Mono Vs Braid Lines

[fulsik]

Hey Raiders

Time for me to upgrade line and been reading the advantages and disadvantages of Braid lines. Looking for approx 5kg on my rod/reel combo . Information below is from sites I have browsed.

Advantages

- Feel every touch in the water

- Strong and smaller diameter

- No stretch

- Suitable for fast taper rods only

Disadvanges

- Line buries into spool

- Hard to setup drag after using mono line for years

- You need to run a mono leader (defeats the purpose of no stretch)

- Cuts hands and guide

Is any of the above true ?

Experiences ?

cheers

[kbark]

Low diameter and no stretch is great for softplastics at any depth and also deep water jigging or bait fishing. Also great when you need to fit more line on your reel. You do need mono backing and a leader. Line digging into the spool is a problem but can be avoided by packing the line tightly. That said, some reels are better suited to braid than others.

The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages for certain applications. What kind of fishing will you doing?

Run a search of this forum and you'll find plent more info.

[Richie]

Advantages

- Feel every touch in the water

- Strong and smaller diameter

- No stretch

This is correct, you will cast alot further as well.

- Suitable for fast taper rods only

I've never heard this for braid. I've heard this for casting SP's though.

- Line buries into spool

This can happen if you don't wind the line on the reel with a bit of resistance (like a fish on the other end ). I've never had a problem with it.

- Hard to setup drag after using mono line for years

This sounds like something someone would say to justify not making the switch.

- You need to run a mono leader (defeats the purpose of no stretch)

20m of mono has a lot of stretch, 2m has very little. If you're worried, just use the crystal fireline.

- Cuts hands and guide

Possible I guess on handlines and cheap rods. I have a rod with ceramic guides from the 80's that handles braid well. Most reputable rods these days come with decent guides. Even if you do have a cheapie, it cost little to change the guides yourself.

Personally I made the switch to braid and was awesomely surprised. But in the end it is all about what you feel comfortable doing. There is no need to justify it. The best advice is to try it for a while and if you don't like, go back. Same could be said for alot of things really.

Cheers mate,

Richie.

EDIT: Fixed up quoting

Edited October 2, 2007 by Richie

[sanger]

Hey mate,

Ive only just started using braid as i couldn't tie any knots that would stop braid from slipping but i finally got of my ass and learnt a uni knot which just so happens to be really easy to tie anyway and i wish i knew it long ago. The first thing you will notice with braid is the first cast you do with a small 10g slug for instance will go about another 1/2 the distance than you are used to casting!!!! This is because of the diameter of the line being alot smaller for the same breaking strain, and i think braid just comes off a spool easier for some reason to.

Also you need a little bit of strech in you fishing system otherwise you will lose alot of fish by pulled hooks etc, i know this is what drags and flex in the rod are for but it will still happen!

I still prefer to use mono on all my big rods that i use for trolling because a little flex seems to help lure presentation but all my small rods i think will soon become braid. Also if you were planing on fishing from the rock i would still prefer mono because it has more abrasion resistance than braid. While jigging briad is definitely a must as the strech of mono would be counteractin the jigging action you are imparting on the lure.

So basically what im trying to say is it completely depends on what you plan to do while fishing!!!!! Get out there and try some to rather than just listening to what everyone else thinks cause you can always go back to mono if you find you dont like it!

[scrat rat]

Hi All,

SP,s tossing lures, jigging, bottom bouncing (less bow in line) I go braid like it heaps better for reason listed above.

Trolling and after tuna etc or cubing (sometimes) go the mono, as find strech in mono is nice in these applications.

so chose what you want to fish for and chose your option mono or braid.

thats my experience

[Webby]

I agree with the first three advantages plus with FISHLEXIC that you can cast further.

As for the disadvantges...

Disadvanges

- Line buries into spool

I guess, if you spool incorrectly

- Hard to setup drag after using mono line for years

That's called learning. I haven't had a problem with this, but then again I've only been taking fishing seriously for about 2-3 years

- You need to run a mono leader (defeats the purpose of no stretch)

Yes

- Cuts hands and guide

Don't know about this - but I've never experienced it

I like braid overall but one MAJOR disadvantage that I've found is that if you get it caught up in some weed it tangles like nothing else and is a major pain in the bum to untangle!! So don't get it tangled!!

Edited October 3, 2007 by Webby

[zook2001]

Some early braids contained Kevlar fibre and would grove guides however any current guide such as aluminium oxide or hardalloy is fine. I still like mono for my trout fishing but the rest of my reels have braid nowadays.

[Mondo Rock]

Rule of thumb is that braid is significantly superior for fishing with lures but not particularly advantageous when fishing bait.

Once you've used braid for the type of cast and retrieve fishing associated with lure flicking you'll find it very hard to go back to mono. I certainly wouldn't dream of spooling my SP reels with anything other than braid these days.