Braid vs Mono line

[Nemo7]

Hi I am a beginner and don’t know which line to get for my first baitcaster.

 

I will be fishing senkos,crankbaits, and topwater frogs and poppers. 

 

Which should i get?

[Captain Phil]

This subject has been tackled numerous times on this forum.  What it always comes down to is personal opinion. Here's mine. When you first start out with a casting reel you are going to have some issues. The timing of the cast is different and you have a revolving spool to deal with.    Modern reels are much better than those we had 50 years ago, but despite the claims they still backlash.  I've been fishing with one since the early sixties and they still happen to me on occasion.   The advantage of a casting reel is accuracy and power.   They allow you to spool up with heavy line without sacrificing distance.  If you are going to finesse fish, use a spinning reel.  For power fishing, a casting reel works better. 

 

My recommendation is to start out with 15-20 pound mono.   I prefer Berkley Big Game, but any line will work when you are learning.  Mono is cheap, so you won't be crying when you have to cut off a spool or two.  Mono is flexible and doesn't jump into knots like braid.  No matter what line you use, you will get backlashes.  Don't be discouraged, it happens to the best.  Get out in a field or on your lawn and place a bucket as a target.  Before you go fishing, cast into that bucket until you can hit it 9 out of 10 times.  Don't go fishing with it before you practice or you will swear off casting reels and never go back.  When I was a teenager, to me casting was more fun that fishing.  I would spend hours "fishing" on my front lawn which always got a smile from my neighbors.  Once you get casting down good enough to fish, you can try different lines and strengths.  Good Luck!

[MN Fisher]

^ Listen to 'The Captain'....between he and @WRB combined we're talking over a century of experience.

 

Ya...I agree. First starting out with casting gear - a good, inexpensive mono is your best bet as you'll be cutting out/respooling. Big Game is probably the best for learning with.

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, Nemo7 said:

Hi I am a beginner and don’t know which line to get for my first baitcaster.

 

I will be fishing senkos,crankbaits, and topwater frogs and poppers. 

 

Which should i get?

Prospect Park braid, Bailey's pond mono...

[PressuredFishing]

10-12lb Mono, will do everything but frogs, and heavy gauge jigs. Just don't fish heavy gauge hooks you will be fine, get omniflex or big game, you will backlash and you won't loose money.

[MidwestBassAttack]

15lb Big Game as others have suggested. It’s what I cut my teeth with when starting out

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, MidwestBassAttack said:

15lb Big Game as others have suggested. It’s what I cut my teeth with when starting out

I’d say 12 lb. Big Game, but I won’t split hairs lol. 

[Woody B]

I have some "opinions" about braid, so I normally use mono.   My normal mono is Stren but I've also used Trilene XL on several occasions.   I fish quite a bit and change line pretty often.   Last week I needed some line and couldn't get Stren or Trilene XL locally.   I bought a big spool if Trilene Big Game.  I don't like it.   To me it feels stiffer, and I don't think it holds knots as good as Stren or XL.   I almost think they put flouro on my spool.  I had a couple lures break off at the knot way too easy.  I switched to a Palomar knot to correct that,  no big deal, but it's still stiffer than I'm used to.  It feels larger in diameter but I haven't checked.   

 

Anyway, like others have said, since you're new to baitcasters stick with an inexpensive mono regardless of what you go to later.  

[LrgmouthShad]

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

I’d say 12 lb. Big Game, but I won’t split hairs lol. 

12lb and 15lb big game seem to behave much differently. I like both and think either would be fine. 
 

Can anybody explain what the difference is between these two lines that I’m feeling? Is the 12lb less elastic and less memory? And if you say “one is thinner” I’ll…. I’ll…

 

?

[PhishLI]

39 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Can anybody explain what the difference is between these two lines that I’m feeling?

12lb measures .0132". 15lb measures .0151"

41 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Is the 12lb less elastic and less memory?

I just caressed both. They feel the same to my dumb azz.

42 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

And if you say “one is thinner” I’ll…. I’ll…

One's thinner. Don't hit me.

[LrgmouthShad]

5 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

12lb measures .0132". 15lb measures .0151"

I just caressed both. They feel the same to my dumb azz.

One's thinner. Don't hit me.

[PhishLI]

15 hours ago, Woody B said:

 I bought a big spool if Trilene Big Game.  I don't like it.   To me it feels stiffer, and I don't think it holds knots as good as Stren or XL

If it isn't working for you, then ditch it. I use 12, 15, and 20 tied to a VMC clip with a Palomar, and usually a 6 turn Improved Clinch directly to a hook or bait. I fish in nightmare waters of thick weeds and pads and have never been broken off or had a knot slip using BG. It might be the strongest line in the galaxy.

[Woody B]

3 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

If it isn't working for you then, ditch it. I use 12, 15, and 20 tied to a VMC clip with a Palomar, and usually a 6 turn Improved Clinch directly to a hook or bait. I fish in nightmare waters of thick weeds and pads and have never been broken off or had a knot slip using BG. It might be the strongest line in the galaxy.

I normally use a trilene knot.  It will usually break right at the knot, so I don't lose a bunch of line if I get snagged in deep water (or way up a tree LOL).   With Big Game the knot slipped.  Same with an improved clinch knot.   No problem using a Palomar, it's easy enough to tie.  No slippage with it.   I don't usually use line conditioner, but I'll spray some on the big game before I give up on it.  I usually change line monthly or so.  It seemed to me that the big game had less stretch than Stren, or XL.  I can't tell any difference between Stren or XL.   There's probably different types of Stren.  I use "original" in flourescent/blue.   I use 12 pound test for pretty much everything.   It's hard to break if it isn't damaged.   

[Hulkster]

I use Sufix Siege mono in 12 pound test on my baitcasting rig all the time and its awesome

 

you don't have to move to braid if you don't want to.

 

just because its mono doesn't mean its only a beginner line. 

 

Its excellent all purpose line forever if you choose it to be. 

[Captain Phil]

I only use a couple of knots when bass fishing.  For years I used a Palomar for 25 pound mono when flipping and it held up well.   Lately, I started flipping with braid and snelling my hooks.  This places the hook point in the perfect angle, which is important when fishing cover.  Roland Martin has an excellent video on this.  For everything else, I use a double clinch knot.  It's tied the same as a regular clinch knot except the line is doubled.  It's been called all kind of things.  I learned about it from a Jimmy Houston video.  

 

Braid does not hold knots as well as mono and fluorocarbon line.  Using a traditional clinch knot with braid will you lose you a fish.  I learned this lesson the hard way.  I have never lost a fish due to a knot failure since I started using Jimmy's knot.  

[new2BC4bass]

On 8/22/2022 at 4:56 PM, BrianMDTX said:

I’d say 12 lb. Big Game, but I won’t split hairs lol. 

I'm partial to 12#.  For the OP, I would suggest Sufix Elite.  Personally don't think it has as much memory as Big Game.  I do have more Big Game than Elite.

On 8/24/2022 at 11:39 AM, Captain Phil said:

Braid does not hold knots as well as mono and fluorocarbon line.  Using a traditional clinch knot with braid will you lose you a fish.  I learned this lesson the hard way.  I have never lost a fish due to a knot failure since I started using Jimmy's knot.  

I started using the Uni Knot somewhere around 16 (years old, not 16 AD).  I have never had one break with braid although I have straightened out some jig hooks (3/8 oz. jigs) with 30# braid.

[Skunkmaster-k]

Big Game and Suffix Seige on most of my reels. They’re both good and the price is right. 

[FishTank]

Big Game is good line but I wouldn't use it as a beginner. It's thick, it can be hard to manage, and it coils up the heavier you get.  I would start with something softer and lighter.  Trilene XL or Sufix Elite in 10lb or 12lb.  Both are cheap and will work for the applications mentioned. 

[fishhugger]

some people pick up the bait caster pretty quickly...... i bought my first one, practiced with it - went out within days and was - well, not catching fish, that would've been a disaster - but was having fun. and i figured birds nests were part of the process. it didn't take that long to kind of figure out how to untangle most of them. 

i think i began with mono - it's easier to detangle and i think i heard it's good to start with mono because it's harder to cast than braid.

might have worked for me cause i enjoy casting and often am not pressured to catch fish. i've only been bass fishing for a couple years.. i think being a beginner at bass fishing, me, it makes learning bait casting simpler. less pressure cause everything is new. and there's little danger of a 10 pounder grabbing your bait.. just dinks.

within a month i preferred my bait caster to my spin outfits.

[new2BC4bass]

Read enough posts and you will find people in both camps as to which is easier to learn on.  And which is easier to untangle.  However, I think most will agree you will cry less if cutting a spool of mono off your reel versus braid.  I will say that (so far) I have always put about a half spool of cheap mono on my reels before finishing off with braid.  I'm sure I would get my picture in the newspaper if I ever caught a bass big enough to take me into the backing. 

 

As I said above, Sufix Elite is a good line with little memory.  It's a good line to learn on, and a good line to use once you have learned.  Probably not the best line if you are in a situation requiring a line with excellent abrasion resistance.