Running Braid W/ Leader On Casting Reel

[G_money]

For those who do this I'm curious how well it works? I recently bought some super slick 8 to try on a spinning rod. I'm getting ready to string it up...I know all about the Albright knot for leader connection and all that.

My question is more around what length leader you guys use?  I'm hoping to be able to use 8' or longer to avoid having to retie when I change baits. And do recoils give anyone problems passing leader knots through? It will be going on one of my NRX rods...and maybe one of my GLX's if I try it on two reels tomorrow.

 

Also at 8' it won't be entering the line guide, but if I tied a longer one, would it pass through? Or is that something to avoid? On my Zillions (TD's not TWS) the guide is large, but on my Steezs and Scorpions the line guide is small.... Any advice helpful

 

Also should it just be saved for certain techniques?

 

I usually only run fluorocarbon, but was planning to try this in an attempt to save money and that rare lost fish on fluoro when it just breaks for no reason...and yes I'm using Shooter and FC, so basically the best fluoro out there...but all fluoro can break in my experience for no reason...rare but it happens.  Also fluoro tends to wear out from being fished a lot, it seems to get weak. I know a lot of guys saying they run their braid for years...

 

So I'm intrigued.

 

Any help appreciated...and sorry for the long post.

[Ozark_Basser]

Braid and recoil guides is noisy. You can't get away from it. I tie my leaders too long sometimes and it goes into the spool. I never have a problem with it. If you tie an Albright or Alberto <<< better, you will be fine. I pretty much just use braid/fluoro leader for single hook baits. My advice is to get some high quality braid. I've been using Seaguar Smackdown for about six months. Love it.

[OHBASSIN]

Agreed with the Alberto, I like it a lot. I've been researching this a lot and just did my spinning outfit with suffix 832 with a FC leader.

Definitely look into the Alberto tho. Just my $.02

[papajoe222]

I go short for the rare occasion when I use a leader with braid as I don't see any advantage to one over 18-24in.  I don't see the benefit of a leader except in super clear water and then only during mid-day when there is little shade.

[Jaderose]

I use PPSS 8 with an FC leader.  Fish a lot of woody lakes and lose a lot of jigs.  Rather lose some FC than the braid.  I tie uni to uni and yeah sometimes I get too long and it goes onto the spool.  Never had any problem with it and I've never had any FC just break for no reason.  I don't remember the FC brand I have on but it's not the most expensive out there.  Give it a shot.  If you like it, cool.  If not...cool.  

[War Eagle 44]

S8S isn't overly noisy with recoils in my opinion, yes they do make the braid sound slightly louder than "regular" type guides but nothing that really ever bothered me. I only use the Albright knot and I haven't had any failures so far. I practiced tying it a lot though in order to get a good sense of just how the knot performed before I first fished it. I didn't want my failure to tie it properly to influence my opinion.

 

I try and tie my leaders so that they are just long enough to not go onto my reel. This, of course, is a different length depending on which length rod I'm using so I just try and eyeball it. I really only use a leader on slow moving "bottom contact" type of techniques. For flipping mats, frogging, swim jigs etc I just tie the braid direct.       

[matuka]

I've been doing the fluoro leader thing for about seven years now. I like it a lot but nothing is perfect. I favor the Albright/alberto but use whichever knot YOU tie properly. I recently tried a blood knot (if you are old enough to remember) and chucked a new umbrella rig into the drink on like the fourth cast @#$%%#!! My Alberto is stronger than my double uni, and I've proven that to myself many times. Long leaders are fine, even with the knot on the spool but make sure your mono tag is as short as humanly possible cuz it will catch the overlying line now and then. If that bothers you then use the shorter leader. One problem I have had, and more with the uni than the Albright is if the knot just catches a guide on the way out, and slows down, the fast following braid will catch up to it, loop it up and when the rod tip stops bouncing around you have a mess in guides. I think I try to cast too hard sometimes and promote this. The guide who taught me this rig is one of the smoothest caster I've seen, and of course he doesn't snarl up.

 

 A local big bass guru showed me how he throws his swim baits in clear water, with about twenty five feet of fluoro leader on his baitcaster. I guess the possibilities are endless. Of course I had to try it and took the skin off my thumb as the knot was spinning on the spool for about a dozen revolutions before clearing the spool.  that guy must have a thumb like tree bark.