BRAID, FLUOROCARBON AND MONO WHEN TO USE THEM

[Madman25]

FISHING LINES, THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN DETAIL:

Guys, here is my input on all these lines...

Flurocarbon: Newest and greatest fishing line on the market, the feel is incredible because there is no stretch at all which allows you to feel the slightest little bite... Basically, invisible underwater and line diameter is smaller than Monofilamant... Only dislike, it can be hard to handle on the reel (meaning if you don't have complete control of the line, good possibility that you will get alot of line twists and tangles)...


Mono: Old, stretches and dosen't last very long on the reel...

Braided lines: some braided lines are perfect because there is virtually no stretch at all and line control on the reel is very easy... I hardly get any tangles or backlashes using braided lines... One dislike, the lighter lines under 6lb test will fray very easily causing fish to brake off when you think everything is perfect... This is a line defect and not your fishing skills...

Air Resistance: Very simple, heavier lines are more air resistance than lighter lines because of the diameter... When your throwing into the wind, it can be a difficult challenge to provide the distance that you want your lure to reach... Lighter lines will provide the max distance for any lure when there is wind....
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[CaptainMo]

Thanks for this post. I have been debating for a little while whether I want to switch line types. I have been using mono my whole life growing up but I am getting into fishing a lot more and am hearing about all the positives of the other types of line.

You post helped to simply explain each of them but I was curious what a good brand or style within a brand would be for something other than mono. I have seen some lines that are like 10 lb test but with the diameter of a smaller test. I would really like to keep my thin line diameter but was wondering what the deal is with the braids and fluorocarbon and the various diameters and such.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Mo

[Tarpon4me]

I figured I would jump in on this one, and provide my feedback in regards to the various types of line, and my personal observations; specifically from a saltwater and/or large freshwater species point of view.

FLUOROCARBON: Fluoro is probably one of the greatest inventions in fishing, over the last long while. It is very clear in the water, as it refracts light at nearly the same rate as water. (which is why it is so clear in the water) It's non porus unlike mono, thus it sinks a little faster, has less stretch, and maintains a better abrasion resistance. The down side to fluoro is, the memory is terrible, which is why it's not designed to spool a reel up with, like you would regular fishing line. I've seen the self advertised "fluorocarbon fishing line," and they claim it is 100% fluorocarbon, but, don't believe all the hype. True fluorocarbon, like Seagar for instance, is to be used as leader material only. Don't fool yourself. the price tag usually dictates rather or not it's true fluorocarbon or not. A spool of 50 pound Ande Fluorocarbon, in a 50 yard spool, is about 45 bucks or so. If you run accross a fishing line claiming to be Fluorocarbon, in a 300 yard spool for 15 bucks, rest assure, regardless what it says, it's not the real deal. None the less, regardless of if i'm deep dropping on grouper, or fishing for crappie with live minnows, a strip of fluoro leader is part of the rig.

MONO: Don't fool yourself and think that mono doesn't still maintain a place in angling. The stretch of mono is a key characteristing in the world of trolling and big game, because it acts as a shock absorber when a large fish, say like a mackerel, smacks a bait at 30 MPH. The use of braid as a main trolling line, will do nothing but result in the loss of many fish. Setting the drag isn't good enough, mono line and soft action rods are key. I still use mono on all of my trolling gear, and all of my panfishing gear. I've switched to braid only on the gear that I use to target stationary fish. (bottom fishing and such)

BRAID: Braid has many advantages, and the most notable ones are the lack of stretch, and of course it's tiny diameter. The lack of stretch can also be a divantage, as I noted above, if you are targeting fish that strike at high speeds, or are particularly acrobatic and/or have soft mouths. However, for the angler fishing in deep water for snapper or grouper, or targeting trophy flathead catfish in Santee Cooper, the advantage of braid truely shines. This is a perfect example. I regularly fish in 100' of water for bottom fish off of our coast. Using 60-80 lb mono, it would take around 6-8 oz of weight to get my rig to the bottom, because of the depth and water drag. Well, using 65-80 lb braid, because it's so small, it slices through the water with 1/3 less drag. Thus, I can now accomplish the same thing, with 1/3 less weight. Also, at that depth, the stretch of mono is a big divantage when setting the hook. With the braid, the hook sets are firm, and you loose less fish. I have not noticed any difference in the braid fraying versus mono. When you're fishing structure, it doesn't matter what you're using, it's going to frey up on you eventually. Nature of the beast. One divantage of braid, that is commonly over looked, is knot tying. I don't know how many people switch to braid, and try tieing the same old knots they always did, the same way they always did. They think the line is breaking, when in reality, thier knots suck. A good rule of thumb is, just double the wraps. I use an albright to connect my fluoro to my main line, and I use an improved clinch knot, to attach terminal tackle. Those knots are older than I am, but of all the knots I know how to tie and have used, those are the most reliable. Learn to onsistently tie those knots, and you've got it wooped.

BRAND NAMES:

Fluorocarbon: The best on the market is Seagar, but I regularly get Ande and Triple Fish brands. They are as good, and usually a fraction of the cost. I would stay away from any other kind, no matter how attractive the cost. If you want the real deal, you've got to be willing to pay for it.

Mono: The best mono on the market, and has been for many, many years, is Ande Tournament. Berkely Big Game is good as well, but the Ande tournament grade is top notch and I wouldn't have any other type of mono on my reel. Now, for the small stuff, I use Stren. (under 10 lb applications) When I panfish, I either have a reel spooled with Stren, or use the stren as a leader on reels spooled with light braid.

Braid: There are only two types of braid that will EVER be on any of my reels: Power Pro and Suffix. They are equal in quality, strength, and castability. You will hear a lot of opinions, but I promise you, there isn't finer line on the market. People talk a big game, but i've actually tested them. Need proof? here you go...... I posted this up earlier today with a fishing report, but the picture below is me with an Amberjack I caught Saturday. Shimano Trevalla rod, Penn Sargus 5000 reel, 65 pound Power Pro with a 50 pound Ande Fluorocarbon Leader. When I set the hook on the fish, he was in 90' of water. The drag was locked down on the reel, and I dragged his ass up. AJ's are some of the toughest fish on the eastern seaboard. This one weighed over 50 pounds.

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[Paulpro]

You left out fireline, its not braided yet considered a super line ,the line is fused and has no strech,I am using it now for flyrod leader 30lb,in yellow,"floats",also use braid,as fly leaders, also floats.I use 4lb fireline for carp.
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[ydoc]

Wow... GREAT write-up! I'll be bookmarking this one for sure!!

May I add - for those that will read this thread as well, that my preferred MONO line is Berkley - either XL or XT - in the green color. I fish a lot of farm ponds from a belly-boat, so the casts are short (mono stretch is less of a factor), and the "green" blends in to the "environment" very well.

Like you, I also use Power Pro and Suffix braid - especially for my "froggin'".

I've just started experimenting with fluoro... both as "just a line" and as a leader with my braids. For my farm pond fishing, the jury is still out on the "clear fluoro" vs. "green mono" for invisibility, but I DO like the low-stretch factor!

I haven't tried it yet, but have HEARD/READ that BPS makes an excellent, and competitively priced fluorocarbon line:

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-XP...0/-1198061

Thanks again for your excellent post!
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[Tarpon4me]

[cool] Glad it helped.
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