Bass Pro Shops Excel Monofilament Line
Lower concern, monofilament typically nylon without treatment.
Bass Pro Shops Excel monofilament is standard nylon fishing line with no disclosed PFAS-related treatments. No public lab data or PFAS claims exist.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
Nylon monofilament fishing line
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Heavy metals
Nylon production may involve trace metal catalysts; Bass Pro Shops does not disclose resin sourcing or purity testing. This is a minor concern for a casting/retrieving product with no skin contact, but cadmium or lead in feedstock is not ruled out for all batches.
Source, FDA ↗Environmental persistence and wildlife hazard
Monofilament line does not degrade in natural environments for decades and poses documented entanglement risk to aquatic fauna. This is an environmental and animal safety concern, not a direct consumer chemical hazard, but relevant to responsible use and disposal.
Thermal degradation if mishandled
Burning or overheating nylon line releases isocyanates and other volatile organic compounds. Risk is low if line is used normally and discarded via trash, but improper disposal (backyard burning) creates inhalation hazard.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Nylon monomer release
Extruded monofilament is thermally stable and does not release monomers (caprolactam) into water or air under normal fishing use or storage conditions.
Dye migration or toxicity
Bass Pro Excel monofilament is minimally dyed (clear or light tints) and dyes used in fishing line are not documented as leaching or presenting toxicity hazards in published safety literature.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Bass Pro Shops Excel is extruded nylon monofilament, a single continuous polymer strand used for fishing. Nylon monofilament is chemically inert during normal use (casting, reeling, water exposure) and does not leach polymers or monomers into the environment under typical freshwater or saltwater conditions. The material is not intentionally treated with fluorochemicals or flame retardants, making it simpler in composition than many engineered synthetics.
The brand's record and disclosure
Bass Pro Shops does not publicly disclose detailed material sourcing, manufacturing certifications, or PFAS testing for its fishing line products. The brand has not faced documented recalls or safety controversies specific to monofilament line chemistry. As a major outdoor retailer, Bass Pro Shops maintains general product safety compliance but does not market third-party sustainability or chemical-free certifications for this product line.
How it compares in its category
Monofilament fishing lines across brands (Berkley, Stren, Sufix, and others) share the same basic nylon chemistry and carry comparable chemical risk profiles. Braided lines introduce dyes and coatings that add minor hazard complexity; fluorocarbon lines introduce persistent polymers. Monofilament is considered the least chemically complex mainstream fishing line option and is widely recommended for beginners and general use.
If you buy it
Monofilament line does not require special storage conditions but benefits from UV protection (store indoors or in opaque spools) to prevent brittleness over time. Do not heat or burn fishing line; incineration produces nylon fumes. Replace line annually or when discolored, abraded, or kinked to maintain performance and prevent wildlife entanglement with degraded fragments. Dispose of spent line in regular trash or specialized fishing line recycling programs where available.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 68% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Bass Pro Shops has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More fishing line grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.