Every spool of berkley mono ive bought the past 3 years has been pretty much junk. What does everyone suggest for a different mono brand? Mainly leader but i do put it on as a mainline with some rods as well

Sufix Elite or Siege.

Ande, specially if you are using it for leader. Curious, which Berkley lines are you having issues with? 

I won't say never use mono as leader but Trilene would be like a last resort.  For mono, if I would use it for leader, maybe Sufix Siege.

 

Seaguar Gold Label has been favorite since it came out but it's FC.  In the past I would use whatever I had left over from a filler spool. I didn't realize how far off the mark I was until I tried actual leader material.  Don't take this as an absolute, it's just what I like after trying pretty much everything. 

 

Sunline super natural 

I've been using BPS Excel mono for over twenty years. Never had an issue with it at all.

Big Game ?

1 hour ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Every spool of berkley mono ive bought the past 3 years has been pretty much junk. What does everyone suggest for a different mono brand? Mainly leader but i do put it on as a mainline with some rods as well

Why has it been junk? Mine seems to be like usual. 

 

Kast King maybe as an alternative?

Not a mono, but Yo-Zuri hybrid has been good to me. Use it by diameter not by breakage strength, as it’s a thick line compared to others. 12# YZH is the same diameter as a lot of other lines’ 15# or 17#

I thought of another line that I used for leader..... Runcl. It's available on Amazon.  It was actually really good for leader and regular line.  It's stiff (rigged), like leader, but has some stretch and enough shock absorption to get the job done. 

Interesting, been using Big Game for many years with a handful of very recent spool purchases and no issues.

 

Maxima Ultragreen is supposed to be very nice.

2 hours ago, FishTank said:

In the past I would use whatever I had left over from a filler spool. I didn't realize how far off the mark I was until I tried actual leader material.

This is what I do. Curious as to why a product sold as “leader material” would be better? Are there properties in leader material that make it superior to say a mono or FC line of the same brand?

 

Thanks….Joe 

Stren - been using it as leader material for ~3-4 years now without fail, but just on spinning outfits.

I use Big Game , Ande Tourney or Maxima Ultragreen.....

Been using Big Game forever. Just bought a spool no problems. I know a few guys who use Stren and really like it. 

I've had great luck with basic Stren 6 or 8lb for spin fishing for at least 20 yrs. Casting rods using Big Game. I used to use Trilene for spinning rigs, but like Stren better.

Sufix Siege is the best mono i have ever used and ive used them all at one time or another.

 

its super strong (with a palomar knot) and casts very well.

 

its also limp enough to use on both casting and spinning gear, which is rare.

 

 

Posted about this awhile ago but berkley sensation and trilene have both been crap for ne the last couple years. Like spool on a bc abd its unusable because its springing off the reel. Last straw was i put 4lb sensation on my sons little crappie pole. That was 2 wks ago. Ive already gone through most of the line because of how bad it wind knots constantly. Ive bought it from mult diff vendors. It really sucks because i used to love sensation.

 

also goto is invisx, but i want mono for my topwater rod as well as rods my kid is using.

I’ve used big game 20lb since the late  80s. I noticed 3 years ago it seems thicker an stiffer

Sunline Defier Armillo is excellent line, small diameter smooth and great knot  / abrasion strength.

You get what you pay for.

Tom

PS, Armillo isn't available under 11 lb/ .011D. I use 5 lb / .008D Maxima Ultra Green Copolymer line for all my spinning/ finesse fishing.

I also use Sunline Defier Armillo line, very happy with it.

I have zero complaints about my maxima ultra green. I’ve got some sunline defier on the way just to see how I like it. 

3 hours ago, 5/0 said:

This is what I do. Curious as to why a product sold as “leader material” would be better? Are there properties in leader material that make it superior to say a mono or FC line of the same brand?

 

Thanks….Joe 

 

I am going to tread softly here.... I could tell you it's more abrasion resistant, more invisible, it's stiffer yet soft, it sinks better, it lasts longer, knot strength, it has a smaller diameter based on poundage and it does a lot more great stuff.... There will be a crowd that agrees and disagrees with these things and they probably would both be right. For me personally, it just works and I have confidence in it. Plus when, I first used it with my dedicated wacky rig set up my bites and catches went up. It just felt better for me so it is definitely subjective. 

 

 

I still love my Big Game. It’s go to mono for baitcasters.

 

For spinning reels I use Vicious Fishing ultimate mono. It’s small diameter and doesn’t have much memory. 
 

Other lines I have used that I can recommend are Sufix Siege and Stren. 

Purpose made leader material is generally more stiff, and with that I think comes more abrasion resistance. You want more limp line for full spool uses, but with a leader more stiffness is easier to tolerate and is sometimes better. Is it amazing and magically the greatest thing ever? No, but I like it better. I use fly fishing tippet, both mono and fluoro. It works well and comes on nice little spools. You can get it from 1 lb to at least 50 lb test.