Braid or Mono mainline

Some of you new comers to the sport will not be sure about the differences between Braid or Mono mainline so I have put together a quick guide to help clear things up.

Braid:

Braid has zero stretch so makes an ideal line for use on a marker rod allowing you to interpret what type of lakebed you are fishing on. It also has a lot thinner diameter than mono giving you added casting distance and reduced visibility. A braid like the 'Nash Bullet Braid' is also weighted giving great sinking properties ensuring that the business end of you line is well pinned down and hidden. Due to its low diameter and zero stretch it is a great help when fishing weedy venues as it will cut through the weed reducing snags and ultimately will help you to land more fish. When fishing on braid you do have to more gentle during a fight with a carp as with the zero stretch it puts more pressure on the hook with could cause it to pull.

Mono:

Mono does have some stretch to it reducing hook pulls as the fish has a bit more play. It can also come in a variety of shades from clear to a dirty brown allowing it to be more invisible in clear or murkier waters. Breaking strains tend to be a lot lower with mono allowing you to break if you do get severely snagged whereas with braid you can end up having to cut it. Don’t get put off by 15lb mono this doesn't mean it can only take a 15lb fish, played right you can easily land a 40lber on 15lb line. One downside with mono is that it can tend to be quite wirey and coil up. Two monos I can highly recommend are 'Diawa Sensor' and 'Nash Bullet Mono'.

You can now also get a compromise of the two which is a fluorocarbon line. This is a mono line but with very little stretch and near zero visibility when submerged in water. I have personally found these to be rather stiff and again quite wirey. At the end of the day it is all down to what you are comfortable with, if you find a line that works well for you and you have confidence in it you are on the right track!