I was a guide on Lake Okeechobee mid 80s-mid 90s, mainly shiner fishing in heavy cover. Braid came around in early 90s Spider Wire was what we used and it was a game changer. Prior to braid we used 20lb Big Game mono and got broke off a lot. 60lb braid was as limp as 12 or 15 and was easy to cast but backlashes were unforgiving and knots required extra care, line is so slick and supple it will loosen.

Shiner fished with 7 1/2' flipping sticks and a slow retrieve baitcaster was my rig. Quantum 381s magnum gears and 3:8 to 1 retrieve.

I get by with simple setups for fishing, usually a ‘closed-face’ reel or a fly rod. I also like lighter & thinner line, that could be 6 or even lighter for panfish & trout.
For regular bass fishing, I could get by with #6, but don’t see much reason for over 10 lb test.

Even bass fishing, the vast majority will be average or smaller size. I will say, modern line is much better than decades ago. With that one can go stronger & still have thin line.

In many instances, I’m convinced, one will get more strikes with thinner line. I’ve seen it myself. When ice fishing for panfish I like 4 lb test.

There can be uses for old line, tie things up, whatever.

Uni knot with 2 modifications for tying braid to swivels: pull the line through the eye twice and wrap the tag through the loop and around the standing end 12 times before cinching it.

FG knot for braid to leader is the thinnest and goes through small guides well, but it's not easy to tie. Double uni is way thick with heavy leader, so I'll use an Alberto knot if I'm in a hurry. You have to cut the end of the leader short or it'll hang up on small guides. Otherwise, you can use shorter leader and leave the knot out of the guides when casting.

Fair warning: Any knot with braid that requires you to really pull on it to cinch it down, the FG knot for example, should be done with gloves. Wrapping 15lb braid around your bare hands or fingers cuts like a knife when you cinch the knot.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Fair warning: Any knot with braid that requires you to really pull on it to cinch it down, the FG knot for example, should be done with gloves. Wrapping 15lb braid around your bare hands or fingers cuts like a knife when you cinch the knot.

Great PSA!
I keep a 4" piece of 3/4" wooden dowel in my box for this reason. I wrap the braid around the dowel a few times and the pull the dowel to tighten the knot. Trying to use your fingers to tighten a braid knot is one of those things in life you only try once.

Thank you everyone. I really do appreciate all the help.

My goto is Berkley Fireline. Strong, thin and expensive…

8lb Stren Lo-Vis green is all I’ve ever used bass fishing.

Like others, I prefer fluoro to braid because you can actually break fluoro if you get hung up and I prefer a little stretch to no stretch. I typically use Pline or Yozuri. You might want a fluoro leader even with braid, but bass are not too picky.

Fluoro sinks quickly which is good for crankbaits and pitching jigs but not for topwater. Mono sinks much slower.

If you avoid braid, you can use Reel Magic to treat the line and it does wonders to prevent memory and tangles.

If you hate MONO, you're going to REALLY hate braid. Much more complicated knots or it pulls the knot, wind knots where it is all in a birds nest and you just cut it off......I tried it for a year and went straight back to mono.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
8lb Stren Lo-Vis green is all I’ve ever used bass fishing.

Try that on Lake Okeechobee.

I’m in the braid camp for deep water hook sets, it simply won’t stretch. It can be a pain in the ass when it comes to tangles.

Power pro is my go to now. Previous choice had a tendency to be ribbon like. It may have not been twisted but would appear so, which gave me some mild OCD.

I would not hesitate to spool up a quality monofilament, it’s come a long way since 1970 . Like your underwear change it every spring whether you think you need to or not, your reel will thank you. Dad was an avid bass fisherman, he’d change twice a year, or switch ends. Tying used end to spool and winding it on revealing unused “fresh line”.

I use braid to a flourocarbon leader. But many swear by flourocarbon.

I use 20 or 30 pound braid to a 16 pound leader, usually. Seagaur is my brand.

In flourocarbon, I'd probably use 16.