Braided vs Monofilament Fishing Line | For Freshwater and Saltwater

Your capability of choosing the right line according to your situation will tell how experienced you are in angling. Modern anglers commonly use three types of line such as monofilament or mono for short, fluorocarbon, and braided or braid for short.

Every type has its advantages and disadvantages depending on where and how they are being used. Though you won’t instantly be a pro angler after reading this discussion about braid vs mono freshwater and saltwater fishing line, you will surely have some serious insights.

This might help you in your next fishing trip to easily decide what line to choose and where to use. Let’s get going.

Types of Fishing Line: Braided Vs Monofilament

Though there are three main types of fishing lines, we will discuss two of them so that you don’t get overwhelmed.

1. Monofilament or Mono Fishing Line

This is probably the cheapest and most popular type of fishing line. Usually, the price of monofilament lines is two to three times less than braided lines. Not only the price but also the versatility of this line makes it a popular choice worldwide.

Mono lines are usually made of single plastic fiber, most commonly nylon. These usually have a bigger diameter to pound-strength ratio. Pound strength is simply the measurement of how many pounds of force a line can take before breaking.

They are less visible in clear water. But provide enough stretch which is exclusively advantageous when you are after a big fish. If you are using it for small games, you might not feel the fish strikes due to the stretch of the line.

Another important feature of the mono line is its abrasion resistance. As a result, mono lines are more suitable in areas with a lot of obstacles. But as the diameter of mono lines is on the thicker side, the casting distance will be drastically reduced, especially in heavy wind or current situations.

Due to the thicker diameter, mono lines will take more space on the spool. They have another thing called memory which means they will tend to be in loops as they stay in the spool. It might help them get tangled easily or make a hindrance during casting.

2. Braided or Braid Fishing Line

Braid line is another popular choice of pro anglers. These lines are made by combining multiple strands. Often, different fibers like Dacron, Spectron, etc. are used to make braid lines. These lines are very dense and thin.

Braid lines have a smaller diameter to pound-strength ratio. This means a braided line of a thinner diameter can take the same force as a thicker mono line.

For example, where a mono line of a certain diameter can have a breaking strength of 1.5lbs, a braided line of the same diameter can have a breaking strength of 6lbs.

These lines are very durable. Though the diameter of braid lines is smaller than mono lines, they can be more visible due to opaqueness. If you are after a saltwater fish, it is more likely to spot the braid line quicker than the mono line.

As braid lines are more robust than mono lines, they will wear less. But at the same time, you will need to spend more on them. But there is a big problem with this robust line.

Braid lines don’t stretch much due to their dense character. Though they will work fine in smaller games, the chance of breaking the line will be higher if you are after bigger fish.

You will easily feel the pull in the line if you use a braid line. It will also take less space on the spool so you can store more of them. Also, there is nothing called memory in braid lines.

There will be no issues of looping or twisting in braid lines. So, you can easily use them for spinning reels. Due to the thin diameter, braid lines usually sink faster than mono lines.

It is more useful in saltwater where the density of the water is higher than freshwater. Braid lines will easily cut through water there and go deeper quickly. They are, overall, a very good choice for seasoned anglers in many different situations.

FAQs

Here are answers to a couple of commonly asked questions. Take a look to enlighten yourself.

1. Which is the best casting line between braid vs mono?

When it comes to casting smoothly, nothing can match braid lines. They have tight weaves to be extremely durable. Though mono lines can cast a good distance, braid lines will go further. But make sure you invest in a quality braid line.

2. Which is the strongest fishing line between braid vs mono?

The Braid line again wins the competition. Though braid line has low abrasion resistance than mono line, they are more durable in the long run.

3. Which line is easy for fish to see?

It is again the braid line. Though the braid line is better than the mono line in many different aspects, they can be easily seen due to their opaqueness. They come in different colors.

4. Is Braid line good for baitcasting reels?

Yes, it is. Though mono line will also work just fine with baitcasting reels, the performance of braid line when paired with baitcasting reels is extraordinary.

5. Which line is best for freshwater fishing?

Usually, a mono line will work best when paired with spinning reels if you are fishing in freshwater.

Final Thoughts

Fishing is fun. But it can be annoying too especially if you are confused about which one to use between braid vs mono freshwater and saltwater fishing line. But once you have learned their advantages and disadvantages in certain situations, you will extract the full potential of each line.

We kept this straight and simple so that you can acquire necessary information easily and implement that in real life. Things will get much easier once you are familiar with the behavior of both the line and how they react in different circumstances.

No matter what line you use, have an exciting game every time you cast them.