The Best Non-Toxic Fishing Tackle & Gear of 2026

We scored 57 fishing tackle & gear products for PFAS forever chemicals and other hazards, then ranked them best-graded first. The top pick is Berkley X5 Braid Line at 85/100. Every score below links to the full breakdown of what earned it.

Narrow it downStainless Steel Fishing Tackle & Gear
How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.
21% of the 57 fishing tackle & gear products we scored fail our PFAS and toxin screen.
PFAS Authority, September 2026. Free to cite with a link. See the full dataset.

The best-scoring fishing tackle & gear for PFAS risk

  1. 1
    Berkley X5 Braid Line

    Berkley

    X5 Braid Line

    braided polyethylene fishing line

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade63Good
    🫧

    Microplastic shedding from fiber degradation

    Limited concern

    70
    ⏳

    UV degradation and embrittlement

    Moderate concern

    45
    ⚠️

    Mold and bacterial colonization

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Surfactant or processing residues in braiding lubricants

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower concern for typical braid but brand discloses nothing.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  2. 2
    Rapala Ultra-Lite Fishing Lure Kit

    Rapala

    Ultra-Lite Fishing Lure Kit

    plastic/resin lures, metal hooks

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade67Good
    🧠

    Lead

    Limited concern

    70
    🫧

    Plastic resin degradation and microparticle shedding

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Choking or aspiration hazard for children

    Moderate concern

    45

    Lower concern; fishing lures unlikely to contain PFAS based on material type.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  3. 3
    Rapala PXR Jowler 127

    Rapala

    PXR Jowler 127

    Plastic/resin lure body with painted finish

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade77Excellent
    ⏳

    Paint coating degradation and particulate release

    Limited concern

    70
    🫧

    Microplastics

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing lure with no disclosed PFAS risk.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  4. 4
    shimano Kairiki 8 Braided Fishing Line

    Shimano

    Kairiki 8 Braided Fishing Line

    Braided polyethylene fishing line

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade67Good
    🫧

    Microplastic shedding during use

    Limited concern

    70
    ⏳

    UV degradation and structural failure

    Moderate concern

    45
    ⚠️

    Bacterial or mold colonization if stored wet

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower concern. Braided polyethylene line has minimal PFAS risk.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  5. 5
    Shimano Sienna Spinning Combo

    Shimano

    Sienna Spinning Combo

    aluminum rod, graphite composite handles, stainless steel bail

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade81Excellent
    🫧

    Graphite composite degradation and microplastic release

    Limited concern

    70

    Fishing gear with no known PFAS risk.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  6. 6
    shimano Symetre Spinning Combo

    Shimano

    Symetre Spinning Combo

    Graphite composite rod, aluminum reel, stainless steel components

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade81Excellent
    🍳

    Guide coating integrity (if ceramic or hardened resin)

    Limited concern

    70

    Low risk fishing rod, no known PFAS present.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  7. 7
    Shimano Core G9 Braided Fishing Line Dark Mocha / 15lb / 165yds

    Shimano

    Core G9 Braided Fishing Line Dark Mocha / 15lb / 165yds

    Braided polyethylene/nylon fishing line

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade81Excellent
    🫧

    Microplastics

    Limited concern

    70

    Braided polyethylene and nylon line with no coating on record.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy
  8. 8
    PowerPro Power Pro Braided Line

    PowerPro

    Power Pro Braided Line

    Braided fishing line, primary composition unclear

    PFAS Grade85Excellent
    Overall Grade49Poor
    🏷️

    Undisclosed synthetic polymer additives (plasticizers, UV stabilizers, colorants)

    Limited concern

    70
    🫧

    Microplastic shedding and water release

    Moderate concern

    45
    🎨

    Colorant and dye stability (including azo dyes)

    Limited concern

    70
    ⏳

    Polymer degradation and UV-induced leaching

    High concern

    20

    Braided fishing line PFAS risk unclear.

    ⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS

    Why this gradeBuy

Every fishing tackle & gear that passes, side by side

Sorted by score. A higher score means lower PFAS risk. Scored against 3 hazards that apply to this category.

#Fishing Tackle & GearScoreRatingMade of
1Berkley X5 Braid Line85Excellentbraided polyethylene fishing line
2Rapala Ultra-Lite Fishing Lure Kit85Excellentplastic/resin lures, metal hooks
3Rapala PXR Jowler 12785ExcellentPlastic/resin lure body with painted finish
4shimano Kairiki 8 Braided Fishing Line85ExcellentBraided polyethylene fishing line
5Shimano Sienna Spinning Combo85Excellentaluminum rod, graphite composite handles, stainless steel bail
6shimano Symetre Spinning Combo85ExcellentGraphite composite rod, aluminum reel, stainless steel components
7Shimano Core G9 Braided Fishing Line Dark Mocha / 15lb / 165yds85ExcellentBraided polyethylene/nylon fishing line
8PowerPro Power Pro Braided Line85ExcellentBraided fishing line, primary composition unclear

The fishing tackle & gear we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first.

Daiwa J-Fluoro Fluorocarbon Leader

Daiwa

J-Fluoro Fluorocarbon Leader

Fluorocarbon monofilament fishing line

PFAS Grade30Poor
Overall Grade0Bad
♾️

Environmental persistence and bioaccumulation (fluorocarbon polymer)

High concern

20
⚠️

Fluoride ion release in water

Limited concern

70
🫧

Microplastic fragmentation in waterways

Moderate concern

45

Fluorocarbon line likely contains PFAS, avoid if concerned.

⚠Fluoropolymer coating

Why this gradeTop-graded picks →
Braid YGK Olltolos Fluorocarbon

YGK

Braid YGK Olltolos Fluorocarbon

Fluorocarbon fishing line

PFAS Grade30Poor
Overall Grade6Bad
♾️

PFAS

Moderate concern

45
🫧

Microfiber shedding from degradation

Limited concern

70
⚠️

Loss and littering in aquatic environments

Moderate concern

45

High PFAS risk, fluorocarbon typically contains PFAS.

⚠Fluoropolymer coating

Why this gradeTop-graded picks →
Berkley Trilene Big Game Fluorocarbon

Trilene

Berkley Trilene Big Game Fluorocarbon

Fluorocarbon monofilament fishing line

PFAS Grade30Poor
Overall Grade0Bad
♾️

PFAS

High concern

20
🫧

Microfiber shedding and ingestion risk

Moderate concern

45
⚠️

Environmental persistence

High concern

20
⛏️

Chemical leaching in storage or use

Limited concern

70

Skip, fluorocarbon line likely contains PFAS.

⚠Fluoropolymer coating

Why this gradeTop-graded picks →

What we check on fishing tackle & gear

  • Mercury. A neurotoxic metal that concentrates in some fish and seafood. FDA/EPA
  • Heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. FDA
  • Microplastics. Tiny plastic particles that shed from products into food and water. EPA

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

The fishing tackle & gear brands that will not say

16 of the brands here publish nothing about PFAS at all. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Cabela's, Daiwa, Fins, KastKing, Maxima, PowerPro, Rapala, Shakespeare, Shimano, Sufix.

Common questions about PFAS in fishing tackle & gear

Is fishing tackle & gear PFAS free?

Mostly not. Of the 57 fishing tackle & gear we have scored, 21% fail our PFAS and toxin screen, which leaves 45 that pass. The highest scoring is Berkley X5 Braid Line at 85 out of 100. The lowest is Daiwa J-Fluoro Fluorocarbon Leader at 30.

Which fishing tackle & gear grades best for PFAS?

Berkley X5 Braid Line, at 85 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. It is braided polyethylene fishing line. The runner up is Rapala Ultra-Lite Fishing Lure Kit at 85.

Which fishing tackle & gear should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Daiwa J-Fluoro Fluorocarbon Leader at 30, YGK Braid YGK Olltolos Fluorocarbon at 30, Trilene Berkley Trilene Big Game Fluorocarbon at 30. The problem with the first is that fluorocarbon line likely contains PFAS, avoid if concerned.

How can you tell if fishing tackle & gear contain PFAS?

In this category we check for mercury, heavy metals, microplastics. A neurotoxic metal that concentrates in some fish and seafood. Language like stain resistant, water repellent or easy release usually means fluorinated chemistry even when PFAS is never printed on the box.

Which fishing tackle & gear brands will not say whether they use PFAS?

16 of the brands we scored in this category publish nothing about PFAS at all, including Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Cabela's, Daiwa, Fins, KastKing. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test fishing tackle & gear?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

More clothing and outdoor categories we have graded

Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to fishing tackle & gear.

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Does a particular brand of fishing tackle & gear have PFAS?

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