Leader Line Does It Matter?

[EvanT123]

I've been using braid with a leader for going on 3 seasons now. I use suffix mono in 6,8, and 10 pound tests. It seemingly works well for me I catch fish.

My question is would there be a noticeable difference (sensitivity) if I switched out to some type of fluorocarbon ?

My mind tells me no since the leader is only about 5-6 feet but I'm looking for opinions from those that have used both mono and Fluro as leader material.

[Long Mike]

There are pros and cons to both.  Mono has more stretch than fluoro, so it may aid in keeping a hard hook-set from jerking the lure out of the fish's mouth.  On the other hand, fluoro has less stretch, which increases sensitivity a bit, but it is more invisible to the fish. In all honesty, with a 6' leader, I'm not sure, (with the exception of fluoro's invisibility) that it makes any difference at all.  That said, I confess that I have never used mono as a leader.  Most of my rods are spooled with braid, and fluoro leader.  Works for me.

[Angry John]

I don't buy the stretch thing. IMO if you need more abrasion resistance then it may be worth it, but generally knot strength is not as good with flouro. Choose the tool that works the best and forget the hype!

[Darren.]

I'm not sure it will make *that* much of a 

difference in your catch rate. I use FC on

some rigs, copoly on most.

 

You can certainly give it a try and see how 

it works for you. Sounds like you may be 

itching to try something different. I know 

the feeling.

[rippin-lips]

Fluorocarbon offers

Slack line sensitivity

Good abrasion resistance

It sinks and it's less visible

The less stretch claim has been proven wrong years ago.

Do you need it? I'd say no, but it's worth a try.

[Crestliner2008]

To reiterate what's already been said, there are two main reasons that I (just my opinion) use fluorocarbon over monofilament:

 

1)  Abrasion resistance. This is my No. 1 reason for using it over mono - IF - I am not fishing top water baits. In which case, the mono wins out. Mono has a tendency to float. Fluorocarbon sinks, although not as rapidly as some would like you to think.

 

2)  Invisibility. Or nearly so. I think that's over rated, but again, it comes down to confidence in what you are using.

 

And do not believe that fluorocarbon has little or no stretch, therefore being more sensitive. It stretches just about as much as mono and some brands even more so. So both lines work well as a shock absorber when used as a braided line's leader.

[Montanaro]

Buy sunline leader. It's cheaper and smaller spool. If you like it buy more.

[J Francho]

No, sesitivity would be the same, like you said it's only a few feet.  Depending on the diameter, the way the bait sinks is a little different.  It's faster with a hard, fluoro leader.  At least faster than a P-Line CXX leader, and that's less boyant than nylon mono. 

[Team9nine]

It's going to be nearly a wash. I use them both (mono and fluoro) as leaders. The reason is because the "feel" advantage you get with fluorocarbon is due largely to density, and you're sticking 50-100 feet of low density braid between you (your rod) and your leader. The sensitivity of braid comes from its near lack of stretch. So you are basically dealing with two different lines and line properties, and the joint (connection between the two) becomes a disconnect. Mono has no sensitivity advantages over either of the other two.

 

The main advantages, as has already been stated, are abrasion resistance, transparency, and density for extra weight (with a fluoro leader) to offset the braid. There are a couple other things like line savings (use less braid due to retying) and unsnagging benefits. 

 

-T9

[The Next KVD]

The main benefit your getting from fluoro leaders is the added abrasion resistance.  Other than that, the invisiblity is there as well and a faster sink rate.  Sensitivity is negated on a slack line because of the braid main line.

[EvanT123]

Thanks for the replies guys. Some good food for thought.