Braided Line and Leader Question

Started by ike8120, August 02, 2019, 07:29:45 AM

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ike8120

When using braided line, what pound test (fluorocarbon, hybrid or mono) leader would you use? Do you use the same pound test leader ? Also what would the leader length be?
Gary (ike8120)

"It's not whats best......It's whats best for you"

Capt. BassinLou

Quote from: ike8120 on August 02, 2019, 07:29:45 AM
When using braided line, what pound test (fluorocarbon, hybrid or mono) leader would you use? Do you use the same pound test leader ? Also what would the leader length be?
The times I decide to go with a leader, I closely match the braid to its mono, hybrid, or fc equivalent. For example, if using 40lb braid, I will use a 15lb leader or 20lb depending on the cover and species I'm fishing. If using 15lb braid, I will use 10lb mono leader. Lengths are the user's preference. Mine are usually 7ft long.

But personally... I have shied away from leaders. I will either fish all braid or all mono.

What application(s) are you looking to fish by using a leader?

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Bud Kennedy

Gary, this is a long debated question.  I believe you will find that many if not most of us don't mess with leaders at all.  In most cases it does not provide any true benefit while adding another point of failure with the knot or possible hang up in the rod tip or even the reel.

Is there a specific application you are considering that has you thinking about leaders?

ike8120

To answer @Bassinlou and @Bud Kennedy I was setting up a NED combo. Right now I using 10# copolymer, if this fine I will just stick with and not reinvent the wheel.
Gary (ike8120)

"It's not whats best......It's whats best for you"

SteveTX

When I played with a leader I always found that keeping the line diameter choices pretty close made a easier to tie knot and a cleaner looking knot. Both of which means the knot was probably a better tied knot.

Bud Kennedy


ike8120

Quote from: SteveTX on August 02, 2019, 08:18:23 AM
When I played with a leader I always found that keeping the line diameter choices pretty close made a easier to tie knot and a cleaner looking knot. Both of which means the knot was probably a better tied knot.
That's is what I was looking for, for example 10# braid may have 20# leader based on the line and leader diameter.
Gary (ike8120)

"It's not whats best......It's whats best for you"

Bassinkorea

Quote from: SteveTX on August 02, 2019, 08:18:23 AM
When I played with a leader I always found that keeping the line diameter choices pretty close made a easier to tie knot and a cleaner looking knot. Both of which means the knot was probably a better tied knot.

This is the 'rule' I follow also. Knot strength seems more reliable when both line diameters are similar.
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loomisguy

For the Ned on a spinning rod I would use 10 or 15 lb. braid to a 6lb. leader. Either flouro or Mono.
I usually use a blood knot to start with but if things get busy in the boat I fall back on the ol' triple surgeons knot. I can tie that in gale force winds.

ike8120

I went with 10 lb braid and 8 lb FC leader. Thanks for all the input.
Gary (ike8120)

"It's not whats best......It's whats best for you"

SteveTX

Quote from: loomisguy on August 02, 2019, 02:23:44 PM
For the Ned on a spinning rod I would use 10 or 15 lb. braid to a 6lb. leader. Either flouro or Mono.
I usually use a blood knot to start with but if things get busy in the boat I fall back on the ol' triple surgeons knot. I can tie that in gale force winds.
I use the blood knot as well. Its compact, has great strength, and if you mess it up you will know immediately upon tightening it. Ive actually got pretty good at it as well. The more you tie it the easier it gets or it did for me when I was doing a lot of spooling reels. I use the blood knot to tie to my backing when I used backing also. Worked well.

Smallie_Stalker

I gave up on leaders a number of years ago  and to be honest I don't miss them at all. But when I did use them, like Steve TX I tried to match line diameters as much as possible.

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merc1997

i do not use a leader.  just a point of failure, and i have not had any issues with fishing braid around rocks or other cover.  our ozark impoundments are full of sharp rocks.

obviously i do not believe that you need to fish with "invisible" line.

bo
On Heaven's Lake

CraigP83

I'm the opposite of a lot of guys here.  I run braid to flourocarbon a ton especially on my jig rod when I'm fishing clear or pressured water. 50# power pro and usually 15-20# flouro. I make my jig even with my reel and my knot will be around the first eye closest to the reel (so about 10-12'). My catch percentage went WAY up doing this when fishing a jig in water deeper than 8 feet.

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CraigP83

Also think the added "point of failure" is over rated as long as your tying a good knot. Almost all my spinning rods run 10# braid to 8# flouro

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CraigP83

Catch rate went WAY up on my spinning rods too once I made that adjustment. Previously I was just running straight 8# flouro. All that being said I'll run straight braid on a lot of casting gear and have pretty much eliminated straight flouro from all my set ups (both spinning and casting)

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Oldfart9999

#16
I quit using leaders and haven't looked back, the only place I use them now is my finesse drop shot, I use swivel. Why do you use a much lighter pound test leader than the braid is? The braid is 30 pounds or more, the leader is 10-12 pounds why not just run 10-12 braid, the fish won't see it any easier than the mono or flouro?
Rodney

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Old Fishermen never die, their rods just go limp.

coldfront

Quote from: Bud Kennedy on August 02, 2019, 08:08:03 AM
Gary, this is a long debated question.  I believe you will find that many if not most of us don't mess with leaders at all.  In most cases it does not provide any true benefit while adding another point of failure with the knot or possible hang up in the rod tip or even the reel.

Is there a specific application you are considering that has you thinking about leaders?

for the minority that use leaders, as one of them, I do what LOU indicates:  try to keep leader material diameter similar/close to braid diameter.

use a lot of flouro leaders on my spinning applications.  in fact, use this set up almost entirely.  use it on a few of my swimbait applications where I'm attempting to present as 'natural' a look as possible.

sometimes punching when I think the line noise might be an issues.

have never had a uni-to-uni knot fail me.

merc1997

"have never had a uni-to-uni knot fail me".  you need to come fish with me, and i can show you pretty quick, they do not stand up to my hook set ~roflmao.

bo
On Heaven's Lake

coldfront

Quote from: merc1997 on August 05, 2019, 03:53:06 PM
"have never had a uni-to-uni knot fail me".  you need to come fish with me, and i can show you pretty quick, they do not stand up to my hook set ~roflmao.

bo

that's fine.  I don't miss fish on my hooksets either.  but let's get real:  any guy over 150# pitted against a 5# bass sure ought to be able to 'set the hook' effectively.  given the correct equipment.

I confess I came to the game LATE after we no longer had to use short fiberglass rods.  I've always taken advantage of long rods, sharp hooks and the right weed guards and hook rigging for my plastics.

so on the other side of this conversation Wiz, should I *gasp* miss a fish, I won't fall out the other side of the boat neither.

;D

caddyjoe77

Since i am getting into glidebaits and big swimbaits, I was looking at tying an FG knot. 

Normally I never run a leader, for no particular reason and used to really only throw braid on a punch and frog reel. 

What are y'alls thoughts on throwing a braid to mono leader on a treble hooked large bait.  Shock absorbtion?  or hogwash. Most of the folks i've seen throwing this do use a braid to mono leader. 

I have only thrown straight braid on big glidebaits up to this point, but the history is not real long so I dont have a point of reference to measure against. 
BeerMe

Lee Smith

Quote from: caddyjoe77 on August 05, 2019, 04:24:10 PM
Since i am getting into glidebaits and big swimbaits, I was looking at tying an FG knot. 

Normally I never run a leader, for no particular reason and used to really only throw braid on a punch and frog reel. 

What are y'alls thoughts on throwing a braid to mono leader on a treble hooked large bait.  Shock absorbtion?  or hogwash. Most of the folks i've seen throwing this do use a braid to mono leader. 

I have only thrown straight braid on big glidebaits up to this point, but the history is not real long so I dont have a point of reference to measure against.

HOGWASH! Get the best hooks, and hang on!!!  ;D
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merc1997

Quote from: coldfront on August 05, 2019, 04:10:16 PM
that's fine.  I don't miss fish on my hooksets either.  but let's get real:  any guy over 150# pitted against a 5# bass sure ought to be able to 'set the hook' effectively.  given the correct equipment.

I confess I came to the game LATE after we no longer had to use short fiberglass rods.  I've always taken advantage of long rods, sharp hooks and the right weed guards and hook rigging for my plastics.

so on the other side of this conversation Wiz, should I *gasp* miss a fish, I won't fall out the other side of the boat neither.

;D
power in a hookset is all technique and speed, and science, not brute power.

bo
On Heaven's Lake