Braided vs. monofilament

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?
John

 

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.

 

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

 

I know folks that swear by braids and folks that swear at them. I have been using braids ever since they came out. The original Spider Wire and Fenwick braids were pretty good as far as strength and sesitivity goes. They would imbed really bad on a hookset or hang up. I believe that most of this has been alleviated by the teflon coating and the fact that lines like Power Pro and Spider Wire Stealth are now being made a little more round. The new lines will still imbed but as far as I have seen the depth of the imbed is not so deep that it causes much problem. Example: On my last outing I hung up 100# SW and had to tighten the drag way down and wrap the line around a dowel to break the leader. Some hard pulling and jerking ensued. After retying the leader I made a long cast and when the line reached the imbed there was only a little bump and the line kept paying out.
I experienced some abrasion problems with the old stuff but very little with the new. I think some guys had bad experiences with the old lines and that has stuck in their memory bank. The new line although not perfect is some really good line.
Like everyone has said,it is all a matter of personal preference. I use both types of lines as well as the fused lines like Fireline and have good success with all.
Different tools for different jobs

whatever it takes

Cheez

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

As always Mr. Trew you are right on time with sound advice. Glad to see you on the new board. I guess this new board is right up your alley being a computer guy. I'm getting used to it a little at a time. I saw where you are going to Pickwick gathering. I can't commit right now but I really would like to attend. If so it will be a great pleasure meeting you.

whatever it takes

Cheez