Berkley Trilene Big Game 1/4 lb. Fishing Line
Contact Berkley about coating transparency before purchasing.
Nylon monofilament with water-resistant treatments that may include PFAS. Berkley makes no public PFAS disclosure for this product.
The better-graded swap
Sufix
Sufix ProMix Monofilament Fishing Line
85/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
monofilament nylon with undisclosed water-resistant coating
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.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
The proprietary coating on Trilene Big Game is undisclosed. Historical precedent and market silence suggest risk; Berkley has not committed to PFAS-free formulations. Coating can leach into water and bioaccumulate, particularly in saltwater fishing contexts.
Source, ATSDR ↗Physical entanglement and wildlife harm
Discarded or lost fishing line poses mechanical hazard to wildlife (birds, fish, marine mammals) via entanglement, not a chemical hazard to the angler, but a use-phase environmental concern relevant to responsible disposal and storage.
Microplastic shedding from degraded line
Over years of UV exposure and water contact, monofilament can fragment into microparticles. While the angler does not inhale or ingest these, accumulated microplastics in waterways are an ecological concern if line is shed or discarded improperly.
What’s reassuring
Nylon polymer stability under use
Monofilament nylon itself does not leach monomers or plasticizers into water at ambient temperatures or during normal casting/retrieval. No established hazard from the nylon backbone under fishing conditions.
Thermal stability of coating
Fishing line does not encounter heat sufficient to trigger coating decomposition or fume release in normal storage or use. No data on what happens if line is incinerated, but that is not a typical use scenario.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Berkley Trilene Big Game is monofilament nylon (likely nylon 6 or 6,6), a thermoplastic polymer engineered for tensile strength and water resistance. The line includes an undisclosed water-resistant coating, the identity of which is crucial because many fishing line coatings historically used PFOA or other fluorinated compounds for durability. Nylon itself is stable and non-leaching under normal fishing conditions (saltwater, freshwater, ambient temperature), but the proprietary coating is a black box.
The brand's record and disclosure
Berkley (a Shimano subsidiary) has not published transparency on PFAS presence or absence in Trilene line coatings, nor has the brand committed to PFOA phase-out in fishing products. No major recalls or safety warnings have been issued for Trilene Big Game specifically. The silence on coating composition is notable given that competing brands (e.g., Cortland, Suffix) have begun disclosing PFAS-free formulations, positioning Berkley as lagging on this disclosure metric.
How it compares in its category
Monofilament fishing line as a category carries lower concern during use because it is not consumed, applied to skin, or heated above typical use temperatures in normal fishing. Trilene Big Game is a mid-to-premium line in price and reputation. Some eco-conscious anglers have migrated to PFAS-free alternatives (Suffix Performance, Orvis Hydros) or braided lines to avoid legacy fluorinated coatings, making this line's coating opacity a relative weakness in an increasingly transparent market.
If you buy it
Use as directed, cast, retrieve, store in cool dry conditions; nylon does not degrade rapidly in sunlight or water. Replace line annually or when abrasion or discoloration appears; old line should be disposed of responsibly (some tackle shops accept monofilament for recycling). Do not burn fishing line (releases fumes). Before purchase, email Berkley customer service asking explicitly whether the water-resistant coating contains PFAS; their response will determine if 'care' downgrading to 'buy' is justified.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Trilene has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Fishing Line
Berkley
TRILENE BIG GAME
monofilament nylon fishing line
UV degradation and embrittlement
High concern
Microplastic release during use
Limited concern
Low concern for standard monofilament with no coating triggers.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Berkley
Trilene Big Game Braid
Braided polyethylene fishing line
Polyethylene microfiber shedding
Limited concern
Low concern; braided polyethylene is not a typical PFAS application.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
Berkley
Trilene XT Monofilament Fishing Line
Nylon monofilament (extruded polymer)
Nylon polymer degradation and microplastic release
Limited concern
UV stabilizer additives in polymer matrix
Limited concern
Skin irritation or eye contact from monofilament filament
Moderate concern
Low concern for basic nylon line without water-repellent coating or special coatings.
⚠Brand says nothing about PFAS
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.