Braid or mono for surface iron reel?

[Desert fishing]

I can cast a bait caster very well on target at a good distance with straight braid. However I don't cast a conventional reel anywhere near as well distance or on target. I have to cast mono on a conventional reel. I go with about 10 yards more of mono than I can cast on a good day with a heavy weight. The rest is braid. If you are on a sportboat the odds are you will cast a hundred times on a trip plus or minus. It's hard to become proficient only casting a few times a trip. I would start with mono see how far you can cast effective then add braid under it if you want to get more line on the spool. Mono is not expensive to replace with braid.

 

[jigstickjeff]

The reel is an old gold Trinidad 16..... if I put 100yr topshot of 40# mono will that leave me enough braid backing?

I'm not super familiar with the capacity of the Trini 16. I would go to a tackle shop that spools up reels for their recommendation.
Be sure to tell them that the reel will be used for surface irons.

 

[swami 805]

I have a gold Trinidad 16, 40lb is a little too thick , I use tournament ande 30lb, it’s thinner than regular 30 but breaks right at 30lb. It casts really nice and ties a nice not. You’d be better off with a 20 if you can swing it

 

[Pjstevko]

I have a gold Trinidad 16, 40lb is a little too thick , I use tournament ande 30lb, it’s thinner than regular 30 but breaks right at 30lb. It casts really nice and ties a nice not. You’d be better off with a 20 if you can swing it

I went with the 16 over the 20 because I have smaller hands so it felt better and it made thumbing the line back and forth easier.

Alan set up the reel and suggested 40# and I guess with the thicker size he only loaded 10yrds of mono on the reel

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

PJ, for learning to jig fish, mono is a bit more forgiving. If using the reel for yellowtail, line capacity isn’t as big a deal as it would be for tuna. The problem with yellowtail are that they are structure oriented, they will find something to wrap you on even if they are close to the boat. My last trip last season on the Vagabond, I went 1 for 6 fishing an 850 H with my TranX 500 using 50braid/ 50 flourocarbon top shot. Sometimes the fish wins…..

 

[highvoltage_dad]

For me, 200yrds of 50lb braid with 100yrds of 40lb mono top shot for yellowtail. For bluefin I use 300yrds of 65lb braid with a 3ft piece of 50lb fluorocarbon

 

[pukahd]

On my 10e on longer trips slinging surface iron with bluefin around, I throw 65 MC spectra with 15-20’ of 60# mono. The Pena knot flys through the guides no problem