Braided vs. monofilament

[daystarchis]

What all you brothers prefer and why? Mono or Braid? I use 30# and 60# spider original. I hear pro's and con's about both, but I am confussed :p

Robb

[Nate]

I'm partial to Berkley Fireline myself. It's not quite braid, and it's definately not mono. It's easy to cast in spinning or baitcasting reels. And it doesn't float, or get waterlogged.

[catfish1605]

I like mono myself I've never tried using braided line, haven't had enough problems with mono to switch.

[tanner]

I prefer mono. Berkley Big game is my line. I don't like how "limp" braided is. And i find it frays to easily.

[fwmud]

I've tried several different brands/types of braid line. I guess it's like a lot of things. I just don't care for braid myself. I stick with mono because it's what I'm used to. Some here prefer braid and thats fine too. Use what you're most comfortable with.

[cross_their_eyes]

I like the braid myself. The mono just has too much memory for me. The braid is smaller diameter so I can fit more line on. It cast great and works around rocks/structure. I use 65LB. Like Tanner said, it does fray! You DO have to check your line. I like using the Palamar knot with braid. It's seems to hold well.

[daystarchis]

Thanks a lot brothers... A lot of good advice here. I have noticed that my braid seems to dig into it's self. I like the smaller diam. I just hate how a ways up on my line after baiting and all, I noticed it frayed. I find myself re-rigging to avoid it snapping from a large kitty. So that pisses me off. lol

Robb

[NANNER]

Hey Rob. I experimented with the various Braids myself. I dont know what your primary fishing waters are, but here in missouri we fish alot of rock walls (wing dykes). The braids do not hold up well at all to abrasion. As well, you have found the draw back of the braid embedding itself on the real so your next cast comes to a screeching halt and your bait continues another 75 yards down the river. As for monos, probably your best bet. Another catster mentioned MEMORY which can be a problem. I think you can negate that problem by switching to Saltwater Monofilament. I use Ande 40# Saltwater in Flourescent Yellow color. It has low stretch, low memory, and superior abrasion resistance. As well, the yellow color makes it very easy to see my lines in day or night conditions. Its a little pricey, but you dont have to change it near as much so you'll save money there. Hope I've helped a little. I honestly dont think you'll be dissapointed by switching to the Saltwater Monofilaments. Good Luck Fishin

[barbel]

I havent used braid at all, but I havent had any problems with mono so I dont plan on switching. Not to mention braid is a heckuva lot more expensive than cajun line lol. I may try some out eventually, but probably not any time soon. Not to mention I have heard that the braid isnt very abrasion resistant at all.

[Nate]

I'm tellin ya. Try Fireline. It's actually quite abrasion resistent. I've pulled in tree limbs with my rig and never had to retie. I love the stuff.

[RiverratSC]

I use Power Pro on a few rods and Mono on the rest. Mono I use Berkley Big Game, Ande, Stern Hi Test and Stern High Impact. All have there pro's and con's though.

[Abu]

Once I tried Power Pro I couldn't go back to mono on my baitcasters. Like RiverratSC says, they all have their pros and cons. I did get lazy one night fishing in heavy current, used an 8 ounce no-roll sinker and tied 100lb. Power Pro directly to the hook with a double palomar. The no stretch Power Pro didn't like the shock of trying a long cast and it snapped in an instant, don't know how far the sinker and hook flew but it had to be close to a record of some kind. :) Never had that problem when using a heavy mono leader. Here is a nice article I found explaining alot about superlines.
Superlines:Is It For Me? (http://www.tacklethief.com/superlines1.htm)
John

[jim]

We used to have a saying on the NC piers when someone would snap off the sinker or more commonly lure or spoon."Nice cast ,to bad your line isn't attached to it".In the article it states that Spectra and dacron have been around since before mono.I don't think Spectra was around then even though I was.Dacron(braided) was the line of choice in the early days but Spectra is a recent inovation and there is also Dyneema plus the fused lines.I think that when we refer to "Braided Superline" we mean the Spectra,Dyneema,and fused lines of recent manufacture not the old dacron lines.

[Abu]

Jim, I couldn't agree more. I just went back and read the article again and noticed it said "Spectra and braided lines have been around for decades, even before monofilament lines". Izorline calls themselves the originator of space age spectra fiber fishing lines. There were plenty of monofilament lines before Izorline's spectra fishing line. Abu

[blackwaterkatz]

I guess my feelings are mixed. I've tried different brands of braid, and the powerpro seems to be best for me. It holds up well, and doesn't bite down into the spooled line as bad as some others. If I hook a fish, I don't have much trouble with that, but when pulling from a snag, it will, and then I pull off some line to relieve it. If I wrap the line around the reel body or a piece of round pvc pipe and then pull loose from a snag, it will eliminate the bite down problem. Circle hooks don't cause a problem either (I use a mono shock leader), but 'j' hooks with a hard hookset into a snag definitely will.
That said, I am considering staying with powerpro on the reels I now have them on, but replacing them with mono as they need replacing. I am using kahle hooks more & more because of their advantage over circles and J's. I like the extra stretch of the mono when setting the hook, and I think the stretch also helps load and set the circle hooks. Most of my other reels have Big Game on them, and that works great, except for the larger diameter, therefore less line spooled.

[Abu]

I check my lines very good before every first cast of every fishing trip and after catching a fish. I give the end of my line a quick glance everytime I reel in to recast. I noticed my fishing partner had his mono leader and Power Pro wrapped around and tangled up on his sinker. He was rigged with a no-roll sinker and a 250lb. McMahon swivel and then his mono leader on the end. I meant to tell him about the tangle but it slipped my mind after we got to our fishing hole. He got a huge flathead on a circle hook and the line snapped shortly after trying to pump him in. He thought a knot must have slipped or there had been a weak spot in his line. He reeled the line in and all knots were intact and the 80lb. Power Pro had sliced through his 80lb. mono leader like a knife. Power Pro is some mean stuff for cutting through things in the water but be careful and always check your lines before casting so it doesn't saw your mono in half. It costs him a huge flathead we never got to put on the scales. Abu

[jim]

I switched to braids years ago when I started fishing Santee on a regular basis.I like the advantage against potentially big fish in snag filled waters.I fully agree that most of the problems came from the early versions simply because there was no experience base to go from.Cheap guides had grooves worn in them mostly because the early braids picked up dirt which made them abrasive.People had a hard time getting used to the no stretch factor etc etc.Virtually all the latest versions are first class quality lines and most of the problems have been eliminated.Braid does fray but so does mono which is also sucecptible to nicks and cuts.Regardless of what line you use you should constantly check for these things.I use an IGFA rated braid made by FINS which is available from Cabelas.I found it to be the best for me.I have used all of them including Fireline which in I my opinion wasnt as good as the real braids.Tommy and I fished with a Santee guide that uses 200lb Powerpro as leaders because he says even the gar can't fray it.Braid will dig in unless you use something as Tommy says between the snag and the reel.Most guides just wrap it around the reel.The one real advantage of the braids is they don't absorb water and with reasonable care last far longer than mono.

[jtrew]

Each type of line has it's own set of characteristics, and each person needs to look at those characteristics to determine which ones are plusses, and which ones are minuses..."for that particular person". For example, I've talked to people who feel that the stretch in mono is one of the main reasons they use it; that's one of the main reasons I don't use it. The first time I used braided superline, I couldn't believe how much better I could feel the fish when biting and fighting. The smaller diameter of braided superline is critical on such small-capacity reels as the 6500.
One thing I almost always do, though, is to tie a big swivel on the end of my superline, then tie on a mono leader of slightly less strength. That way, if I have to break off, I won't be breaking off any expensive superline; also, most of the abrasion takes place on the mono, which can be easily and cheaply replaced.

[McFlat]

I see it the same as Jerry does.

[Growler]

Jtrew said it all. I used to run fireline on smaller reels, but now every reel I own has some type of Spiderwire, from original, to stealth, to Musky braid for my Pike/Musky rigs. For catfishing I also run a mono leader. For Pike and Musky I use a 12"solid 160lbs steel wire leader. The wife and kids all ask for it once they use it. No stretch and you feel every hit.

[Skrod]

Nice posts by quite a number of folks here.

When I started using braids I was amazed by them (and still am). I do have to wrap the line seven or eight times around the handle of my pocket knife and use it as a handle in order to break it from a snag (which is no big deal, 'cause I have the knife in my back pocket all the time). The strength and sensitivity of them with their tiny diameter and light weight makes casting further easier. No memory keeps them from kinking up. I like the stuff.

I am using fat, stretchy mono to snell the hooks, though -- "shock leaders", I guess. This seems to work pretty good. 30# braid still seems to take a harder pull to break than 40# mono (the "shock leader" always breaks before the braid, even though it is rated for 10# more -- weird).

I've been using the FireLine in smoke color in 30# on my larger reels, and the same stuff in 20# on my smaller ones. Nifty stuff -- not as floppy as regular braids, and not as springy and stiff as mono -- kinda "wirey", keeps its shape while you tie knots, and makes it easier to tie them and cinch them down.

I do see using mono as "shock cord" on the front as a generally good idea, though.

[centralcalcat]

Well Robb, since we fish together Igues oyu already know my views on Braid, but I'll post them.

Braid in general is good stuff, though I do not use it a lot down here.
I fished Alaska mostly for salmon growing up and nothing can stand up to it as far as strength goes.

However Spiderwire while in my opinion is strong as nails when it comes out of the box, but it wears very easily and when it gets worn it breaks very easily.

Trilene big game mono is my line of choice down here for catfishing.

[dmc888]

I have used spiderwire original and fusion. Both can fray easily as mentioned before. I have had it snap on me a couple times before.

I use Fireline now. It can take much more abuse than spiderwire. Very sensitive. I use 15 and 30lb lines with no problems on my spinning rods. Has been a very dependable line for me.

[Nate]

I think that most of the time when people have trouble with a super line embedding itself into the reel, it happens on the hookset. I often forget that when setting the hook with a braid that I don't need to jerk the rod as much as if I was using a mono with it's stretch. A short simple yank upwards will drive the hook home with a superline. A large fish will contribute to some embedding. But most modern reels are being made to help reduce this problem.

[wolfman]

I use mono on all my rigs, the only thing that I dont like is after stretching the line from a snag it seems to weaken a good portion of the line. Not sure if the braided lines do the same.

[Whiskers4life]

I used a super Braid on my two main rods, and thats the 80# Power Pro....Yeah I like the toughness of it to tie Palomar Knots, and yes I love how it doesnt Crack, and stretch...But I do hate the Abrasion and wear it takes..

[CatfishWEIRDO]

Power pro is tough but you half to check for frays in the line constantly when fishing in or near rock rip rap.

[Jagal]

I have given spiderwire more than ample chances to make myself like it but I just can't. it's great the first time you use it but after that it more hassle than it's worth. it sinks down into the spool causing your spool to abruptly stop and make you bait fly 100 ft away and then you have to pull out the catch. I have tried powerpro but I didn't get the kind with mono filiment so basically it's just like spiderwire and I don't like that either, I will try power pro one more time but with the braids around mono. but right now I'm just using 40lb mono line on my abu garcia 7000.

[Pferox69]

There is some good insite on this subject so I guess I'll just give a what I do comment.

I use braids on spinnin reels because I think thats what they were origionally designed for, I like the stuff with the tracer in em, I think it is dacron, like gorilla line, and ripcord SI plus from Cabellas. The end up lookin like catipallars, but are still very strong.

When I have my drag set right, I don't experience the diggin in problem, if I set the drag to tight then I'm constantly pickin out cut in line.

Since I do alot of salt fishin I have gotten into the habit of tieing on about 10 or 15 feet of the same strength mono as a shock leader with a Uniknot, then doing my regular rigging with a swivel and leader and hook.

After doin this for a while I have noticed that my braids don't get as frayed, I am wonderin if the damage we are seein is as much from the sinker abraiding the line as snags.

When it comes to bait casters, I just prefer Big Game on em, although I might try cajun sometime.

Braided line outlasts mono on a reel 100 to one down here, the sun really damages mono when fishin in summer.

[DynamiteDavetheCatter]

hey guys, I've been using fireline 30# for a few yrs and haven't had much trouble at all. I'm gettin ready to go down to Santee and i just spooled with Fireline XDS 65# I had 80# in my hand at cabela's but it was as stiff as coated tie wire we use for rebar hopefully the fireline xds wont hang up on the stumps in moultrie or marion :cool:

[WKYCatman]

I've used super lines / braids on and off since spiderwire came out. I used lynchline years ago on a baitcaster and liked it . Now I use power pro on baitcasters and big game on spinning. I haven't had too much trouble with power pro getting frayed . Alot of the structure I fish is logs , wood, as well as rock. I always use a mono leader of big game . I tie the power pro with a double wrap palomar and have had no knot problems. As far as binding into itself , it seems to help alot if you keep tension on line when reeling in fishless. Also after fighting a fish before rebaiting I cast as far as possible then pull off several more yards to kinda get the level wind in synch with the way line is going on spool. Also if you reel in with little tension on it, it will load up on ends of spool at times. If in a boat every now and then on the way to new spot I'll run all the line out behind boat while still moving and reel in under fairly heavy tension, as long as tension is fairly constant it really helps. Only downfall I have noticed is when I get a spinner and the power pro and mono become one , tangled power pro is a nightmare . Anymore I just cut and retie, saves alot of cussing and time.LOL :cursing:

WKYCatman

[catfish4]

I just had bad luck with the spiderwire and super lines.Every time i landed a fish the line was embedded worst than a backlash.I broke off on some long cast that i couldnt figure why.And i think its just to hard on fresh water reels.A freind swears by it but hes tough on his reels and has had to replace 2 abu6500c-3 in the last 4yrs.I have the same ones.Ill stick to my trilene big game mono.And work my drag when i need too.

[Crucial]

Both lines have their merits and really shine when used to their capacity.
I'm a mono fan my self and the reasons are many, most of which have been hashed over already. A couple of little things that I haven’t seen mentioned that seem to pick at me about braids are 1) knot's.... if your not careful or at the very least attentive to your knots the braids will slip, also in some cases you cant use the knots you've used all your life because they will slip. 2) Cutting the line is a P.I.T.A; you can just clip them off with nail clippers because there will always be at least one strand or 5 strands that will hang on…to be quick and efficient you need to use scissors and that’s just one more thing in the tackle box that could be omitted.

A Lot of you have mentioned using mono shock leaders on top of their braid main lines... but does anyone top-shot? That is a trick used in offshore fishing to get the best of both lines...first you spool about 200yds of your favorite braid then tie on your favorite mono and spool on about another 150-200yds to fill the spool (of course the amount will depend on your reel size).
This will allow you to "fish" the mono but retain almost double the line capacity incase you need it. You can fish lighter than normal too because you have twice the line on your reel.
I've found this to be the best use for braids (for me anyway) Any time I think I might hook into a beast, I'll use a top-shotted reel for the extra line.