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Probably the most popular and most used line on the market is Monofilament line, it is used by all anglers across the world. Monofilament is availible in many different pound tests and can be used on both spinning and baitcasting reels. In most case mono is not used for deep-water fishing because  it can take on water and its sensitivity will decrease. It also has a tendency for the knots you tie to weaken.

Monofilament line can weaken when exposed to heat or sun, and comes off the spool where it has been stored which can prove annoying by becoming tangled quite often. For that reason you should change your line out often. Despite all its draw-backs, this is the most widely used type of line because it is cheapest and comes in a variety of colors and strengths. It is also for the most part virtually invisable under the water in most cases.

The other widely used line is braided line. This type of line is the strongest there is in relation to its diameter. Braids are very abrasion resistant. This line is so strong that you may have trouble breaking it when you get a snag, so a fish is even more unlikely to break it in a struggle.  In contrast to monofilament line, braided line is used for deep-sea fishing where strength and durability are of the utmost necessity. The braided line has a much smaller diameter and no stretch, so every time a fish bites you will know! The downside is that braids are very expensive in most cases.

Unlike the monofilament line, braided lines are very visable in the water, and are  known to spook fish in some cases cause they can see it. Use braided lines if you are fishing in murky water, or at night. The visability of the braided line is especially unwanted when you are fishing with a lure that a fish can see for a long time before choosing to bite.

Using all the above points, it is usually in your best to use a monofilament line at the end of a braided one as a leader, to minimize the visibility of the line to the fish, yet still have the strength of the braided line to catch bigger fish known to put up a fight. When trolling, mono line is the best to use, because the stretch it provides is an added asset.  Although mono is half as expensive as the braided line, the cost does not end up being as much of a factor because it needs to be replaced a lot more often. To get the best of both worlds, use a braided line for strength with a mono line tied onto the end for the invisibility needed to get fish to bite. The Uni-Knot is a great knot for doing this. The bloodknot is also sometimes used.

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