Braid or mono for topwater?

[johnsmith]

What are the advantage and disadvantage of braid with mono leader vs mono?

[Hammer 4]

Depends on which top water bait. Frogs, straight braid, same for buzzbaits. Anything with treble hooks, i.e. Zara spooks, glide baits, ect. I use mono to keep the fish pinned. 

I don't use any leaders, but you could to absorb some of the shock from straight braid

[GreenPig]

Same as Hammer 4

[Bluebasser86]

Straight braid for everything except buzzbaits and baits with a front prop. I fish buzzbaits and baits with front props on mono.

[NYWayfarer]

I fish Ploppers with straight braid. Usually when a fish hits a Plopper it’s already stuck. Braid let’s me pin the fish quickly.
 

I would think braid to mono leaders on topwater would not be a good choice. The leader knot would collect topwater debris.

[Fishes in trees]

I use mono for top water baits like Sammies & poppers & buzz baits.  I've been told that should you use braid on walking baits that the braid tends to catch the front treble while you're walking the bait and that fouls the cast.  I don't know for certain because I haven't gotten around to trying braid in that capacity.

[A-Jay]

5 hours ago, johnsmith said:

What are the advantage and disadvantage of braid with mono leader vs mono?

Braid or mono for topwater?

For me, when braid is part of the topwater 'system', 

the pro's include but may not be limited to; 

solid hooksets even on the longest casts & great soft cover abrasion resistance. 

My frog deals get straight braid with no leader;  heavy cover areas demand that IMO.

Treble hook topwater baits (poppers & walkers), which are often presented in spare cover or even open water, I go with braid & a mono leader. 

 I prefer to get the braid away from the bait and I seem to benefit from whatever the mono leader does when it comes to working the baits as well as fighting & landing bass. 

A-Jay

[Ben77]

Mono for sure I like 14 lb trilene xl.

[Bankc]

On 3/17/2021 at 3:29 AM, Hammer 4 said:

Depends on which top water bait. Frogs, straight braid, same for buzzbaits. Anything with treble hooks, i.e. Zara spooks, glide baits, ect. I use mono to keep the fish pinned. 

I don't use any leaders, but you could to absorb some of the shock from straight braid

Ditto.  And I use mono, not only to help keep the fish pinned, but also to help keep the line from getting tangled up in those treble hooks.  Braid is really limp and can loop around them a lot easier on a cast, especially in the wind.  

[Boomstick]

For me, braid for frogs mono for the rest.

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, Boomstick said:

For me, braid for frogs mono for the rest.

Makes sense! That’s how I roll as well 

[softwateronly]

On 3/17/2021 at 7:44 AM, Fishes in trees said:

I use mono for top water baits like Sammies & poppers & buzz baits.  I've been told that should you use braid on walking baits that the braid tends to catch the front treble while you're walking the bait and that fouls the cast.  I don't know for certain because I haven't gotten around to trying braid in that capacity.

This is true for me!

 

scott

[WRB]

The only time any line that floats is a negative is near the boat. Braid is OK as long as you adjust your drag to prevent tearing hooks out?

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

The only time any line that floats is a negative is near the boat. Braid is OK as long as you adjust your drag to prevent tearing hooks out?

Tom

Exactly. I use a regular 7' M/F rod for walking baits, and a 6' M/F for poppers. I don't set the hook, just reel into them and lean into the weight. The huge advantage to this is I never take the bait away from a fish when they miss the bait, like when a fish explodes on a walking bait and misses, I just keep fishing it because I know I don't need to set the hook to stick them no matter how far out there they are. I don't pull hooks because I've got my gear set to fight a fish on a no stretch line.

 

The line tangling on the hooks is so blown out of proportion also. Maybe if you let your bait sit for a long time after twitching it, but if you keep it moving for the most part, tangles rarely happen and not having a leader is one less knot to have to worry about breaking. I tried it despite everything I heard and won't be going back.

[walleyecrazy]

It's straight braid for me unless I'm walking a treble hook bait or using a prop bait. In that case I add a mono leader to keep the braid from fouling in the bait.

[soflabasser]

I have used both mono and braid for topwater fishing and have done well.