braid or mono

[tugger]

i fell i'm out dated sometimes when that out of all my rods i don't use braid on any of them . i use sensitive tips on most of my rods and don't fish deep or use soft plastics so i don't see the point in using braid . i also found that if you have braid on your rods and i'm using mono out of the same boat you get more tangles so i like to ask my deckies to consider using my gear . from what i've learnt braid doesn't handle going over rocks or reef but there must be advantages with it or it wouldn't be so popular . does any keen fisho here only use mono line anymore?

mark

[wittyfishin]

interesting post

i too would like to hear from the more experienced fishos on here as i have onyl just started using braid myself.

[nadders]

well, since most of my fishing is lure chucking i'm much more suited to braid. the stretch and lack of sensitivity with mono won't cut it for me when its necessary to strike and set the hook almost instantly alot of the time when a fish hits a lure

also, mono stretch in some of the places i fish can lead to bustoffs around rocks/pilons etc in short order whereas with braid i can reef them out without giving any ground

for other applications like baitfishing for big fish i can appreciate the advantages mono has, but i guess i just feel more comfortable in any casting situation (even lighter baiting work as i like to be able to feel exactly whats going on) using braid

[tugger]

i guess bait fishing appeals to me more as you know nadders throwing a lure around i do rarely but i get serious about bait presentation and probably do just as much work rebaiting lines etc

[nadders]

yeah its all horses for courses, and trolling baits like you do for mackerel etc takes more setup & effort than trolling lures too

with the bait fishing you do for macks and other big fish braid won't give an advantage at all

[Joel Eadie]

braid cant handle much abrasion so if trolling on reefs it may not be as good but otherwise it provides much more sensitivity and the lack of stretch is a real benifit

[Gad]

tugger wrote:

i fell i'm out dated sometimes when that out of all my rods i don't use braid on any of them . i use sensitive tips on most of my rods and don't fish deep or use soft plastics so i don't see the point in using braid . i also found that if you have braid on your rods and i'm using mono out of the same boat you get more tangles so... . does any keen fisho here only use mono line anymore?

mark

me too tugger,

I relate fully to what you have have posted,i fish estuary/river/creek systems and beach/surf areas.I fish,bait and HB`s(probably 60-40% ratio)depending on how leisurely or/and what the plan of the outing is about.

my older lads fish braid,and tell me the advantages of fishing with braid,like you i notice they seem to get (at times) more tangles.

I do not beleive I miss any more hook up opportunities than they do,fishing the same cicumstances.

Technology keeps bringing new things onto the market,but one thing I`ve noticed is you still have to compromise on one thing to gain on the other.

cheers Gad

[mick fillet]

I tried braid along time ago I thought it was great till caught a fish on it. I brought the fish up boat side and wraped the line around the hand once maby twice to hold the fish whilst i lift it in the boat and the 40lb braid cut right into me. At the time I was using an okuma spin set up. I looked at the reel some time after all this had happened and noticed all this fluff built up around the bail arm guide roller and it had stoped the roller from working.I said to myself this stuff this crap and never used braid again. It could have just been a crappy type of braid that I was using but I will always be a mono man.On the other hand my mate wes uses braid and he loves the stuff and he does alright keeping bigger fish conected to it aswell.

I still have the braid its on a hand reel and is attached to a kite for when I go to the park on windy days about all its good for I reckon :laugh:

[harfish]

I did a lot of trolling around snags for barramundi using a baitcaster. First impressions was great i could fell ever bump. However after many tangles i went back to mono.It was easier to untangle. Also lost a great deal of lures as they hit the snags hard with the braid. With the mono i found i was able to back up and float the lure off easier. Also found i held the barras on more often if they decided to come out of the water more than usual.

Maybe i was used to the stretch of mono and adjusted my fishing acordingly.

[HookedOnTackle]

the only thing stopping me from using braid on my bait outfit (the only one still with mono) is the fiddly double knots to keep a sinker above the swivel but off the braid/fireline and the expense. i've used bait on my sp rig before and caught fish and the added sensitivity is great. as well as the longer casts from the beach.

Mick, use a good length of mono or fc trace and that allows you to get a good grip on the line without turning your hand into garrotte practice.

the added line capacity, casting distance, ease of sinking in current... all these make me go to braid. the tangles can be managed when you know what causes them or avoid crossing lines.

[mick fillet]

hooked on tackle thats some good advice there but I never use a trace float lining. the line just goes straight to the hook with a running weight to suit the current I dont use swivels either float lining it makes the bait turn and twist back up the main line as well.

But what got to me was all that fluffy fibre from the braid coming off over the reel whats the go with that.

[nadders]

depends on the type of braid, most braids are coated and when brand new excess coating is worn off, shouldnt cause any problems at all though

[Feral]

I prefer mono to braid when bait fishing as well, but I do so little of it I dont bother, just make do with the braid. Braid works fine for bait fishing, but gee you go through a lot of leader! Generally I use an extra long leader with mono, by the time you put a paternoster in it you have lost a lot of length!

I find braid gives you a lot more distance casting than mono.

[wesfish]

if i fish mono i use 2-4kgs in clear for lures and bait plus i recently set up an 8kg mono out fit for off shore stuff! in the clearer water i find mono the best by far, but in murkier water i like the braid ! i love the sound of braid singing through the guides :laugh: i have landed some great fish on 20-30lb braid nearly all my pb's have been taken using braid on a 3500btr ! a small out fit with 20-30lb braid that has taken the punishment thrown at it! but recently i have switched back to mono for my baitfishing and the mono rod has outfished the braid rods 10 fish to 1 ! i have also started using mono for sp's again, straight 3kg pretest for tiny sp's and light jig heads works great!

at the end of the day both mono and braid have uses for me in every different fishing location