Usage of Mono vs Braid

[PNG1M]

Hi all,

I've been sussing out this braid vs mono thing - yeh I know it's been thrashed several times before - and thought it'd be interesting to get some feedback via poll of the usage.

This is not a debate about which one is best or advantages vs disadvantages.

It's just simply about who uses what - for general interest.




Rotary-hoe...

[deepfried]

Braid with good mono leaders for me.

You must be getting keen for your Frazer Is trip.

Scott

[PNG1M]

Yes mate...the 4WD has been booked already and my tackle box has steam coming out of the cracks in anticipation.

I've had to get a set of heavy duty tie downs onto it to keep it in position otherwise it would've bounced out of the cupboard & spilled its load (of hooks & traces that is).

My rods are all upright & standing to attention in the corner of the garage as they couldn't cope with being stored in the horizontal position .

So yeh we're looking forward to the trip...just quietly! ;D

[BREAMBOSS01]

since i could only put a vote in one ill put the other here, i use mono on my surf rods mainly cause they are used the least, braid on whiting/bream/ flatty rods also on light boat rod. use mono on heavy boat rod so it doesnt cost too much to respool if "spooled" and also on other rods/reels that dont get used much, theres also low stretch mono i havent used it yet but have some sitting in the shed. so im undecide whether braid is better than mono visa versa

[PNG1M]

Have you seen this stuff before? 14lb test for example has a diameter of 0.310mm. Its an example of the 'new generation' mono but I haven't actually come across it yet or seen it in use. Wouldn't mind giving it a burl. It's priced at around AU$30 per 100m. The Sanyo GT-R Ultra mentioned below is also worth a captain cook.


Sanyo Applaud GT-R Nanodax Debut in 2008
The Nanodax is made of the next generation mono-filament material, with 47% higher tie-strength, 10% more pull-strength than the most advanced nylon lines (Sanyo GT-R Ultra). Nanodax lines deliver more signals than fluorocarbon lines.
Its line body feels like fluorocarbon lines. Its weight ratio is 0.98, same as that of nylon lines.
http://www.japantackle.com/Daiwa_reels/Sanyo_GTR_Crystal1.jpghttp://www.japantackle.com/Daiwa_reels/Sanyo_GTR_Crystal2.jpg color ; crystal clearSpecification comparison chart http://www.japantackle.com/Lines/Sanyo_NanoDax_Spec.gif

[SeaHunt]

Mono in the surf, braid everywhere else, though I do use it spinning in the surf.
I tried braid in the surf on an Alvey for a week on Fraser, it doesn't work.
Rips the shite out of your fingers casting after a few days.
Tangles up with your hooks and sinkers if a wave breaks on it.
Tangles up with other peoples lines and ten times worse than if it was mono.
Breaks at knot points after a while too.

[PNG1M]

Hmmmm, velly interlesting...

As I haven't actually used braid in the surf yet it's good to get a cross section of opinions. I definately will use it, at least so I can formulate my own opinion.

When I do try it I'll probably have a back up reel on standby spooled with good mono just in case.

I was wondering about the wear & tear on your hands & fingers tips in particular when casting braid from a surf reel...

[lostandbroke]

I was wondering about the wear & tear on your hands & fingers tips in particular when casting braid from a surf reel...

Tried it, found it murder on the left hand when guiding line back onto an Alvey surf fishing. The longer you fish, the softer and colder your hands get and the worse it gets. I agree about the tangles and knots too,

Al

[PNG1M]

What about you guys who use braid regularly for surf fishing & use a spinning reel (eg eggbeater style).

Does the braid give your fingertips a hard time on the cast?

And what about the 'tangles & knots'? Are they a frequent problem?

[84mick]

I was wondering about the wear & tear on your hands & fingers tips in particular when casting braid from a surf reel...

Buy your self some straping tape (the stuff people use for ankle, knee injuries etc) and put it on the fingers used. Or get some spinning gloves.

I havent used braid in the surf but am planning to get some for spinning slugs and just keep the mono for bait.

Cheers, Mick.

[PNG1M]

Dooooh!

Just remembered a thread a month or so back that I was active in. I got some good advice.

We were discussing lines & leaders etc to use in the surf.

Ultimately, the conclusion was that 'yes' braid is fine to use in the surf BUT when using a nylon leader make sure it is long enough to go onto your spool for a few winds.

Then, you're effectively casting with mono! Hence no worries about braid 'wear n tear' on your finger tips. I'll be trying that leader technique at some point.

Can't speak for the tangles & knots though. I'll have to see for myself how the braid behaves.

[grave41]

Hi,
I use braid everywhere surf,deep sea, baitcasting.The long mono leader in the surf is correct but i use spinning reels.Some braids have less wind knots than others.Any of the stiffer lines perform better eg; fireline, finns windtamer.Deep sea it"s the only way to go for feel especially jigging,baitcasting a dream.
imo Graham

[Chamelion]

What about you guys who use braid regularly for surf fishing & use a spinning reel (eg eggbeater style).

Does the braid give your fingertips a hard time on the cast?

And what about the 'tangles & knots'? Are they a frequent problem?

I use braid exclusively now. I absolutely cannot stand mono. It's just too indirect.

My fingers don't have a problem, knots are very very rare. No more than one knot in each set of 500 casts. I get a little bit of tip wrap around, but it's not bad enough to offset the advantages.

[PNG1M]

Must admit that I gave braid a good burl at Fraser last July. It was spooled onto a Tica Dolphin braid-friendly reel & I had my new Daiwa 10' Sensor surf rod. I was using 8strand Daiwa Samurai braid (good quality).

My ultimate decision was that braid was CRaP for surf fishing with a spinning reel.

I couldn't get it to work for me. Several times it somehow got caught on the rod guides mid-cast & snapped at the swivel knot or further up (and my rig would disappear into the distance). It was just way too fiddly...

Anyway, I tried to like it and I gave it every chance but in the end I gave up on it.
Instead I spooled my standby Penn 6500 spinfisher with 14lb Schneider mono. The fishing suddenly became less problematic and a lot more enjoyable and I got the same casting distance.

YES, braid works for me fine when it's on a baitcast reel. I'd never, ever even 'think' about putting mono on one of my baitcasters - a big fat No-Way-Ho-Zay.

But after that little test run at Fraser I'll be using mono on my surf threadlines.

(For lighter estuary applications and on smaller spinning reels the braid seems all right. But in the surf - it plays up, so its mono for me!)

And by the way, that GTX Nanodax stuff? Never again. It was so stiff you just need to lift the lid of your tackle box and the stuff would spring out off the spool as if it were alive (a slight exaggeration but I won't be buying it again).

[Chamelion]

I use 50lb mojiko braid on my daiwa emblem pro 5500a in the surf... seems fine.

Matt.

[johnlikes2fish]

I use FINS 30lb braid for spinning/popping in the surf combined with a spheros 6000 and 10" Gary Howard Phantom and 6lb fire line crystal for sp's in the surf combined with a loomis 9"6" steelhead rod and shimano aspire the main reason I use braid is for casting distance with lighter lures, for rock and bait fishing I use mono, at night I only use mono as I am not a big fan of tying leaders at night especially if there is some wind.
I have the occasional problem with a loose loop on the spool but otherwise no dramas, it doesnt cut my finger when I cast I get no more looping around the tip of my rods than I do using light mono.
Cost is the major downside of braid but I generally buy the 1000+yd spools out of the USA to keep costs down

[HeadBanger]

I'm assuming this poll meant fishing with bait, as braid is the only way to go for lure fishing.

I always use mono for bait fishing, as it's cheaper and I reckon that some of the smaller fish (whiting, bream, etc) can 'feel' the braid when you're fishing with it.
Although, I've got my 8ft rod set up with 20lb braid now, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I guess I'll see how it goes, I might be converted.

Thanks,
Kaidon