Mono For Everything? 2024
bgathletics6 reply :
Will using mono for all my reels hurt my performance? I understand that braid and fluoro both have their benefits for specific styles of fishing, but don't think I can maximize their effectiveness. I fish in ponds, lake and river shores. I rarely fish from a boat and therefore do not get to difficult/ thick cover. I fish topwater cranks, shallow spinning baits, and texas/ wacky rigged plastics. Some ponds I fish have sparse grass, cat tails, and lily pads. Thanks to the recent BPS sales I got a cheap 1500yd spool of mono. I don't believe I will reap the benefits of fluoro and braid, but I am just waiting for someone to convince me otherwise.
new2BC4bass reply :
Welcome to the forum. 
Vast majority of my reels are spooled with a mono or co-polymer. You should be fine.
bgathletics6 reply :
Appreciate the advice. Tons of helpful members on here!
Paul Roberts reply :
You are good to go. 
0119 reply :
Ive been using mono for everything for 40+ years. I keep trying braid on a spinner here and there but only to avoid line twist issues. Avoid worm hooks that are thick gauge or are marked superline hooks. Thin hooks penetrate easier and will compensate some for the stretch of the mono.
scaleface reply :
Mono is all I use .
BassWhole! reply :
Big Game for everything except frogs, and some specific structure fishing where I want my lures back, and sometimesdeep jigging. Somehow I luck into a few fish despite mono's inadequacies. 
Raul reply :
In practical terms I use nylon for almost everything, been doing it for 4 decades.
Spankey reply :
Like the others I use quality mono and some fluorocarbon. Have been doing so for 40+ years. I've been kicking around the idea for a few seasons of trying some braid but haven't pulled the trigger.
Are you using the BPS Excel mono? I still use some of it but the quality of this line has dropped off over the years. This was great stuff at one time. I change my line very often. Don't experience much in the way of line issues.
Raul reply :
On 3/4/2016 at 12:10 AM, Spankey said:Like the others I use quality mono and some fluorocarbon. Have been doing so for 40+ years. I've been kicking around the idea for a few seasons of trying some braid but haven't pulled the trigger.
Are you using the BPS Excel mono? I still use some of it but the quality of this line has dropped off over the years. This was great stuff at one time. I change my line very often. Don't experience much in the way of line issues.
Nope, no Excel, Berkley Trilene Big Game for anything over 10 lbs test and Berkley Trilene XT for anything under 8 lbs test are my go to nylon lines.
Catt reply :
Berkley Big Game for everything but punching!
blckshirt98 reply :
Braid/fluoro wasn't around or popular until fairly recent. Millions of fish have been caught, and still get caught, on good ol' mono. You should be fine if that's what you choose!
Josh Smith reply :
Hello,
I started fishing in 1979 or so, when I was two or three. I know we hadn't moved from the country house yet, and we moved when I was three.
From that point I used mono. In 1996 I graduated high school. I worked for two years to save for college, and during that time my friends and I would go fishing -- bass fishing, catfishing, etc. We heard about this new braided stuff, but it cost $50 and our mono worked well.
1998 I went to college. I left my fishing stuff with Dad. I probably should have brought it, but I was really quite busy. It was spooled with mono when I left.
When I came back to my home town, life got busy and I only fished occasionally, and didn't keep up with the industry at all. I had an ultralight and a MH/F Daiwa rod with Dad's old Ambassadeur 5000 on it. It worked.
In 2013 I got married. We moved to the country, close to Salamonie, and I got involved in bassin' again. (My wife was pregnant and hard to live with...) I used mono.
When I ran out of properly-stored mono, I went to buy new stuff. Turns out the price had dropped lots on braid, so I bought some to try. I really liked it... not the first stuff, which was white, but I found some camouflage stuff which made sense to me given the vegetable soup in which I'd been fishing.
I really, really liked the increased sensitivity!
Is running mono on everything a bad idea? No. I did it for over 30 years. You have your different colors, you have your XL and XT stuff, and all you have to do to make the stuff untwist after a day of fishing is run the spool under hot water; this makes it take the memory of the spool.
I do think it's harder to keep the line tight on mono, and I think the coils that it can produce hurts, especially when fishing light. I like the zero stretch of braid.
Still, sometimes stretch is necessary, depending on technique and preference.
When you boil it all down, though, are you hurting yourself? I doubt it.
Josh
tholmes reply :
On 3/3/2016 at 9:43 PM, reason said:Big Game for everything except frogs, and some specific structure fishing where I want my lures back, and sometimesdeep jigging. Somehow I luck into a few fish despite mono's inadequacies.
Same here. I do have braid on my flathead rig, and occasionally use it for flippin' but it's Big Game for all my other baitcasters and Cabela's house brand mono or Yo-Zuri co-polymer on my spinning rigs.
Tom
Turtle135 reply :
Trilene XT mono in various pound tests for 98% of my bass fishing.
Catt reply :
On 3/4/2016 at 2:33 AM, blckshirt98 said:Braid/fluoro wasn't around or popular until fairly recent. Millions of fish have been caught, and still get caught, on good ol' mono. You should be fine if that's what you choose!
Braid was here before mono! 
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 3/4/2016 at 5:26 AM, Catt said:Braid was here before mono!
True enough.
Florida Cracker2 reply :
I have braid on one of my baitcasters, big game on my light to heavy spinners, and spiderwire on my ultralight spinners. I remember dacron and had it on my penn deepsea reals. I like both braid and mono. Many people don't like the stretch...but I do, especially when I get hung on the bottom. Braid is not as forgiving when trying to free a snagged lure. I also like being able to bite off mono with my teeth. (the 2 I have left)
Lawsonfishing1 reply :
like alot of the others I use big game on a lot of my reels for alot of situations. I fish high school tourniments an don't have alot of money an I'm fairly picky about how often I change my line so anything other than mono realy hurts my pockets. an i do recommend big game it is the best mono I have used it proved it self to me at Kentucky lake for nationals when you had to turn the trolling motor on high an it would about pull the rod out of your hands befor you could get 14 pound mono to break.
0119 reply :
On 3/4/2016 at 1:15 PM, Lawsonfishing1 said:I'm fairly picky about how often I change my line so anything other than mono realy hurts my pockets.
That's a good thing to be and that will serve you well not only in competition but when that bass of a lifetime comes along. Braid users could learn something from that too. Being that it isn't abrasion resistant one iota, they mistake lack of stretch for strength unwittingly using line full of frayed microfibers ready to let them down.
no39 reply :
On 3/3/2016 at 4:17 AM, bgathletics6 said:Will using mono for all my reels hurt my performance? I understand that braid and fluoro both have their benefits for specific styles of fishing, but don't think I can maximize their effectiveness. I fish in ponds, lake and river shores. I rarely fish from a boat and therefore do not get to difficult/ thick cover. I fish topwater cranks, shallow spinning baits, and texas/ wacky rigged plastics. Some ponds I fish have sparse grass, cat tails, and lily pads. Thanks to the recent BPS sales I got a cheap 1500yd spool of mono. I don't believe I will reap the benefits of fluoro and braid, but I am just waiting for someone to convince me otherwise.
I believe you may be right. The only instances I can say where mono will hurt your performance is dropping shotting on using tubes in depths greater than 25 feet. As you stated, is something you typically don't do. Given your situation, I would make the same decision. No need to waste money if what you have works perfectly fine.
bgathletics6 reply :
On 3/4/2016 at 12:10 AM, Spankey said:Like the others I use quality mono and some fluorocarbon. Have been doing so for 40+ years. I've been kicking around the idea for a few seasons of trying some braid but haven't pulled the trigger.
Are you using the BPS Excel mono? I still use some of it but the quality of this line has dropped off over the years. This was great stuff at one time. I change my line very often. Don't experience much in the way of line issues.
Currently my spinning reels and my one bait cast reel have Trilene XT. In this last Fishing Classic, I purchased a big spool of the BPS Excel. 1200 yds of 17lb for $8. If it lacks in quality then I won't mind to keep it on the shelf. I have read reviews about it's quality dropping over the years, but I went ahead and got it because of the price. I have used Trilene forever, but never tried Big Game. I think I'll stick with Trilene because I haven't had any issues with it yet. My spinning reels haven't been re-spooled for at least a year, and they're still casting and reeling in fish just fine. If I switch lines at all, I will likely go with fluorocarbon. I like that it still has a stretch factor while allowing lures like worms to sink naturally without the line floating.
Josh Smith reply :
@0119 ,
I'm not sure how true that is.
Speaking for myself, I change braid fairly often.
I spool it, use it, and watch for damage. I then reverse it, and change it when that end is worn out.
I don't consider it "super" - anything, but rather a line with strengths I like and weaknesses I can live with.
Regards,
Josh
Spankey reply :
It was like trilene xl back at one time. Word on the street was Berkley was making it. I fish two set ups using the Excel in 6# clear and green, on sale the price is right and the deal is real. I don't keep that line on a spool for more than 2 or 3 outings at most. Go through a lot of line in a years time. This is not a complaint I just change out my line often. I don't think its a weak line just not what it was. Not the same line it was 10 years ago. Trilene is what it was ten years ago. Believe me I'm not starting a line war, like many things they are not made the way they use to be made.
Josh Smith reply :
@spanky
Really? What's changed?
Josh
paleus reply :
I learned to fish from my dad and we used nothing but Big Game and caught plenty of fish. I grew up and decided to try braid and I will never go back to mono or even fluoro as a main line. The sensitivity you get with braid just cannot be beat. I know there has to be bites that I did not feel when using mono that I definitely could have felt with braid. And it is much easier to tell the difference between being hung up and there being a fish there. Maybe it is not for you, but I would at least try it.
Florida Cracker2 reply :
Eventually curiosity will get the best of you... and you will have to try it. Like in my earlier post...I like both. Braid is great for topwater. I currently have a tiny pop-r on my baitcaster and I like the quick hookups I get when something strikes it. Also... since it floats...I was able to score a free crankbait the other day from someone else's snag.
shaggydog reply :
sure
0119 reply :
On 3/5/2016 at 12:09 AM, Josh Smith said:I'm not sure how true that is.
Lunkerdogfishing's channel on you tube has a couple of short videos that really nails the "braid personna" down to the nail. All in humor but like so often, in humor is found the obvious truth.
Florida Cracker2 reply :
On 3/5/2016 at 4:44 AM, shaggydog said:sure
Yes...and a nice new one too.
bowhunter63 reply :
I use Mono alot,Handles well, knots great and never noticed any problems.Im about 50 50 between Flouro and Mono.Really like and trust Berkley Big Game.
Bruce424 reply :
Mono is great! It will do almost anything and everything you ask of it.
Darren. reply :
If it works for you, use it! That's all folks used
for a long time. Me? Braid + a leader....
Josh Smith reply :
On 3/5/2016 at 7:23 AM, 119 said:Lunkerdogfishing's channel on you tube has a couple of short videos that really nails the "braid personna" down to the nail. All in humor but like so often, in humor is found the obvious truth.
Well now, I watched that feller some and it's pretty disturbing.
Sporting braid?
Must be all that salt water goin' to ya'll's head...
Josh
Lawsonfishing1 reply :
On 3/4/2016 at 8:10 PM, 119 said:That's a good thing to be and that will serve you well not only in competition but when that bass of a lifetime comes along. Braid users could learn something from that too. Being that it isn't abrasion resistant one iota, they mistake lack of stretch for strength unwittingly using line full of frayed microfibers ready to let them down.
I'm not saying I don't use braid or flurocarbon but mono is what I try an lean towards if I can get away with it if I know im gone fish topwatter I normal go with braid an if I know I'm going to be around heavy brush I'll go with it to an when I'm done it normally gets wondering back onto the spool to use again next time I need it.
Ruiner_ reply :
I use mono and braid but mostly mono on my spinning outfits. If I am fishing clear water, I used a fluoro leader.
Braid is friggen strong but I only use it in certain conditions. My wife uses mono only and outfishes me 2:1 lol
wvuvt1 reply :
What lb test do you guys use. I've lost two crankbaits recently. Not sure if it is my knot or my 8lb mono.
blckshirt98 reply :
For crankbaits I use 20# fluoro. 20# is on the high end but 8# is way too light for reaction baits.
hoosierbass07 reply :
My main line is 8 pound Sufix Elite Mono. I use that on a spinning reel and I'm casting with that 99.9% of the time, Texas rigging/spit shot/etc...
Catt reply :
15# for everything but crank baits, then it's 12#!
0119 reply :
On 3/7/2016 at 10:46 AM, wvuvt1 said:What lb test do you guys use. I've lost two crankbaits recently.
Twelve and Fifteen on casting. Ten and eight on spinning.
blckshirt98 reply :
On 3/7/2016 at 7:28 PM, 119 said:*** on casting. 10 and 8 on spinning.
What number got x'd out lmao, is it thirteen?
0119 reply :
On 3/8/2016 at 3:23 AM, blckshirt98 said:What number got x'd out lmao, is it thirteen?
I hate using my phone to type on forums! It thinks it knows better than me, what I want to type. Stupid technology......
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
The best use for mono is backing for braid.
Most prominent quality lacking with mono is sensitivity and my pov of this is during the retrieve. The fight you get with mono is lacking the feel of what the fish is doing. With mono the fight is dull and subdued. With braid the turns twists wiggles diving rising rolling every little movement the fish does is greatly enhanced. This aspect is what makes using braid so much more enjoyable to me. Not to mention the better line management and ease of use working presentations through weeds.
crypt reply :
Big Game for everything but flipping,then braid. also braid on my spinning gear,I don't' use a leader just the braid. don't like having another knot to go through the guides. so yeah mono is almost perfect.
0119 reply :
On 3/8/2016 at 7:33 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:Not to mention the better line management and ease of use working presentations through weeds.
I don't see line management coming from a rough line that catches on weeds and timber like a saw blade, while the smoothness of mono slides across it like butter. But I do see braid as a backing for a very long mono topshot....
Catt reply :
On 3/8/2016 at 7:33 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:The best use for mono is backing for braid.
Most prominent quality lacking with mono is sensitivity and my pov of this is during the retrieve. The fight you get with mono is lacking the feel of what the fish is doing. With mono the fight is dull and subdued. With braid the turns twists wiggles diving rising rolling every little movement the fish does is greatly enhanced. This aspect is what makes using braid so much more enjoyable to me. Not to mention the better line management and ease of use working presentations through weeds.
In the thick cover down south you play em like that you will lose em!
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