Mono Only

[lk ozark]

WHAT AM I MISSING BY FISHING MONO ONLY ?

[roadwarrior]

Maybe nothing...Many of our best fishermen on

this forum have been using XL, XT and Big Game

for decades. However, the cost of trying some

other lines is nominal. Try a few for yourself and

see what you think.

8-)

[Ballpark Frank]

I am one of those mono only guys(Big Game Green 12 and 15). I have experimented with several other line types; co-poly, fluoro, and braid(yuck), but I always come back to the Big Game. I did like the Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, but after I used up one spool I never got anymore. I just haven't found any major benefit for me using another line type, others differ. Heck I know guys that use braid for everything, yet I despise it.

[Raul]

Maybe nothing...Many of our best fishermen on

this forum have been using XL, XT and Big Game

for decades. .

8-)

Me 

Yes I do fish with other lines ( Hybrid, CXX and PowerPro ) only when I the circusmtances ask for them, other than that it 's mono.

[T.R. Express]

WHAT AM I MISSING BY FISHING MONO ONLY ?

...headaches, birdnesting, and line memory.  Your not missing much...

[Boogey Man]

I guess I'm in the mono only club. I know some will say I'm missing out but I've tried braid and I hate the stuff. Original Stren for me.

[0119]

Mono's it for me.  I try to keep 10lb braid on my new spinning outfit, but I hate it.  There are a lot of negatives to using braid too.  Rough on equipment, especially reels, just ask any serious reel repairman.   You have to have special equipment to cut it and it has to always be sharp.  Visability and needing a leader.  More knots, less simple. K.I.S.S.

[Hammer 4]

Look at it this way...what were we uaing Before all the fluro's, hybrids, braids ect..? 

I do use everything but mono.. ;D

[I.rar]

ive always used mono since its cheap and everywhere has it never had any problems. XL and big game were always spooled. recently ive tried CXX on spinning which was terrible.  just bought my first spool of 15/4 powerpro and a small spool of 10lb CXX for the BC a couple days ago. we'll see how it goes.

[TennesseeShad]

I keep some fluorocarbon for if I am going somewhere that is extremely clear but 99% of the time it is mono. Either Stren or BPS Excel.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Doesn't Ande mono still have the most world records?  At least I know thats what used to be their tag line.  I use mono on all of my freshwater gear.  If I ever had to do some flipping into heavy cover then I might use braid for freshwater.  My offshore trolling reels have braid on them.  My offshore casting gear has mono, jigging gear has mono with fluoro leaders.  Mono is cheap and it works.

[Goose52]

WHAT AM I MISSING BY FISHING MONO ONLY ?

As said above - maybe nothing. It depends upon the type of presentation you're going for, water clarity, structure/cover, targeted fish, line stretch vs. sensitivity, and probably other factors I'm not smart enough to know about : The other lines may have some advantage in some conditions over mono - the question is the degree of advantage, in numbers of fish caught over mono, to warrant having all those specialized lines and rigs. Another Bass board has a line recommendation page that only has mono for several applications and flouro for the majority with braid in the middle.

I keep some fluorocarbon for if I am going somewhere that is extremely clear but 99% of the time it is mono. Either Stren or BPS Excel.

Me too. I use Stren for 4 & 6 lb. I use BPS Excel for 8, 10, & 12 pound. I've used some 12lb BPS flouro on a BC reel and it seemed a bit "springy" (coil memory) to me. I got some 30 and 65lb braid to play with but haven't used it enough yet to have an opinion - my water is open with little trash/timber to work through so I don't have much application for braid anyway. So, mono is basically my standard....

My lakes are REALLY clear here and I'm open to trying alternatives. Based on RW's and other folks recommendations, I will be ordering some Yo-Zuri Ultrasoft in 6 and 10 lb in a few months and run that on some spinning and BC rigs in the Spring...

[kikstand454]

i personally have moved on from mono only because i feel that yozuri hybrid is better and at not much more cost.  well.. ok it is  more expensive. but... i feel its stronger and has less memory and more sensitivity (less stretch) than big game which is what i used before.

the slight cost difference is worth it to me... while i feel the advantages/cost difference for flouro over hybrid is NOT worth my money. i did love berkley 100% flouro... and its still on my reel for what seems like 6 or 7 months to me. which is a small miracle as i switch line all the time. but its just not so much better compared to the money.

im sure though if you wanted to.... you could use mono forever and catch just as many fish as the rest of us.

[Ojurb]

i've allways fished 12lb big game, i just got my first bait caster and i spooled it with Berkley Vanish 12lb and i love it, at the moment i using big game 12lb on my crappie rod and zebco omniflex 10lb on my bass spinning, i considering spooling everything with vanish since i like it so much, but going to 14lb on the BC, #8 on the spinner and #6 on the crappie rod

[Fishes in trees]

I prefer fluorocarbon lines over mono for all my jig/soft plastic fishing.  My reasons are fluorocarbon stretches less, so it is more sensitive, for the most part it is more abrasion resistant and it supposedly is less visible under water.   Fluorocarbon line sinks, mono floats,  I think when I'm using baits that sink, a sinking line is better.  JMO

[smbrule]

Mono for me 95% of the time except I use Power Pro or similar for:

Carolina rigging

Slop fishing with frogs etc

Spinning rod open water fishing primarily for smallies and crappies

[Sam]

Mono - Topwater and treble hook baits.

Fluoro - Everything else.

Braid and Super Lines - Slop, grass and deep diving crankbaits.

Just a suggestion. 

[Catt]

98% of the time Berkley® Trilene® Big Game 1/4 Lb. Custom Spools 15# Mean Green @ $7.49

High abrasion resistant

Shock absorption & power to handle big fish in all applications.

Cost efficient enough to change line every other trip out

[0119]

I think the way you fish has alot to do with the choice you make in line too.   Guys in a bass boat that have a dozen+ rods at their feet can have each outfit matched to a technique.  I fish from a kayak or the shore and limit myself to one rarely two outfits.  I need each outfit to be more all purpose and mono fits the bill.

[Sherlock 60]

How does Big Game compare to XL regarding castability?

[roadwarrior]

How does Big Game compare to XL regarding castability?

Cable vs. kite string... :-?

[Sherlock 60]

How does Big Game compare to XL regarding castability?

Cable vs. kite string... :-?

LOL. End of debate. I will stay with XL for cranks. Although I am going to try 12# BPS XPS Fluoro this summer for deep crankin'.

[Paul Roberts]

I'm not convinced of anything yet. Mono is tried and true, and simple to deal with -esp if you keep it fresh. BTW, I lump mono and CoPolys together since they behave so similarly, or, maybe there are no mono's that aren't hybrid materials anymore.

But I've been using braids A LOT for several years now for many shallow situations. It has some distinct advantages.

I've been trying FCs for a few years for one reason only -it sinks and there's a potential advantage there. However, I'm not yet sure it's a real enough advantage to be worth the cost and loss of durability (nicks and knots) compared to mono. I also simply do not believe FC is much more invisible to fish, or even if that matters much. Also, tests have repeatedly shown that FC does not stretch less than monos. Although after stretching, some FCs stay "elongated".

At this point mono/CoPoly's are relegated to crankbait fishing only (XT). I use braid (w/mono leader) for topwaters too now.

[bilgerat]

I went to braid with a mono leader for certain applications (jigs and some plastics) but mono will always have a spot with me. I was a diehard Trilene guy forever but have switched to Sufix for both my braid and my mono.

[Raul]

Doesn't Ande mono still have the most world records? At least I know thats what used to be their tag line. I use mono on all of my freshwater gear. If I ever had to do some flipping into heavy cover then I might use braid for freshwater. My offshore trolling reels have braid on them. My offshore casting gear has mono, jigging gear has mono with fluoro leaders. Mono is cheap and it works.

Ande has the records because it 's the only line approved by IGFA for line class records, all other lines over test, the label says 10lbs and it 's going to break well above 10 lbs, Ande 's label says 10 lbs and it will break at 10 lbs or slightly below 10 lbs.