A visit back to mono

bottom feeder

If I remember right my first rod was solid steel and had a small level wind reel with black braided line.  I'm talking the fifties.

tankered

You are correct, braid...in its original form, far pre-dates mono.

gogittum

My 1st rod was tubular steel with the line going up the middle....around 1950-52.  Line was (I'm pretty sure) black braided Dacron.  We used "catgut" for leaders.  Pretty poor outfit and even at 10 years old, I outgrew it quickly.  When wet the line would stick in the tube and needed a heavy weight to pull it out....but I did catch a few fish with it.

Crkr23

bottom feeder said:

If I remember right my first rod was solid steel and had a small level wind reel with black braided line.  I'm talking the fifties.

Probably a Shakespeare or a pflueger "nuckle buster" reel, they didn't have an anti-reverse in them.

Lostconch

They also didn't have free spool
 But black braid was the thing

tankeryanker

Fisherman007 said:

Those of you who use mono for inshore fishing should try braid imo (with floro or mono leader)

I have, and gave it up. To many wind knots, pain to cut and tie on leader and the noise of the line going through the guides is like finger nails on a chalkboard. 

Fisherman007

tankeryanker said:

Fisherman007 said:

Those of you who use mono for inshore fishing should try braid imo (with floro or mono leader)

I have, and gave it up. To many wind knots, pain to cut and tie on leader and the noise of the line going through the guides is like finger nails on a chalkboard. 

Get better guides?

tankered

Fisherman007 said:

tankeryanker said:

Fisherman007 said:

Those of you who use mono for inshore fishing should try braid imo (with floro or mono leader)

I have, and gave it up. To many wind knots, pain to cut and tie on leader and the noise of the line going through the guides is like finger nails on a chalkboard. 

Get better guides?

Accept that some people don't like braid?

tankeryanker

Fisherman007 said:

tankeryanker said:

Fisherman007 said:

Those of you who use mono for inshore fishing should try braid imo (with floro or mono leader)

I have, and gave it up. To many wind knots, pain to cut and tie on leader and the noise of the line going through the guides is like finger nails on a chalkboard. 

Get better guides?

Fuji are good. You can watch those fishing shows and those overpriced rods they use make the same noise. Lol

lemaymiami

Braid does take some getting used to.... The other day I had a young angler on board with his Dad and he was hooked up on a fifty pound tarpon with a small leadhead.... He fought that fish to my skiff three times over a 30 minute fight - on the lightest rod I had aboard (a very light seven foot rod originally meant  for bonefish - loaded with only 10lb Sufix 832 braid and a short trace of 30lb fluoro (about 20") for a leader...  That fish finally broke off next to the boat on the fourth time we got it close up in a small river along the west coast of the Everglades.. We were definitely bear hunting with a BB gun that morning... and yes, I'm still building every rod on my skiff... 

Every angler gets to chose the gear they use - if you like mono and book a trip with me - bring your favorite rod along... We'll give it a workout....

10kman

Booboo,some  years ago was having  same problem
with wind knots and then ran across a product called
fly line conditioner.Fly fishermen put this product on 
there line to prevent line sticking.Tried it and it
worked.
   But today BassPro sells "Butterit"that stops line
sticking together.In salt water the salt crystals in
the line  is causing the line to stick together.  

BooBoo

Thanks for the tip 10kman!