Monofilament line=Dinosaur tackle?

[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..

[steve]

Dead sticking? Is that like dead drifting?

[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.

[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.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by NIB

Not sure where I fit in that equasion.

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