For hardcore structure fishing, as well as a lot of your inshore fishing, you are going to probably want to consider using braided fishing line over monfilament or the newer fluorocarbon lines. Braid fishing lines have really come into their own in the last few years, with more and more anglers making the switch each season. The reasons are simply because this type of line has a lot of features that monofilament and fluorocarbon don't possess. Old timers will consider this type of fishing line cheating, but for some young guns there is no other way. The reasons are split down the center, with the old timers raving for monofilament lines because it was all that was ever around, with the new guys swearing that if you're not fishing braid fishing line that you are losing fish.
The features in braided fishing lines do a lot for its success. Braid has nearly zero stretch, so even with 30 yards of line out into the water, if you tighten down to set the hook you are still going to get a decent hookset. With monofilament, the line has a lot of stretch in it, and with having that amount of line on the water you will be hard pressed to get a good hookset even if you do reel down onto the fish. With braid, you can quickly pick up the slack and have confidence knowing that you can still get a hookset with this much line out, which is critical to flats fishermen dealing with spooky saltwater fish.
Braided fishing line also comes in line diameters much thinner than monofilament. Mono used to be known as the skinny line, but with newer braids becoming thinner and thinner while still increasing their test ratings, it is no wonder why so many anglers are making the switch. Before, anglers were under the impression that braid was incredibly visible underneath the water, but with the line diameters decreasing with each new production model, as well as anglers using monofilament leaders on the end of the braid, they are quickly switching over all of their reels.
While braided fishing line sounds like the best thing since sliced bread, there are a few downfalls to using it, and the complaints that the old timers have ring true. If you are using braided fishing line on a baitcasting reel for instance, and end up getting a backlash, they are often severe enough to cause you to pack it in for the day. Pulling a birds nest out of a reel loaded down with fine diameter braided line is a trial in patience, and one that you won't soon forget. Monofilament does get backlashed as well, but it is much easier to remove than it is with braid.
Braided fishing line knots are also a lot harder to tie. With monofilament, the old timers knew that they needed a few good knots to get the job done, and as braid came onto the scene, realized that the waxy coating on the line as well as the ultra thin diameters meant that there were going to be issues getting knots to hold. When you are tying braid onto a new reel, you are often going to have to use a monofilament backing, as well as a monofilament leader, which requires two fishing knots for braided line to monofilament line. Doing this will ensure that the line doesn't slip on the reel, as well as ensuring that you have a completely invisible line underneath the water.
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