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MyFishFinder Tips and Techniques => Fishing Equipment => Topic started by: TightLinesMaine on May 09, 2013, 10:47 AM

Title: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 09, 2013, 10:47 AM
looking for a new 6 lb test mono line to replace my Stren 6 lb for exclusively spinning reels, have loved Stren for a while with its 8 lb test but ever since i switched to 6 ive had a few problems, mainly when i snag bottom and i have no choice but to break my line it 90% of the time breaks right near the tip of the pole causing me to lose up to hundreds of feet at a time which is annoying for me and annoying for the fish/other anglers hooking my line...

i just bought some Spiderwire ultracast ultimate Mono 6 lb hoping this is better (havent spooled my reel yet),  almost went with Sufix Elite but the Spiderwire ultimate had a thinner diameter..

i'd like to hear some opinions on your favorite brand of mono and why, and if anyone has had my problem with line breaking at inconvenient places let me know

Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: FWCanoeFisher on May 09, 2013, 11:20 AM
I love the Berkeley Trilene XL Smooth Casting line.  This has always been a good line to me due to the fact that it doesn't give me any troubles on the spool and coming off.  It has a good amount of stretch so it can be extremely forgiving to a larger fish (I sometimes catch really large bass and catfish on 6 lb. test).  Visibility isn't an issue for me (How can you tell if the fish sees it or not?  ???).  It's just a great overall line.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: t_fish969 on May 09, 2013, 11:26 AM
You might look in to some Berkley Sensation. Its some pretty good stuff.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: bigredfishing on May 09, 2013, 11:28 AM
Trilene XL...I use it for almost all my light mono applications, even ice fishing...

and if I want a tougher line, I go with trilene XT.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 09, 2013, 11:32 AM
ive used trilene and i wasn't a huge fan of it i had 2-3 lb largemouths break 8 lb trilene  (not sure if it was the XL or XT kind tho...)
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: SNAGGER on May 09, 2013, 11:33 AM
  if you can find gamma ultra clear, its hands down the strongest clear limp line I've ever fished, maxima ultra clear is the strongest, but its hard and not user friendly for casting, more of a river line... If I'm not using gamma ultra clear, trilene xt clear is nice line.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 10, 2013, 10:17 AM
I think trilene has way to much memory. I like sunline
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: mr tip up on May 11, 2013, 01:39 PM
I like the bass pro excel,has very low mem,cast good,and plenty of strength to it and you get a good amount of yards for the price
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: gundogwanted on May 12, 2013, 03:46 AM
For mono, I like to use Sufix Elite or Sufix Siege. Also I like ANDE Tournament monofilament. For a fluorocarbon, I like to use Berkley Vanish Transition. a little highe priced, but I have great results with it.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 12, 2013, 11:15 AM
For mono, I like to use Sufix Elite or Sufix Siege. Also I like ANDE Tournament monofilament. For a fluorocarbon, I like to use Berkley Vanish Transition. a little highe priced, but I have great results with it.

I ALMOST got the Sufix Elite, but it had a little thicker diameter than SPiderwire ultracast ultimate mono, and i read a few poor reviews on the Sufix saying the knots dont hold well??

anyways after trying the new Spiderwire ultracast ultimate, i have mixed feelings:  it outcasts any other mono ive tried, tosses the lightest of spoons (1/32 1/16s ozs) very very far BUT... it seems to get knicked REALLY easily... have had it break off fairly easily after a while of using bottom bouncing tactics like jigs/tubes etc... whereas the stren 6 lb ive been using seems a bit more tough..

still havent found a perfect line yet... tho i gotta love casting across to the other bank of a 200 ft wide river with the spiderwire ultracast ultimate mono

anyone else use the Sufix Elite? id like to hear more opinions on this i might try it soon... the thicker diameter might make it tougher than most lines?
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: william berger on May 12, 2013, 01:45 PM
I'm going to go with the guys who say trilene xl. I fish a lot with ultralight rods and i do very well with trilene xl. Don't get trilene xt (unless you dont mind a lot of memory)
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 12, 2013, 02:39 PM
guess i bought 3 junk spools of trilene because i hated it just my opinion..

keep up the opinions i wanna hear em thx
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: bigredfishing on May 13, 2013, 12:31 PM
Looks like you want to try something different, try McCoy Mean Green...
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: SNAGGER on May 13, 2013, 12:50 PM


  x2 on Ande tournament green.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 13, 2013, 05:59 PM
guess i bought 3 junk spools of trilene because i hated it just my opinion..

keep up the opinions i wanna hear em thx
I don't think it's just you, all the trilene I bought is really weak with terrible knot strength and terrible memory.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: 800stealth on May 13, 2013, 06:16 PM
I've tried a bunch of different mono's... I always end up back at the Stren original though, best all around line for me.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 14, 2013, 07:42 AM
I've tried a bunch of different mono's... I always end up back at the Stren original though, best all around line for me.

yeah i like the toughness of it... and im a huge fan of theyre low vis green also incredible knot strength.... i think this is the downfall for me tho because my line NEVER breaks at the knot when i snag bottom... i end up losing 100 ft of line at a time because of it breaking at/near the pole...

after testing the Spider-wire ultracast for a good while, sure its strong enough for the fish, almost no memory, casts like a dream, but it's noticeably weaker for getting knicked and snagged and breaks faster than stren.

Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: bigredfishing on May 14, 2013, 07:58 AM
choice in fishing line is clearly subjective.    ;D  as far as I am concerned, stren is junk.  that spiderwire mono is even worse.  softest line ever.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 14, 2013, 10:54 PM
choice in fishing line is clearly subjective.    ;D  as far as I am concerned, stren is junk.  that spiderwire mono is even worse.  softest line ever.

yeah ive found there is no 'best' brand, just have to shop around and find one you like i suppose

so far Stren & SPiderwire ultimate lead for me

gonna try some Sufix Elite soon and see how i like that
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: hardh2ofish on May 16, 2013, 09:23 AM
Whar ever happened to the berkley iron silk?   I loved that line.  If anyone could hook me up id appreciate it.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: go-phillies on May 18, 2013, 04:25 PM
found out the suffix elite was the way to go for salmon 10lb held up like a champ  for my spinning rods at home I use all maxima ultragreen  2lb and 4lb  I only fish for trout and shad  hope this helps   good luckl    RICK
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: Bartel Rd. Bait & Tackle on May 19, 2013, 08:19 AM
Im a bit of a line geek very picky. about 4 yrs ago i tried suffix mono braid and flouro and havent looked back since. longest ive ever gone without changing brands. I love the stuff.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 19, 2013, 10:12 AM
found out the suffix elite was the way to go for salmon 10lb held up like a champ  for my spinning rods at home I use all maxima ultragreen  2lb and 4lb  I only fish for trout and shad  hope this helps   good luckl    RICK

im gonna pick up some Sufix Elite 6 lb and see if i like it or not, it's a thicker sized line for its class so it should be very sturdy

hows the Knot stength on sufix Elite?  only reason im slightly skeptical is i read bad reviews on it for know strength
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 19, 2013, 05:55 PM
I used suffix for a while and it had great knot strength
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: wally13 on May 22, 2013, 11:27 PM
try vanish fluor carbon  great line
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 23, 2013, 04:10 AM
You liked vanish? I thought it was way to stiff. If I'm going flurocarbon it's gotta be seagar
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 23, 2013, 10:11 AM
dont want fluorocarbon on my spin reel, ive heard its a pain from the interenet/an a few friends
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 23, 2013, 12:15 PM
You betcha it is. I had it on my spin set up and I had line twist after line twist. Only "flurocarbon" that may work is p line fluroclear but that is a copolymer coated with flurocarbon
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 23, 2013, 02:49 PM
You betcha it is. I had it on my spin set up and I had line twist after line twist. Only "flurocarbon" that may work is p line fluroclear but that is a copolymer coated with flurocarbon

yeah heard that 100x with fluoro users on spin gear


Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: Captain1978 on May 23, 2013, 03:05 PM
You betcha it is. I had it on my spin set up and I had line twist after line twist. Only "flurocarbon" that may work is p line fluroclear but that is a copolymer coated with flurocarbon
P Line Florocarbon !!! That's what I use as a liter when ice fishing. Works awesome !!! I also use it as a liter when rod and reel fishing in a clear lake. I never use steel...Hate the stuff.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: catchem364 on May 23, 2013, 06:03 PM
I bought spiderwire mono. Within the first few hits and  fish, My line was so frayed. I had to change it.   :-\ I'm also using an open reel though.  would there be a better option?
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 23, 2013, 10:07 PM
I bought spiderwire mono. Within the first few hits and  fish, My line was so frayed. I had to change it.   :-\ I'm also using an open reel though.  would there be a better option?

was it plain spiderwire or spiderwire ultimate ultracast
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: troutaddict97 on May 24, 2013, 10:16 AM
I used 4lb spiderwire this spring and caught 2lb bass no problem
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: catchem364 on May 24, 2013, 06:11 PM
Ultimate..  What are thoughts on Berkley "super strong" Trilene?
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: icemole on May 24, 2013, 07:46 PM
 If you can find it Silver Thread AN-40(bass pro) more of an all weather type line, but I use it all year on my open water rods. I too was a die hard Stren guy but wanted something a little more supple for increased casting distance. Way back in the day they were bought out by a conglomerate and discontinued Silver Thread, however they got enough nasty letters they brought it back  ;D

 I don't know if that will help your breaking off at the rod tip though. That sounds like you might have a cracked or chipped eye. Run a Q-tip over it and see if it catches.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 25, 2013, 02:05 AM
Ultimate..  What are thoughts on Berkley "super strong" Trilene?
If you're talking about trilene xt "extra tough" it cast like garbage from my experience. Not smooth at all
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: filetandrelease on May 25, 2013, 06:50 AM
looking for something new to try ? I"m running 4#carbotex for stream trout and I'm really impressed so far and i fish heavy brush , can be run in fresh and salt water and comes in all different flavors , catfish to steelhead and iceline and small in diameter other than that I do a couple of berkley lines, if your fraying that easy in open water check your rod guides for grooves and your reel for same , a nylon stocking works well , without leg  ;)
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: gundogwanted on May 26, 2013, 03:30 AM
What product line of the Carbotex are you using...........
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 27, 2013, 09:30 PM
looked at carbotex, looks like a fairly new product in the US..

also anyone ever try Seaguar mono? thoughts/opinions on this brand?

also have you guys seen the new berkley nanofilament line out there? looks mad expensive but it has an insane lb test/diameter ratio.. its much thinner than Mono.. anyone use this on there spinning reel yet? heard some good/bad reviews but wanna hear your thoughts
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 27, 2013, 10:30 PM
looked at carbotex, looks like a fairly new product in the US..

also anyone ever try Seaguar mono? thoughts/opinions on this brand?

also have you guys seen the new berkley nanofilament line out there? looks mad expensive but it has an insane lb test/diameter ratio.. its much thinner than Mono.. anyone use this on there spinning reel yet? heard some good/bad reviews but wanna hear your thoughts
Berkely nanofil?
The seaguar mono is great but for the money sunline mono is the best! Little to no memory and it cast so smooth
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: TightLinesMaine on May 28, 2013, 08:39 AM
Berkely nanofil?
The seaguar mono is great but for the money sunline mono is the best! Little to no memory and it cast so smooth

you like seaguar or stren better?
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: danny b on May 28, 2013, 12:07 PM
I would take seaguar over stren. Seaguar seemed like it was a decent amount stronger
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: pot-belly-pike on May 29, 2013, 08:42 PM
Ok this mite pea people <some>

fireline is all I use 
 
& I dont work for stren


6#

Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: kcw989 on Jun 02, 2013, 04:38 PM
I use Berkley Nanofil and it works great, just have to watch what knots you use because its really smooth and the knot can slip out. as far as casting it really great.
Title: Re: best brand of monofilament line?
Post by: slipperybob on Jul 03, 2015, 09:32 AM
Best is really subjective as to which application.  Stiff high abrasion resistant lines do not work like soft supple finesse lines.  Then you have everything in between that may excel in some areas better than others.

That's where Gamma high performance copolymer does much better than most lines.  The current brand package is called Polyflex.

Yet I still use many other brands.