Heavy braid or lighter mono for setup? 2025
Tgunz64 reply :
Hey I’m newer to baitcasting. And just bought a new MHF rod. Line recommendation is from 10-20lb. I was thinking of using 15lb braid but the diameter is thin .008-.009. After reading things this line could cut into itself? So should I just go with maybe a 14 or 16lb mono/Fluor or go up to a 30lb braid like I’ve seen mentioned online because it’s a thicker diameter more like a 12 or 14lb mono? I’m looking at buying either a Tatula 200 or Tatula CT type R. Thought a smaller diameter braid would be better with the CTR cause the spool is much smaller. 120yds of 14lb mono capacity. Thanks!
Choporoz reply :
I think it is time that rod manufacturers stopped putting line test ranges on rods.
Dens228 reply :
I only use braid. I use 20 pound for crankbaits and light topwaters on a M/Moderate, I use 50 on my H/Fast for frogs in slop.
I use 30 for everything else. especially on my MH/Fast rods.
I'd say if a MH/Fast is the general purpose rod, 30 lb braid is the general purpose braid. Lighter than 20 is a pain in the arse for me.
Choporoz reply :
The lures you will be using, the environment that you'll be fishing, the fish you will be targeting....all much more important than what your rod says. Especially since the listed # range is confusing when someone unfamiliar wants to use 30# braid, but the rod says 8-15# line.
Tgunz64 reply :
I’m more concerned about the line to reel vs line to rod. Braid supposedly casts better but I don’t see the need to go 30# but if it cast better than a 14 or 16lb mono then maybe I’d like to use that. Or will be less trouble than a thinner 15 braid. Just trying to see what will add more line to a smaller size reel like the CTR but with good casting. Or just go to a larger spool reel? This rod would mainly be for bass and/or northern pike.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
This ^^^^
if you are new and still unsure, I would either go with #10 copolymer for all around techniques, a lot of folks here swear by Hybrid line. You don’t really need 14-16lb unless you fish in jungle, heavy jig or medium size swimbait (2ozs and up).
You don’t really need tatula200 with line capacity of 16lb/185. The CT type R is more suitable for every day fishing.
WRB reply :
You are new to using a bait casting rod and reel start by using 12 lb Trilene Big Game mono line. You want to learn with a premium mono like BG that cost $9 for 600 yards. Don't worry about backlashes (watch Gleen's video ) and get comfortable casting and catching bass.
I don't use braid unless it's in very heavy aquatic vegetation that braid can cut through and don't use leaders, always my main line regardless of the type.
Tom
PS, toothy fish like pike you may need a wire leader. If you choose braid select it by diameter that equals monofilament not lb test; 30 to 40 lb braid for example. Braid doesn't cast better then mono.
Tgunz64 reply :
I currently have a Pflueger Supreme XT baitcaster with 12# mono on it. I’ve got casting down good with that. But that reel is more for my salmon/steelhead rod. So this new reel will be for the heavier rod I bought. So from what I’m hearing just match the diameter of braid to mono but really use whatever I feel like.
BassWhole! reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 1:48 AM, Choporoz said:I think it is time that rod manufacturers stopped putting line test ranges on rods.
Yeah, and then we'd be stuck with "If you could only have one [blank]" and "RH or LH BC" all winter long... 
Smalls reply :
If you’re new to casting gear, 15 lb braid is going to give you a headache. It’s gonna dig into itself and cause backlashes. I don’t run anything less than 30lb on anything except my spinning gear. Do I need 30lb line? Usually not -I need the diameter of 30lb line.
But I’ll echo WRB- 12 lb Big Game is perfect to learn on, and cheap enough to replace when you (and you will ????) have to cut it out from a backlash.
WRB reply :
I also recommend learning to remove a backlash without picking it out or cutting the line ( braid excluded) by winding over it.
When you get a backlash slowly pull off the line until you get to the 1st loop don't pull hard on the loop. Step 2 is put your thumb on the spool firmly and wind all the line back onto your reel. Third step carefully pull line off until past the loops; do not pull on the loops tight, just use a little force and if that loop doesn't come, repeat step 2 and 3, the backlash usually gone.
Braid you are on your own, this may or may not work and if it doesn't it's cutting time.
Tom
PS, a few video's showing this technique one Utube
Tgunz64 reply :
Some good advice. I’m surprised at how fast I’m getting responses on this forum. Since were talking any recommendations on a good reel under $200? Looked at the Tatulas,
Curados, Quantum Smoke S3, and a couple Lews. So far the Tatula seemed the smoothest.
PhishLI reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 2:35 AM, Tgunz64 said:I currently have a Pflueger Supreme XT baitcaster with 12# mono on it
I have a few XTs. Love that reel! I can bomb baits farther with that reel than any in my arsenal, including the Curado K. I have a chunky thumb and the wide spool of the XT works well for me. The simple 6 pin centrifugal braking system works great. That reel is just a trouble free caster. It's also a pleasure for pitching.
Since you seem interested in a Daiwa for your next reel, I'd look at the Tatula 150. Plenty of line cap, aluminum gear sideplate, and a slightly wider spool. The 200 doesn't have Magforce z which is a no-go for me, and the CT type R is a touchy reel best suited for someone that has the hang of Magforce Z. The type r is a beast of a long caster, but your casting stroke must be adjusted when compared to centrifugal friction brakes. This is mostly true when you set the brakes on the low end to get the most distance which is what you'll do the better you get at it.
Backlashes on a Daiwas tend to occur instantly at the beginning of a cast. They're rare after launch. If the lure gets out and away you're in pretty good shape. There is effectively zero braking at the beginning of the cast unless you have the dial cranked up. This is the opposite of centrifugal brakes where friction occurs immediately. So, when you set a Daiwa up at the free-est braking settings for the lure you're throwing, thumbing is different at launch compared to centri-braked reels. The good news is is that once you've adjusted to these differences you'll find that you really don't need to really lay into casts for good distance. It took me time to figure this out myself, but I'm glad I did. I night fish alot and prefer my Daiwas in this scenario. They're generally less troublesome when casting in the dark where you can't see the lure in flight or when it hits the water. Night fishing with any type baitcaster means you'll need to get in tune with the track of vibration and sound they make throughout a cast. Daiwas work really well for me here.
All of that said, they behave differently with braid and mono. Mono is stiff and will typically will fluff is you lose it, but braid is limp and will wrap around the spool quickly on an over-run. So, if you think you'll be using braid primarily I think you should just start with 30-40 pound braid. Mono isn't going to teach you much about casting with braid on a Daiwa, IMO. Like I said, the backlashes usually occur instantly using braid with Daiwas. I've haven't junked a spool of braid yet on one. The backlashes were always salvageable. Usually right where I stood. Not at home with a dental pick. I can't say the same for my centrifugally braked reels. Those occurred mid-flight where the spool was already spinning very fast. Disaster.
WRB reply :
A little over your budget is the Daiwa Tatula Elite series casting reel if longer cast using 100 size reel with added line capacity.
I use the original Tatula 100XS R series and my average cast with a 1/2 oz jig is about 120' (40yards) up to 150' (50 yards) using both mono and FC lines.
Tom
Tgunz64 reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 4:33 AM, PhishLI said:I have a few XTs. Love that reel! I can bomb baits farther with that reel than any in my arsenal, including the Curado K. I have a chunky thumb and the wide spool of the XT works well for me. The simple 6 pin centrifugal braking system works great. That reel is just a trouble free caster. It's also a pleasure for pitching.
Since you seem interested in a Daiwa for your next reel, I'd look at the Tatula 150. Plenty of line cap, aluminum gear sideplate, and a slightly wider spool. The 200 doesn't have Magforce z which is a no-go for me, and the CT type R is a touchy reel best suited for someone that has the hang of Magforce Z. The type r is a beast of a long caster, but your casting stroke must be adjusted when compared to centrifugal friction brakes. This is mostly true when you set the brakes on the low end to get the most distance which is what you'll do the better you get at it.
Backlashes on a Daiwas tend to occur instantly at the beginning of a cast. They're rare after launch. If the lure gets out and away you're in pretty good shape. There is effectively zero braking at the beginning of the cast unless you have the dial cranked up. This is the opposite of centrifugal brakes where friction occurs immediately. So, when you set a Daiwa up at the free-est braking settings for the lure you're throwing, thumbing is different at launch compared to centri-braked reels. The good news is is that once you've adjusted to these differences you'll find that you really don't need to really lay into casts for good distance. It took me time to figure this out myself, but I'm glad I did. I night fish alot and prefer my Daiwas in this scenario. They're generally less troublesome when casting in the dark where you can't see the lure in flight or when it hits the water. Night fishing with any type baitcaster means you'll need to get in tune with the track of vibration and sound they make throughout a cast. Daiwas work really well for me here.
All of that said, they behave differently with braid and mono. Mono is stiff and will typically will fluff is you lose it, but braid is limp and will wrap around the spool quickly on an over-run. So, if you think you'll be using braid primarily I think you should just start with 30-40 pound braid. Mono isn't going to teach you much about casting with braid on a Daiwa, IMO. Like I said, the backlashes usually occur instantly using braid with Daiwas. I've haven't junked a spool of braid yet on one. The backlashes were always salvageable. Usually right where I stood. Not at home with a dental pick. I can't say the same for my centrifugally braked reels. Those occurred mid-flight where the spool was already spinning very fast. Disaster.
I like my XT but I think it needs a cleaning. Not as smooth as it was. Also I have the brakes and stuff turned up (cause I’m not used to these) and can cast a 1oz red eye and only need to thumb it just before it hits water without any issues. I’ve considered another XT. Pflueger seems to make good no nonsense reels that just seem to work. I’d also like to try the magnetic braking system. The Daiwa 150 and CTR have the same line capacity. eBay has the 150 for $116 and the CTR for $129. The Smoke S3 peaked my interest as well. Seems to have some nice features but didn’t feel as smooth as the Tatula.
bwjay reply :
The Shimano SLX is a fantastic reel for $100, and you can now get the SLX XT with adjustable external brakes for an extra $30. I have an SLX and really like it and have an SLX XT on the way. Definitely don't skip over these in your research. And keep in mind, Cabela's will let you return a reel within 90 days even if you've fished it, so you can try a couple if you really want.
Personally I would tell newcomers to use braid, as mono/copoly/fluoro have memory and want to pop off the reel, and will give you nightmares when you backlash (when, not if). You'll get better at avoiding backlashes as you fine tune your reel and learn its limits with various lure weights, wind, etc. Backlashes with braid are much easier to fix and they don't ruin/weaken the line if you pull too hard trying to get the backlash out. That being said, you do want to use 30-50lb braid so it won't dig into itself and so it will join better with 10-15lb mono/copoly/fluoro leaders (based on line diameter). You can still fit a ton of 40lb braid on a 150 sized reel. I use 40lb Sufix 832 and Super8SlickV2 for every single baitcasting application but I tie on a long 14lb Sunline Sniper FC leader for anything besides frogging or any heavy cover application. I have had no real problems with casting distance or anything as a result of using 40lb braid.
Braid to leader is the way to go. It takes some work to learn a connection knot like the Double Uni, but it's worth it. You get excellent responsiveness (hooksets and action) from braid due to essentially no stretch, and great sensitivity as well. It is IMO a superior line if used with a clear leader, but plenty of people with farrrr more experience than me will disagree. That being said, I've had a much nicer time using braid on my baitcasters than fluoro (or anything else). I put Sunline Sniper FC on a new reel, got 10 casts in, blew it up so bad I spent 15 minutes trying to get out the backlash and ended up cutting off about half the spool. I was pretty upset. With braid, I've had hundreds of casts, maybe 2 dozen backlashes, and I've only had to cut the braid once when it was really bad and I pulled too hard causing it to dig into itself. Overall braid gets out of the way. The lack of memory is a huge plus.
If you go for braid, don't forget to use a cheap mono backing on the reel so the braid doesn't slip.
Tgunz64 reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 5:56 AM, bwjay said:The Shimano SLX is a fantastic reel for $100, and you can now get the SLX XT with adjustable external brakes for an extra $30. I have an SLX and really like it and have an SLX XT on the way. Definitely don't skip over these in your research. And keep in mind, Cabela's will let you return a reel within 90 days even if you've fished it, so you can try a couple if you really want.
Personally I would tell newcomers to use braid, as mono/copoly/fluoro have memory and want to pop off the reel, and will give you nightmares when you backlash (when, not if). You'll get better at avoiding backlashes as you fine tune your reel and learn its limits with various lure weights, wind, etc. Backlashes with braid are much easier to fix and they don't ruin/weaken the line if you pull too hard trying to get the backlash out. That being said, you do want to use 30-50lb braid so it won't dig into itself and so it will join better with 10-15lb mono/copoly/fluoro leaders (based on line diameter). You can still fit a ton of 40lb braid on a 150 sized reel. I use 40lb Sufix 832 and Super8SlickV2 for every single baitcasting application but I tie on a long 14lb Sunline Sniper FC leader for anything besides frogging or any heavy cover application. I have had no real problems with casting distance or anything as a result of using 40lb braid.
Braid to leader is the way to go. It takes some work to learn a connection knot like the Double Uni, but it's worth it. You get excellent responsiveness (hooksets and action) from braid due to essentially no stretch, and great sensitivity as well. It is IMO a superior line if used with a clear leader, but plenty of people with farrrr more experience than me will disagree. That being said, I've had a much nicer time using braid on my baitcasters than fluoro (or anything else). I put Sunline Sniper FC on a new reel, got 10 casts in, blew it up so bad I spent 15 minutes trying to get out the backlash and ended up cutting off about half the spool. I was pretty upset. With braid, I've had hundreds of casts, maybe 2 dozen backlashes, and I've only had to cut the braid once when it was really bad and I pulled too hard causing it to dig into itself. Overall braid gets out of the way. The lack of memory is a huge plus.
If you go for braid, don't forget to use a cheap mono backing on the reel so the braid doesn't slip.
Backings, lines, leaders. Sounds like trying to setup a fly fishing rig lol. I saw one company implements a rubber “band” around the inside of their spool for braid. Can’t remember who it is right now. But I might try a 30lb braid whenever I decide which reel to buy. Not going to just jump into buying one like I usually tend to do...
WRB reply :
Most of today's casting reels have spools with holes in the arbor to tie off any type of line. Some anglers use a piece of electrical tape as a cushion for braid and others use mono line to biuld up the arbor diameter to reduce the amount of braid needed to fill the reel.
If you use 30 to 50 lb braid just fill the spool after tieing the end off through the spool holes. Braid is light weight p, no reason to more weight with cushions or mono line.
Tom
FishingGeekTX reply :
Don't overthink it. Spool up some power pros moss green 30# or 40# braid. Enjoy.
30# braid is mono 8# diameter, not 12 or 16.
40# braid is like 11lb mono diameter.
Braid will have no memory, will caster farther, is more supple, and is smaller diameter (which goes to casting, and reduces abrasion resistance). Aside from casting in windy conditions, it's superb for most applications.
Tie to line, don't use leaders IMO, just too much fuss. It's not cheap, but it will last a season or two.
If it's a typical U.S. baitcast, you won't have a spool cap issue with normal freswhater # test.
14# mono at 120 is seems relatively high. Metanium MGL runs 12#/110 yards.
I do keep a big spool of Triline big game in my box for emergencies (the value is absurdly good), but I don't particularly like Mono or Flouro.
haggard reply :
The rod will handle either line type just fine. I'd focus more on the lures and your applications, and let that drive your choice.
For example, if this rod is for fishing in thick cover (pads, laydowns) consider braid to pull the fish through it. If you're fishing it deep or jigging on the bottom where sensitivity is more important due to the amount of line out, again maybe braid. If it's a more general purpose rod, you could run say 12 to 14 lb test mono for a lot less and it would work well for many applications.
I ran my MH/F with 14 lb test mono for a couple seasons and changed to 40# braid only because I tended to use that setup for deep (up to 40 ft) smallies and was getting more gut hooks than desired - wanted max sensitivity (to detect bite sooner) and min stretch (to set the hook faster). I don't have enough data yet to know if it's been effective, still learning, but in theory it sounds good.
So far I haven't had an issue with line cutting into itself. I'd focus more on the merits of a line than the fears of its potential problems. If you run into issues, it seems there are ways to mitigate them.
Tgunz64 reply :
Looking online last night and came across the Abu Garcia Revo SX. Anyone have experience with this reel? Averages a 4.8 rating from 1700+ reviews. Looks pretty nice and priced at $159.99
Smalls reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 5:56 AM, bwjay said:If you go for braid, don't forget to use a cheap mono backing on the reel so the braid doesn't slip.
This isn’t really a thing. As long as it’s properly spooled, there’s no way the beginning of that line is slipping underneath the other ~110yards of line.
Choporoz reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 9:50 PM, Tgunz64 said:Looking online last night and came across the Abu Garcia Revo SX. Anyone have experience with this reel? Averages a 4.8 rating from 1700+ reviews. Looks pretty nice and priced at $159.99
Probably a nice reel. I have owned one AG and it was fine. I bought two Quantum Smokes for that price last night. Love my Smokes. I'd also probably get another Tatula before I buy another AG.
Tgunz64 reply :
Funny thing not long after asking about the Abu a local shop advertised on the radio all In stock Abu Garcia reels 50% off. Can get that revo sx for $79.99. Or a much higher end for half off. Depending on what’s in stock for left hand for me anyway.
JLewis134 reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 11:22 PM, Tgunz64 said:Funny thing not long after asking about the Abu a local shop advertised on the radio all In stock Abu Garcia reels 50% off. Can get that revo sx for $79.99. Or a much higher end for half off. Depending on what’s in stock for left hand for me anyway.
I think Abu Garcia dealer stores are struggling to move there product.
Tgunz64 reply :
On 7/31/2019 at 1:54 AM, JLewis134 said:I think Abu Garcia dealer stores are struggling to move there product.
They not selling very well lately or what? I figured the store just wants to start dumping summer stock items for fall inventory
Further North reply :
On 7/30/2019 at 2:08 AM, Tgunz64 said:I’m more concerned about the line to reel vs line to rod. Braid supposedly casts better but I don’t see the need to go 30# but if it cast better than a 14 or 16lb mono then maybe I’d like to use that. Or will be less trouble than a thinner 15 braid. Just trying to see what will add more line to a smaller size reel like the CTR but with good casting. Or just go to a larger spool reel? This rod would mainly be for bass and/or northern pike.
Braid thinner than 30 will dig into the spool.
You'll also use more of it to fill the spool.
I also think thin braid slices up fingers, but maybe that's just me.
I had a couple spools of 10#, or 15#...I'm using it as fly tying thread...it's awesome...
I run 30# on a couple baitcasters, light tackle applications, the rest get 50#, or even 65#. I use line diameter, not breaking strength as my guide.
BTW: pike will cut braid like...thread. Tie in a wire leader if you don't want to donate lures.
JLewis134 reply :
On 7/31/2019 at 2:37 AM, Tgunz64 said:They not selling very well lately or what? I figured the store just wants to start dumping summer stock items for fall inventory
Oh I have no idea about that but they have significantly lost market share over the years.
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