Which is better braided or monofilament

Then you have others who see the merits of both and use each type of line depending on the kind of fishing they are doing. One of the biggest attractions to monofilament lines is the fact they are much easier to tie and cut.

That means beginners can learn the basics of knot tying with a mono fishing line and find it will serve them well, making tying tackle and line knots that bit simpler. Monos also provide better knot reliability than braids because they are more likely to stretch than break on a sudden, heavy hit and are especially preferred for that reason when live-bait fishing, trolling and kite fishing. Speaking of knots, we have all created unwanted knots in the course of our fishing lives.

Here, too, monofilament has an advantage, as working out a knot is not usually a much of a headache. The same cannot be said for braided lines, however. This can be attributed to their thinness as well as the woven fiber materials from which they are made, requiring all manner of specialized knots to be learned, which can obviously be rather time-consuming.

Another consideration: if you are going to fish with braid, make sure you also use a good fluorocarbon leader , for maximum stealth, especially when fishing for species that are skittish. Fluorocarbons also make it safer when handling the end of your line than with braid, which can easily slice your fingers.

But, perhaps, the greatest advantages of braids are their strength, thinner diameter, and line sensitivity. Simply put, braid allows you to pack more high-strength line onto your fishing reel , provides more distance for casting than mono out on the boat, flats or surf, and lets you feel those bites better. Anglers targeting carp and catfish in similar conditions often go for braided main line too.

Other advantages of braid include its low diameter enabling you to fit lots of line on the spool and you can go for a higher breaking strain main line because of this thinness when compared to mono main line, which is a lot thicker. It's also very supple and casts a long way easily. For these reasons, it's a popular choice of main line for saltwater anglers — surf casters, deep sea fisherman, big game hunters and so on — that need to hold lots of line on a reel.

The disadvantages are that it can be tricky for a beginner to handle with a mild tendency to tangle, and the fish can see it, so it's not good in open clear water situations.

Tying on a fluorocarbon leader — sometimes called a top shot — can help that, and we will get into that later on. Fluorocarbon is at the opposite end of braid when it comes to visibility and elasticity — we are using this for the stretch which will help absorb the power of the cast and hooked fish, and allows the lure to maximize its action in open water. The most popular techniques with fluorocarbon are bass or freshwater fishing with crankbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, jigs and swimbaits — the list goes on.

This is because the fluorocarbon is made from material that has the same refractive qualities as water, making it much harder for the fish to spot. In fact, if you're targeting any fish in clear water, a fluorocarbon leader is a great idea to reduce visibility and increase hook-ups. This can apply to carp, catfish, trout, saltwater species and so on. Mono is the original line that has been used longer than most but has faded out to just a few techniques when it comes to bass fishing, but it still has plenty of uses in a more general context.

Mono has a lot of stretch — almost too much sometimes — and that's why it is not as popular these days. It is also usually colored which means fish can see in clear water and can stop them from hitting your bait or lure, but it can handle a lot of abrasion compared to braid.

Some anglers love mono for topwater bass fishing as it floats and helps keep your topwater up and giving the right action. This photo shows the resulting concentric loops of line created by Sufix's G2 Precision Winding Process — which assures the smoothest possible transfer of line to your fishing reel. A big part of that preparation involves balancing equipment and making sure the right action rod is paired to the correct size and ratio reel.

Skip to main content. Fishing lines: Mono, fluoro or braid? Mono first Mono short for monofilament is a single strand of line made from one or more than one type of nylon. Fluoro next Like monofilament, fluorocarbon is polymer based but with a nearly identical refractive index to water. Finally braid Originally spun from natural materials like silk, cotton and linen, braided fishing lines have been around forever.

Page views. Tackle systems: A balance of power A big part of that preparation involves balancing equipment and making sure the right action rod is paired to the correct size and ratio reel. Bass through a looking glass Read More.

Slow-rolling spinnerbaits. Glen Lau: the artist beneath. If a fish were to take and the line snagged and broke, that fish is likely to be stuck there with no escape. Mono provides more stretch and will not pull hooks as easily, and because it can break easier for its diameter and snagged fish should be able to wriggle free easier than that of braid.

Most braids will start at lb breaking strain upwards. So there are some recommendations of what to use and why. This is a guide and many people will contest or agree with what we have said.

To be honest, it all boils down to what feels intuitively right to you, and this will be the correct line option for you. Should I use Braid or Mono? So, do I put braid or mono on my new spinning or multiplier reel? Before going into specifics, here are the main obvious differences in braid over mono: Braid has less stretch.

Braid diameter is much thinner for the comparable breaking strains. Braids are more tangle prone. You can use really strong braid to reduce fish breaking off. Braids are more expensive. Braid can cut through your finger like cheese wire. Related posts Best Braided Fishing Lines. Spinning For Salmon — Tackle Guide. Best Spinning Reels — Buyers Guide.