Full disclosure... I fish with mono. Always have. Always a brand name - typically Trilene. I have never had any of the "high tech" lines on my reels, even though that's all one of my canoe tripping buddies ever uses (and he likes it - Fireline, I think).

My fishing prowess will never cause me to be confused with Al Lindner or his brethren, but I'm far from a novice. For fishing line, it's just always been mono.

Here's what I like:
1. It's forgiving.
2. Yes, it stretches, but that's seldom (if ever) been a problem (at least as far as I can tell).
3. I think it's pretty sensitive line.
4. It's resilient jigging in rocks.
5. I think the stretch helps me dislodge snags.
6. Tying knots is easy. Doesn't tend to slice my hands.
7. Certainly, the price is better than the high tech lines.

I'm the sales manager for our company. I make a living on educating customers on "value-add" - the value of buying something better vs. inexpensive or 'cheap'. Usually, it's a pay-me-now or pay-me-later situation. With our products, I can very easily justify to the customer the value of spending the few extra dollars. They truly get what they pay for.

Why should I buy a high tech line when I don't think I need it?

By the way, on our canoe trips, we're fishing walleyes, northerns and smallies.

I'm more of a mono guy, too. Trilene mainly because it's a good and popular line so never any old line sitting on the shelf for a year or so. I use 8# XL on up and 20# XT on my tip up pike leaders, which I refer over fluorocarbon because it is so stiff.

I do use Power Pro 50# on my modest musky equipment.

I’ve tried some of the hi-tech lines, and I always come back to mono. It’s the best value for me. I fish the same fish you do plus lakers. I also fish salmon in Alaska. I’m done with the other lines. My reels are spooled with 10 or 6 lb, depending on use.

i have reels with all different types and I like them all -- some are just better than others at doing certain things, that's all.

For example, jackfish -- you said trilene is "pretty sensitive." That may be true. The thing is, Fireline is "REALLY sensitive" by comparison. I can have 150 feet of fireline or a similar braided line out behind the boat, trolling for walleye or lake trout or whatever. The sensitivity of that line translates the action and vibration of a flicker shad so well that I can visually see it in the rod tip, and feel it in the butt of the rod. When that tip goes dead I know immediately that my lure is fouled. Because of the lack of stretch in the line, may times I can simply
"rip" forward a few times and lose whatever foliage I've picked up. Otherwise, I can quickly reel in, fix the lure, and get it back out in front of fish. This translates to more efficient trolling, not wasting your time pulling around a leaf, etc.

Another benefit would be the smaller diameter of braided line compared to mono of the same test strength. This means I can use a smaller, more comfortable reel and still get the amount of line I want spooled up.

Another difference would be casting distance.

Again -- nothing wrong with mono, I use it an awful lot. But there are trade-offs either way. My 2 cents anyway.

braid for deep, deep jigging and sometimes pulling cranks, mono for all else. I personally catch more fish on mono.

Well it sounds like mono works good for you—probably not worth changing.

Benefits of braid.
Significantly longer casting distance
Better hook set in deeper water or long cast
Sensitivity is way better than mono
Smaller diameter you can get deeper trolling or get deeper with less line out or use a smaller crank bait and allow it to get deeper allowing a different presentation
Smaller diameter can use a smaller high quality reel—less fatigue or lighter on portages (I am an ounce or gram counter though some wouldn’t notice a difference—-I can though)
More resistant to nicks and cuts—lose less fish, lose less jigs. I rarely lose a jig or crankbait since switching to braid. Can just pull them out.
More resilient you can use braid longer. In the long run it has been cheaper for me. I don’t replace line as much.

There is a bay where we catch walleyes in the evening 20-25 inches. You have to anchor and do long casts or you will spook them. We always did well but once I switched to braid I outfished my Dad and brothers 5 to 1 sometimes 10 to 1, until they switched to braid. If there is any wind and you have that walleye bite your jig out further away you can’t feel it and set the hook fast enough—-I don’t care how good you are, you will miss them more often than not.

I think a lot of times it doesn’t matter, sometimes it is a really big deal. Probably both both ways though.

T

Clear Trilene XL for everything... 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, whatever the situation calls for. Good stuff.

I take one rod w braid and one w mono. Have a backup and use what is best in each situation. Fluorocarbon leader (the good flyfishing leader spool) on the braid via a small swivel. Makes tying knots easier.

I use both mono and braid (and some fluoro) in different situations. Trolling lindy rigs for walleye, for some reason I like mono w/ fluoro leader. I've never had as good of luck with braid main line even though it's got better feel.

Braid on all our baitcasters going for bass, northern, etc. Pretty even split between mono and braid on "do-all" spinning rods we take to the BW or use in rivers here in IA.

You're telling me you can tell that your rod weighs an ounce or two more depending on line?

Andrew100...There was a typo in my post. I fixedI meant smaller reel not feel. No you can use a lighter/smaller reel because the diameter is smaller you can get the same amount of line with the same pound test on a smaller reel. Yes I can feel the difference. Not everyone can, but I might fish 12 hours—if ya don’t fish much you won’t notice.

See the gildedgophers post he explains it better.

T

pete, i too have used low vis green trilene, most of my fishing life. numerous trips to quetico there was, and still to this day , 4 lb xt is found on my spinning reels, with smallies close to 6 lb's brought in and released. ( check out cbo"s website, you will see pic's of a few, trip stories, titles, walter).
the only time i like using fireline is if i am trolling for lakers with spoons, or cranks.
i have a designated baitcaster set up for that purpose only, which i will use for topwater for smallies. even still, i use a small diameter fireline, oh 8 lb. test, which diameter is probably about a 4 i guess.
i will continue to use trilene. it works.

Just tools. Give me braid for big, heavy lures that have large hooks which need maximum force to set. Give me braid for long casts. Give me braid for fishing in swift current. Give me braid for deep jigging. Give me braid for getting crank baits deeper. Give me braid for fishing thick cover or top water. Give me braid for backcountry salt water fishing up in the bushes.

Give me mono for clear water applications. Give me mono for open water situations with few snags. Give me mono for still water. Give me mono for finesse applications, light lines and little hooks. Give me mono when I want a bit of stretch.

I have used mono and seriously dominated catches against several others using braid. But the reverse can be said as well. It all depends on the situation and it's the wise and versatile angler who understands when and where to use a type of line.

Benefits? Cheap and stretchy for crankbaits. That’s about it. The worlds not flat and there are better options for CATCHING fish. Consider this.....why in the world would anyone spend good money on a good rod with improved sensitivity to use line with the most elasticity (stretch) on the market? Kind of an oxymoron eh? Doesn’t make sense to me either. Give braid tipped with floro or straight floro an honest try and you won’t look back. Seriously.

Tim, what is your braid of choice, and is there one for clear water?

Good thread! Lots of food for thought here. I've also been perfectly content with various types mono (some issues with trilene XT one one Q trip, always fine with trilene XL), but given all the different applications and conditions, it'd be kind of silly for me not to rig one of my many reels with a couple of these different lines. Think I'll give it a shot!

The color of braid is irrelevant. Most braid users prefer bright colors so they can see it better. For any finnes and/or clear water fishing you should tie a 6' tippet of floro or mono on the end. That is why the color of the braid is not important. I know what your thinking but, it's worth the extra knot you tie once or twice/ day. You won't re-tie until the tippet is less than 3' +/-. I use a double uni knot and is simply doesn't fail. The FG knot is also very good I have just tied so many double uni knot its fast for me. Promise you won't look back.

I use braid for most everything...for many of the reasons already mentioned. I do have a few set-ups with mono, but for the way I fish most of the time in the BW/Q, braid tends to work better. Your mileage may vary.

I will chip in here that I like braid for all the reasons that have been mentioned; smaller diameter, far more sensitive, cheaper in the long run, better hook sets etc. I like to use the 8 strand or even 16 strand braids over the old original 3 and 4 strand braids for better abrasion resistance, longevity etc.

Something that hasn't been mentioned but I use it often is fluorocarbon for a mainline. Mono has about 25% elasticity, braid although not 0% or it would be brittle is in the single digits of elasticity and flouro has around 12% elasticity.

Flouro fishes like mono, similar diameter, same knots and knot tying ability, but is much more abrasion resistant, (mono if you look at it under magnification is structured like swiss cheese and has air pockets which makes it more prone to breaking easier, whereas flouro is solid and more dense which acts like a ripstop fabric when it receives nicks) For the same reason mono floats mono floats more, (good for surface presentations) and flouro sinks faster, better for jigging.

Flouro has almost the same refractive index as water so is virtually invisible in the water, whereas Mono is fiberoptic and transfers light. Flouro doesn't break down in UV light like mono does so it lasts a lot longer and ends up being more economical, flouro has less stretch for better hooks sets.

Again as previously stated there are many tools in a tool box. Again my basic reasons for using Braid or flouro over mono are performance and long term value for the dollar. I really only use mono in surface use applications any more.

I reread Jackfish's post and another factor is fishing in rocks, whereas mono rips easily, flouro holds together and is abrasion resistant.

I remember back when Sturgeon Bay started getting zebra muscles and the pro fishermen were cutting off a section of mono and retying line every 15 minutes. I remember the first ones to switch to fluorocarbon and it was revealed after consistently winning tournaments that they could fish much longer without retying, which meant they could keep their bait in the water much longer and weren't losing as many fish because of frayed line.

I know we aren't tournament fisherman, but the physics is the same and I would argue the percentages are the same as well.

HowardSprague: "Good thread! Lots of food for thought here. I've also been perfectly content with various types mono (some issues with trilene XT one one Q trip, always fine with trilene XL), but given all the different applications and conditions, it'd be kind of silly for me not to rig one of my many reels with a couple of these different lines. Think I'll give it a shot!"

It is a good thread. I tried braid years ago and didn't like how it would tangle because it was so limp. I also tried fluoro and didn't like how my knots would unravel, but I think I need to try both again and upgrade my skill set

Good points about flouro. It sure does get expensive filling up entire spools with it, though.

bwcasolo: "Tim, what is your braid of choice, and is there one for clear water?"

Suffix 832 is my favorite. Fire line is good too. I like a bright color with a flouro leader.

If you really want to cast far nanobraid suffix or trilene but you need to be careful of wind knots.

T

Trielne xl mono is what I use most of the time and it works great for me . The only time
I use a super line is when I’m using some kind of bottom bouncer I will have fireline up to the bait walker then mono from the swivel to the hook it’s a super sensitive rig that is still forgiving .