[ninepointer]

I see that lines have gotton a lot more complicated than I remember. My main rigs are a medium spinning rod and a ultra-light spinning rod, loaded with 12 lb & 6 lb mono respectively. I'm fishing for walleye, pike & smallies in central ontario lakes. Do I stick with mono or go high tech? If so, what line?

[ec1]

Mono's not a bad idea for your UL setup. I think that braid is somewhat overkill, BUT it will last you longer.
Mono's that I trust in : TRILENE XL! Silver Thread (Co-polymer I believe), and I also wanted to try out yo-zuri Hybrid, next time I find it at a tackle store. For those near AV / Lucky, do you guys know if they have it?

For your Medium setup, If you're cheap like me, and run braid without a leader for pike, you have a few risks to take, But I'm cool with it
Otherwise, a braid + fluoro/wire leader is a good idea.

Braids i think I've covered this before. Power pro, Sufix -> You've got nothing to lose.
And if you're really looking to spend, try order some of the Daiwa Samurai Braid from the USA. It's really thin in what they have comparisons on....30 lb braid i believe for them = 6lb mono. For some reason, it get's a bit cheaper at 40lb test, and it only =8lb mono. So you get more lb's in your braid, without going much thicker at all.
BPS also has Tufline XP at half price right now, 7.99 for 150yds...Probably enough for 2 reels.

[PainInTheBass]

What techniques do you prefer to use? Braid, because it does not stretch, transmits bumps and vibrations more efficiently than mono or fluorocarbon. Because it does not stretch, there is a different feel to fishing braid. Also, because of the lack of stretch, it is not as forgiving when fishing reaction baits and baits with Treble hooks where too much pressure or sudden runs can pop the hook out of the fish' mouth. If you do use braid for pike, use some kind of leader because braid is not particularly abrasion resistant. And, lost lures not only mean lost money for you, but are bad for the fish whose face they are stuck to.

Fluoro has ssimilar feel to mono, but does not absorb water and sinks. It is not good for topwater. It also has a lot of memory (from my experience). However, it has the same refractive index as water and therefore is nearly invisible in water (to us at least lol). I use fluoro for a leader because it is the most abrasion resistant of the three (braid, fluoro, mono), and for the near invisibility.

Mono is still a decent all around line that many people still use over braids or fluoro. Some people are used to the stretch, or like having it as a shock absorber. It is not as abrasion resistant or invisible as fluoro, but has less memory (I find) and is more suited to top water fishing.

In summary, I think that your choice should be determined by your preferred techniques. I personally went with braid with fluorocarbon leaders on all my medium power and up rods. I still use mono (P-Line) on my ultralights.

[YAWN]

Just a little to add: I just spooled 2 reels with Rapals 8lb mono maybe it was the shinney pack that got me but I don't like it.

[balapickerel]

if i were you, i would follow ec1 advise but personally i have never really cared about line and that hasn't done anything to my fishing except effect my casting distance, braided line is high friction and is harder to cast than mono. if you plan to go trolling at any point in the year this is my advice, lots of people use thick strong lines and lots of weights to get down deep, but the smart thing is to use extremely thing, strong braided and no weights, the thin line makes less water resistence and gets down deeper, and the lack of heavy weights lets the fish swim easily and you get more of a fight out of it

[diggyj]

With the 2 setups you mentioned, I would not recommend BRAID for either one.

You can get away with mono, just use a fluorcarbon leader. Even when you are going PIKE fishing, use a fluoro leader. Wire leaders aren't that common anymore. They can still be used. You can use Berkley Big Game Fluoro Leader or Seaguar Premium Fluoro Leader. Just as strong as the wire stuff. Expensive but worth it. Tie a Uni to Uni knot and you are good to go.

Dirk....

[frozenfire]

If you want to experience how braid feels, use it for your medium setup. Not necessary though.
The ultra-light, just spool it with 4-6lb mono and off you go