Braid vs Mono - How to Choose the Best for YOU

[mduncan62]

The only thing I disagree with is when you said this, "For line and leader shy fish, you must remember to use a long, clear monofilament or fluorocarbon leader with braid." I don't believe there is a fish that is shy to line. I've been using braid for crappie for a couple years now and I've never used a leader and never will. I believe that there can be fish that are actively feeding and fish that aren't. Active will bite on the drop or rise. Inactive, you may have to dead stick it, but I don't believe they are looking at the line at all. IMO, a person who goes fishing and blames not catching fish on something like the fish seeing the line is funny. If you are that smart that you know what the fish are thinking, you should never have a problem catching them.

Being successful on the water includes several variables, but being comfortable with what you use, and how you use it is most important. If you believe that fish are looking at your line and not biting because of it, they probably won't bite. You've already put your negative mojo on it. Besides the strength of braid, I enjoy the sensitivity of braid. I used to swear by the wally marshall line, and the first time I tried braid I threw it away. The amount of streth in mono is ridiculous. When the fish aren't really slamming the jigs but more lingering around and just barely tapping it, you're less likely to feel it with mono, you will feel it with braid for sure.

[The Lip RIPPERS]

The article was info revisited, most fisherman know the difference. Their are some new braids coming out this year and they are mono/braid hybrids, so we can have the best of both.

[majflyboy]

I mostly pull cranks, yes, year around, and I use 30# Power Pro yellow on all 8 BnM pro trollers with 20DX Okuma's. Still use mono on a couple poles with corks and single jigs.

[knowsall]

I started using Fireline Crystal 6# and love it.

[Mike Andrews]

I use braid, mono, and fluoro. On my jig rods I use 10# Fireline w/ 8# fluoro leader. Been using it for over a year now and not likely to change for my applications. The rods that are set-up this way are used to jig brush piles in anywhere from 8'-20' of water which is 75% of my fishing here in TX. The feel this allows cannot be beat and I can feel the lightest takes. It also keeps me from being hung up as much due to the enhanced feel.

My dock shooters are all strung with 6# Mr. Crappie hi-vis. I've tried several other lines but keep coming back to this one for it's combination of visibility, strength, and cost. Alot of dock bites are on the fall and the hi-vis line allows me to see bites that I never feel. Line watching is an acquired habit but it pays off big time when the fish are on the docks. The cost factor is important for me in this application since it seems the best docks are usually the gnarliest underneath and like most crappie fishing if your not hanging up your catching fish.

My spider rig rods are strung with good old, low tech, 10# Stren. Again I've tried several others but this one just plain works.

[JBledsoe]

Call me old fashioned. I use mono for everything. Respool every year.

Another old fashioned and I respool every year.

[kycreek]

Mono for me as well. Respool once a year as well.

[HOGGHEAD]

I like to fish the brush in the lakes here in WV. And normally how I do that is with a bobber. Then I cast into the wind and allow the wind to blow the bobber across the top of the brush. So my line can get slack in it. And since I do not like to disturb the drift I just allow the line to drift naturally over the brush. So I prefer the braid. No stretch in braid. So I can set the hook whether I have slack in my line or not. Braid has increased my hook sets exponentially. Then you have the added luxury of not loosing so many jigs if you pour your jigs with light wire hooks. I just keep a pair of pliers handy, and put the bend back in the hook. So I get more time on the water with a better hook set. Pretty simple to me.

Also as far as Flurocarbon leaders go. Well sometimed I use them and sometimes I don't. For me whether I use flurocarbon or not really depends on how heavy the cover is, how deep it is, whether I am hovering just above or slightly into the cover, or deep down into it, and last water clarity. Those factors determine whether I tie on a fluro. leader or not. Tom.

[Rubber Minner]

Mono for me. I have used braid for Catfishing, and Saltwater fishing. But I seem to stick with the Mono for most of my fishing.
I respool atleast 3 times a year. Have been times where I respool before each big trip. Depends on how many times a week I go. Respool leaving 1/4 spool of backing. Respool backing, and full spool 1 time a year.

[smoothlures]

Good info here smooth. I have 14 saltwater rods of various types all have brade. I use power pro and have found the newer line does not bleed like the line they first came out with. I use the green and the yellow the red can leave you with one heck of a mess. Been kicking the idea around about using brade for crappie. I use 4 to 6 lb test trilene xl clear blue florescent it just my preference it doesn't seam to be MAD like all those other lines i have used (numerous ones). What make and test brade do you use? Cant seem to open up your web site.

10/2 PowerPro or Sufix Performance Braid will do you well. I'm a Sufix guy myself.
My website is down for a few days, had some hardware crash on the server, trying to get my backup ready.