This thread is not intended for comparisons of braid vs. mono etc., which has been beaten to death over the years. I just want to simply share my recent experience and get some feedback.

I switched over to braid (with fluoro leader) exclusively a couple of years ago; however, I was only saltwater fishing and using just 2 or 3 rods. I bass fished with mono for years before braid become popular for inshore and bass fishing. Since I have started bass fishing again, I have noticed that there is a wide variety of line usage for different bass fishing techniques/lures. I have experimented over the past few days with fluoro and mono and have concluded that neither one perform like braid. I can't feel my lures as well and can't really tell what's going on. I'm sure there might be an advantage with fluoro when deep cranking. Other than that, I think I'll stick with braid.

Has anyone had similar experience? Again, don't want to start a debate about braid vs. this or that, just wondering if those of you who fish with a variety of lines notice a big difference from one to the next. What am I missing?

I mean of course braid is going to offer extreme sensitivity with zero stretch. Good for fishing rocks, heavy cover etc. You want to fish mono with your top water baits such as your poopers as mono floats and has plenty of stretch for your top water treble hooked baits, fluro has stretch but not enough close to what mono has, it is good for fishing crankbaits as it sinks and helps you get you're cranks deeper. It can also be used in other applications as it is invisible and really helps on clear pressured water.

Just tools, use what you have the best success with. Too many opinions to trust anything but your own experience- that's what I do anyway. Kinda like golf- people get the ball in the hole lots of different ways- it's not how but how many- applies well to fishing too.

I have to agree. I fished a couple months ago and got 1 bite on flouro and numerous bites on mono. I have no idea why, but that's how the day went.

Mono floats and has the most stretch. That being said, it is good for top waters because it floats and it is good with trebles because of the stretch.

Braid floats and has no stretch. It is the most sensitive line. It is good for fishing in really nasty cover or for top waters since it floats.

Flourocarbon has very little to no stretch at all and is almost invisible underwater. Great for cranking since it does not float. More sensitive than mono but less than flouro.


That's just a general description of the lines, hopefully you can find some that works for you and gives you results. Good luck...

Just to make matters more complicated, some of the new monofilaments are so very much improved that what is the oldest technology of the three doesn't lag very far in performance these days.

There is no doubt that a braid main line with a fluorocarbon leader isn't really, really great for a ton of applications. You can feel so much more with it, great for clear water, all the other superlatives.

But, certainly for my spinning reel, I can avoid the need to tie on a bit of backer (for slippage), then a junction knot, then braid main line where I will invariably leave some expensive remnant on the spool that isn't long enough for another spooling, then another knot to a fluorocarbon leader. If I break off the leader or otherwise chip away at it after re-ties shorten it, I have to tie another junction knot, and on and on and on.

Sometimes it just seems that the scales tip the other way when I can simply spool up a really high quality mono, I love Sufix Elite, and let her rip.

The float/sink line argument? I think it is generally the weakest of all the pro/con arguments. "Feel" would be the strongest argument for braid with leaders. I simply don't like casting fluorocarbon spooled by itself, so I don't even consider that option, would never do it.

Brad

I understand the mechanics of each line. I was just curious if others can tell a big difference between the different types. For me, it's huge - I feel so much more aware of what is going on and more in control. If I find that braid becomes a disadvantage for certain techniques, I may reconsider. For now, it is doing fine for everything.

Dr JL is absolutely right in his post above.