firstly, welcome to the forum...
regarding my preference... well, i'm a bit biased but i love braid. why?
a) very, very sensitive - you feel everything
b) no memory
c) as you've stated, smaller diameter - so less surface tension resistance to get the swimbait/crankbait down fast
d) easy hookset - no stretch, so a slight twitch will set the hook without the samurai swing.
e) braid doesn't deteriorate under uv, so when the front half of the spool is getting old, just strip off, invert and re-spool - 2 spools of line in 1!
there are some cons, though... wind knots - braid will wrap your tip much easier than mono/fluoro, low abrasion resistance - if it's frayed, re-tie.
i always tie at least 6 feet of shock leader; longer if i go offshore in the salt.