Braid vs. Mono Abrasion Strength Experiment [Vertical & Horizontal Tests]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on December 28, 2017
It’s line testing time again!
In this post, you’ll see how the abrasion strength of a fishing line made from braid compared to line made from traditional monofilament.
This has been the most commonly requested test, and I have to admit that I was surprised by the results.
Here’s a quick summary that explains the purpose and structure of the experiment.
Experiment Details
The purpose of this experiment is to see which line can handle getting rubbed up against a rough surface best (aka – abrasion strength).
And given that anglers who use braid often put a mono/fluoro leaders at the end of their lines, I wanted to test how braid holds up to a drag-ripping run around an object in the water such as a piling since that likely will be the most common cause of abrasion in the act of fishing.
But I also wanted to check how the head-shake abrasion (side-to-side movement) compared to that of mono too for those who do tie directly to their lures/hooks when using braid.
So this experiment consists of two tests:
- Side-to-Side Abrasion Test
- Around-the-Piling Test
And I used equivalent lines based on their rated strengths so that there could be an apples-to-apples comparison.
Line Test Results
In order to make sure you could see the exact processed used, I filmed the test and made a quick video.
Click the video box below to watch it:
Note: Please do not hesitate to let me know about any testing suggestions you may have… I want to make sure that these tests are all as helpful as possible.
Conclusion
Monofilament line proved to be much more resistant to abrasion compared to braid in this test.
But this is just one type of surface, so we’ll also need to examine these two lines when faced with different types of surfaces.
More tests will be done in the near future… I just wanted to share this first round of braid vs. mono testing with you now so you can ask any questions or offer suggestions for improving future tests.
For any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
Fish On!
P.S. – Please be sure to share this post with any of your friends who love fishing.
Prior Leader Testing Posts:
Related categories:
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Would love to see jerry brown and spiderwire stealth. You guys are awesome btw
Dont you think maybe a 10lbs mono should be tested with a 30lbs or so braid since the diameter would be similar.
The reason that test focuses on the strength factor (10 lb braid vs. 10 lb mono instead of equating line diameters) is because most anglers decide which lines to use based on the power they need to handle their target fish.
The fact that braid is thinner is a positive attribute that helps it cast farther than mono even though it’s surface is not as slick as mono.
I would have to agree with Alejandro on this one. I use heavier braid 30 to 50 lb instead of 20lb mono. I use it so I don’t have to change line out every year. At least on my baitcasters. For my small spinning setup I use 15lb braid. My saltiga has 100lb braid but that’s a different animal
I’d really love to see a test on abrasion resistance of different strength braid, for example is there a significant advantage in using 80lb pp over 50lb pp and also the difference in casting distance between the two. Its often a balancing act between the perceived reduction in casting distance and potential improvement in abrasion resistance especially when surf fishing but often these decisions are based purely on anecdotal evidence and not testing.
What species are you targeting when trying to decide between 50 lb and 80 lb?
I find braid a lot harder to tie and handle than mono . how about you ?
Braid is more difficult to manage, but it’s pros outweighs its cons in my opinion so it’s on all of my reels now. The biggest difference is with knots, so be sure to use this post to find a strong braid to leader knot that you like: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/fishing-knots/
Thanks ,Luke ,Would you use braid for surf and jetty fishing ? What is the best reel,and 2piece rod combo for surf fishing ?
I prefer braid for surf fishing because it has less water drag and the zero stretch nature allows for even the small strikes to be felt/seen. I don’t surf fish very often so I just use my normal inshore gear for it whenever I hit the beach. So I unfortunately can’t be of much help to you for selecting a good surf rod.
Here in Texas if you’re soaking baits on the bottom the sandbar can cut your braid. I prefer braid for casting distance but inspect your line often. Lots of random break offs.
How about fireline have you tested any of it?
I have not yet tested any of the fireline lines. Is there one in particular that you’re most interested in?
How often would you say your line ACTUALLY breaks while fishing?
Not at all when targeting small fish in open water… but it can happen frequently when using undersized gear for big fish near structure and current.
Hi, I’ve watched a number of videos re: line strength, abrasion, braid vs. mono vs. fluoro, etc. What are your thoughts on braid color? Does it really matter? I’ve always used the green color, thinking that it would be the least visible to fish. But I see people using the bright yellow, red, mixed colors, etc. Does the color really matter? FYI, I usually start with about a 5′ fluorocarbon leader, use primarily soft plastics which I change out frequently, and sometimes can get down to about a 1′ leader before I re-tie a new leader. So yellow braid with a continuously shortening leader seems like it would be visible to fish. Your thoughts?
I used green braid for several years before we started Salt Strong. Then I got some yellow so that the line would show up better in the videos. During the time when I had some reels with green and others with yellow, I could not tell a difference one way or the other in terms of fish caught so I now have pretty much all of mine with yellow.
Here’s a post showing what I believe is the best leader assembly: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-tie-a-fishing-leader-for-snook-redfish-seatrout
Do you still use braid fishing line even after the test you performed?? I am thinking of just going to straight mono. What are your thoughts? Thank you soo much for posting that video!
I like mono better cause for me its easer to tie and handle .
How about compromise and just use longer leaders around pilings instead of totally going to mono?
That can work too. I personally don’t like casting knots through guides every cast knowing that the repeated friction can damage the lines though.
I would like to know the diameter of the braid and mono think it will make a difference in the test I have not used mono in a many years now it’s either florocarbon or braid floro for twichbaits and cranks and braid for top water and soft baits just my preference but good test and info
I was using 10 lb Power Pro in this test and 10 lb Berkley Trilene XL. The braid is much thinner which is a big reason why it casts further. Also, it enables much better lure retrieving performance on windy days and/or high current situations because there is much less wind/water drag on the thinner line.
I’m curious to know the diameter of the braid vrs the mono as I think this will also play a huge factor on durability in this test
The diameter of the braid was much thinner than the mono. That factor is a big reason why the braid casts further (pro), and it’s a big reason why the line is more exposed to exposure (con). For deciding which one to go with, it’s all about weighing the need for max distance or max abrasion… or somewhere in between.
Luke great video and test. A real eye opener for sure. I would like to see you test multiple pound/diameter braid for abrasion resistance. Like say 30#, 50#, 80# and up as high as you want to go and see if and how much better thicker braid does. The reason would be to see if you can go up in size with your braid for abrasion strength and maybe still be smaller diameter than mono. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I’ll be sure to run some heavier lines through the line tester. Fish On!
Thanks that would be great. Looking forward to it.
Love the videos/test…keep coming! I know there are different ways to compare… by diameters, by strength, but I’m not replacing my 20 braid with 4 or 6 lb mono… but would like to see something I might replace it with, like 10 lb. keep up the good work!!!
Thanks John! Did you see the latest casting experiment comparing 20 lb braid to 10 lb braid yet? If not, here’s a link: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/casting-distance-experiment-10-vs-20-braid/
You should have tested them against exact diameter of each, not be break strength. Invalid test therefore invalid conclusion. Probably will yield similar results but without testing, it is a Type ONE Error. Love you trying to do a meaningful analysis , keep it up!
Thanks for submitting the feedback Dr. Rich. I decided to test the lines based on their equivalent breaking strengths because I was going with the assumption that we all are trying to use lines as thin as possible that still can handle the fish that we’re targeting (enabling the best casting/retrieving performance while being able to hold up to the pull of the target fish).
The equivalent diameter braid of a 20 lb mono is a 100 lb braid, and I could not think of a situation where someone would be deciding between those two options for targeting a specific fish given how much different their strengths are. Please let me know if I’m missing something or if that doesn’t make sense… just wanted to share the reasoning behind this testing of a 20 lb line against another 20 lb line in this abrasion test.
Mono for docks & trees, braid for more obstruction free water and longer casts. GREAT test Luke !!
Thanks for making time to leave the comment George!
Luke, thanks for your test videos along with all the other free videos you still have out. I took my first trip to Florida last march and was able to catch some fish, mostly because of you free material. Thanks again……. I was thinking line diameter also but noticed Keith mentioned it..
Thanks for the kind words Jeremy!
I would love to see Seaguar Premier tested compared to their Blue/Red label.
I picked some up recently and will be testing it soon. Fish On!
Wow….pretty surprising. I don’t use mono, but assume similar results would be achieved with fluoro. I’ll make sure to have a good 2-3 feet of 20lb fluoro leader ahead of my 10lb braid.
The biggest surprise from these line test was that the traditional mono handily outperformed the fluorocarbon… here’s a link to that one: https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/fluorocarbon-leader-abrasion-test-vs-mono/
Right, Luke. I just haven’t had many abrasion related breaks in 12 years of fishing the Nature Coast area, and am much more concerned with achieving maximum invisibility, hence, I’ll continue using fluoro leaders until proven wrong.
Have tested braid and mono extensively and you testing is right on . For all practical purposes
braid had absolutely “NO” abrasion resistance. Consequently I always run at least a 29 foot leader of
either mono ore fluorocarbon. Anyone who runs spectra straight to the hook is sure to demonstrate
whaling and washing of teeth.
What sort of fishing are you doing when using the 29-foot leader? Are you casting it or bottom fishing?
Luke,
Would you say the difference in abrasion resistance seen in this test can be most attributed to the large difference in diameter between the two lines?
If braid and monofilament of equal diameters were compared, what would be the result then? I wonder if braid would test considerably better, and from there you could step down in diameter until you found the braided line size that’s most equivalent to 20 pound mono in terms of abrasion resistance. I wonder how much stronger and thinner that equivalent braid would be…
Keith
I’m sure that the diameter difference is very big reason why the braid gave way faster than the mono.
The reason I decided to keep the lines equal in terms of their rate strength is because it takes a 100lb braid to have the same diameter of a 20 lb mono, and I can’t think of a situation when someone would be choosing between those two options for targeting a specific species.
Luke,
I understand that some freshwater bass fisherman fish 50-65lb braid in heavy cover—presumably because its more resistant to abrasion while also being stronger and thinner than monofilament. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen any tests of that, so it be interesting to see that & understand the ratios. Is 65lb braid roughly equivalent to 20lb mono in terms of abrasion resistance, for example?
I guess an all braid setup like that would be an option in saltwater, too, if you still got bites & line visibility wasn’t a concern. I agree comparing to 100lb braid by itself seems absurd.
Keith
Good point Keith. I’ll give it a shot.
P.S. – I’ve always wondered why the bass guys use such heavy line… the fish are almost always under 10 lbs and there’s not even barnacles or oysters to worry about:) I have asked around, and it seems as if a big draw towards that heavy braid is that it saws through vegetation better than mono given that the braid’s surface has the uneven/rough edges.
I would not have thought that but it makes sense with the braid having a much smaller diameter.
Even with the smaller diameter, I was thinking that the braid would win because it sure seems tougher to cut the tag end of the lines after tying knots. I’ll be sure to test out a sharper surface to see if it makes a difference.
You said Berkley is the maker of Power Pro, is that true?
I was told that at some point down the line, but I now see that it’s not true… Shimano is the parent company of PowerPro.
Thanks for pointing out the mistake.