Monofilament line=Dinosaur tackle?

[BigFish]

Last season I only changed the mono on my most used reel 2 times.....for start of season and when fall approached. I tried a friends rod a few times with braid and thought it was ok. Definitely casts great! However I have watched my fishing buddies struggle with braid.........and I keep on fishing. I also feel a better connection to the plugs I fish (which I fish plugs exclusively) particularly when fishing topwater plugs I feel a better response to the action I impart.

[NIB]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Last season I only changed the mono on my most used reel 2 times.....for start of season and when fall approached. I tried a friends rod a few times with braid and thought it was ok. Definitely casts great! However I have watched my fishing buddies struggle with braid.........and I keep on fishing. I also feel a better connection to the plugs I fish (which I fish plugs exclusively) particularly when fishing topwater plugs I feel a better response to the action I impart.

This is Your Year Larry..I feel it..Your the man.
Yes mono is way more friendly with needles.I still carry that spool of mono...I think I have over come them problems...For all other types of fishing.Braid is King..
You will reach fish you only dreamed of with braid.
Try some on a extra spool..Give it a few trips.You think you connect well with mono now the braid will blow your mind.It's so sensitive you can feel a fish fart with it.There will be a bit of a learning curve.New knots,No stretch, means you have to take it a little easier on em.You'll figure it out.Trust the NIB.I would never steer ya wrong.It ain't like your taking a puff of anything.
It's just fishing.
Change can be good. You can do it big guy I have faith in ya..

[BigFish]

I tried one of Gary Soldati's conventional rigs on Cutty a couple seasons ago as we were having fun with plugs and I was amazed at the casting distance I was achieving with the braid and a 2.5 oz. pencil! I still think about those casts! NIB I think I will spool one of my 6500 Abu's with braid and give it an honest shake this season! Having a new conventional rod built too so......give it a shot I guess.....at least part time!

[BigFish]

Yeah I notice you have to go easy on the hook set or you pull the lips right off the fish...as you say...let the fish set it as it does not stretch! I do like how forgiving mono is for sure!

[CaptMike]

Interesting to see how different everyone is on this

[NIB]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Yeah I notice you have to go easy on the hook set or you pull the lips right off the fish...as you say...let the fish set it as it does not stretch! I do like how forgiving mono is for sure!

All you need is a quick snap for a hookset.It's nice with the graphite rods.Thats not where your going to have a problem.
It's fighting the fish.I fish a light drag.It will zing just a little when I set the hook.IMO you need the light drag to keep the hooks in the fish when they make their sudden movements,head shakes or runs.Especially when they get close to land and make that last ditch effort for freedom.I might even back the drag off a touch at that point.Especially when I see it is a good fish..I see so many good fish lost at that point.You can't horse em.Just take your time.Of course there will be times when you have to put the brakes on em.You can always thumb or cup the spool..I fish spinning.It is way easier to stop a fish while cupping the spool that it is to thumb it.Thumbing a spool just leads to less thumb skin in them situations.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by steve

I'll continue to experiment with it this year but I'm not sold yet considering the awful problems (lost fish from knot and abrasion problems)I had with Power Pro.

Steve,

I'm surprised to hear you had problems with the PP. One of the benefits I've found with braid is when a fish goes deep into your spool in a rocky area(canal,for example), the line remains intact and strong. With mono many times I had to respool immediately due to a nick deep into the line. I always thought braid worked much better "damaged" than mono.

[NIB]

Originally Posted by CaptMike

Interesting to see how different everyone is on this

On this one,I am also.You ask a bunch of fisherman their opinion on something and I guess they will give ya a variety of answers..
I try not to impose my veiw as a no comprimise alternative.I think this is important..I can only try to make clear my opinion on a subject.I see lots of folks list no options when it comes to what THEY use or do.I think there are so many variables in fishing that when someone makes such a post I just proves to me how little they know.Of course I have learned this through my own postings.When someone pulls up a old thread..I look at some of my postings and it can be embarrasing..

[HESH2]

braid most of the time unless if i'm fishing very rocky area then ande backcountry.braid in cold weather as stated ices up pretty good,mono probably better choice.

[NIB]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Steve,

I'm surprised to hear you had problems with the PP. One of the benefits I've found with braid is when a fish goes deep into your spool in a rocky area(canal,for example), the line remains intact and strong. With mono many times I had to respool immediately due to a nick deep into the line. I always thought braid worked much better "damaged" than mono.

You know thats funy I have recently learned that braid has a breaking point also.Not so much a snap off on the cast thing.Just overall strenght in general..Braid can be comprimised while appearing to be just fine.
I do quite a bit of jigging.I use the same set up at home for jigging as I do everything else.One thing I have found,when you get hung down your basically taking the line almost to the breaking point.After a while of this, the amount of pressure you can apply to bust off a leader of lesser material will deminish..
When New 20 lb fireline will bust off 40 lb leader.After a few trips it will no longer break the 40 lb leader material. It will break in a spot I have no control over.So I pretty much use 30 for most of my applications.Till later in the spring when I move to surf only..I can only assume what is happening is some sort of breakdown of the fibers.It's not obvious like a abrasion..Thats another one of the reasons I change it more than most.
While I can't think of any fish it has cost me.I see it happen to others..I don't like to leave things to chance..

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by NIB

You know thats funy I have recently learned that braid has a breaking point also.Not so much a snap off thing.Though it can be comprimised while appearing to be just fine.I do quite a bit of jigging.I use the same set up at home for jigging as I do everything else.One thing I have found,when you get hung down your basically taking the line almost to the breaking point.After a while of this the amount of pressure it takes to bust off a leader of lesser material will deminish..When New 20 lb fireline will bust off 40 lb leader.After a few trips it will no longer break the 40 lb leader material. It will break in a spot I have no control over.So I pretty much use 30 for most of my applications.Till later in the spring when I move to surf only..

Some of my experience likely has to do with the fact I fish a sissy drag. Some of the best fish I've taken in recent years have been on account of me opening the bail once the fish gets hung up as opposed to horsing it out of the rocks and compromising the line.

[Steve K]

Rocks and braid don't mix. I use braid in the canal and on the sand; mono in the rocks.

[NIB]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Some of my experience likely has to do with the fact I fish a sissy drag. Some of the best fish I've taken in recent years have been on account of me opening the bail once the fish gets hung up as opposed to horsing it out of the rocks and compromising the line.

I think you'll find most better or more experienced anglers fish that way..Not sure where I fit in that equasion.it's just a natural progression.Young buck thinks tight drag, 45 lb fish, 200 lb strong man it's a no brainer..
You learn from your mistakes.

[Nebe]

both have their place.

plugging- braid only

eeling- mono all the way- it floats so I can pretty much dead stick an eel where I know the bass may be. Dead sticking 50 lb cortland master braid is asking for disaster.

[BigFish]

This is how a thread is supposed to be.....lots of great information and technique! None of that "your way is wrong, my way is the only way" crap! Very interesting to hear other folks thoughts on a subject like this....always learn something new! Thanks guys!

[NIB]

Originally Posted by Nebe

both have their place.

plugging- braid only

eeling- mono all the way- it floats so I can pretty much dead stick an eel where I know the bass may be. Dead sticking 50 lb cortland master braid is asking for disaster.

I don't really dead stick eels much.Fireline in 30 lb is more like mono in that aspect.I have used it to what I call float jigs in the current..A technique I have come up with out of the necessity of using the stiffer/thicker braid..The hits can be bone crushing..

[Flaptail]

Every kind of line type has some inherent defincies either in it's construction or it's use.

Braid for instance on a spinning reel, in my humble opinion, sucks for popping plugs on open still water like a beach, no problem in a waterway or inlet opening where there is enough current to keep the plug moving and thus tension on the line but in an open water situation like a long expanse of beach, that milisecond where there is a small amount of slack, your bound to have issues especially with a pencil popper that is zipping along waving it's head like a warning finger.

Barnacle covered rocks like those found at Cuttyhunk and the Elizabeths or the ledge and rock shores of Beavertail and Newport can be lethal to braid as well. The canal is different in that your rock issues are in close proximity to where your feet are planted, your most likely to have problems with kelp strands attached to the bottom rather than the rocks along it's steep banks.

Some braid brands need time to get to know. I had this problem with Power Pro but persistence paid off and now I know what I can do with it and what I cannot. I use Power Pro 80% of the time.

Also, some reels behave better with some brands of braid than others. I have a Cabo PT60 ( The poor man's VanStal) it absolutely hates power pro but lay on Fireline and it purrs like a kitten. Conversly on my conventionals I use nothing but Stealth by Spiderwire. The 50lb in the canal is just about perfect.

Once you get to know it's ideosyncrasies (spelling?) there is nothing like it though. Just like anything it's a learning curve to master.

[steve]

Dead sticking? Is that like dead drifting?

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by NIB

Not sure where I fit in that equasion.

You're simply awesome if you ask me...

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Every kind of line type has some inherent defincies either in it's construction or it's use.

Yes. The biggest benefit from using braid besides distance is the control/feel you get on a long cast. Your spool also depletes more slowly with lower diameter lines and gives you added distance. Fishing in close there's no benefit, IMO.
Mono works well when line stretch is minimized via short casts...I actually love it for fresh water.
As for braid being bad in rocks, I completly disagree. Its equal or better than mono of the same diameter, IMO. We're talking 40# power pro just for reference.

[numbskull]

I mostly fish with braid but on the rare occasion I hook anything decent I always wish I was using heavy mono. With single hooks it may not matter but with trebles, if you need to control where and how far the fish goes, using heavy pressure often pulls or straightens hooks.

[gadabout]

I'm another mono-only guy. It stretches. Big deal. Lots of things that stretch are good. It tried Fireline a couple of times, both conventional and spinning. I didn't see anything to get excited about.

[numbskull]

Gadabout Gaddis! Loved that show.

[Tagger]

For braid I've used ..whiplash,spyder wire,,fireline,power pro,calcutta,berkley big game ,cortland master braid ..20# 30#50# 65# 80#... :Last year was berkley .. I'm happiest with Fireline ,, going back ..I also jigged last year conv. with 50# cortland master braid on a big old 980.. I didn't like the small diameter so finished the year with 80# cortland master braid jigging ,, I liked that .. I also use mono on conv... throwing big needles local; .. Larry listening ..Berkley Iron Silk .. I think this stuff got a bad rap ..It came out at the end of mono begining of braid and was very expensive so it never became popular ..Its a reinforced polymer line.. I swear, fishing rocks one fill up last all season and looks good the next .. I've got bulk spools .. 20#,,30#,,40#... Larry I'll fill you up if you want to try .. you'll be amazed how this stuff holds up ... A little stiffer than soft mono's ... loves conv.like ande pink ..

[BassDawg]

good thread gents, and alot of keen answers,,,,,,,,


i'm from the Nebe and steve school on this one,

plugging is 30# to 50# Fireline,
with a shock leader of Ande pink 60# to 80# Mono,
usually 10' to 12' of leader material, using the
heavier line for the Fall Run and spot specific.

when eeeeeeeeeling or chunking,
25# Ande BCountry to a shocker
of 50# to 80# either Ande pink or Ande IGFA green,
spot specific again~~~ rocks, COWS, lobster pots, etc.
and i cut back often and will change leaders and hooks
after any fish over 25#'s, regardless of the cost.

iffin i get into the booos i'll switch my shocker
to Ande Flouro 60# clear, but i doan tangle with too
many bluefish~~ by design.

the biggest mistake i made last year, that
DID in fact cost me a MONSTER Striper was NOT
changing my spool after landing 3 fish the night before.
1 over 30; and 2 in the 20#-30# class.

i will always re-spool from that night forward,
hence the necessity for my mega spool of Ande BCountry.
i always have multiple leaders, snelled hooks, and will have a back-up spool
for my PENN750ssm this year for my mono applications.

Monofilament line=Dinosaur tackle=DinoBIG Stripers

[Striper_Haven_03]

Well I dont normally respond to questions like this because everyone has an opinion but will state my case for mono.

I actually use Yo-zuri Hybrid 25lb (mono-flouro hybrid) and have only lost 10 or so out of an estimated 300-400 fish from break-offs in the rocky areas/points here in Plymouth. And have to say the break-offs were my fault, not the lines. I tried braid in 2000 and was broke off in the rocks on my second hook-up of a large bass while using it. After visiting a few friends in NC that were using Yo-Zuri Hybrid fishing the OBX I never looked back.

I guess it all depends what application and enviornment you are using the line in. Rocky Shorelines - MONO.....Sandy Beaches - Braid....Jigging - Braid.

I did see the video from SWE and its pretty interesting. Needless to say I will fish mono until I find something better for the nasty stretch of shoreline I fish.

Fireman

[ecduzitgood]

Just 'Big game' mono because of the stretch, when I load up the rod using a pricey 3+oz. plug and my thumb dosen't do the job of controling the spool and a birds nest shows up I don't lose my plug. I only use conventional reels so I don't know about spinning gear. I'm not knocking spinning gear I just have a middle finger that dose not bend and the bail would hit it. I have tried some of the new lines and lost a couple plugs doing so, which is something I don't enjoy; so for me if it aint broke don't fix it.

[t.orlando]

Mono is useless for me in the surf except for leaders. In real life experiences I have found braid to be far superior in the rocks. I used to have to respool very often(sometimes every nite) with mono. Now I put on a ton of braid, as it gets down I strip it, and add to backing to even out the spool. I can get just about every fish out of rocks by just dragging them thru, or freespooling them until they free themselves. Check out this pic: Got hung up with a fish on, tried everything to get him loose(friend had just taken a 40#, so was being extra careful). Finally couldn't get him, so just ripped him outa where he was. Ended up having 2 seperate clumps of mussels my braid had gotten stuck in and a 12# blue on the hook.

[tynan19]

Eben, thanks for that tip on the deadsticking eels with mono.

[Brian L]

Good thread, Brother.

I'm surprised to hear all the guys talking about abrasion problems and the like with Power Pro. I've never had a problem with it, particularly in the rocks. Like Mike, I tend to fish a pretty light drag with either line type and have landed a lot of big fish I may have lost otherwise because of it.

I use both lines quite a bit, depending on the situation. Only thing I use braid for exclusively is bottom fishing. I find myself liking 25lb big game on the eel rods I cast with on the boat, but I like braid(50# PP) on ones I don't cast as much with. I run 30lb big game on my live bait (shad, scup, etc) rods and wouldn't change it. Braid on all my spinners except the one 7 footer I use on the boat for eels at night and when I have guests on the boat. I definitely can see why a lot of guys like mono at night, as it's a little easier to deal with if you have a problem.

I like to think I could adjust my fishing style to any type of line but there's definitely situations where I feel that one or the other gives me an edge.