Braided Line Or Flurocarbon/monofilament Line?

[Ob20]

Hi guys, just wondering what the difference is between the main three types of fishing line and which one is the best.

I have had good luck with the braided line with it never snapping, letting me catch pretty big murray cod.

Should i be using a different type of line, because i see alot of people not using braided line?

It might just be more expensive.

Cheers, 

 

[samsteele115]

Braid Pros: Has a thinner diameter for its breaking strain allowing for longer casts.

Has very little stretch allowing for greater sensitivity for bites and to turn fish quicker, also more effective for working lures. 

Has no 'memory' off the spool therefore travelling through guides with less resistance= longer casts. 

Easy to see your line.

Braid cons: very poor abbrasion resistance and highly visible to fish.

Must use flouro or mono leader when using braid.

Must take more care in preserving braided lines (avoid rubbing on hooks or sliding against objects in the car etc.)

Mono pros: high stretch and more forgiving can be of benefit to some styles of fishing. 

Often no need to use an additional leader.

Very good abrasion resistance and longevity.

Mono cons: Spool memory.

Inferior choice for long distance casting.

More stretch means reduced feel and lure workability.

Flourocarbon is mostly used as a leader due to it being much more expensive than mono. It has less stretch and less visibility in the water and also better abrasion resistance. It is sometimes used by bream fishos on the whole spool in 3lb or 4lb breaking strains but mostly just used as a leader across the board.

These days braided line is the best choice for most applications with some exceptions. In my opinion the pros definitely outweigh the cons and it's an obvious choice for my uses 

Edited October 11, 2020 by samsteele115

[Leosonfire]

I’ve always been pro braid. Got talked into mono with my new snapper rod and three trips later I have not caught a fish with it! Apparently mono is better for catching snapper however I’m not convinced yet. I’ll give it a couple more goes before peeling it off and applying a good braid. 

[Ed.]

Horses for courses as they say, if it ain't broke then don't fix it, whatever works for you. Fishing with braid has has pros and cons, it is thinner so more line goes on the spool  and it cuts through water easier, virtually no stretch so you feel timid bites. Mono has great stretch so is more forgiving, so sudden lunges from the fish will tend to be absorbed and not break the line if the drag is set a bit too high for the line, can be hard for fish to see mono because of the transparency, think of it as a tough rubber band and is dirt cheap compared to braid.

Down side of braid is it's expensive compared to mono, you may break off if you are fishing at the lines max and the fish lunges away and if the drag is on too tight, not so good in the surf or around abrasive areas, downside of mono is it's thicker than braid and deteriorates more in sunlight so needs to be replaced more often. There are many  more reasons for both but at the end of the day, if you are catching fish than it doesn't matter what you use.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Ob20

I very much agree with the above, but I'll basically give you a run down on what I know about each.

Braid is a very thin material (basically a bunch of woven fibre). It is very good as mainline, especially for lure fishing, as it is thin, casts far, is light, and will cut through water. There is no stretch in braid making it easier to feel bites. When using braid, you tie on a mono or fluorocarbon leader. You can use an FG, Slim Beauty, Shocker knot, etc. 

Braid can cut easier than mono, and can sometimes slip off your roller on your reel, but the biggest, most annoying thing of all is the tangles. Braid is horrendous for tangles - if you're using live bait and it decided to swim around your line that is a recipe for disaster. The only reel you don't use braid on is an Alvey Sidecast reel, which is for mono only (Oh yeah, and you only use mono in surf fishing). 

Mono (or monofilament) is a cheaper line than braid, and has more stretch. You can use mono leaders very freely normally, so it is a good thing to have on a mainline if you don't want to splash out on braid. Mono is a bit thicker than braid, and won't cast as long. It can get weaker in sun, and requires a replacement every now and then. (I've just realised I'm basically repeating the above so I'll stop).

Fluorocarbon is a common leader for lure fishing as it is harder to see in the water than braid or mono. It is very similar to mono, but the only real difference is that it's supposed to be invisible. It's very expensive though, so I'd only recommend using it for lure fishing.

The final type of line (which you didn't mention) is Dacron. This isn't really used any more, and is only really used for trolling for pelagic, i.e. Marlin, offshore (a Dacron loop secures the bait). It's old school, thick, and basically not used these days either.

Hope that helps,

Cheers Hamish

[Brodie_S]

Then people are first starting out I recommend them to use FC or mono but once they can catch fish tie decent knots and master the basics I recommend going straight to braid ... why

It’s more sensitive making it perfect for lure and it improves bait fishing 

braid used to cost a lot for a decent spool but today you can get daiwa j braid X4 for $25 that will last longer then any mono line 

it doesn’t wind knot and tangle as much as FC or mono 

it’s thin so you can cast further and you can also fit more line on you’re spool to 

It’s fairly easy these day’s to learn knots to connect to leaders FG knot and triple finish Alberto are easy to tie and both are extremely thin and strong 

it’s bright so you can see what you’re lines doing but the fish can’t see you’re bright braid because of the leader 

I could probably list other things to but there the main reasons braid with a leader  is just so much better to use then straight through mono or FC 

[ellicat]

4 minutes ago, Breaming with bro said:

it doesn’t wind knot and tangle as much as FC or mono

I have to disagree with you there. Braid knots are horrendous compared to anything you can get in mono.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Just now, ellicat said:

I have to disagree with you there. Braid knots are horrendous compared to anything you can get in mono.

Yep, agreed ellicat. Braid is the worst thing in the world for tangles. Whether it's top notch or cheapy braid, it will always knot, tangle, twist... You name it! (Sometimes it seems to do everything except catch fish )

Cheers Hamish

[Brodie_S]

I don’t know what guys have been doing doing no offence but I think it’s user error I personally think 99% of wind knots are user error I rarely ever get them and if I do there usually minor and I can undo them I’ve heard spray silicone spray on the line before and after fishing reduces wind knots with braid if you guys have trouble with wind knots that might be something you should look into but I’ve never had to do this I can fish in heavy winds and still avoid wind knots I think it has more to do with the quality of the braid and how you spool it and also the leader knot you use to connect you’re braid to a leader and I think the rod guides and way you cast influence’s this the first ever time I used braid I got 3 wind knots which I was able to untie when I got home I realised I didn’t cut my tag ends enough on my leader  connection even though I got close it wasn’t close enough every time after that I rarely got winds I’ve probably get 5 wind knots a year I usually fish once or twice a week usually atleast 2-3 hours of fishing a week usually in mid winds

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Breaming with bro, you can't help it when your livie swims in fifty circles through your bloody swivel and ties a knot in your line...

And I believe Brian's nest was a bird's nest on a baitcaster, which happens to everyone no matter what. 

I personally rarely get tangles when casting (if ever). There are a lot of ways you can get a tangle. Lol.

Cheers Hamish

[Brodie_S]

Just now, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Breaming with bro, you can't help it when your livie swims in fifty circles through your bloody swivel and ties a knot in your line...

And I believe Brian's nest was a bird's nest on a baitcaster, which happens to everyone no matter what. 

I personally rarely get tangles when casting (if ever). There are a lot of ways you can get a tangle. Lol.

Cheers Hamish

Yeah I don’t think a bait caster counts because no matter what line you use you’re always going to get bad wind knots i was referring to spinning gear and as for live baits I’ve never in considered that I didn’t even know that happens I never fish with live bait lmao and you saying that doesn’t make me what to fish with liveies 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

1 minute ago, Breaming with bro said:

Yeah I don’t think a bait caster counts because no matter what line you use you’re always going to get bad wind knots i was referring to spinning gear and as for live baits I’ve never in considered that I didn’t even know that happens I never fish with live bait lmao and you saying that doesn’t make me what to fish with liveies 

They're the best thing for a lot of fish and don't tangle often, just when they do they tangle bad (normally anyways). 

Most of the time after some untangling time you'll get them back swimming.

I've only found it to be bad with mullet and silver biddy. Otherwise everything else is normally pretty good.

Cheers Hamish

[ellicat]

I don't get knots very often either, but when I do I would prefer it in mono over braid. It probably doesn't apply to you as you fish alone from what I have seen, but when fishing alongside someone and your lines tangle together it is the braid that causes all the untangling trouble. I still like fishing braid more than mono these days, though.

[samsteele115]

1 hour ago, Breaming with bro said:

I don’t know what guys have been doing doing no offence but I think it’s user error I personally think 99% of wind knots are user error I rarely ever get them and if I do there usually minor and I can undo them I’ve heard spray silicone spray on the line before and after fishing reduces wind knots with braid if you guys have trouble with wind knots that might be something you should look into but I’ve never had to do this I can fish in heavy winds and still avoid wind knots I think it has more to do with the quality of the braid and how you spool it and also the leader knot you use to connect you’re braid to a leader and I think the rod guides and way you cast influence’s this the first ever time I used braid I got 3 wind knots which I was able to untie when I got home I realised I didn’t cut my tag ends enough on my leader  connection even though I got close it wasn’t close enough every time after that I rarely got winds I’ve probably get 5 wind knots a year I usually fish once or twice a week usually atleast 2-3 hours of fishing a week usually in mid winds

Lots of variables involved here, best to not make assumptions without having the facts first  

[Ed.]

The major and most common problem with baitcasters/overheads are not wind knots but overuns ie: bird nests, I would say that I have had never had more than just a couple of wind knots on my spinning reels. Bird nests on my baitcasters , well that's another story..

[Brodie_S]

1 hour ago, ellicat said:

I don't get knots very often either, but when I do I would prefer it in mono over braid. It probably doesn't apply to you as you fish alone from what I have seen, but when fishing alongside someone and your lines tangle together it is the braid that causes all the untangling trouble. I still like fishing braid more than mono these days, though.

I don’t always fish alone a lot of the times especially on my trip I’ve been fishing with quite a lot of people 

[Ob20]

Hi,

Thank you for all the responses guys!

I am big brain now.

Cheers,

[Drop Bear]

19 hours ago, Ob20 said:

Hi guys, just wondering what the difference is between the main three types of fishing line and which one is the best.

I have had good luck with the braided line with it never snapping, letting me catch pretty big murray cod.

Should i be using a different type of line, because i see alot of people not using braided line?

It might just be more expensive.

Cheers, 

 

Hey mate, 

Lots of good answers above. 

For me its simple.

Lures - Braid

Bait - Mono

Leaders - Fluorocarbon