braided or mono?

[karol]

 hey guys, asking if you use mono or braided for throwing tubes and grubs with a florocarbon leader? braided for cranks or like the strech with mono?
and.. what is a good baitcastering  reel for smallies? used to using the 6500's for muskie but even the 5500's are kinda big for smallies so what do you like for around 125$ thanks for your help ..karol

[canvsbk]

 Pretty tough to beat a Pflueger President or Trion for the money....

Ah, that wonderful feel that braid gives you...then you rip the hook right out of 'em.
But it floats.
And then there's the built in twist that comes with flouro....but it sinks. Some guys really struggle with knots here.

In the true mono's there's all that strecth. They float, great knots.

It's all trade offs - and the application - do you want your line to sink? Float? Were you interested in getting that backlacsh out yet today? How important is feel? Can the fish feel you?
Good braids and good flouro costs a ton compared to good mono too.

Wouldn't have it any other way!

[djkimmel]

I like the Pflueger Presidents I've been using the past couple of seasons. Light reels that hold enough line. Smooth, low profile. I think I like my Pflueger Trion crankbait reel even better though. It's a little bigger, but works great for casting crankbaits and really flings them out far.

I do most of my casting tubes/grubs with fluorocarbon. Still playing with different brands to find the one I like. Yo-Zuri hybrid line lately.

I've been messing with light Power Pro too this year. It does seem like sometimes I may be getting less strikes, but sometimes I don't see a difference. I can really feel things and slam the hook home easy with it.

When I'm sure I can get away with it, I've been using various super lines for years when fishing deep current such as the St. Clair River channels deep. If I think the bite will be tough, I usually use fluorocarbon.

I still use mono for a lot of my spinnerbaits and crankbaits. I will use fluoro too when fishing slower with either, or more to control depth than visibility or feel. Fluorocarbon is thinner for the same lbs test and sinks faster. Sometimes, I actually want more drag and lift, so I use fatter mono.

[matt]

I usally go with braid on top water lures and spinners, mono for crankbaits and jigs...

I don't like fluorocarbon lines,some reason they are just too stiff for me....I'd probably use that just for deep rigging or something.I'm probably making a mistake on that part =-/

[bshaner]

With the exception of toads/frogs I'll use mono for my topwater stuff if for no other reason than the stretch which seems to give me a little extra cushion from setting the hook too early, plus it floats which is conducive to staying on top.  I just don't use braid on poppers and walk the dog baits because it tends to wrap around the trebles on slack line.  I don't use fluoro on tops because it sinks and can be a pain in the butt to get a good topwater presentation.

I use braid for C-Rigging with a fluoro leader and braid for slop/frog/toad and heavy worming/pitching/flipping.

Crankbaits definitely get mono because the stretch allows the crankbait to hold it's intended action as well as cushion the strike so you dont rip the trebles out of their mouth.  I've been switching back and forth between mono and fluoro for my spinnerbaits/chatterbaits and just cant decide.  Mono has the stretch for shock absorption on violent strikes but I cant feel anything and it's difficult to rip through weeds, vice fluoro which has the sensitivity to feel the blades but no shock absoprtion so it can rip through weeds.  What a conundrum.

Tubes and grubs or any weighted, bottom crawling t-rig type bait I use fluoro(with the exception of jigs for which I use braid mostly) for the minimal stretch and great sensitivity as well as abrasion resistance.

Currently I use Power Pro braid but have been hearing good things about Suffix.  I will probably try some of that next season.  For fluoro, I'm a big fan of PLine but Joshimoto has been turning me on to Seaguar.

Dan,
I've heard good things about the Yozuri Hybrid Ultra Soft for spinning.  Have you tried it?

B

[HellaBass]

Here is my two cents on selecting line...
http://bassinblog.richlindgren.com/2006/04/14/monofilament-vs-fluorocarbon-vs-braided-lines--how-does-one-choose.aspx

Just pasted the link, as its too long for a post 

[Hooksetter]

I use 65lb. P-Line braid for topwater frogs and toads. Last year was my first year using braid and I didn't have any problems with the P-Line braid.

I use 17lb. and 12lb. P-Line Cxx premium  for all other topwaters, cranks, spinnerbaits, c-rigs and jerkbaits.

I use 8lb. and 20lb. P-Line flourocarbon for tube jigs, jig-n-pig, t-rigs and open water Senko fishing.

I use 8lb. P-Line Cxx premium for skippin docks and pontoons.

I read somewhere {BassFan maybe?} that P-Line is coming out with a new flourocarbon for 2007 called Halo. It is supposed to be 'softer' than existing floros and have alot less memory. I'm looking forward to testing it as soon it is available.

[karol]

 thanks again guys,  so glad that wayne carpenter told me about this site, lots of help for lines and cold water bites and reels too. still selling my muskie baits to catch up on bills but will soon start toward more bass stuff...karol

[djkimmel]

I have not tried the Ultra Soft yet. I'm also thinking about trying another fluorocarbon - another Japanese brand, but I can't for the life of me remember the name at the moment and I'm leery because it is expensive... I'll have to ask Benfishin.com Ben again what the heck the name is.

Karol - glad Wayne told you to come here and glad you like it!

[bshaner]

Sunline Dsomething? 

B

[Cheetam]

Take a look at the Triple Fish Fluoro.  I tried the 8lb this season and was pretty impressed.  Not stiff at all and pretty cheap (compared to others).  I got mine at Gander in Novi.  I had PB pick me up some 10lb a few weeks ago but looks like I won't field test that til sometime next April...

[canvsbk]

 Sunline - Shooter and yup it's pricey!

I use Power Pro braid 10# on my Senko rod, slow medium action, no leader. Just put some pressure on the fish and he'll be hooked.
Sunline/Shooter 7# on my tube rod but fight the twist CONSTANTLY, also use this on crankbait rod.
For jerkbaits and spinnerbaits I like something a bit heavier, 12 or 14#, again Sunline.
On drop shot rod I like the old blue Stren, less feel but more give.
I've tried nearly all the true flouro lines and I wonder if they're really worth the trouble. I guess I've convinced myself that they help some but the memory, line twist and knot strength may return me back to the way men did it when men where still men!

[Revtro]

Ditto to bshaner's post.  Those are pretty similar to my line choices.  The only thing I'd add is that I buy the bulk spools of the cheapest 14lb mono money can buy (BPS) and use it as a backer line on all my reels to save me money.  Excel is $10 for 1200 yards which takes care of most of my reels as a backer line for the season. 

I like braid, floro, and braid with floro leaders, so it saves a TON of money to fill up half your spool first with mono as a backer line since you never cast half your spool off anyway.  It saves a lot of cash and allows you to use floro and braid on more reels.  Just make sure you learn to tie the right knot.  YukonJack showed me a better knot...can't think of what it's called.

Tom (A.K.A. - IB PO)  Or, IB Cheap...depending on who you ask. 

[bshaner]

I use the double uni knot.

I only back my braid. 

Most of my reels this coming year will be low capacity spools so I wont be using up much line.  These spools improve casting smoothness and distance as well.

Backing the spools for cost efficiency is a great idea though.

B

[matt]

yeah i made the mistake of filling the whole spool with braid once...."lesson learned"

I'm gonna look into excell mono line for the backer @ $10 for 1200 feets ain't bad...Because i do love my braided lines.

[djkimmel]

I've been using backing on my reels for so long I don't remember who taught this valuable lesson. Every time I go into the big stores in the winter, or little remote tackle shops, I check the bargain bin for those 500 to 1000 yard 'no name' spools of line and/or things like South Bend (snicker) that you can get for sometimes only $1 and usually no more than $2 per spool. That's what I use for backing.

I buy 8 to 14 or 17 pound test to simplify matching up sizes somewhat close for knot-ease.

Don't forget when you put on braid, to flip it around once before you toss it out. Just reel it from one reel onto another and bingo, bango, bongo, you've got like new line again!

[RipNLips]

I would use flourocarbon when using tubes and grubs due to the no stretch and a mono when using crankbaits due to the stretch and you dont rip the lure from them.

I like the quatium accurasit, a 6.2:1 and for like 80 bucks. I had the Trion, it was smooth as hell but has really dissapointed me this past season.