If I could keep only one kind of fishing line in the garage, I still would not use it on every reel. That is the trouble with “best line” advice. The best line changes with the lure, the cover, the reel, and the way you fish.
I use mono, braid, and fluorocarbon for different jobs. I also mix them. Most of the time, I care more about a simple setup that behaves well than a line package with six shiny claims on the front.
The short answer
The three common choices are monofilament, braided line, and fluorocarbon. Take Me Fishing gives a useful plain guide to choosing among them. Mono is easy and has stretch. Braid is thin and very strong with little stretch. Fluorocarbon is hard for fish to see and is often used as a leader.
That is the quick version. The real choice gets easier once you think about what you want the line to do.
Why I still like mono
Monofilament, or mono, is one strand of plastic line. It is cheap. It is easy to knot. It has some stretch. It also floats better than fluorocarbon.
New anglers sometimes hear that stretch is bad. I don’t agree. Stretch can be useful. It gives a fish a little cushion when it surges. It can also keep you from ripping small hooks free.
I like mono for simple spinning setups, kids’ rods, many moving baits, and topwater lures. If I am handing a rod to someone who just wants to fish, mono is still hard to beat.
Where mono gets on my nerves
Mono has memory. That means it likes to keep the coil shape from the spool. Old mono can jump off a spinning reel in loops. Thick mono can also feel stiff.
It is larger than braid at the same rough strength. It also has more stretch, so you feel less of a soft bite in deep water.
Sun, heat, knots, and rough cover wear it. I check the first few feet often. If it feels nicked, I cut it back and tie again. A two-cent knot is cheaper than the lure I was too lazy to retie.
Why braid feels so good
Braid is made from many small fibers. It is very strong for its size. It has almost no stretch. That gives it great feel.
On a spinning reel, thin braid can cast well. I can feel a light tap. I can also feel a jig tick a rock or brush a limb. In grass, braid can cut through plants and pull hard.
That makes braid my first pick for a lot of bass fishing. I also like it when I need more line strength without putting thick rope on a small reel.
Where braid can cause trouble
Braid is easy to see. In clear water, that can matter. It can also slip on some reel spools if you do not anchor it right. Knots must be tied well.
Because braid has so little stretch, your rod and drag have to do more work. A hard hookset with a stiff rod can be too much. I see people tighten the drag like a winch and then blame the line when something bends or breaks.
Braid can also cut hands. Do not wrap it around your fingers and pull hard. Use a tool or a safe grip when you need to free a snag.
Fluorocarbon is useful, but I don’t worship it
Fluorocarbon is a dense plastic line. It is less easy to see under water than mono or braid. It also sinks. Good fluorocarbon can handle rough cover well.
I like it most as leader material. A few feet of fluorocarbon in front of braid gives me the easy casting and feel of braid with a less visible end near the lure.
I do not think every reel needs a full spool of fluorocarbon. It costs more. It can be stiff. Some fluorocarbon jumps off a spinning reel like it has somewhere else to be.
My favorite braid-to-leader setup
For a medium spinning rod, I often start with 10- to 15-pound braid. Then I add a fluorocarbon leader. The leader may be 6, 8, 10, or 12 pounds, based on the fish and cover.
In clear open water, I go lighter. Near wood or rock, I go heavier. I want enough strength to land the fish, but I do not want a leader that makes a small lure act like it is tied to weed-eater cord.
That setup works well for the kind of warm-water fishing I do most. If you are planning a summer trip in the South, this Alabama summer fishing guide gives a good look at the lakes, species, and hot-weather approach that shape tackle choices.
Topwater is one place I often skip fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon sinks. That can pull the nose of some topwater lures down. I usually prefer mono for a full-line topwater setup.
Braid can also work for topwater, but I often add a short mono leader. The braid gives me feel and strength. The mono gives a little stretch and stays up better.
Grass, wood, and rock call for different choices
In thick grass, braid is hard to beat. It has the strength to move fish and can saw through soft plants. That is one of the few places where I may fish straight braid with no leader.
Around wood, I slow down and think. Braid is strong, but it can bite into bark and small gaps. Fluorocarbon can take rubbing well, yet it can still get nicked. Mono is tougher than people give it credit for. I check any line after a hard scrape.
Rock is rough on all line. I like a leader I can inspect and replace. That is one reason braid plus leader makes sense for me. I can keep the main line for a long time and change the short worn part.
Spinning reels are easy to set up
For a new angler, 6- to 10-pound mono on a spinning reel is simple. It is cheap and forgiving. Fill the spool the right way and do not overfill it.
For more feel and longer casts, I like braid with a leader. Ten- to 15-pound braid is a useful range for many bass, panfish, and light inshore jobs. The right leader depends on where you fish.
If I were building a road trip around fishing and hiking, I would also think about the water I plan to visit. Tuars has a broad look at Alabama’s outdoor places, which is a good starting point for lakes, rivers, and wild country close to home.
Baitcasters reward a little planning
Mono is a good line for learning a baitcaster. It is cheap, so a bad backlash does not feel like a financial event. It is also easy to cut out and replace.
Once you are comfortable, braid is great in heavy cover. Fluorocarbon can work well for bottom baits and clear water. I still pick line by the job, not by what looks most advanced.
Pound test is not a badge of honor
Use enough line for the fish and the cover. That is the rule. A small open pond does not need the same line as a stump field.
Light line can help a small lure move well. Heavy line gives you more room for mistakes near cover. I would rather use the right line than brag about landing a fish on thread.
Trip style matters too. A fishing day may turn into a camp weekend. If you plan to fish around the Smokies, our Smoky Mountains camping guide can help with camp rules, weather, and gear while you sort out the fishing side.
Knots matter more than the label
A strong line with a bad knot is weak line. Wet knots before you pull them tight. Look at the finished knot. If it looks odd, tie it again.
For mono and fluorocarbon, I use simple knots I can tie well. The Palomar and improved clinch knot cover a lot of jobs. For braid, I like a Palomar when the lure lets me use it.
For braid-to-leader, I use a knot I have practiced. The FG knot is slim, but it takes practice. A double uni is bulkier, yet many anglers can tie it much faster. The best knot is often the one you can tie right in wind and low light.
Fresh line beats fancy line
I inspect line more than I replace it. Braid can last a long time if it stays sound. Mono and fluorocarbon may need to be changed more often when they get coiled, cloudy, rough, or weak.
Cut out bad spots. Retie after hard snags. Do not leave old line on the bank. Fishing line can wrap birds and other animals. I keep a small bag for cut line and trash.
Three setups I would build today
A first fishing rod
I would spool it with 8- or 10-pound mono. It is easy to use, easy to knot, and cheap to replace. That keeps the focus on fishing, not gear.
A do-most-things spinning rod
I would use 10- to 15-pound braid with an 8- to 12-pound fluorocarbon leader. This gives good casting and feel. I can change the leader to fit clear water or rough cover.
A heavy-cover bass rod
I would use 30- to 50-pound braid when I am fishing thick grass or pads. I would use the rod and drag to match. Heavy line does not turn a bad hookset into a good one.
My bottom line
Mono is still the best simple choice for many anglers. Braid is my favorite main line when I want feel, strength, and easy casting. Fluorocarbon earns its keep most often as a leader.
I would not buy line by hype. Pick it for the job. Tie a good knot. Check it after rough cover. Then spend less time staring at the spool and more time watching the water.