Loosing cats due to mono?

[jjshbetz11]

Is it possible? Only thing that changed in my setup from last year is a new baitcaster and spooled it with 30lb mono. Last year I only used braid and barely lost any fish. Could the stretch have that much affect? Lost 3 tonight, they felt heavy too. Going back to power pro ASAP put off swapping to braid a little too long think it's biting me in the behind now

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[Mr. A]

IMHO the mono is the deal breaker. Mono has loads of give compared to braid, so when you set the hook the hook essentially gets pulled into the fish's lip not yanked in as with braid...

What types of hooks are you using? Only ask because I have quit using circle octopus hooks and went back to circle hooks. One you can set a hook with the rod and the other the fish will set for you by pulling... Just a thought.

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[jjshbetz11]

8 gama octopus, Bait clicker on


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[JimmyMac]

Sure mono may not offer as solid a hookset as braid, but I would look elsewhere for the problem if it happened 3 times in one night. Just because something better comes along doesn't mean the previous thing stops working.

If you can afford power pro and like using it, no reason not to.

[JimmyMac]

There are a number of things that can cause a bad hookset also. I know one year I was missing a load of fish hooking my bait in a bad place, where the bait was able to turn and block the point of the hook, I finally caught on after reeling in baits that were double hooked. Another thing using baitfish with scales, especially shad, is to make sure no scales end up on your point upon casting out. Then the most obvious one of all, making sure you have no slack on the hookset.

[Desode]

What size bait were you using ? and what size hook ?

Was anything different in that area ?

[M.Magis]

There's a 0% chance that the line is the issue. Unless you're casting 100+ yards, the stretch in mono is negligible when setting the hook.

[Mr. A]

If I'm not mistaken the original problem was the guy missed 3 fish in one night. The only thing he'd changed was from braid to mono with everything else the same. How can the problem be anything else but the line?

We don't know if braid would have made a difference but if that's what changed......

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[M.Magis]

I wish I could find something to blame evey time I lose a fish, but fact is it's usually just "one of those things". Anyone care to guess how many billions upon billions of fish have been caught with mono? Braid has its place, but to suggest mono can't catch fish as well is just plain wrong. As far as catfishing goes, there's very little difference between the two until you get into more specialized types of fishing, such as deep/vertical or long lines.

[mastercatman]

Hook size is an often overlooked part of such a problem. I had it at one time myself. I use 5/0 most often now unless I'm using very large baits.
Hook sharpness could be another issue worth checking out.
I have been dealing with gar a lot lately which results in screaming runs and no hookups!

[Bass-Chad]

Did they break off at the knot? Maybe it was the knot instead of the line. No matter what line I am using I tie a double palomar and very rarely break off fish on the hook set. Check the line itself, maybe it is old line. I use mono and braid for catfish it just depends on the area I am fishing. Ponds/rivers is mono, inland lakes known for big cats I use braid.

[bkr43050]

When you say "lost 3 fish" I am assuming you are referring to them being hooked and then becoming unbuttoned? If so I tend to agree with M.Magis in that the mono is most likely not in any way the cause. In fact I personally think that mono is better for catfishing because it does stretch some. That stretch cushions the effect of a fish's effort to shake loose. When a fish thrashes or head-shakes with braid there is a significant change in the pressure exerted throughout that action. On mono the pressure stays relatively constant. If they came unhooked then they didn't get the hook buried in the first place. I would consider the other options that were suggested, hook size/design, hook location in bait, hook sharpness, etc. If it is broken line then it could either be bad/old mono. 30# braid should be able to turn an awfully big big in its tracks. Or it could just have not been your night to catch fish. After all it is still called fishing and not catching for a reason.

[Bluegill_Guru]

To be honest, this is all just conjecture, as a missed fish can be because of a myriad of reasons, including equipment and angler failure.

I hate mono with a passion, and would never not use braid, no matter what the circumstance, but that doesn't mean that mono is ineffective, it just means that it totally blows for me. For some people mono is more forgiving in hook sets, and for others it is not.

It is akin to an extremely accurate sniper rifle in the hands of a man with 40/80 vision. But give that man an AA-12 shotgun and he is dropping things left and right.

[jjshbetz11]

Well I just spooled up with power pro so this little experiment will get tested tonight, going out here in a little bit


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[jjshbetz11]

And I think it was the mono, as the channels in my spot are striking the hook pretty vicious last night . Gonna finish this beer and my gal is gonna drive us there(safety first children)


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[jjshbetz11]

No info to give last night had other plans for me. Going out tonight guaranteed so will post results


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[jjshbetz11]

Went two for two with the braid, end of experiment


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[OhioCatter]

I use both mono and Braided line. I have no problems with either except when fishing in rocky areas (braided). Then mono gets the nod. Don't give up on mono, even though you went 2 for 2 with braid and lost 3 with mono. Next time you spool up do one mono and 1 braided. Give them both a chance and you will see mono is not the root cause.

[Bluegill_Guru]

Originally Posted by OhioCatter

...you will see mono is not the root cause.

It could be the root cause for him though. Some people, myself included, are behind the eight ball when using mono.

Nothing against mono, but it doesn't work for everyone; just like the many old schoolers that wont touch braid....because it doesn't work for them.

[katfish]

just like the many old schoolers that wont touch braid....because it doesn't work for them.

Old school is a releative term
Braided fishing lines predate mono by 50 years.

The reason there are so many tackle choices is because
one type of line/rigging options doesn't cover all styles of fishing
situations.

Personally I run dacron braid which is ancient technology
but it fits our techniques. It is the best available option
for our type of fishing. I do not recommend it for most folks
because of it's many and chronic problems.



I posted this pic for the "old schoolers" that won't touch braid

Also the type of mono used makes a little difference. Mono lines
seem to run from 12-20% stretch depending on the hardners
used to make the line. Softer lines like XL have more stretch
than harder lines like XT.

Normally a sunken line is draped across bottom, possibly over
rocks or brush, and has a bit of slack in it. A mono line casted
50 feet may have up to 10 feet of stretch before the full power
of your hook is delivered. If you have a fish swimming sideways
or toward you, you must add this into the amount of line you
must retrieve on a hook set.

Many of these factors would still apply when using braid. With a
7 foot rod you will probably only get 10 feet of line taken up on
a wide hookset.

With my big baits I will often (this time of year) have channel
cats grab flathead baits sideways and swim away. I occasionally
hook them on the outside of the mouth (where the hook was
when I set). I normally know a channel cat run from a flathead
run and I live with the fact that the aggressive prespawn channel
are going to take some of my baits.

I also know that flathead are going to completely engulf a bait
and clamp down to prevent it from escaping their mouth/stomach.
I have seen some guys reel a flathead several yards before thinking
they forgot to set the hook.

There are tons of reasons why we miss fish and although it is
frustrating we have to learn to adapt or get over it or we might
as well be limblining