BRAID -- It's tough. Sensitivity is incredible. Hardley ever have to change it. Doesn't get twisted or have a memory. Limp as a dishrag and has a very small diameter compared to line test. Hardley ever loose a jig.

MONO -- Some tougher than others. Sensitivity is OK. I change it every trip. Lots of twists when used on spinning gear, and has a memory (some worse than others). Some limper than others, but hard compared to braid. Line test and diameter go hand in hand. Loose jigs more frequently.

After five trips, I took it off my customer's rods. Unless you're a frequent fisherman, you will probably have trouble with it...I know my customers did. It's so limp that most had trouble with it getting wound around the rod tip. Also, when it got hung up, they couldn't get it unhung. One customer cut himself badly on it. Three rods got broken because of it.

It's great line if you know how to use it; particularly so when fishing brushpiles. I put 10# mono on my customer's brushpile rods, and it worked just about as good. Bottomline...if you're a good fisherman, you'll probably like it. If you're not; you probably won't. So if not...save the big bucks.

How do you figure you are saving big bucks if you have to change the mono every trip???

Because you are not breaking rods.

Yep! All of that are the drawbacks from fishing briad directly. As a backing, it's the best. For long casting spinning reels or extremely deep water fishing (300 ft plus), it's supperb.

For fishing close to you, the drawbacks just arent worth in IMO.

Read the previous threads on this subject and you will see my predictions for these issues.

A friend of mine was using the braid line fishing for bass in his tank, and he hooked a bass just messing around with the 45 lb test braid and he estimates the bass to be about 4 lbs but the dang thing sanped the line, so he thought must have been a bad spot on the line so he went after him again ... same thing .. so im not too sold on the braid line my self.. thats two lures that he lost and you lose alot of them then thats one more thing your out for money in.

hitek, is your friend sure the line snapped or did the knot fail? What type of knot did your friend use to tie on his lure? Not all knots are secure when using braid. Most often when fishing with braid I use a Palomar knot and have never had one to fail.

I've been playing with Power Pro because of an upcoming tournament that we'll need to use it on. I've found the same results as Guy and would never consider letting customers use it. I can't see it replacing mono in my boat yet..

I have used it alot, and swear it's good stuff. But, take a 570 hook and pull it and straighten it a time or two, and it will straighten on hookset after that. I've lost some good fish due to that and have taken it off my reels.

After the problem of it wrapping around the tip, the first thing I find you need to do with braid is to make sure the drag is set maybe a little less than mono. Without the stretch something has to give so it needs to be the drag.

Also if you are fishing for bass or some other larger fish that you set the hook hard like that then the drag will also help you from getting tendinitis. I know first hand if you fish this stuff with you drag set tight it will put much increased pressure on your elbow.

Bass fishing when Spider Wire first came out I ended up getting a cortisone shot in my elbow and it was from fishing a wacky worm on a spinning rod with Spider Wire.

So using a rod with more give and drag are really important with braid.

I love the stuff and now use Power Pro, however I would not use it with a crank bait. You need some give with a crank bait, IMHO!

Had same elbow situation and didn't even think about it being from the line. I knew it was from fishing. Refused to take the shot but I could hardly move my arm it hurt so bad.

A couple of years ago i went to the coast to test out some spiderwire (20 or30lbs i forgot) but everytime i set the hook the line snapped. I know the knot didnt break becasue i know how to tie numerous knots and have been fishing my whole life, so i switched to fire line and havent had a problem.....spiderwire sucks

I agree with Bfail. I was with him at the coast (Port A) when his spiderwire kept breaking. We both switched to fireline and have never had a problem since. I like the braid when fishing in light brush...I can usually pull the jig free from a hang up without breaking the line or losing my jig.

About your elbow, if you leave the drag set tight it braid will put a ton of pressure on your elbow for sure. Heck I couldn't even pick up a cup of coffee with that arm.

Power Pro is my braid of choice now. Started giving it a try last year and find it to be a good product.

I loveeeeeeee Spiderwire.... Want to give Power Pro a tryout also.

I've been using really light 8 or 10 pound braid for crappie / panfish. Casts a mile but can break. Sensitivity is great. If you are someone like me that isn't a great fisherman but tired of missing bites maybe you should tie it on. I have had to get good at untangling that stuff though.

Unless the braid is thick, you must have a mono leader with lures that have any sort of action to them.

For those that fish minnows in brush piles and don't cast, would be tempting to put on a very heavy braid. You don't lose the sensitivity with braid as much as you do with mono as you go up in width. The thicker line resolves many of the issues Guy points out. You aren't going to lose your rig either unless you cut the line .