Buddy of mine gets some nice fish in the 40+ lb range in CT drifting eels and he is wicked frugal - he uses whatever is on sale!
Last time out with him, I was using some 50 lb Southbend clear mono rigs he tied up - no issues with 30 lb fish! I tied up some knots with the SB and it was great.
Yo-Zuri Hybrid is crazy strong, but takes a bad set. I stretch it out and use it and it has been fine. The Ande leader material is nice - stiffer than the regular line and costs about 1/4 of FC and comes in 50 yd spools.
I've come to the conclusion that ALL mono on the market now is good stuff. All of it is imported one way or another. Wetting the line as stated above IS very important for properly tied knots!!
I don't buy into the FC hype - it wasn't around back in the day of the old times using silk or braided nylon. Lots of big fish are caught on NO leaders and straight mono tied to the lure. YMMV