Switching to mono

[BrianMDTX]

36 minutes ago, WRB said:

No one line type is a panacea, mono is the most universal line.

I think that really sums it up well. Each line type has it’s advantages and disadvantages depending on many factors. But mono is definitely the most universal line. 

[optimator]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Braid has it’s advantages; high strength to diameter ratio, cuts through aquatic vegetation, very light weight.

Fluorocarbon has it’s advantages; heavier then water, very low coefficient of drag going through water, longer shelf life and temperature range then mono.

Mono including copolymer mono has advantages; lighter weight then FC, higher abrasion resistance then both FC and braid, higher knot strength per diameter then FC, lower cost per yard then both braid and FC.

I can’t see any use for braid main line with FC leader do to poor knot strength, however the combo is very popular.

I use copolymer mono, FC and braid as main lines where they have an advantage. No one line type is a panacea, mono is the most universal line.

Tom

Great post Tom

[Deleted account]

15 hours ago, WRB said:

 No one line type is a panacea

I hate it when I'm standing in line and they run out of the soup I want with my 1/2 and 1/2. On the other hand their natural self serve drinks let me easily make my own custom Arnie Palmer....

Oh wait, I may have misunderstood...  

[NYWayfarer]

I do pretty well if I do say so myself with straight mono. The lightest line I can get away with.

 

4-8# on spinning

10-12# on baitcasters 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I've swapped several of my combos back to mono, mostly 10-12lb big game. It just flat works

[RDB]

Your post said you fish clear water and some bottom contact and if it were me, I would use fluoro over mono.  The only time I use mono is for some topwater applications.  As far as backing, size or quality doesn’t really matter as you aren’t going to get to it anyway.  And a braid to fluoro leader is fine if you tie a quality knot.  I use an FG and never have failures.

 

I’ll bet you a dollar the solution is not about switching from fluoro to mono ?.

[MUSLENUTZ]

6 hours ago, RDB said:

Your post said you fish clear water and some bottom contact and if it were me, I would use fluoro over mono.  The only time I use mono is for some topwater applications.  As far as backing, size or quality doesn’t really matter as you aren’t going to get to it anyway.  And a braid to fluoro leader is fine if you tie a quality knot.  I use an FG and never have failures.

 

I’ll bet you a dollar the solution is not about switching from fluoro to mono ?.

I enjoy my braid to Fluro leader set up. Have no issues and I find that it works great. Just noticed I don’t catch as many fish. We will see how things go, worst case I switch it back and find a new hobby ?

[jimmyjoe]

 ^^^^^

 

If you're using braid with bottom contract and think you're getting fewer fish, try a rod with a softer tip. Walleye rods come to mind; they excel at that sort of fishing technique.

   Good luck!              jj

[Mbirdsley]

I like mono a lot and think it has its place but, I wouldn’t run mono on every pole I have.  Granted it’s like the grand daddy of fishing line far as lineage except the really really early fishing line.  There is a lot of stuff that  it does not excel at like mainly slower finnessee applications that require concealment, less stretch, and sensitivity in regards to bottom contact.
 

like I said mono  has its place with certain techniques and situations.  If you fish where the bass havnt seen every lure and techinique besides the kitchen sink it will catch fish no matter what.  Get around pressured educated fish in a slower technique sure, you will catch some fish ( never say never ) but, I don’t believe in wasting my time when I’m doing an activity.  In my mind using mono for everything would be wasting my time. 

[Deleted account]

Bass guys that think bass care about line visibility make me sad.

[ironbjorn]

48 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Bass guys that think bass care about line visibility make me sad.

Nobody will ever be able to coherently explain why bass don't care about hooks, weed guards, blades, or wires etc, yet they supposedly care about line. 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, ironbjorn said:

Nobody will ever be able to coherently explain why bass don't care about hooks, weed guards, blades, or wires etc, yet they supposedly care about line. 

Guys use flouro on their A-rigs as to not spook the bass...

[RDB]

2 hours ago, BassWhole! said:

Guys use flouro on their A-rigs as to not spook the bass...

Actually braid is most commonly used on A-rigs...it’s a heavy tackle technique.  Fluoro is probably second and mono third.  And it’s not about visibility.

 

And how do you know bass don’t care about line visibility in clear water (which is what was discussed)?  I think it has been shown that bass can see line in clear water and that fluoro is virtually invisible.  There is a ton of information out there about line shy bass, especially in clear water and pressured situations.  Is it about the line?  Is it about experience?  Who knows.  But until it is proven that line visibility has no effects on any bass, I’ll choose the option to give me the best odds...even if it is only 1%.  I’m sorry it makes you sad...you must hate watching pro tournaments.  But then again, few of them have ever caught a 12-13lb bass ?.

[Deleted account]

3 minutes ago, RDB said:

 But then again, few of them have ever caught a 12-13lb bass ?.

Everything I opine on is from experience. I have a couple of gin clear spots near me where I catch bass with very heavy mono leaders (cause there are things with teeth there). 

The irony of my PB is that I caught it with my wife's spinning (old 2000 stradic) outfit and 6 lb xl out of a puddle. No picture, no scale, so I guess it didn't happen, but it (I should say she) measured 27.5"x19.5" and it dwarfed anything else I've caught by far including 2 over 10 and one over 11.

 

 

[RDB]

1 minute ago, BassWhole! said:

Everything I opine on is from experience. I have a couple of gin clear spots near me where I catch bass with very heavy mono leaders (cause there are things with teeth there). 

The irony of my PB is that I caught it with my wife's spinning (old 2000 stradic) outfit and 6 lb xl out of a puddle. No picture, no scale, so I guess it didn't happen, but it (I should say she) measured 27.5"x19.5" and it dwarfed anything else I've caught by far including 2 over 10 and one over 11.

 

 

That’s awesome...and I’m super happy for you.  I won’t share my fish stories because that’s not what this is about.  And I missed where you were adding to the discussion.  It seemed to me like you were trying to be funny, evidently based on your personal experience from a “couple” of gin clear spots, to indicate that many bass anglers (including tons of pro’s) make you sad because I guess they are stupid.

 

You sound like a certified trophy snatcher so surely you agree that many choices we make are based on water clarity.  Color, size, vibration, etc. can all be influenced by clarity.  Spinnerbaits when there is some stain or chop or jerkbaits when we have several feet of visibility, etc. etc.  I’m sure you have fished for bedded bass and found those who have been pressured so much that any movement pushes them off beds.  Why would it be so hard to believe that SOME bass in clear water, pressured situations, might potentially be influenced by the line.  If your point is that they can’t see the line, fine...but I think it’s been shown that they can.  If your point is that they don’t care, I don’t think you or anyone else can answer that.  So I’ll continue to use mono for some of my treble hook applications where I need the stretch and use fluoro or braid for the rest.

[PhishLI]

I think we'll all get further clarity on the line shy issue very shortly due to the mixed array of electronics some pros and others are using. Someone will take the time, over time, to test it out. It's nearly live video now, even at stupid depths and distances. If you don't think something new can't be learned in bass fishing, you might be mistaken. Plenty of seasoned pros are now saying that so much new info about bass behavior that they never understood before like movement, location, etc, is now coming to light because of the latest Garmin, Lowrance, and Hummingbird.

[TnRiver46]

On 2/26/2021 at 7:08 PM, NYWayfarer said:

I do pretty well if I do say so myself with straight mono. The lightest line I can get away with.

 

4-8# on spinning

10-12# on baitcasters 

That’s how I roll. Easy peezy. I can feel 4 inch perch bite, that’s sensitive enough 

On 2/27/2021 at 3:27 PM, RDB said:

 

 

I’ll bet you a dollar the solution is not about switching from fluoro to mono ?.

But you’d have more dollars to bet if you made that switch 

[RDB]

10 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

I think we'll all get further clarity on the line shy issue very shortly due to the mixed array of electronics some pros and others are using. Someone will take the time, over time, to test it out. It's nearly live video now, even at stupid depths and distances. If you don't think something new can't be learned in bass fishing, you might be mistaken. Plenty of seasoned pros are now saying that so much new info about bass behavior that they never understood before like movement, location, etc, is now coming to light because of the latest Garmin, Lowrance, and Hummingbird.

Things are advancing quickly.  I had Livescope for a while and use MEGA 360 now with MEGA Live likely soon.  And I learn something every time I fish, which is about 120 days/year.
 

And there are many groups/organizations that have been studying bass behavior for years.  Many state/regional/local organizations use a number of methods (imaging, tagging, surveys, etc.) to better understand bass behavior, often with funding.  There are many universities who dedicate research dollars to largemouth bass (I.e. Texas A&M).  It is BIG business in Texas and many other states.

 

9 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

But you’d have more dollars to bet if you made that switch 

You lost me.  Do you need a dollar?

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, RDB said:

That’s awesome...and I’m super happy for you.  I won’t share my fish stories because that’s not what this is about.  And I missed where you were adding to the discussion.  It seemed to me like you were trying to be funny, evidently based on your personal experience from a “couple” of gin clear spots, to indicate that many bass anglers (including tons of pro’s) make you sad because I guess they are stupid.

 

You sound like a certified trophy snatcher so surely you agree that many choices we make are based on water clarity.  Color, size, vibration, etc. can all be influenced by clarity.  Spinnerbaits when there is some stain or chop or jerkbaits when we have several feet of visibility, etc. etc.  I’m sure you have fished for bedded bass and found those who have been pressured so much that any movement pushes them off beds.  Why would it be so hard to believe that SOME bass in clear water, pressured situations, might potentially be influenced by the line.  If your point is that they can’t see the line, fine...but I think it’s been shown that they can.  If your point is that they don’t care, I don’t think you or anyone else can answer that.  So I’ll continue to use mono for some of my treble hook applications where I need the stretch and use fluoro or braid for the rest.

Ok,

ps: I don't know what a trophy snatcher is.

 

[RDB]

5 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Ok,

ps: I don't know what a trophy snatcher is.

 

How bout hawg, toad, pig snatcher.

[TnRiver46]

30 minutes ago, RDB said:

Things are advancing quickly.  I had Livescope for a while and use MEGA 360 now with MEGA Live likely soon.  And I learn something every time I fish, which is about 120 days/year.
 

And there are many groups/organizations that have been studying bass behavior for years.  Many state/regional/local organizations use a number of methods (imaging, tagging, surveys, etc.) to better understand bass behavior, often with funding.  There are many universities who dedicate research dollars to largemouth bass (I.e. Texas A&M).  It is BIG business in Texas and many other states.

 

You lost me.  Do you need a dollar?

Lemme hold a dolla!!!! I was pointing out that mono is cheaper monetarily, therefore saving dollars compared to flouro