[Keith White]

Why did you switch to braid from mono ?

I've completely revamped my arsenal of lines.

Mono for certain jobs, braid for far less work and fluorocarbon for mainline and leader work.

Without me prompting you, let me ask you why you use what you use ?

Was it fashionable, thought out or on recommendation ?

I personally think alot of people have gone braid mad and, not always to the good of their fishing.

 

[PeteB]

I switched from mono to braid last year after hearing its benefits redarding feedback from your lure and straight line pull stength. The marks round here are often rocky and very heavy with kelp. I use a 2 - 3 ft 30 lb mono leader for abrasion resistance on the rocks but will be switching to a 30lb fluro leader of the same length this year.

Since using braid I definately agree on the benifits mentioned above and my only prior concern was snapping off pulling out of rocky snags, which by using a leader, I haven't had any problems with.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Good question....
It was the switch from mostly bait to all lures that turned me to braid. That switch has been to the detriment of the number of fish I catch but I get more pleasure out of the ones I catch on lighter tackle, it's a quality thing. The braid gives me a more positive contact with the lure, that's it really. I always have a spool of mono but in the bag but never use it.

 

[Nick Phillips]

I recon that when I used to use 'clear' mono I used to get way more follow ins and hits than I do with braid.
When fishing for Highland Troot with lures I used to always use 4-6lbs clear mono and would get so so many followins etc.
Then I decided to change to Fireline in 10lbs as that was the only one worth bothering with in those days,the results were that casting was better and bit detection was better but follow ins and hits were well down,so I ended up going back to mono.
With saltwater lure fishing I am now sure that I used to see more action with follow ins and actual hits when I was using clear mono in 8-12lbs.
We all like the feed back that braid gives us and the benefits of its small diameter etc,but I recon I used to see more action on the mono.
This year when I start in April/May in saltwater I am going to spool up with some FC 10lbs and see what the results are for surface plugs and sub-surface etc.
I have just spooled up the Branzino with 15lbs .19 PP in yellow,,,,,Now I'm thinking 'mistake'.
I do this all the time putting line on and then stripping it off,,,Drives me crazy,I just cant cope with all these "important" desigeons (cant spell either,sorry).
On the braid rod RB270 I am going to increase the leader length to about 10 foot of the all new Seaguar softer leader material in 15lbs.
Was reading the other day about how FC works and also the 'problems' that it has when its scratched or 'nicked' on the surface.
When the surface is damaged (even scratched) the affected area "lights up" in the water and goes from being almost invisible to the damaged are glowing like a beacon under water,this is something to do with how the light passes through it under water etc.
YoZuri have actually started to tint their FC lines a Pink colour as this colour and red are the first colours to dissapear under water and they consider this way the best way to help make the damaged area dissapear.
I think my ideal line would be a FC line with very low stretch and a resonable diameter.
One of my Sage rods is semi ultralite (upto 14gms with a mega soft and fast tip) and I'm going to try a 10lbs FC main line on that and see if I get more follows and hits.
I think we all use braid because its so thin and that it dosn't stretch at all,,,,,,,,,,,but I think you may get more action with mono.

 

[Mark Sleep]

I'll wait for you to prove mono's worth to me Keith! I am thinking I cannot be shifted from braid atm. Even for in amongst the heavy stuff when abrasion could be a problem, I'd rather step up to some 30lb Fireline instead of mono.

 

[David Sharples]

I pretty much always use braid because it suits the applications I need it for at the moment. I fish for pike, perch and chub on lures but mainly pike, the others are by-catch or caught when I occasionally break out the light rod. I also do a lot of tropical lure fishing.

For pike I need the crisp connection that I get with braid and also the ability to set the hooks hard when the pike clamps down on the lure. It telegraphs the lure's action to me and tells me when I hit bottom, pick up weed, get a knock etc etc.

For tropical fishing you need the strength to diameter ratio and fishing mono in the same strengths on a fixed spool would be impossible.

I also fish for nile perch on lures at least once a year and this is one situation where braid isn't much good due to the poor abrasion resistance. In this instance i still use an 8000 size spin reel but i add a 30 foot topshot of tough mono to beat rocks and snags and to cope with the weed rafts that you get stuck on your line.

When I use braid I ALWAYS add either a mono or flouro shock leader of between 6 and 15 feet joined to my braid with an FG knot. The mono will help prevent braid breaks from shock load on a strike. We all know braid is very strong except when force is applied suddenly. The flouro leader is more when fishing for shy fish to increase strike rates. I can't fish braid straight to my lure ever solely for confidence reasons.

This year I'm going to try light 4lb flouro on my light plastics rod. I reckon that although braid is better for 90% of applications if I'm fishing a wacky worm or shakey head then the weight of the flouro line when shaking will enhance the effect on the lure. I also reckon I may try mono for fishing tiny cranks with small hooks. I reckon the stretch in it will help prevent hook pulls and allow the fish to get that much more of a purchase on the lure before it gets hooked.

 

[wjmoree]

Started using PE since it was marketed in the eighties, initially only for boatfishing. Main reasons: it has virtually no stretch and more important the same breaking strenght at lower diameters wich gives you an edge fishing deeper water with stronger currents in keeping contact with the bottom.

Started using it for shore based angling later on as well, and it can be a real pain in the *** sometimes for this type of fishing as it always seems to get stuck or tangled behind no matter what, so just out of curiosity tried fluocarbon as mainline last season, but only once… changed back to braid real quickly.

Personally I consider braid (dyneema) to be one of the major innovations in (sea)angling for decades!

 

[Dr.Thomas k]

just started to use Fluoro as leader for higher abrasion resistance for my braid. BRaid gives me the feeling, I can get more hanging plugs released than with mono, witch often snapped whilest trying to pull the plug.

TOm

 

[Keith White]

I switched from mono to braid last year after hearing its benefits redarding feedback from your lure and straight line pull stength. The marks round here are often rocky and very heavy with kelp. I use a 2 - 3 ft 30 lb mono leader for abrasion resistance on the rocks but will be switching to a 30lb fluro leader of the same length this year.

Use of a leader helps with plugging and, to some extent, jigs and soft lures.
Get in amongst it though and it too is disadvantaged.
Those that tie direct to braid really do run the risk of gill raker cut off's. One classic example was Mr Syvret on Henry's Jersey plugging slot.

Since using braid I definately agree on the benifits mentioned above and my only prior concern was snapping off pulling out of rocky snags, which by using a leader, I haven't had any problems with.

You might if you start fishing for Wrasse but, I take your point.

Good question....
It was the switch from mostly bait to all lures that turned me to braid. That switch has been to the detriment of the number of fish I catch but I get more pleasure out of the ones I catch on lighter tackle, it's a quality thing. The braid gives me a more positive contact with the lure, that's it really. I always have a spool of mono but in the bag but never use it.

Braid gives more contact. Fully agree. However, it has no shock resistance at all.

I recon that when I used to use 'clear' mono I used to get way more follow ins and hits than I do with braid.
When fishing for Highland Troot with lures I used to always use 4-6lbs clear mono and would get so so many followins etc.
Then I decided to change to Fireline in 10lbs as that was the only one worth bothering with in those days,the results were that casting was better and bit detection was better but follow ins and hits were well down,so I ended up going back to mono.
With saltwater lure fishing I am now sure that I used to see more action with follow ins and actual hits when I was using clear mono in 8-12lbs.
We all like the feed back that braid gives us and the benefits of its small diameter etc,but I recon I used to see more action on the mono.
This year when I start in April/May in saltwater I am going to spool up with some FC 10lbs and see what the results are for surface plugs and sub-surface etc.
I have just spooled up the Branzino with 15lbs .19 PP in yellow,,,,,Now I'm thinking 'mistake'.
I do this all the time putting line on and then stripping it off,,,Drives me crazy,I just cant cope with all these "important" desigeons (cant spell either,sorry).
On the braid rod RB270 I am going to increase the leader length to about 10 foot of the all new Seaguar softer leader material in 15lbs.
Was reading the other day about how FC works and also the 'problems' that it has when its scratched or 'nicked' on the surface.
When the surface is damaged (even scratched) the affected area "lights up" in the water and goes from being almost invisible to the damaged are glowing like a beacon under water,this is something to do with how the light passes through it under water etc.
YoZuri have actually started to tint their FC lines a Pink colour as this colour and red are the first colours to dissapear under water and they consider this way the best way to help make the damaged area dissapear.
I think my ideal line would be a FC line with very low stretch and a resonable diameter.
One of my Sage rods is semi ultralite (upto 14gms with a mega soft and fast tip) and I'm going to try a 10lbs FC main line on that and see if I get more follows and hits.
I think we all use braid because its so thin and that it dosn't stretch at all,,,,,,,,,,,but I think you may get more action with mono.

I agree. I get more hook ups over a season on mono when fishing clear, shallow water. Fluorocarbon will help me with those plugs that I need to work deeper.

I'll wait for you to prove mono's worth to me Keith! I am thinking I cannot be shifted from braid atm. Even for in amongst the heavy stuff when abrasion could be a problem, I'd rather step up to some 30lb Fireline instead of mono.

We obviously don't have all the answers yet but...you'll see what happens cause you'll be there. I reckon we can 'prove' fluorocarbon mainlines superior in certain circumstances.

I pretty much always use braid because it suits the applications I need it for at the moment. I fish for pike, perch and chub on lures but mainly pike, the others are by-catch or caught when I occasionally break out the light rod. I also do a lot of tropical lure fishing.

For pike I need the crisp connection that I get with braid and also the ability to set the hooks hard when the pike clamps down on the lure. It telegraphs the lure's action to me and tells me when I hit bottom, pick up weed, get a knock etc etc.

For tropical fishing you need the strength to diameter ratio and fishing mono in the same strengths on a fixed spool would be impossible.

I also fish for nile perch on lures at least once a year and this is one situation where braid isn't much good due to the poor abrasion resistance. In this instance i still use an 8000 size spin reel but i add a 30 foot topshot of tough mono to beat rocks and snags and to cope with the weed rafts that you get stuck on your line.

When I use braid I ALWAYS add either a mono or flouro shock leader of between 6 and 15 feet joined to my braid with an FG knot. The mono will help prevent braid breaks from shock load on a strike. We all know braid is very strong except when force is applied suddenly. The flouro leader is more when fishing for shy fish to increase strike rates. I can't fish braid straight to my lure ever solely for confidence reasons.

This year I'm going to try light 4lb flouro on my light plastics rod. I reckon that although braid is better for 90% of applications if I'm fishing a wacky worm or shakey head then the weight of the flouro line when shaking will enhance the effect on the lure. I also reckon I may try mono for fishing tiny cranks with small hooks. I reckon the stretch in it will help prevent hook pulls and allow the fish to get that much more of a purchase on the lure before it gets hooked.

We'll use mono for up in the water, braid for weed ripping and flipping into weeded cover but FC for rocky area's and for HRF. Braid LRF open water and 5lb FC for LRF in amongst the stones.
Mono becomes weaker when wet. spray 100% silicone onto your mono spool a few hours before fishing. It casts better, handles better and holds it's knot strength. Seriously, it does.
Doesn't work on fluorocarbon because it's not so absorbent. However: FC line treatments exist to do a similar job.

Started using PE since it was marketed in the eighties, initially only for boatfishing. Main reasons: it has virtually no stretch and more important the same breaking strenght at lower diameters wich gives you an edge fishing deeper water with stronger currents in keeping contact with the bottom.

Started using it for shore based angling later on as well, and it can be a real pain in the *** sometimes for this type of fishing as it always seems to get stuck behind no matter what, so out of curiosity tried fluocarbon as my mainline last season, but only once… changed back to braid real quickly.

Personally I consider braid (dyneema) to be one of the major innovations in (sea)angling for decades!

Yes, braid does have a place.
However, the US pro circuit and now the Japanese (sea and freshwater Bass) are seeing a turn to multiple lines for specific tasks.

Brilliant replies so far guys. Good to read.

 

[Mark Sleep]

Off topic, but for anyone after some PP, scroll down to right near the bottom, not bad... http://www.snowbee.co.uk/fly-fishing/2010-warehouse-clearance-sale/

 

[Gary A]

Nice one Mark, pretty good prices there.

I started using braid (13kgPP) about a year ago with my Quantum and Shimano 4000 and have been overjoyed with braid ever since. Next, I put 13kg PP on my 8000 baitrunner and light bass rod and think that's great too. I've felt so many more bites since using braid (and hated the softness of mono whilst swapping back to my other spools), that I can't see me ever going back. I've now got at least one spool on each reel (and beleive me there's quite a few) loaded with various braid from 30 down to 10lb.

Bait fishing from piers last summer, I used my quantum mostly and probably increased my catch rate about 5fold!

That said, Tufline from Monster Tackle looks pretty good if the stated diameter is correct.

 

[Dave Irving]

Braid, for me it is the feedback from the lure. I want to feel what the lure is doing. Shock resistance- I am lost on that one!! I have been hit by tuna, king mackerel, tarpon, jack crevelle whilest reeling, no issues with shock/impact breakages. As long as the drag on the reel is set right-never will either. To be able to feel the lure brush weed (which is hidden beneath the surface), is everything to me. I fish 1.2PE at the moment, but I am looking to drop to 1PE this summer, plenty of strength.
I use about 3-4 foot of 15-25lb fluro leader Seaguar hard compound by choice, why?? Because I have out fished guys using normal mono's three to one with this set up. If it passes tunas heightened senses, then I doubt bass will ever spot it.
Like Mark, it will take ALOT of evidence before I switch back to mono-I remember those pre braid days only to well.

 

[Keith White]

but I am looking to drop to 1PE this summer, plenty of strength.

Daiwa Morethan PE #1 = 16lb !

 

[Dave Irving]

I know Keith, Crazy breaking strength. It is more a case of how a braid of that diameter handles, rather than the strength. Lets be honest, I doubt you could put 3lb of drag on a plugging rod with risking a break.