4# mono comparison

[skinhead]

Reading this I feel like the only one that doesn't use mono......at the moment. For the last 14 years I've used nothing but braid, only recently with a flouro leader. Have I been missing out on something? Now off to spool up with the only non braid that I posess, Orvis Super Strong copolymer tippet material in 5X, 4.75lb IIRC.

[tywithay]

4# Sunline Super Natural....End of debate. There is no line that offers more value+performance that I have ever found and I use mono exclusively on all my reels. I prefer it over Senshi as I feel it handles better, with similar strength characteristics. It is rated more closely to its breaking strength than some other 4# lines like Trilene, but it is still plenty strong. I've caught several 2lb+ bass and a couple carp pushing 5lbs on my ultralight using this line and never once felt like the line was overstretching or ready to give way. It's good stuff. Only line I have liked better was Toray Bawo Superhard Polyamide Plus (that's a mouthful), but by comparison you only get 1/2 the line for 2x the price so the Supernatural is more worth your money. I can spool my Fuego 1000A 3 times with one spool of 4# Super Natural for about 10 bucks

[panyafish]

I've recently started using Yo Zuri hybrid 4 lb. The stuff is really strong, I think it actually breaks closer to 8 lb than 4. It's a really nice line to use if you're looking for a super strong and thin line and don't care about breaking line class records The label says its a mono/fluoro blend. It does feel kind of stiff but once it gets nice and wet it's pretty easy to manage--it also seems to keep it's knot strength up pretty well.

[shtuka]

Great line, but at 0.24mm is far cry from being thin “4 pound class” or ultralight.
If you compare diameters, you will see that majority of other brands, at approximately same diameter (0.24 or 0.25 mm) have labeled 8lb or 10lb strength.
YZh is a great performing line, but calling their 0.24mm/ 10lb line “the strongest 4lb” is just BS. Next year they can call it “1lb line” and at the unchanged diameter it will became the world strongest ever 1lb line, lol.

True 4lb UL lines are typically around 0.16, 0.17, 0.18mm

Europeans got it right with their approach of classifying lines by diameters and then different brands of line compete who can provide the most of breaking strength , the most abrasion resistance, the most suppleness etc at exactly the same diameter – resulting in no fake or pretentious labeling

[rickman1]

I primarily use Yo Zuri Hybrid and Hybrid Ultrasoft. I've had great results over the years and have been reluctant to try other lines as a result. It works for me. I agree that the line thickness is not in line with other mono manufacturers as it it is thicker thus the higher listed breaking strength. I got my hands on some Ultrasoft 2lb line a short time ago and spooled up an ultralight setup but haven't had the opportunity to try it out. The line is thinner (I normally use 4, 6 and 8lb. lines depending on the rod/reel setup.

I have a couple of Ultra-Ultralight rigs that I have spooled up with some Courtland backing and then DAM Tectan Mono which is really, really thin and is appropriate to the actual breaking strength of the line. I've caught a few smaller sized fish with it and I will say it's kind of scary bringing them in because of the thin diameter line which has an actual breaking strength very close to the listed line weight. So far so good though. I have another setup backspooled with Stren Magnathin 4lb line and then added 4lb Nanofil which is also very thin. I haven't got to try the Nanofil out yet.

http://www.fishusa.com/DAM-Tectan-Premi ... ent_p.html

http://www.yo-zuri.com/01_products/14_y ... _soft.html

http://www.fishusa.com/Berkley-NanoFil- ... ine_p.html

[clipper1955]

About 35 years ago I started making ultralight rods from flyrod tip blanks and used plain ol' Stren 4# clear/blue. I've been using that stuff so long I can pretty much land anything with it. That said, Stren doesn't make 2# line any more, and I've been forced to use something else. So I tried Trilene XL 2#, hoping it was better than the stuff I tried several years ago and hated, but no such luck... So if any of you have any advice about good 2# and 1# mono, I'd appreciate the info. I need 350 yard spools of the 1#...

[shtuka]

2lb - YoZuri Ultra Soft makes it BUT as mentioned above for other YZ lines it is way too thick to be called 2lb, at 0.21mm diameter is more comparable to 6-7lb line from other guys.
Tectan would probably be the best bet.

Among UL lines I really liked Evergreen Bass Sail Magic Hard (I think that is the full name) and in 4lb (0.16mm ?) worked just wonderful on spinning gear. The same line in 2lb strength is around 0.12mm, almost half the thickness of Y-Z US.
EG is a fluoro, but worth every penny - so much better than nylon. I also heard very good things about other Japanese UL lines (Toray, Varivas, Unitika etc) but haven't had a chance to try them.

[Shru]

I don't know what the break test is on this stuff i tried today, but it casted super nice and very far..
no looping or anything of the sort while fishing...
The line was called Spiderwire Ultracast Ultimate Mono, mainly used for baitcasters it said, but the stuff worked great on a pflueger president, patriarch is due in this week, so going to spool it with it as well, at least one of the spools.
Of course i was using 4 lb test, I was hoping they would carry it in the 2 lb test as well, but no such luck....

I am not nearly as experienced as alot of you on this board, however, i was using Pline Flourocarbon and was having alot of issues with that, so i switched and am very happy so far...
Does not seem to stretch much if any, and i could feel the slightest of nibbles on my grubs while fishing in the river, Was also using the itsy bitsy minnow alot, them things kick butt....

If anyone knows where you can find strength breaks on line, would greatly appreciate it, I am hoping this is not to high, I like the break to be as close to the pound test as it should be...
I am still searching for some nice line to use near their rated break point, at least for now this stuff casts really far and i had no issues at all with it...
Just wanted some people to know, first day using the line but highly impressed with this mono...

[Smead]

Sufix has some additional line types on their international website which may be of interest.

http://international.sufix.com/fishing_ ... ance_mono/

Also, size conversion equivelents if you cross reference with the US site, not just metric, but Japanese size designations as well:

http://www.rapala.com/Sufix/Monofilamen ... lt,sc.html

[Smead]

Though if line diameter is important, as well as actually being the break strength listed...I sill like Tectan Premium Plus.

Figure if you are using run-of-the-mill mono in 4# test, that's usually around .008", using the 4# Tectan drops you down to .005", rounded up.

http://www.fishusa.com/DAM-Tectan-Premi ... ent_p.html

Given that I'm not so picky with fishing heavier classes, and thus use Sufix Elite, I can use something like #4 or 6# Sufix as backing if need be, since the Tectan is a bit more pricey than your average mono, on any reel that doesn't have a shallow spool.

So I'm not paying an arm and a leg for line....and really don't have to over think things or have what I'm using get super complicated.

Some people forget that mono does absorb water and you get some varying in characteristics after using it awhile, as far as arguing about memory and castibility goes.

I also often wonder if much debate over which lines are better are due to not checking line enough, letting a knot go too long without retying, etc.

[TroutStlkr]

Right now, I'd say my favorites have been Super Natural, Elite and XL. I'm curious to try the improved XL in October when it comes out to see if it warrants being called "improved". To me a lot of the more abrasion resistant lines such as CXX, Maxima, XT or Seige just feel too stiff and don't handle well on an UL reel. For UL I favor handling over strength.

I also agree with some of the sentiments expressed about diameter. I just wish there was some standardization in terms of diameter or actual break strength. If a manufacturer puts and 8 lb line in a box and labels it 4 lb, is it still UL? With the three brands I listed as my favorites, Elite and XL are both 25% larger in terms of diameter and are probably more comparable to the 6 lb Super Natural than the 4 lb.

[Shru]

my patriarch 9525 is coming in today, Always wanted to try out the tectan so i ordered 2 lbs off of ebay for 7.55 with free shipping for one of the spools, will consider what i want to do with the other spool for 4 lbs...
I know tectan is rated on break strength around the same poundage as on the spool... Most fish i ever catch around here are around the 1/2 lb to 6 lb range max...So will be eager to try it out...
I guess i am just kind of a weird UL fisherman, I really want to give the fish as much of a chance as i do,if at all possible, I was taught how to fish the right way a very long time ago from my father, I figure if i horse the fish in and he breaks the line, than he deserves the chance to go another day...

Even when i was catfishing years ago, I never fished with line over 12 lb test, and i have caught my fair share of catfish in the 60 lb range, it took awhile to get them in, but that is the fun for me, not see how fast i can get them in and throw out again...
I have even been thinking of what ranger does with his setups, using 4 lb test braided line with a flourocarbon leader for the ultimate in sensitivity....
I was reading a website where some fishing line they had tested was say at 60 lb test and it was breaking at near 100 lb test instead, to me that is just messed up, I want to fish with what the line says, some 4 lb test line break at 5-8 lbs instead, in my opinion, this should not be sold as 4 lb than, I like knowing that if i caught a 12 lb carp on 4 lb test line, than i did a great job, but if the line breakage is at 8 lbs instead, than i did not do such a great job..

[Smead]

I'm somewhat torn...i practice catch and release and my kick is in fooling the fish into taking an artificial; light setups allow taking finicky, season wise, possiblely highly pressured fish on delicate offerings and the line helps with casting the small stuff...but I don't want to exhaust them into expiring by overplay....especially when the weather is warm and water slow and/or low.

[Bronzeye]

I really want to give the fish as much of a chance as i do,if at all possible, I was taught how to fish the right way a very long time ago from my father, I figure if i horse the fish in and he breaks the line, than he deserves the chance to go another day...

Forty years ago, when most fish anglers landed were destined for the frying pan, it made some sense to exalt the use of light line as "giving the fish a sporting chance." That's what I grew up hearing, and I enjoy as much as the next guy the feeling of accomplishment from landing a fish that could have broken my line. I sometimes fish with ultralight lines, and if I break a fish off I can sleep that night. But if one plans to release most or all fish, then the best "chance" we can give fish is for them to be landed quickly and released without a lure in their mouths or line trailing behind them. For me, that calls for using lines that have a good chance of landing at least the average fish I expect to hook after a brief, but hopefully intense, tussle.

When using lines plenty strong to land the fish at the other end, one loses some of the suspense of a battle on the edge and some of the reassurance of one's fish-fighting skill; on the other hand, one actually gets to feel the fish pull harder, because the drag (or backreeling point) can be set higher. I'm into feeling fish pull hard and seeing them swim away unhooked and still strong.

[TroutStlkr]

I really want to give the fish as much of a chance as i do,if at all possible, I was taught how to fish the right way a very long time ago from my father, I figure if i horse the fish in and he breaks the line, than he deserves the chance to go another day...

Forty years ago, when most fish anglers landed were destined for the frying pan, it made some sense to exalt the use of light line as "giving the fish a sporting chance." That's what I grew up hearing, and I enjoy as much as the next guy the feeling of accomplishment from landing a fish that could have broken my line. I sometimes fish with ultralight lines, and if I break a fish off I can sleep that night. But if one plans to release most or all fish, then the best "chance" we can give fish is for them to be landed quickly and released without a lure in their mouths or line trailing behind them. For me, that calls for using lines that have a good chance of landing at least the average fish I expect to hook after a brief, but hopefully intense, tussle.

When using lines plenty strong to land the fish at the other end, one loses some of the suspense of a battle on the edge and some of the reassurance of one's fish-fighting skill; on the other hand, one actually gets to feel the fish pull harder, because the drag (or backreeling point) can be set higher. I'm into feeling fish pull hard and seeing them swim away unhooked and still strong.

I agree with the sentiment of not fighting a fish to exhaustion and giving it the best chance to recover. I'm still one that likes to fish whisper thin line and like the challenge of landing an over-sized surprise on UL tackle, but I also believe one can do so while remaining ethical. Put as much pressure on the fish as you can and don't use too forgiving a drag setting. You don't have to skip the fish across the surface in record time to give the fish a decent shot at reviving. In most conditions they can run and pull some drag, but always be mindful of the length of the battle. If you really want to give the fish a sporting chance, fight it aggressively enough that the fish is either coming in quickly or swimming away with a lure in it's jaw that will eventually in most cases come free. Be willing to lose. Have a landing net or tailing glove handy so that if you get the fish in close, you can scoop it up without having to completely play it out.