What I dont understand is before the mid/late 2000’s or so, mono was the only game in town and everyone was fine using it and caught plenty of fish with it. It worked well for millions of people for years and now nobody uses it?
Same thing can be said about turntable vinyl records, 8-tracks, cassettes, and now CD’s. Or, Beta, VHS, DVDs, now it’s a bunch of streaming online.
Mono has always, always had drawbacks, and braided line makes a very good complimentary alternative. They are so drastically different in characteristics that they fit totally different situations. You can use either, in any given situation, but one of them will be a more obvious choice.
That, and braid seems to last a lot longer. I have a large Okuma reel that I use on the rare day that I go offshore bottom-bouncing. It has 5-year old 85lb Power Pro on it, and has only seen 4 days of sunshine. The line is brand new to the eye and to the hand, and I still would use it without hesitation. I wouldn’t dare do that with mono.
… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.
Ok, so I bought a 125yd. spool of 80lb braid (not for fishing for a home project), on close out $15.00. As I was shopping I noted various brands, weights of 250yds for $20-$25 ouch! This past spring I got two 800yd spools of my favorite mono for $14.00. For me, I will stick with mono.
I find that people that are skeptical about braid starting out, often try one brand once, confirm for themselves that it’s a PITA, throw it out and refuse to ever try it again. That is to say, there IS a learning curve and it’s much less forgiving to sloppy line handling than mono. But, it breaks in and it breaks you in. Once you learn to use it, the benefits are undeniable.
As a 90%+ surf fisher, I have tested several braid brands/ types, in the surf, the results were not good. That is to say tying directly to drop rig. If I have to tie in shock leaders, backing, chafing leaders etc. Continuous mono seems to make more sense to me.
Braid for everything except trolling or livelining big baits.
I like the stretch for trolling, helps set hook and avoiding pulled hooks. Livelining big baits in offshore, braid isnt required for feel or hookset, and you can save some money on spooling big reels.
I have found that each has strong points and weak points. Braid gives you better casting distance, it’s stronger and gives you a more sensitive feel, however it will knot in the wind and will break easily when taught if anything hits it from the side, especially oysters. Mono holds up a little better when it’s been beat up a little bit but you sacrifice the feel and casting distance. I use both depending on the situation. My take