OK. Straight to the point:
Line on my baitcasters:
15lb braid (4lb mono diameter equivalent)
8lb mono
Line on my spinning reels:
4lb mono
In general, I throw crankbaits that weigh around 3/8 oz. So, I've found that 15lb braid is the best all around line to use. It's thin, fairly abrasion resistant, and cuts through grass well. But, the main reason I use braid when crankbait fishing is that I can feel the bottom or whatever I hit sooo much better with braid in comparison to other types of line. My go-to rod is a medium-light composite rod with a soft tip so I don't need much stretch in my line. In addition, most of the ponds I fish tend to have dingy water so line visibility isn't much of a factor. If I do fish a pond with fairly good visibility, I use 8lb mono. I also use mono when I use a medium or a medium-heavy rod so I have more stretch and forgiveness when landing a fish. Whether it's in you line or your rod, I think it's important to have a "shock-absorber" somewhere in your set-up if you're throwing a bait with trebles.
What about fluoro? I get asked this all the time, so below are some reasons why fluoro doesn't fit my current style of fishing:
Fluoro sinks so it's not ideal for topwater lures, and I usually only carry two rods (a baitcaster and a spinning rod) with me so I prefer the versatility of braid and mono.
I've lost more lures (mostly lipless cranks) due to line breakage when I backlash on a cast using flouro than braid or mono.
If you're like me and have to keep your gear in the garage, in my experience fluoro becomes brittle and unusable a lot quicker that mono.
Good fluoro (brands that I like and are easy to fish) are just too expensive for me. I'm not a professional angler, so I'd rather spend money on line conditioner such as Line and Lure to make my lines perform and last longer.
With fishing line, you get what you pay for. Although I don't buy super high-end line, I don't buy the cheap stuff either. I tend to buy mid-grade line from reputable brands that I have confidence in. And, my last "line" tip: I put enough line on my reel so I can walk up and down the bank to find the right angle to dislodge my lure in case I ever get hung up.
