I hate monofilament!

[scipper77]

I don't know when it happened but it did. The other day I spooled up my rod with trilene xl 8# and went fishing. The stuff casts a mile but I have been using zero stretch line (fireline) for a few years straight and I can't go back.

When I fish from shore I rely on LONG casts to get to structure that most shore fisherman can't get to. The problem I am having is it just feels like I am fishing with a rubber band. I can't work the bait with as much finesse.

The thing that really set me off the other day was that I had a bass on and didn't even know it. By the time I figured it out and set the hook he had swallowed the lure. When I pulled him to shore I could see blood running out of his gill. I tried to get the hook free but it was too far down so I had to just cut the line and hope this fish survives.

I also have been having trouble setting the hook at the end of my long casts. There is just too much stretch.

I got so used to synthetic line that now I feel like I don't know how to fish with mono.

Any one else have fishing line issues they need to get off of there chest?

 

[j_martin]

Re: I hate monofilament!

Yes I do.

I talked my wife into ditching the closed face reel with mono line and using a level wind with firewire 20 lb.

Now she's gone and caught a bass bigger than any I have, ever. She set the hook wrong. It bushed her in cabbage and grass by the bale. It took her about a minute to get her drag set right. She still hauled it to the boat. Dug through the hay and found a 6-10 largemouth. (in mn, where the record is 8-15)

Sheesh. Oh for the good old days.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: I hate monofilament!

Perhaps, you're using the wrong rod for the lures you're using.

I'd like to know a way to keep braid from wrapping around the rod tip. It magical how that stuff can wrap itself and ties knot on my frogging rod tip. I guess it's a small price to pay for what Super Braid can do and the fish I can catch with it.

 

[scipper77]

Re: I hate monofilament!

for the most part I use a 7', 2 piece, medium heavy ugly stick. I prefer the stiffer rods, especially for top water.

I just got used to working line with no stretch on a stiff rod. Now I've found that while I can still catch fish with the mono, I am having trouble fine tuning my presentation.


I was so mad about that bass that swallowed the hook. I really feel that as a responsible angler it important to return the fish to the water as unharmed as possible.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I use mono most of the time and (still) used to it. I have a love/hate relation ship with spectra. It works great, but can cause some big nasty clusterfied backlashes and tangles. One recent trip I buggered up 2 trolling rigs and had to replace the spectra on both reels. Weird thing, this was only the third time I buggered up a spool of spectra,,, and did 2 of them on 1 trip

One thing I do hate about spectra, if you get a hard backlash and the lure jams the line really tight, it can damage the line without showing the weak spot. Where as with mono, you could feel or see the damage. I'm fishing 4-8 oz lures and seen more then 1 go flying off into the wild blue yonder, with a bunch of spectra trailing it.... Specrtra snapped off during a backlash.

 

[Haffiman]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I was so mad about that bass that swallowed the hook. I really feel that as a responsible angler it important to return the fish to the water as unharmed as possible.

Sorry, but I find this a bit amusing.
I used to do a lot of fly fishing long time ago, and we ate the catch!
I'm fully aware of that in some areas fish caught has to be put back in water again.
But deliberately trying to catch with a hook, pulling it in and then releasing it and then feeling 'sorry' for hurting it?
It is in the daily life of most fish to eat or being eaten. But to be chewed or hooked and spat out again just to keep someone entertained?
But who knows the mental of fish and their ability to feel pain.

I did not stop fly fishing due to concern of the fish, unfortunately pollution killed them in my favorite lakes before I could.

 

[scipper77]

Re: I hate monofilament!

Sorry, but I find this a bit amusing.
I used to do a lot of fly fishing long time ago, and we ate the catch!
I'm fully aware of that in some areas fish caught has to be put back in water again.
But deliberately trying to catch with a hook, pulling it in and then releasing it and then feeling 'sorry' for hurting it?
It is in the daily life of most fish to eat or being eaten. But to be chewed or hooked and spat out again just to keep someone entertained?
But who knows the mental of fish and their ability to feel pain.

I did not stop fly fishing due to concern of the fish, unfortunately pollution killed them in my favorite lakes before I could.

I respect your opinion! I'd bet catch and release fishing is by far the most common method for Bass. They just don't taste as good as trout, crappie, walleye, ....

I know what you mean that I am hooking fish and dragging them in by there face, and ironically I am worried about killing them but that is just the way it goes.

 

[Haffiman]

Re: I hate monofilament!

Scipper77.
Please, you and everyone else enjoy fishing in whatever way you feel like.
it was just a comment.

 

[John_S]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I'm about 70/30 (mono/braid) but primarily all spinning gear. When I switch to braid, it seems like the slightest bite, they are ripping it out of my hands!

Ugly sticks have a very moderate action to them. With long casts and mono, that would make for difficult hooksets. OK for crankbaits or trolling though.

If I am fishing the same technique and switching to braid, many times I will drop down on the rod power. Example: 68MXF to 69MLXF. ie to compensate for having no give in the line.

Now, floro on a spinning reel and cold weather, that can get my BP up.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I have to agree the ugly stick is the culprit.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: I hate monofilament!

^^^ I'll 3rd the ugly stick as the problem, they are pretty slow.

I'm probably dating my self... Remember those ugly stick commercials where they big burly guy would grab an Ugly Stick and bend the tip all the way back to the butt? Those rods can almost do that... I was in WalMart with a friend looking at tackle, picked up and Ugly Stick and tried to show him how you could bend an UglyStick's tip all the way to the butt, like in the commercial. The tip was about 6" from the butt when the rod snapped in half Must have been a defective UglyStick

 

[Baysidejoe]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I agree with you. I found that I like braid more then mono. But I do admit I use a light weight mono on my ultra lights for my early season crappie fishing.

 

[18WCmerc]

Re: I hate monofilament!

its been a constant discussion in the big game and catfishing world too. i have tried both, spiderwire stuff tends to dig into the eyelets when engaging in combat with a 50+ catfish, also it has a wip lash effect when casting a heavier set up, for example a 12" weighted slip bobber, 2 oz sinker, 9" shad, on a deep cast the weight someone wips the line and cracks it like a wip, often breaking it off in mid air...even with an experienced abu C3 user it can happen. Monofiliment has a stretch to it that really helps when battling large cats, reduces that chance of a snap and allows you to work drag more efficiently. We dont have to worry aobut the rubber band effect since we dont use a presentation and a lure, but as for any fishing you gotta get all that slack out before you lean back into it.


my friend spooled all my cat rods with a hybrid mono line while i was deployed. i have used it and really like it. i dont know what it is or brand buti know its red lol.

 

['96 Charger]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I have to agree the ugly stick is the culprit.

Absolutely. Once you go blank through handle graphite you can't go back.

On the braid what I don't like about it is it's so much more visible in the water than mono. I'll use it when fishing heavy vegetation or spinnerbaits but that's about it. Berkley Sensation seems to have the best sensitivity, low stretch, and limpness all in one package in my experience. Flourocarbon has always been bad about not holding up under normal use for me. Tried Seaguar one time and thought about getting a refund on that overpriced sorry excuse for a line.

 

[dingbat]

Re: I hate monofilament!

also it has a wip lash effect when casting a heavier set up, for example a 12" weighted slip bobber, 2 oz sinker, 9" shad, on a deep cast the weight someone wips the line and cracks it like a wip, often breaking it off in mid air...even with an experienced abu C3 user it can happen.

What your experiancing is a timing issue. You are starting the forward motion of your cast before the weight has reached the apex of the back swing. Slow you motion down the the problem will go away.

 

[18WCmerc]

Re: I hate monofilament!

What your experiancing is a timing issue. You are starting the forward motion of your cast before the weight has reached the apex of the back swing. Slow you motion down the the problem will go away.

it doesnt happen on the initial cast, it happens when the cast is made and the line is arched starting to fall to the water

 

[Al-53]

Re: I hate monofilament!

If you want to use a Mono line get your self some Co-polymer line..less stretch I like the Silver thread X-Caliber...great line..low strtch.....also as far as a rod goes the ugly stic MH is like spagetti,,,Berkley has some new rods out...called lightning shock rods...great sensitivity and and great back bone for setting the hook...around 54.00...great rod for the money...I even used them to get stripers and perform well....the 6'6 mh is like a broom stick real hook driver....that rod with co-polymer line or braid is a hook drivin machine....it will take baits up to 1 1/2 oz......grat for jigging...frogging....drop shooting and worming....and cranks up to the weigth of the rod..I have gone as far as 2oz and performs well....

the co polyer casts good also..low memory..I can wing a sammy 100 75-100 feet easy


http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/rods-combos/rods/lightning-rod-shock


good luck

Al

 

[LongLine]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I agree witrh the co-poly line. I changed to longer rods on my downriggers a couple years ago on Lake Ontario and find a world of differnce between straight mono & co-poly line.

Tom B.
(LongLine)

 

[dingbat]

Re: I hate monofilament!

it doesnt happen on the initial cast, it happens when the cast is made and the line is arched starting to fall to the water

Suggest you look at your rod design or reel. Some reels don't handle braid well. Some rods don't handle braid well.

Just finished up a 2 day tournament. Easliy 1,500 casts. Average, 300-400 feet each. Not a single break offs. Took second place.

 

[scipper77]

Re: I hate monofilament!

I appreciate all of the suggestions but I think I just don't like mono. The only thing I really like about mono is that it is less visible than the synthetic line I use. I looked at my rod again and it is a medium ugly stick not medium heavy like I said earlier. I'm sure that a stiffer rod would "help" but I just love the pros of zero stretch line.

I like that the hook sets are killer. I like that I can see and feel the slightest twitch in the line. I like that I can tie on a hook and use it for days without loosing it or retying. I like how far it casts.

For trolling I like braid because you can feel the vibration of the lure swimming, and thus know when a piece of seaweed fouls the lure. For casting crankbaits I could live with mono with no issues until a pike hits and the teeth cut through the mono.

I also like that the money I save in less lost lures pays for the spool of fireline, or at least pays the difference.

I'm intrigued with co-polymer line. I love to try new things, and if I could get a low visibility line with low stretch it would be perfect for finesse fishing at the end of long casts.


What I've actually been thinking I want to try is learning how to tie on a flourocarbon leader at the end of my fireline. I'd likely lose more lures but catch more fish. Or rather than catch more fish I want to catch more lunkers.