Why copolymer/mono is the most versatile line

[roadwarrior]

Fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you like. 8 lb Trilene XL on spinning tackle

and 12 lb XT on baitcasting gear will cover just about every situation. For some of us, we

are looking for the PERFECT line for every situation. 

[JLBBass]

I use a quality copolymer ( Izorline XXX or Platmium) 90% of the time. I have not had a line or knot failure in 40 years, and I catch some MONSTER fish on light line!.........It's all about balancing your rod action/power to the lb test you use!

also,.......you couldn't pay me to use flouro!

[PressuredFishing]

5 hours ago, NoShoes said:

mono definitely stretches, but I feel like it’s stretching right around where my drag would let loose anyways.  At that point does it matter?

 

I went back to mono after being a braid to leader guy for a year. I was tired of tying leaders, and big game is so much cheaper. Fish didn’t seem to care, but the hook sets definitely are different now. It’s hard to beat that positive lock with a braid hook set. 

Yeah I hear u, braid has  better Hooksett strength but the stretch can help with treble Hooksets too

28 minutes ago, JLBBass said:

I use a quality copolymer ( Izorline XXX or Platmium) 90% of the time. I have not had a line or knot failure in 40 years, and I catch some MONSTER fish on light line!.........It's all about balancing your rod action/power to the lb test you use!

also,.......you couldn't pay me to use flouro!

Izorlines my favorite and has barley any memory! The best mono imo for casting. I also u zebco omniflex for handling on a surfboard

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

Fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you like. 8 lb Trilene XL on spinning tackle

and 12 lb XT on baitcasting gear will cover just about every situation. For some of us, we

are looking for the PERFECT line for every situation. 

Amen, today I was frogging a pond and would have probably caught the fish that hit if I had braid but the mono on a med hvy wasn't enough for a Hooksett. Ended up cutting off and following up with a trig same area on same rod and got em 

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

Your claim was that some monos are less stretchy than some braids, but didn't say which monos.  

Izorlines xxx super copoly is not the line I'm thinking of. Berkly xt and big game lines are more on the stretchy side. Also kastking braid is also kinda  stretchy imo 

5 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

I'm a braid to leader guy for almost everything. I never feel I'm at a disadvantage and any play I want to add to a setup is done with my rod selection and drag. When I hear people say stuff like "braid rips out treble hooks"...all I can say is I've never had that problem. I'll take the sensitivity of braid any day. 

Yeah I've never ripped it out of their mouth either but I think I get alot more "short strikes" and a worse bite to catch ratio than floro or mono with treble baits

[PressuredFishing]

4 hours ago, the reel ess said:

If you like it, more power to you and it's a good discussion. But I've gone to braid for almost everything and thinking about it for literally everything. If I need some mono I'll use a leader. To me braid is the best for all single hook lures. It's good for big topwaters because you have less slack to take up to set a hook. I'll admit that mono is more forgiving when landing a bass. I just set my drag pretty loose with the trebles and don't horse them in. I caught my biggest bass of this year, 7.93 lb., on a Whopper Plopper using 30# braid on a 7' MH cranking rod. I had to apply some thumb a couple times to keep it out of weeds. I'm still using 15# Big Game for my MH spinnerbait/buzzbait rod. And I still have 6# mono on my panfish combos.

That works too using light drag,  does the same thing as mono I would suppose. Also to be fair and give braid credit where credit is due, I don't think bass care about the visual of braid when the bait is moving  compared to a senko or trig 

5 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

@NoShoes

I have to admit to loving to tie leader knots (I've been rolling great allbright knots for 48 years of fly fishing).  Every one is a challenge to be better than the last.  This knot corresponded with a black 5-m mark on the finesse braid.  

 

What I don't do is tie a lot of them -  I put a perfection loop in the business end of my fluoro leader, and loop-on paper clips or micro-swivel snaps, traces, and cigar-cork rigs.  

Loop-to-loop, btw, is stronger than Any single-bend knot.  

That would be one way I will fish braid! I do that with floating worms and cross with mono leader! Could not agree more that a swivel is stronger than knot to knot connection!

[the reel ess]

8 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

That works too using light drag,  does the same thing as mono I would suppose. Also to be fair and give braid credit where credit is due, I don't think bass care about the visual of braid when the bait is moving  compared to a senko or trig 

 

I use straight braid for my jigs and still catch good fish. When that bait drops in the bass's face, it's not thinking about the line. Some of the people that tell you fish are shy of braid use straight braid for topwaters. 

[PressuredFishing]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

I use straight braid for my jigs and still catch good fish. When that bait drops in the bass's face, it's not thinking about the line. Some of the people that tell you fish are shy of braid use straight braid for topwaters. 

Oh for jigs I can understand, just more finisse baits it doesn't look as natural and in clearer water as well. Small 4-6 inch strait tailed worms dropshotted or weightless I feel while they don't get spooked they may not be as keen to biting

[the reel ess]

20 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Oh for jigs I can understand, just more finisse baits it doesn't look as natural and in clearer water as well. Small 4-6 inch strait tailed worms dropshotted or weightless I feel while they don't get spooked they may not be as keen to biting

Yeah, that's why I do it. The water here is rarely very clear.

[the reel ess]

17 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

Oh for jigs I can understand, just more finisse baits it doesn't look as natural and in clearer water as well. Small 4-6 inch strait tailed worms dropshotted or weightless I feel while they don't get spooked they may not be as keen to biting

I would still use braid in that situation. I usually use a leader on my spinning combos anyway. But that's just me.

[Hulkster]

i tried braid on spinning gear and was getting wind knots. Looking back i should have used a heavier braid (i was using 10 pound Sufix 832)

 

needless to say, soon after i discovered Sufix Siege mono and loved it, its the best overall mono i have ever used. I use it on all my rods from UL (4 pound) up to my muskie/pike rig (20 pound) and everything in between 

[Cravin]

I like to try different line types by different brands just to waste the money and ruin what could have been a great day of fishing.      

 

 ......well,  That seems to be what I've been doing all this time! 

[volzfan59]

I have used SilverThreaf copolymer in the past with good results. I've got braid on a couple of rods, but don't plan on replacing it with braid when it's no longer serviceable. Good quality mono has done right by me since I was a kid, I'll soon be 62. I'm just going to stick with it. 

[PressuredFishing]

2 hours ago, Hulkster said:

i tried braid on spinning gear and was getting wind knots. Looking back i should have used a heavier braid (i was using 10 pound Sufix 832)

 

needless to say, soon after i discovered Sufix Siege mono and loved it, its the best overall mono i have ever used. I use it on all my rods from UL (4 pound) up to my muskie/pike rig (20 pound) and everything in between 

Suffix is better than Berkley in my opinion, and izprline is up there with suffix. Suffix is less stretchy than izorline but izorline had a bit less memory. Suffix is a great line and even their original is alright but siege is the best! 

52 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

I have used SilverThreaf copolymer in the past with good results. I've got braid on a couple of rods, but don't plan on replacing it with braid when it's no longer serviceable. Good quality mono has done right by me since I was a kid, I'll soon be 62. I'm just going to stick with it. 

Yup, I am the same way pretty much although to be fair have lost a few frog fish fishing mono, other than frogging and saltwater fishing for toothy fish, I use mono

6 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I would still use braid in that situation. I usually use a leader on my spinning combos anyway. But that's just me.

It all works at the end of the day 

[Big Hands]

If I only fished a rod or two, I would rate versatility higher on my list of priorities for line preferences. Still not sure I would put any mono or copolymer on for the sake of versatility.

 

The rod, reel, line(s), hook(s), weights, terminal tackle, and bait(s) are all parts of a system. They need to work well together. One poorly chosen component can affect the effectiveness of the 'system'. Then, the angler needs to use the technique that best suits all of the factors related to their unique circumstances.

 

There are often multiple paths up the same mountain and I would advise taking the path that works best for you and your unique circumstances.