I will first mention that I prefer mono to any other line. I have tried them all in varying degrees. However I have just personally had the best experiences with mono.
This isn't to bash other lines, or someone choosing another line.
Flouro being more abrasion resistant than mono is a myth. When I tried flouro, I constantly broke it off fishing off of structures that mono never did. I tried a few different brands, but always had the same problem. This article has a few videos that also tests flouro vs mono abrasion.
https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/fluorocarbon-leader-abrasion-test-vs-mono/Mono floats, flouro sinks. I think there is a time and place for each of those features. However I rarely find that sinking faster provides me with a benefit.
Mono stretches and flouro stretches. However they stretch differently.
When Mono stretches, it stays in a stretched state. So it thins out slightly and gets longer.
Flouro stretches, but it recoils back to its original state. It also takes more energy to stretch, so it isn't as noticable.
I do like how flouro doesn't thin the line, but mono thinning hasn't been a problem for me.
Braid is simply multiple strands of monofilament. It is also easier to shear, which is the main reason I generally don't use it.
My standard surf setup is 12lb mono with a 20lb mono shock leader.
For larger species I use 15lb mono with 30lb shock leader.
For shock leader, I go with 2x the pole length from reel to tip.
My saltwater rigs are all 40lb mono. I use fluke/pompano and fish finder rigs mostly.
I have used steel rigs when targeting sharks, but I don't do that anymore.
My medium freshwater setup is 8lb mono and my ultralight freshwater setup is 4lb mono.
I will say, if I used a freshwater baitcaster, I would probably use flouro or braid as it seems to birdsnest less.
I replace the line on all my reels once a year when I service them.
All of my reels have mono except one, it has 30lb braid. I will admit, I love that braid sound on the line guides. So I keep one around. I will also admit that I haven't tried flouro in almost 20 years, so perhaps there have been improvements and I should try it again.
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by ONSFishing