mono filament vs fluorocarbon vs braided

[chris kowaleski]

what is the difference between each line, and the proper use or technique for each?  I use mono on my spincasting reels, but bought some fluoro for an old spinning reel i got running again. only reason i got the flouro is because it said optimized for spinning reels. so far that is the only difference that i know.

[Jim Dillow]

I used mono for many, many, many years and the only problem I ever experienced with it came from line memory. The coils that often looked like you were using a spring and of course the coils coming of the reels in a mess. For myself mono is a fine line except for the memory part and having to change it often. I really don't think it's the line that really matters but the bait/lure that one uses to catch fish. I don't think the fish pay much attention to the line. If they do we need to use different baits/lures. Of we have all probably had fish, esp. gills, attack our line. Maybe they think it is a weed. Use what works for you. I like fishin but catchin more.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Some fish are line shy, trout and bluegill, for example. It helps to at least keep this mind.
Mono also stretches under load and has a tendency to absorb water.... Partly why it loops up on the spool. If you soak your mono spools in very hot water for 5 or 10 minutes, it's supposed to loosen the loops. I dunno..... I've never tried it.

[Jim Dillow]

Never heard of using hot water to loosen the loops but can see how it could work. The main reason I went to braid is that I don't have to deal with the coils since there is no line memory and losing half my line to bird nests the coils can cause when several coils come off the spool at once. We have mono on around 25 spincast combos we loan out to kids/adults and we generally stretch the line before we give them a combo to use. In spincast reels mono has a habit of sticking to itself but dipping the reel in the water cures that problem. Once the line gets wet there is no more sticking until they are put up for a while and the line dries. Have found some deals on mono at overstockbaits.

[Glen Wagley]

Sufix Elite is a great mono. I used it quite often before I switched to copolymer and that was only because I found the copolymer was more abrasion resistant than Sufix. I still think it is a great choice for fishing waters that aren't so "snaggy".

[Tony Livingston]

I absolutely believe that some lines are better suited for a given purpose than others. And if I had a rod set up for a specific style of fishing, I would certainly use the best possible line I could find, that supported that particular purpose. However, I believe that for a general purpose all around line, it's tough to beat mono. It does a lot of things very well, given its price and easy availability.

[jim cosgrove]

for panfish i am hooked on the fireline crystal in 4or 6lb.it is so thin like spider web,i can throw tiny jigs far on flimsy rods and still feel the lights bite.it does get nicked easily but does not dry rot.you must put some mono under it or it will slip on the spool.the tackle shop will put it on for you and is less expensive than a whole spool.you can also reverse it like a double taper fly line.just reel it on to another reel and now you have the unused line at the bottom of the spool on top of the new one but in my experience you should close the bail manually after every cast,seems to bird nest alot less for some reason.it becomes second nature after a couple dozen casts.

[jim cosgrove]

for mono i use cortland camo or clear.6.99 for the big spool,several hundred yards depending on test.strong and just limp enough.never broke a fish off unless it was my fault.makes nice fly leaders also

[David Dillman]

I like the suffix 4 pound mono also.  I think it is one of the best mono's I've tried.  I got some fireline fused 4 pound, which I thought was florocarbon.  I like the the hi vis lines, so when I seen the fireline 4 pound in hi vis green I thought I would try it.  I am not sure of the memory on this fireline though.  Its diameter is thin so I am hoping the memory is is low.