Leader length and size?

[Steven_mccormacktk]

Hey guys,

I have been doing some research and have got different results from everyone. Shaw Grigsby uses a 20 foot fluorocarbon leader and some people use 24" leaders. I have 20 pound braid on my baitcaster and was wondering what would be the best size leader and what pound test would be ideal? I will mostly be using this setup for spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, and buzzbaits.

 

Thanks!

Steven

[gulfcaptain]

Hi, and welcome to the forums.  As for your question, since you're using a reaction style bait, I'd probably fish no more then 4-6ft of leader myself on those baits other then the buzzbait which I wouldn't use a leader on at all.  I fish all braid on everything and the longest leader I use  is about 8ft on my dropshot rig.  Other then that everything is about 4-6ft.

[A-Jay]

Hello Steve and Welcome to Bass Resource ~

 A Braid & leader deal is used in quite a bit of my bass fishing  and has been for a while. As for leader length & size, besides simple personal preference, there are a few factors to consider.

Length - After a ton of trial & error, I've settled on a leader length that during the cast, the connection knot stays off the reel.  Meaning I do not want that knot passing through the reels line guide.  So a length that has that knot sitting just in front of the reel while having the appropriate length hanging from the rod tip to cast effectively, is what I'm happy with.  Not having the connection knot whip through the line guide over & over seems to increases it's longevity. This length differs depending on rod length.   On Spinning gear this is never a concern and I go with 10-15 footers all the time.

Size - Depends a lot on the presentation & cover conditions but generally I like a leader that's close to the size (diameter) of the main line.  Although the leader is often slightly larger by comparison, having a huge difference is less desirable. For the 20lb braid you mentioned, the largest leader I'd go with is 12lb.  btw - 20lb braid can be a little tricky on casting gear.  By bumping it up to 30lb, you gain some line management advantages but will not loose much in the way of casting distance;  all the other benefits of the braid will remain the same.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[Darren.]

Welcome aboard, Steven!

There's no right or wrong with leader length
or size. Gary Yamamoto likes a long leader
just like Shaw, but personally, I don't like long
leaders. That's just my preference.

I always use leaders on all my gear. They'll be
anywhere from 4# - 15# depending on what,
where, and when I'm fishing.

Most common for me is 8#.

Length? Depends. Most often I'll stretch my 
arms out two lengths while pulling a leader off
the spool. 

Again, there's no right or wrong to your question,
it's all personal preference based on experience, 
as you've read from Cap and A-Jay.

[Steven_mccormacktk]

Thank you very much guys, I will definitely keep this information and it will be very helpful for me in the future.

[FryDog62]

I heard Steve Pennaz (original "Knot Wars" host) say that the leader knot, at least on a spinning rod, should be in front of the first large guide/eye out from the spinning reel.  My guess is that is for durability reasons.  If you watch a slow motion video of a cast, the lateral line movement and slap is biggest between the reel and the first eye when you cast, and that probably has a higher chance of fracturing the fluorocarbon knot over a days fishing...  Therefore, if you tie in front of the first guide to reduce slap, that would make the leader length about 4-5 feet depending on how far you hang the lure off the end of your rod tip when you cast.