reel. All of these lines are mono.
#1: Berkley Trilene Big Game
This is one of the most popular lines on this list (#ad). It is strong, reliable and durable.
The line is usable for both saltwater and freshwater fishing, although with Zebco 33, you are only going to use it on fresh water.
Line is abrasion resistant and you can use it in all conditions. It is designed in a way that the stretch is controlled, and it is shock resistant, which enables greater control over the fish.
This line is available from 10lb to 50lb test strength, in different colors. The 10lb line comes at 1500yd.
#2: Stren High Impact
This line is great (#ad) for fish that attacks your bait and fights hard, due to its exceptional shock resistant properties.
The line is extremely durable and you can use it in all conditions, including some rough offshore fishing, which, of course, you are not going to do with your Zebco 33.
When it comes to test strength, you can choose from 10lb to 30lb. The 10 lb version comes at 1275 yd.
#3: Kastking World's Premium
This line is available in various colors (#ad), and even the clear ones are almost invisible to fish. The line doesn’t have a lot of memory, which is usually a problem with mono lines.
Abrasion resistance is quite good, and the line is suitable for both fresh and saltwater fishing.
This line is available from 4lb to 30lb test strength and the 10 lb version comes a little bit shorter than the previously mentioned models, at 300yd. That is more than enough to fill your Zebco 33 reel.
This line is just a bit thinner than the previous ones, but comes with the same strength. Because it has less memory, the line is easily spooled, casted, and there are no backlashes and windknots caused by it.
#4: Stren Original
This line is available in different colors (#ad) and test strength from 4lb to 30lb. The 10lb version comes at 300yd.
The line has great abrasion resistance and also has a UV guard that extends its lifespane by protecting it from harmful UV rays. This is important for those who spend a lot of time fishing during summer days.
The memory of this line is quite low which enables easy handling. Same as the other lines on this list, it is suitable for both saltwater and freshwater use.
When it comes to knot tying, this line is excellent.
#5: Runcl PowerMono
And the last among the best lines for Zebco 33 is RUNCL PowerMono (#ad). This line is available in a lot of colors, and most of those are quite brighter than colors of previously mentioned lines. The great thing about these colors is that you have both high visibility and low visibility options. If you are looking for one to suit different conditions, go with clear or low visibility green.
Abrasion resistance and knot strength are excellent. The line provides good hooksets and the shock strength is great.
It has neutral buoyancy which is fantastic for topwater baits. It has really good shock absorbing properties too.
The line is available from 4lb to 35 lb, and the 10 lb version comes at 300 yd.
Conclusion
Zebco 33 is a great spincast reel, and to make the most of it, you should choose the proper line.
Although it can be bought pre-spooled, anglers like to have different options.
I can’t choose just one best line for Zebco 33, however, by choosing one of the lines mentioned here, you will not go wrong.
Make sure you follow the given guidelines and always use mono lines, up to 10lb. This is a small reel, great for less experienced anglers, and you are going to have a lot of fun with it!
