Well, howdy there, folks! Let’s chew the fat about this here fishin’ line, ya know, the 15lb braid and that mono stuff. I ain’t no fancy expert or nothin’, but I’ve been fishin’ since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, so I reckon I know a thing or two.
Now, this here 15lb braid, they say it’s mighty strong. Stronger than a bullfrog’s jump, I tell ya! And it’s thin too, like a spider’s web almost. They say it’s ’bout the same thickness as that 4-6lb mono, can ya believe it? That’s what I heard anyways.
Makes sense though, I guess. I remember old man Johnson used to say that mono, the 10lb kind, was thicker than this braid stuff. He had a chart, all marked up with numbers and such. Said the 10lb mono was like 0.011 inches thick, and the braid, even the 10lb kind, was thinner, like 0.008 inches. This 15lb braid, it’s a tad thicker than the 10lb braid, but way stronger. That’s what they say, stronger I tell ya!
But here’s the thing, some folks get all hung up on this line thickness and how far you can cast. They say braid casts farther than mono, farther than that fluoro stuff too. Maybe so, maybe so. But I reckon it all depends on what you’re fishin’ for and where you’re fishin’.
- If you’re fishin’ in water that looks like chocolate milk, you don’t need a long leader to hide the braid. The fish ain’t payin’ no mind to the line. They’re just lookin’ for the bait, the wiggling and the noise it makes. In muddy water, I sometimes use a heavier line, like 15lb braid to a 15lb leader. Just seems to work better.
- But if you’re worried about the fish seein’ your line, well, that’s a different story. That’s when some folks like that fluoro line, ‘cause they say it’s invisible. Me? I just use what I got, and that’s usually braid or mono.
Now, some folks ask, “Can your fishin’ line be too heavy?” Well, I reckon it can. You gotta match your line to your rod, ya see. Can’t go puttin’ a heavy line on a flimsy rod, or you’ll snap it like a twig. And you gotta think about what kind of fish you’re tryin’ to catch too. If you’re goin’ after big ol’ sharks, you’re gonna need some heavy line, maybe 50lb to 200lb braid. But if you’re just fishin’ for panfish, you don’t need nothin’ that heavy.
And then there’s the question of whether 8lb braid is stronger than 8lb mono. Well, from what I hear, that braid is stronger, even though mono is better at rubbin’ against rocks and stuff. Braid just has a higher breakin’ point, they say.
So, what size braid should you use? Well, that depends. If you’re fishin’ from the beach, maybe 30-40lb braid. If you’re goin’ after sharks, well, like I said, 50-200lb braid. And if you’re fishin’ on the bottom for big fish, like them amberjacks, you might need 80-200lb braid. It all depends, ya see. You gotta use your common sense and what feels right.
Folks make charts and tables and all sorts of things to compare these lines, all that diameter stuff, they call it. They even make guides about what size braid matches up to what size mono. That’s all well and good, I suppose, but I just go by feel. If it feels right, it probably is. That’s my philosophy, anyway.
So, there you have it, folks. A little bit of my fishin’ knowledge, for what it’s worth. Whether you use 15lb braid or mono, well, that’s up to you. Just remember to have fun and don’t get too hung up on all the fancy stuff. Just get out there and fish!
Tags: [15lb braid, mono, fishing line, braid vs mono, line strength, line diameter, fishing tips]
