# Braids vs Mono



## Anthony Sisk (Mar 6, 2009)

Im thinking about using braid on some of my rods.I currently use mono.Can any one give me the pros and cons.Braids are expensive- so what im saying is it worth it.


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## Bubba (Mar 6, 2009)

I would say it is definetly worth it. About all I use anymore is braid. Its so much easier to manage, you don't have to deal with all the line twist or coiling related with mono. Excellent sensitivity. And as far as cost, A 300yd spool of braid, will fill two average bass reels full(with using some sort of cheap mono backing, which is recommended anyway to prevent slippage on the spool). Plus, braid lasts forever. It will last you a full season without ever having to re-spool through the season. Then at the beginning of the next season, reverse your line(where the bottom line is on the top, and the top is on the bottom) and you have another season using the same line without having to buy new. 

This also depends on the brand of braid you buy. I prefer power pro, although i've not really tried much else, I haven't really had any reason to steer away from power pro. And you rarely hear any negatives about Power Pro line.


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## BassAddict (Mar 6, 2009)

I love braid, and IMO it pays for itself after just a few snags that would have claimed your lure if you were using mono. This stuff is super tough, I often end up straighten out hooks before the line snaps. As Bubba says Power Pro is great stuff, but i believe it takes a back seat to suffix performance braid.

Edit: Also watch what rods you use braid with, on my el cheap-o BPS tournament rods it grooved up the guides but it did not groove up myextreme rod with Fuji guides.


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## shootisttx (Mar 6, 2009)

Braid is great for many applications, but if you need any kind of stretch in your line, or need your line to float (working topwaters, etc.) use mono. It has served us well for a long time, is much improved over the years, and is cheap. Mono still has a place, just depends what kind of performance you are looking for.


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## Anthony Sisk (Mar 6, 2009)

what about fish seeing it?anybody had a problem with that?


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## BassAddict (Mar 6, 2009)

pitdog said:


> what about fish seeing it?anybody had a problem with that?



I would not worry about fish seeing it, I think this bothers the angler more than the fish. If you are that concerned about it, you can tie on a flouro leader or use a black sharpie to black out 5 feet of it.


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## slim357 (Mar 6, 2009)

BassAddict said:


> As Bubba says Power Pro is great stuff, but i believe it takes a back seat to suffix performance braid


What when did this happen. I actually bought a spool of power pro the other day because of how you bubba and some other guys talked it up so much. If suffix is better than this stuff must be garbage :lol: , just my opinion after trying the suffix last year. As far as braid vs mono Im an all mono guy. I dont know if fish can see the braid or not but I cant see how they couldn't, to me its like fishing with rope.


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## BassAddict (Mar 6, 2009)

slim357 said:


> BassAddict said:
> 
> 
> > As Bubba says Power Pro is great stuff, but i believe it takes a back seat to suffix performance braid
> ...



Power Pro is great stuff, but as I have been saying since last year in my posts I prefer Suffix over PP


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## Bubba (Mar 6, 2009)

I usually tie about a 10-12ft mono/floro(usually 8lb test or so, depending on the application) leader onto the end of my line. I don't honestly know if the fish seeing it is a big issue, but its just something I do. Gives me peace of mind I guess...haha. When tying this long of a leader, you can usually use it for quite sometime before you get back down to the braid, as i've never had an issue with the braid breaking...and I use a uni-to-uni knot when tying on the leader, never had a problem with this either as long as its tied properly.


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## Nickk (Mar 6, 2009)

I love braid because of the lack of stretch. I need to use more fluorocarbon as leaders this year. Fluorcarbon is also more abrasion resistant so it performs better in rocks where you risk breaking off with braid. That being said I primarily use braid, 4/15 PowerPro for spinning, and 20-40 lb PP or Suffix for baitcasters.


Braid:

Pros:
-no stretch(at all....really you can feel everything)
-great in vegetation
-floats

Cons:
-opaque(does that matter? I don't know, I think it does in really clear water)
-not good in rocks
-digs into itself on the spool and that can cause backlash/snap offs
-floats
-loses color(older PowerPro did this really quick)


3 of those downsides can be overcome by running fluorocarbon leader


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## jkbirocz (Mar 6, 2009)

I only use braid, and sufix is my first choice, with powerpro in second. Flouro leaders are a must in moving water to help the bait sink more naturally. I also use them in clear water. So much better than mono, I could never go back to using it.


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## Anthony Sisk (Mar 6, 2009)

sounds like everyone likes the braid.im going to be doing alot of jig fishing this year which is also a first.the braid sounds like it will be good in the heavy structure i am gonna be fishin.


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 6, 2009)

pitdog said:


> sounds like everyone likes the braid.im going to be doing alot of jig fishing this year which is also a first.the braid sounds like it will be good in the heavy structure i am gonna be fishin.



Do not do it - once you start with braid it will lead to a massive bait monkey attack.

You will start being able to cast much further, throw lighter lures, feel every bite that you miss and have to get even more lures


It is a vicious cycle!


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## natetrack (Mar 6, 2009)

I use Power Pro Red on everything I have. You can feel every little rock and weed your lure hits, great for those subtle walleye bites. For walleye and pike I use a 6ft mono leader to deal with those toothy monsters.


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## SMDave (Mar 6, 2009)

Power Pro for me, I hear Suffix is some amazing stuff though!

As long as your not fishing in gin-clear water, visibility should not be a problem. Digging into the spool is a problem, but that can be eliminated by lining the spool with mono first, and then braid. In fact, I like to put a pretty good amount of mono on there as backing to 1) eliminate digging caused by un-backed braid, and 2) So I can put braid on more reels (it is expensive for a little amount)

It is *not* the ideal line for reaction baits or baits with treble hooks like spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, hard jerkbaits, crankbaits, topwater plugs, etc. as it's low stretch will cause you to overreact and literally rip the hook from the fish's mouth. I don't even really like it for frogging. Many people do, but I never fish extremely heavy cover and also I react way too quickly with braid. On the other hand, mono's elasticity will reduce the impact and will not rip the hook out from the fish's mouth. 

It will take you some time to get used to the zero stretch of braid. You will have to learn not the swing for the fences when you set the hook; instead a flick of the wrist will suffice. Also, as a result of the zero stretch, no vibrations are lost meaning sensitivity is AMAZING. I mean you can now tell the difference between gravel and sand bottom.

Braid is a synthetic, nylon fiber so it will fray very easily against sharp or coarse surfaces like rocks, so it is not the greatest line for fishing in rocks and rip rap. It's abrasion resistance is otherwise very impressive. 

Keep in mind braid floats so using it weightless with senkos isn't a great idea unless you like topwater/SUPER-SLOW sinking.

So, as you know, braid's tensile strength vs. diameter is incredibly thinner than that of mono and fluoro, meaning you can throw lighter lures, and put more on your spool. For example, the equivalent of a .010" diameter mono (6lb. test) in braid would be around the 20lb. mark. This being said, you can use a LOT more line of an equivalent or greater tensile strength. But, braid doesn't come cheap, so I fill about 1/3 of the spool with mono backing first, and then braid. You can add or decrease the amount of mono to your preference. Keep in mind that more mono on one reel will mean more braid for another reel.

Lastly, because braid is super strong (10x stronger than steel), no-stretch, and square in profile it can easily cut skin under tension. So if you get snagged and you want to pull, do NOT use your reel (you WILL break the drag), and certainly DO NOT use your hands to pull the line as it will most definitely cut through your skin. Wrap it around a solid object like a stick and pull.

But because of this, it is great for fishing in weeds as it will simply cut through the weeds with ease. It also is great for fishing timber because in the event you do get hung up in a branch, you can easily snap it.

And to address the problem of the coating coming off, YES it does come off very easily (at least for PowerPro) but I do not notice a difference in catchability, nor do other users. If it does bother you, you can always just run in through the tip of a black sharpie marker. Supposedly black is even less visible than green (good for fishing, bad for line watching).


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## SMDave (Mar 6, 2009)

Oh, also, it lasts almost forever so you don't have to worry about changing it every season.


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## jkbirocz (Mar 6, 2009)

I personally feel that regardless of baits being used braid is the best choice. I don't throw a lot of crankbaits, but if I did I would probably use mono or flouro for them, but that is it. You just have to train yourself not to react like a maniac as soon as you feel the strike, which when using braid will be a lot sooner than when using mono. I love it for hard jerkbaits with a flouro leader, I swear you can feel the fish breathing on the bait. The way I see it is, you can't catch the fish if you can't feel the fish. With that being said I know a lot of people that hate it, but it is definately worth a try. 

The main different between sufix and power pro is the coating. I hate power pro's coating, it is very waxy. The coating on sufix is very slick, almost like a teflon coated feeling.


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## redbug (Mar 8, 2009)

I don't use braid I tried it and never liked it I do think that in clear water it hurts your fishing 
adding a leader? just another spot on the line that could fail. 
I know i am in the minority here but hey just want to let you know some people still use mono
I am a big fan of IZORE line and McCoy mean green

Wayne


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## ilinimud (Mar 8, 2009)

Im with redbug on this one. I bought some 50lb Power Pro, and now i dont even know if i will use it. I used it with mono yesterday, and the mono was SO much smoother. I know braid has a place for me, i just dont know what it is yet. If i started pitching jigs, and fishing heavy cover a lot i think i would try again. But now that i am using mostly lipless cranks, cranks, and worms, along with a few spinnerbaits and topwater i need mono.

To be honest i used Floro for my Cranks yesterday and it broke off on the cast, and handled like wire!! I am very upset with only liking mono, but its all i can say i feel does thr job.


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## FishinsMyLife (Mar 8, 2009)

I use braid for everything except swimbaits now. Suffix is the best I have used. I still cross the fish's eyes when I set the hook. My hook up ratio when fishing jigs and frogs has gone up a lot since I started using braid. 

Once you get used to braid, I think it is the best for nearly all applications. When cranking, use an actual cranking rod. You won't pull the bait away. Once you feel the fish, the braid's lack of stretch allows the hooks to penetrate better than mono (IMO).

The float of braided line makes no difference at all on the action or sink rate of senkos. Get your line to break the surface tension of the water with a jerk. No way does braid change how fast a senko sinks. Those things weigh way too much for braid to make the least bit of difference.

You learn a lot more about any type of fishing by getting out there and experimenting than you could ever learn by reading on the internet. I'm speaking from experience on all of this. Get some braid if you're in the mood for feeling more bites and catching more fish. If you don't like it, send it to me :lol:


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## jkbirocz (Mar 8, 2009)

50lb braid is way too heavy imo. I use 30lb on my frog rod and fish some serious cover in the summer. 10-20lb on everything else. I have never broken a fish off on a leader knot, and when I break off on snags it is rarely at the leader knot, it is generally at the bait. I use a uni to uni knot for the leader and a palomar to the bait. If you are not using a leader with the braid, be sure to use a palomar knot, as many other knots will pull through. 

I don't care if anyone else uses braid, it is all preference and what type of waters you fish.


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## skoonce (Mar 11, 2009)

We hoisted 3 7ft gators in the boat a few years ago using 50lb spider wire. Im a mono man myself but the braid is super strong.
S. Koonce


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## ilinimud (Mar 12, 2009)

Well i bought some P Line Flouroclear today. Hopefully i will like it!


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## Fish Monger (Apr 14, 2009)

1) I use 20# or 30# Superbraid casting for Stripers. I tie on the equivalent pound flourocarbon leader, about 20' - 40'.
2) I also use 20# Superbraid on a reel using Downriggers trolling for Trout. Here I use about 100' of fluorocarbon leader, a little lighter, about 8# to 12#.

One tip I have been told is to start filling your reel with mono/flouro first, tying in the Superbraid on top, and then finishing off with the leader (if a leader is for you). Supposedly it will aid in the Superbraid not "biting" into itself under high tension, which I used to have a problem with when I first started using it.


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