Mono vs Power Pro/Braided

[Jeffish]

As the title says, Mono vs Braided. I know that say.. 30# mono is thicker then 30# power pro, so I guess that could be one advantage. But is power pro that much stronger or something? Isn't 30#, 30#?

I know that if you would replace your mono with power pro, or a similar product, that you would use some mono as a backing, but why?

Does color matter? I was told that green was superior to yellow.

Aaaaaaaaaand, lets say that power pro costs more then my rod/reel combo. Would it be worth it to re-string to power pro?

Are wind knots a problem with braided line?

And finally, what knots should braided be tied with? I know the Trilene is used for mono to lures/hooks/swivels. But would a Uni-knot take the place?

I do remember tying a trilene on a braided line, and it didn't take very well.

[ped579]

Jeff it is true that 30# is 30# but one of the main things with PP is that you can feel every little bump and tap way before you would with mono.  Plus it seems like the braid is slipperier than its mono counter part.

I have found that color here does not matter as you usually use a shock leader of some sort anyway.

As far as cost yes it is more expensive but you can use mono as a backing to take up some of the space and put on say 200 yards of braid.  If you do this make sure the one putting this on is a reputable dealer and knows how to fill a reel.  This goes along with the wind knots you you will get them for a while till the reel is at its sweet spot as far as line capacity.

I have seen to many people complain about wind knots and noticed that the reel is over filled.  I usually only go about a 1/4 inch below the rim of the spool and that is pretty much it.

As far as knots uni to uni works well and a modified clinch knot as well.

As far as what brand of braid to use it is all over the map on this one.  I like PP and have been using it for about 2 years now and have had zero problems with it.  One thing though be careful with handling braid it will slice right through your skin before you can even thing about it being a problem.

Happy Catching

Paul

[Jeffish]

I have noticed that some mono (cheaper stuff I guess) stretches more then a rubber band. I'm going to assume that braided doesn't stretch?

I have found that color here does not matter as you usually use a shock leader of some sort anyway.

^ And what do you mean by that?

[ped579]

A shock leader is a length of mono usually fluorocarbon but it could as well be just mono that you attach form the braid to the lure about 3 to 6 feet in length.  It does a couple of things makes it easier to handle when you have the fish on the sand no cut problems, plus it act as a shock absorber when casting either a heavy lure or heavy rigs out.

[Jeffish]

Makes perfect sense. Good tips Paul, thanks so much!

[Bucktail]

                                         Mono       Braid
Stretch                             YES         NO
Abrasion Resistance    HIGH        LOW
Memory                           HIGH        LOW
Castability                      FAIR        EXCELLENT
Strength                        Comparing breaking strengths, a typical monofilament line must be 3 or 4 times thicker than a braided line of the same breaking strength.  That is, 30 lb. test monfilament is 3 to 4 times thicker than 30 lb. braid.

Hope that helps!

[Jeffish]

So, if braided gets rubbed against a rock or something, it has higher chance of breaking? Would braided be better in surf fishing situations?

[ped579]

Absolutely...

[Luna Sea 5]

very, very simple.. don't compare it.. just throw out the mono...

[blynch]

As the title says, Mono vs Braided. I know that say.. 30# mono is thicker then 30# power pro, so I guess that could be one advantage. But is power pro that much stronger or something? Isn't 30#, 30#?

I know that if you would replace your mono with power pro, or a similar product, that you would use some mono as a backing, but why?

Does color matter? I was told that green was superior to yellow.

Aaaaaaaaaand, lets say that power pro costs more then my rod/reel combo. Would it be worth it to re-string to power pro?

Are wind knots a problem with braided line?

And finally, what knots should braided be tied with? I know the Trilene is used for mono to lures/hooks/swivels. But would a Uni-knot take the place?

I do remember tying a trilene on a braided line, and it didn't take very well.

i would be more attracted to the no-stretch feature of braid than anything... while it is nice to be able to pack more line the times you need it are pretty few. 

[Capt. Carl]

i use mono for the simple task of backing my braid and for leader on bottom fishing trips.
as far as color, i think its a personal preference, but red disappears in the water column due to the red spectrum not penetrating through the depths of the water column. yellow is good for hi vis situations like trolling. i look at it like this,...the jigging braid (which i use)has multiple colors in it every 5 to 10 meters....this is used in tuna fishing alot and those fish have just about the keenest eyesight of them all, and they dont seem to mind. As long as you are using a good length of flourocarbon leader, the fish wont care what color your braid is too much!

[blynch]

also, if your powerpro costs more than your whole combo the line will eat through your guides and destroy your drag quickly besaue of that same no-stretch charachteristic... Not every setup reel is what they call "braid-ready," unfortunately...

[ped579]

Very true, good point.

[Wreckfish]

Thinner line = less water resistance = small sinkers

New good quality rods guides will handle braid with no issues.

As stated before no stretch = more sensitivity.

Braid last longer then mono - yes it might cost more but you won't be replacing it as much a mono.  Power Pro is expensive but Tuff Line is excellent quality and I find it more reasonable priced.

Uni Knot, Palomar and no-name all work well.

Braid is very slick so it will spin on the spool arbor which is why you need a mono backing. You can also tape it to the spool arbor which prevents slipping and then you don't need mono backing.

[Art Berkman]

Mono for life !

Nuff said !

[Jeffish]

Maybe I'll wait till I get a new rod/reel setup before I put braided on. With my current surf poles, in good weather I can still cast over the waves.

[NJ Guy]

I have noticed that some mono (cheaper stuff I guess) stretches more then a rubber band. I'm going to assume that braided doesn't stretch?

I have found that color here does not matter as you usually use a shock leader of some sort anyway.

^ And what do you mean by that?

I usually use about 5 feet of 60-100 pound test mono it takes all the abuse of repetive surf casts especially when casting in heavy winds or if you just have a sloppy cast you will never break your rig off. (i use 5 feet of shock lead because i use a 12 and 13ft rod if you use a smaller rod go with slightly less leader) Some guys like cable leader but i dont