Bye Bye Mono

[Fishfinder]

Well, I decided to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to braided line. Let's just say I'll never go back to mono...for riv fishing anyway:)
I love it, bought that Suffix 832 or whatever it's callled, 20# test and Wowee, what a difference.

Waaay stronger, Waaaaay thinner, Further casting, casts out smooth and comes in smoother:)

I dunno what I was ever thinking before using mono:sign0161:

[chubbdarter]

Well, I decided to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to braided line. Let's just say I'll never go back to mono...for riv fishing anyway:)
I love it, bought that Suffix 832 or whatever it's callled, 20# test and Wowee, what a difference.

Waaay stronger, Waaaaay thinner, Further casting, casts out smooth and comes in smoother:)

I dunno what I was ever thinking before using mono:sign0161:

I fished that line all winter and now for 13 open water trips, ive disliked all the braids because of the line chatter but the suffix is very much like the old iron thread. It collects water less, therefore doesnt ice up as bad and doesnt collect debris open water fishing. It will really shine when the algae blooms i think, typically when i go back to mono or fireline.

[Okotokian]

But then you have to screw around with fluoro or mono leaders, no? (never used braid before)

I used to always use mono, but just loaded up my reels with fluoro. Stronger and invisible works for me. :)

[NSRfishing]

when fishing the nsr i never use a leader tie the jig to the braid works for me

[Fishfinder]

But then you have to screw around with fluoro or mono leaders, no? (never used braid before)

I used to always use mono, but just loaded up my reels with fluoro. Stronger and invisible works for me. :)

Wouldn't know? I only use leaders for pike fishing.

Lost a monster sturg yesterday on it, guessing 4.5'-5'+ ish. Darn rig snapped(was using jackfish rig), my knot and line were still nicely intact. Ugh what a horrible feeling to lose a fish that size....
Going to abandon jackfish n pick rigs soon, couple new techniques I'm trying out. Hate the feeling that a big dino is swimming around now, dragging 3.5oz of my weight...not cool.
I was amazed my LINE never snapped.....suuuuuuper strong!
Cheers.

[TyreeUM]

store rigs are the worst, tie your own. Although I do use braid for a lot of things, mono still has it's place. With braid, I always use carbon leaders though. Power pro is hands down the best braid in my opinion, I don't use anything else.

[Fishfinder]

store rigs are the worst, tie your own. Although I do use braid for a lot of things, mono still has it's place. With braid, I always use carbon leaders though. Power pro is hands down the best braid in my opinion, I don't use anything else.

Yes they are cheap and the hooks that come with them are a joke. I always switch them up. Agreed mono will still have it's place for me too, but when it comes to rivers, I'm sticking with the braided.
Wasn't sure which route to go. I'll throw some PP on another rod and try that out too.
Cheers n GL.

[Jwood 456]

Once I switched to braided line, I haven't gone back to mono.:sHa_shakeshout:

I find the braided line to be very sensative and smooth casting and can keep a much stronger knot compared to mono. I could feel every pebble and weed with the braided line that I wouldn't feel with mono. The only critical thing I could say about superline is its abrassion resistance and its lack of shock resistance and knots slipping free. To fix slippery knots, I just use a simple knot called the palmour knot and I haven't had a knot slip or break yet.

[Okotokian]

Wouldn't know? I only use leaders for pike fishing.


OK, then I'm confused. LOL So you use braid with no leader at all for most of your fishing? I would have thought (and have been told, apparently incorrectly) that fish can easily see the braid.

Do others just use braid alone and catch fish frequently?

[slimjim]

Do fish see the line? Well a fish has a brain the size of a raisine, so if the fish sees the line does it think, "Oh a fishin line, better stay away". I have used braids since they first came out, and wouldn't use any thing else. Braid to swivel, to hook, to fish, to frying pan.

[Fishfinder]

OK, then I'm confused. LOL So you use braid with no leader at all for most of your fishing? I would have thought (and have been told, apparently incorrectly) that fish can easily see the braid.

Do others just use braid alone and catch fish frequently?

I'm using braided for river....never said "for most of my fishing".
I'm sticking with 4#mono for my perch n trout for now.
Pike/Walleye lake fishing I was using 12-14#mono (with leader if targetting pike). This I may switch up....undecided right now.

I am easily catching as many, if not more fish, with the braided Suffix as opposed to the ol mono.

I would say the ratio of guys using mono or braided out there on the SSR is pretty close to 50/50 from what I see, the edge would probably go to braided though.

As for others I see, most guys fishing the river are NOT using leaders. Definetely NOT neccessary IMO. The ones that ARE using them, seem to be newbies to the SSR or really don't know what they're doing out there....from my observations anyway. GTG.
Cheers n GL!

[TyreeUM]

Do fish see the line? Well a fish has a brain the size of a raisine, so if the fish sees the line does it think, "Oh a fishin line, better stay away". I have used braids since they first came out, and wouldn't use any thing else. Braid to swivel, to hook, to fish, to frying pan.

you have obviously never fished grayling in any of the lakes in K country...

[chubbdarter]

you have obviously never fished grayling in any of the lakes in K country...

or a shy walleye on the camera icefishing

[Willowtrail]

I use braid and always tie on a length of Fluoro about 6-8' long. I use 6lb fluro. An easy to tie double uni knot and away I go. For a dirty water like the river I would just go straight braid.

[WayneChristie]

Ive been using the powerpro for a couple years now, and love it, in the lakes. even just this Sunday the grass and crap was binding up on the line badly, going to give some fused line a shot on my other reel next time I hit the river. PP is awesome in the lakes for pike, cuts through reeds and weeds like crazy. I am really liking the flouro leaders tho for pike. If Im using a jig I just tie it to the braid.

[Dust1n]

Once I switched to braided line, I haven't gone back to mono.:sHa_shakeshout:

I find the braided line to be very sensative and smooth casting and can keep a much stronger knot compared to mono. I could feel every pebble and weed with the braided line that I wouldn't feel with mono. The only critical thing I could say about superline is its abrassion resistance and its lack of shock resistance and knots slipping free. To fix slippery knots, I just use a simple knot called the palmour knot and I haven't had a knot slip or break yet.

i use mono like 80% and still love it

[Fishfinder]

i use mono like 80% and still love it

Yep. Don't get me wrong here, not dissing it, still like it, but like stated above, time and place for it.
Just saying how pleased I am with the Suffix in the river, only had it out once, and I'm sure the 3 burb, 2 sturg, 3 walters I wrangled with it, will agree, it works just fine:D:D

How was the the fish huntin' this weekend FH7?

Cheers n GL All.

[Fishfinder]

i use mono like 80% and still love it

You also fish for trout 80% of the time right:)

[Duramaximos]

I'm a big fan of braid with flouro leader combo. I usually run 30# braid with light weight flouro tied direct for perch, walley, trout, etc. Love the sensitivity!

Add a swivel to the braid and 40# flouro for pike. Most of my pike are less than 15 lbs, but hoping to test this out on 20 lb class pike this year!

[Fishfinder]

I'm a big fan of braid with flouro leader combo. I usually run 30# braid with light weight flouro tied direct for perch, walley, trout, etc. Love the sensitivity!

Add a swivel to the braid and 40# flouro for pike. Most of my pike are less than 15 lbs, but hoping to test this out on 20 lb class pike this year!

Yeah I like the idea of adding a fluoro leader for certain fishn, just not the riv. I will give it a try for sure....40# though eh, might go a bit lighter. And yes, swivel would be a must for me when fishin Jacks.
Cheers.

[Dust1n]

You also fish for trout 80% of the time right:)

moree like 5 percent. because all we got up here is stocker trout.
walleye and pike make up more because of my location but i love trout fishing.

[Dust1n]

Yep. Don't get me wrong here, not dissing it, still like it, but like stated above, time and place for it.
Just saying how pleased I am with the Suffix in the river, only had it out once, and I'm sure the 3 burb, 2 sturg, 3 walters I wrangled with it, will agree, it works just fine:D:D

How was the the fish huntin' this weekend FH7?

Cheers n GL All.

i use mono cause its cheap haha.
the fishing was decent. i went to bower and caught a few pike. 2lbs max i dont know why there getting smaller.
this weekend hopefully banff of sylvan lake walleye at jarvis bay.but i will take pic of blindman river pike firts of off. cause i know where every pike for 2 miles lives lol.

[slimjim]

you have obviously never fished grayling in any of the lakes in K country...

Grayling in K country, no never, maybe mtn. whitefish, but not grayling. Have you ever fished for pickrel in Alberta.

[Fishfinder]

moree like 5 percent. because all we got up here is stocker trout.
walleye and pike make up more because of my location but i love trout fishing.

I see, I see, just assumed u were mainly a trout guy from most of your posts/threads. You seem to have a vast knowledge of techniques/styles when it comes to catching those trouties.

Sidenote: I'm going to send you a keyboard or laptop pretty quick if you don't get yours fixed. Mind you, it's kinda fun trying to decifer(sp?) your diction/vocabuli(sp). hehe:)

[Fishfinder]

i use mono cause its cheap haha.
the fishing was decent. i went to bower and caught a few pike. 2lbs max i dont know why there getting smaller.
this weekend hopefully banff of sylvan lake walleye at jarvis bay.but i will take pic of blindman river pike firts of off. cause i know where every pike for 2 miles lives lol.

Good stuff. May the fish be with you:)

[Geezle]

I think I've tried most of the common braid/fused lines out there, and I'll say that I prefer any of them to mono for the fishing I do (98% NSR). They are all a little different and everybody's got their favorites. Overall I prefer PowerPro so far, but I just recently loaded up a reel with the new Sufix 832 but haven't had much of a chance to try it out yet. I also loaded another with Sufix Performance Fuse - It's similar to the Firelines, but again I haven't spent much time with it.

Mono and fluoro still have their place as well. When I'm bait fishing in the NSR (hoping for sturgeon) I snell my hooks with 30lb Trilene Big Game mono, and when I'm fishing for anything toothy I'll throw on either a 30lb (walleye) or 50lb (pike) fluoro leader. If I'm going for trout I've got one spool loaded up with 6lb Fireline Crystal that seems to work well enough but if they're being particularly finnicky I'll put on a 4lb or 6lb Trilene XL leader.

[Fishfinder]

I think I've tried most of the common braid/fused lines out there, and I'll say that I prefer any of them to mono for the fishing I do (98% NSR). They are all a little different and everybody's got their favorites. Overall I prefer PowerPro so far, but I just recently loaded up a reel with the new Sufix 832 but haven't had much of a chance to try it out yet. I also loaded another with Sufix Performance Fuse - It's similar to the Firelines, but again I haven't spent much time with it.

Mono and fluoro still have their place as well. When I'm bait fishing in the NSR (hoping for sturgeon) I snell my hooks with 30lb Trilene Big Game mono, and when I'm fishing for anything toothy I'll throw on either a 30lb (walleye) or 50lb (pike) fluoro leader. If I'm going for trout I've got one spool loaded up with 6lb Fireline Crystal that seems to work well enough but if they're being particularly finnicky I'll put on a 4lb or 6lb Trilene XL leader.

Yeah, I gotta hunch if the SSR had pike as frequent as the NSR I might be tossing a leader on as well. Was curious what u use Geez. Let me know how the Suffix Performance works for ya, was tempted to grab a spool of that too.
Only downside to braided....price!:sign0161:

[Dust1n]

I see, I see, just assumed u were mainly a trout guy from most of your posts/threads. You seem to have a vast knowledge of techniques/styles when it comes to catching those trouties.

Sidenote: I'm going to send you a keyboard or laptop pretty quick if you don't get yours fixed. Mind you, it's kinda fun trying to decifer(sp?) your diction/vocabuli(sp). hehe:)

yeah i fished the bow every sunday for 10 hours every week for 2 years.you tend to learn and notice pattens after a month and after seasons.honey holes and new techques.
and i think im already know on this forum for the messy typing lol.
but i can go fish for bassicly anything and dont come up empty handed.
Thanks

[Geezle]

Yeah, I gotta hunch if the SSR had pike as frequent as the NSR I might be tossing a leader on as well. Was curious what u use Geez. Let me know how the Suffix Performance works for ya, was tempted to grab a spool of that too.
Only downside to braided....price!:sign0161:

Will do. I did use it a little, and so far it seems to handle very much like Fireline. Seems kinda waxy and stiff but casts and retrieves nice enough. A little noisier through the guides than the 832 or PowerPro are. My first impression is that it's a cost effective alternative to Fireline. Just gotta run it through the wringer and see how it holds up over time.

And though it hurts to put out $15-$20 for a spool of line, look at it this way - you won't have to respool it nearly as often as mono. Either respool a few years down the road when the line gets too worn for your liking, or when you've lost too much and don't have enough for a proper cast anymore. I pulled the line off of one spool this spring, and only the top half or so of the line had shown any wear...the rest had never seen the light of day. Use the leftover good line as backing and just 'top it up' :)

[Dust1n]

i spend 8 bucks on mono and i use it for 2-4 years.......mabe i should change it

[bloopbloob]

I have no problem paying $20-30 for a spool of braided line. Lose 3 Rapalas from using cheaper bad line and it pays for itself right there. Tried quite a few different brands over the last few years, so far my favorite is Spiderwire Ultracast. I use 10lb, which is only 2lb mono diameter. Much softer, super tough (tie directly to hook for pike without leader, and never had them break me off yet) and casts like a dream. Only problem is that it deteriorates quite fast, maybe get 2 years out of it if your lucky. Bought some 10lb Suffix 832 this winter, only had a chance to use it a couple times so far, but it is much stiffer, thicker, (4lb diameter), doesn't cast as nice or as far, but seems 'waxier'? so I think it'll hold up better over time.

[freeones]

Do fish see the line? Well a fish has a brain the size of a raisine, so if the fish sees the line does it think, "Oh a fishin line, better stay away". I have used braids since they first came out, and wouldn't use any thing else. Braid to swivel, to hook, to fish, to frying pan.

You might be surprised how many times that pea brained fish is outsmarting you, and how much more successful you could be.

I've seen it first hand too many times to discount the effect that line has. A 4' flouro leader, or even a switch from braid to mono or vice versa, can make a huge difference in the number of bites you get. This is especially true in clear water or in tough conditions where you have to fish slow and the fish have plenty of time to look at the bait and "think" about it.

I don't think there's any doubt that fish become line shy, especially on lakes with a lot of fishing pressure.

[New Hunter Okotoks]

I am really liking the flouro leaders tho for pike. If Im using a jig I just tie it to the braid.

What poundage of flouro are you using Wayne?

[carterM]

So I'm looking into picking up a braided line and I have a few questions.

First, to you guys who tie a fluro leader to the braid, if you're fishing in a situation where you're breaking off alot (maybe bouncing a jig on the bottom of a rocky river) do you find yourselves tieing alot of leaders on while you're out fishing?

Also, why the swivel for pike? I didn't think it had any real benefit as far as them breaking you off. Man...this forum is really showing me how little I actually know about fishing!

Ummm... I know there was one more question but it's getting late and I think I forgot it...

[Geezle]

So I'm looking into picking up a braided line and I have a few questions.

First, to you guys who tie a fluro leader to the braid, if you're fishing in a situation where you're breaking off alot (maybe bouncing a jig on the bottom of a rocky river) do you find yourselves tieing alot of leaders on while you're out fishing?

Also, why the swivel for pike? I didn't think it had any real benefit as far as them breaking you off. Man...this forum is really showing me how little I actually know about fishing!

Ummm... I know there was one more question but it's getting late and I think I forgot it...

The way I set it up is I with a snap swivel on the main line. This is mostly because I'm lazy, and it makes it easy to swap out hooks/leaders if something gets damaged. The swivel also helps prevent/reduce line twist when you're using lures that spin, like inline spinners or certain types of spoons etc.

[TyreeUM]

I try to keep a good assortment of carbon, mono, and braid with me all the time - you never know when you are going to need to change things up a bit. Carbon for braid shy fish, braid to run a shock leader to lengthen your cast, mono to string up all your dead fish and the list goes on. I fish big pike during the winter and one day they will be leader shy and I have to run big game carbon, the next day I can catch them on aircraft cable - you just never know.

[Christofficer]

I don't see the point in using braid unless you're using bait all the time or something. I've been using mono forever, then switched to fluoro. I can't remember the last time I broke a fish off, and also can't remember the last time I needed it for sensitivity. However, I am gonna get some more for fishing deep water. Too much mono out and you can't feel jack with it.