Is Mono Or Braid Better For Surf Fishing?

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If you plan on going surf fishing right off the beach, one of the most important things that you need to consider is what type of fishing line to use. Two of the most popular types of fishing line are mono or monofilament line as well as braided line. So, which is better for surf fishing, mono line or braided line?

Due to the negative effects of saltwater and the high cost of braided line, most people will recommend going with monofilament line for surf fishing, simply due to cost effectiveness, flexibility, low visibility, and it’s great for surface baits like lures.

Cost aside, both types of lines can be used and work very well. Each of them have pros and cons which we will cover in lots of detail for you today, so you can make your own decision on the whole Mono Vs Braid for surf fishing debate. 

Mono vs Braid Line for Surf Fishing

Let’s do a side-by-side comparison of braided line and monofilament line to figure out which one is better for surf fishing.

Mono Pros & Cons for Surf Fishing

First off, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages that you are faced with when using monofilament line for surf fishing.

Pros

Cost Effective

One of the biggest reasons why some people prefer monofilament fishing line for surf fishing is because it is cost effective.

Generally speaking, monofilament fishing line is the cheapest of all fishing lines. Saltwater does have quite an effect on various types of fishing line, and some people just aren’t willing to spend a whole lot of money on more expensive line that is still going to wear down relatively quickly due to saltwater.

Good for Surface Baits

Another reason why you may want to consider using monofilament fishing line for surf fishing is because it does tend to be fairly buoyant, which means that it can float.

Therefore, if you are doing surface fishing, or in other words, if you’re using lures that are designed to move along the surface of the water, then buoyant monofilament fishing line can come in quite handy.

It’s Flexible

Another reason why you may want to consider using monofilament fishing line for this application is due to the fact that it is quite flexible.

Now, flexibility is not always good because it means that you may have a hard time feeling nibbles, but with that being said, ocean fish can be big time fighters and they can put quite a hurt on weak fishing lines.

A flexible piece of monofilament fishing line will be able to take the impact and pressures created by a fish tugging on it. Due to its flexibility, it can stretch a little bit without breaking, thus coming in quite handy when a fish is fighting you.

Generally Low Visibility

The final reason why mono filament fishing line may come in handy for surf fishing is because it is generally fairly hard to see.

Now, fluorocarbon fishing line is much less visible than monofilament fishing line. But with that being said, monofilament fishing line is also much less visible than braided fishing line.

Fish do of course get scared fairly easily, so having fishing line that is not overly visible can come in quite handy.

Cons

Quite Thick

One of the biggest drawbacks that come with using monofilament fishing line for surf fishing is that it is fairly thick.

Because this type of line is thicker than braided line, it means that you can fit a lot less of it onto your spool.

The less line you have on your spool, the less line you have to work with, which means that fishing far out from the beach can be a challenge.

Mono fishing line definitely isn’t the best to go with for long distance fishing.

Not Overly Durable

Although monofilament fishing line does stretch a bit and can therefore handle impact fairly well, it does however not handle abrasion well.

Monofilament fishing line, if it rubs against rocks and other obstacles, is extremely likely to break, which is of course a big disadvantage, especially if you have a fish on the hook.

Susceptible to Saltwater

Perhaps one of the biggest problems with using monofilament fishing line for surf fishing is the simple fact that it just doesn’t handle saltwater very well.

A single saltwater fishing trip may very well completely destroy monofilament fishing line to the point where you can’t use it for a second go.

Monofilament fishing line just is not ideal for saltwater use.

Bad Line Memory

Another major disadvantages that comes with using monofilament fishing line is that it has extremely bad line memory, or in other words, it starts to take on the shape of its spool fairly quickly.

This can cause issues with casting distance as well as knotting and tangling upon retrieval.

Realistically, this is a disadvantage that all people are faced with when using monofilament fishing line, not just when surf fishing.

Braid Pros & Cons for Surf Fishing

Now that we know what the pros and cons of using monofilament fishing line for surf fishing are, let’s do the same for braided line.

Pros

Abrasion Resistant

One of the biggest advantages that you get with using braided fishing line for surf fishing is the fact that it is extremely abrasion resistant.

All of those little strands are wound together into a very tight and strong braid, which ends up being extremely resistant to the effects of rubbing against rocks and other obstacles, which can of course come in handy when you are fishing from the beach.

Saltwater Resistant

Another advantage that braided fishing line has over monofilament fishing line when it comes to surf fishing is the fact that it is much more saltwater resistant.

It can handle the negative effects of saltwater much more easily than monofilament fishing line can.

However, with that being said, this difference is somewhat negligible, as braided fishing line will still deteriorate due to saltwater use.

Easy to Feel Nibbles

Due to the fact that braided fishing line does not stretch at all, it does mean that impacts are transferred right to your hands.

In other words, it makes it really easy to feel nibbles, even from small fish, therefore increasing your chances of catching something.

Easier Hookset

Yet another advantage that you get with using braided fishing line for surf fishing is the fact that it allows for an easy hook set.

Because this stuff does not stretch at all, as soon as you tug on it, the hook is going to dig into the mouth of the fish.

Monofilament fishing line, on the other hand, due to its stretchiness, may not allow for a quick hookset. 

More on the right kind and size of hooks to use here.

Good for Distance & Depth Fishing

Braided fishing line is much thinner than monofilament fishing line, which means that you can fit much more of it onto a spool.

The more fishing line you can fit onto a spool, the further you can go.

There is also the fact that braided fishing line tends to sink, which means that it is ideal for fishing the depths.

No Memory

The other advantage that you get with using braided fishing line for surf fishing is the fact that it doesn’t have any memory, so it won’t ever tangle up and it won’t ever take on the shape of the spool.

This allows for much further casting, and it also makes it much easier to retrieve your line without it tangling and getting all over the spool.

Cons

Not Much Impact Resistance

One of the disadvantages that comes with using braided fishing line for surf fishing is the fact that it doesn’t have very much impact resistance.

If a really big ocean fish tugs on it very hard, it could very well snap the line right in half.

Super Visible

The next disadvantage that comes with using braided fishing line really for any kind of fishing, not just surf fishing, is the fact that it is very highly visible.

Due to its high visibility, you do really need to match the color of the braided line to the conditions that you were fishing in, or else you will end up scaring the fish away.

Expensive

There is also the fact that braided fishing line is by far the most expensive kind.

Considering the fact that it is only slightly more saltwater resistant than monofilament fishing line, some people don’t think that it is worth the extra cost.

Backlash and Tangling Issues

Although braided fishing line doesn’t often suffer from backlash and tangling issues, the problem is that when backlash and tangling do occur, braided fishing line is nearly impossible to untangle.

If braided fishing line tangles or gets caught in your spool, you will have no other choice than to cut it out.

Hard to Tie Knots with

The other disadvantage that you are faced with when using braided fishing line is that it can just be really hard to tie knots with.

Is Mono or Braid Better for Pier Fishing?

Generally speaking, if you’re fishing off a pier, the better choice to go with is monofilament fishing line, and the reason for this is not only because it is cheaper, but also because if you are fishing from a pier, you will need to lift the fish up out of the water, which means that they align should be able to resist a bit of impact and stretching.

Monofilament fishing line is much less likely to get caught up on the obstacles below the pier than braided line is.

Related;

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• Is a 5000 size reel ok for surf fishing?
• Chest waders for surf fishing reviewed by us.

Conclusion

There you have it, people, everything you need to know about using braided line and monofilament fishing line for surf fishing.

Now that you know exactly what the pros and cons of both of these types of lines are, you can make an informed decision for yourself.