Is leader length important?

[N.Y. Yankee]

Im going to try using braids on most of my reels (casting and spinning) and will tie either mono or flouro on for leaders. How do you decide how long to make your leader? 3ft? 6ft? 9? What do you do and why? Does it make a difference?

[LxVE Bassin]

It's a personal preference. The leaders I tie on average are about 8.5 feet in length. I am not big on retying new leaders for every presentation so I initially tie on a long leader and as I switch lures or hooks it will decrease in length. Once I get down to 2 feet I put a new leader on.

[sako85]

I start about six feet.That way I can trim and retie a hook with out making a new leader.

[NHBull]

Usually 6 foot and replace at 2 ft

[MickD]

Looks to me, based on the replies, that any reasonable length down to about 2 feet will work just fine.  I don't find length to be all that important, but I also start at about 6 feet.  For some reason I just don't like it going onto the reel, and if it gets really long then the advantage of the small ID of the braid is somewhat sacrificed and the whole system gets "softer."

[Team9nine]

Yep - 4'-6' to start, as long as it doesn't get past the first guide (toward the reel) when fully wound in (and especially not inside/onto the reel).

 

-T9

[NHBull]

There is a school of thought that likes long leaders and prefer the knot on the real to avoid a perceived week spot.

I might consider this if I was getting double digit fish

[Team9nine]

Yeah, but it's a trade-off for risking a line catch on a cast (on the knot or the guide) and launching your baits into orbit, or snapping off fish close to the boat on final lunges for the same reason. A decision each has to make for themselves. So far I've landed numerous fish to 50# on traditional or even light outfits without having a single connection knot failure using the shorter (4'-6') leaders, so I continue to roll with it.

[fishnkamp]

Consider this, not all braid works as well on both spinning and baitcasters. I have tried a bunch of them and have found my wife and I like Berkley FireLine in 14 pound test ( 6 pound mono diameter) best.  It is on all of our spinning reels except one.  That one reel has Halo Fluorocarbon on it.  I really like the way the FireLine plays. It lays nice on the reel and has basically no memory. That helps us get great long casts without issues.

 

I start by spooling all of my reels half way with a good quality mono as Backing. My choice is good old Stren Original Clear Blue mono. It is cheap $8 a spool for 12 or 14 pound test and that works out to less than 3 cents a yard.  Then I finish spooling the reel up with the FireLine braid.  I prefer to add a 5 or 6 foot foot long leader made up of either Halo fluorocarbon, but most often I use a 6 foot piece of P Line CXX 8 or 10 pound test in green. The 8 pound copoly line breaks closer to 18 pounds and the 10 pound line breaks around 22 pounds. Way more than I ever need to worry about.

 

For a baitcaster, I use both 30 and 65 pound Power Pro Spectra for most techniques I go to braid on. I also like the Suffix 832 as well. Here too I use the Stren as backing and a P Line CXX for a leader if I use one.  

The only knot I use to tie the backing to braid and braid to leader is a properly tied 5 turn uni to uni knot.

I have caught bass to 7 pounds, 30 inch stripers and my biggest cast was a 18 pound blue cat that took over half the spool of line out twice till I could work him onto the deck. He hit a trap intended for a striper and I was fishing with a 7 foot medium moderate crankbait rod. He had the upper hand LOL  Anyway,I trust that knot completely. 

[paleus]

I tie the leader line on and then pull off one wingspan (about 6' for me) worth and cut it. I tie a new one once it gets down to about 2ft from retying or if it gets messed up from abrasion. I use a 12lb leader on my casting rods with 30lb powerpro and an 8lb leader on my spinning rods with 15lb powerpro super slick. I use an Alberto knot. 

[rippin-lips]

Roughly 7-8ft depending on rod length. I like the joining knot to be about 3" in front of my line guide when the bait is reeled up and hanging about 2ft ready for a cast. 

[NHBull]

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

Yeah, but it's a trade-off for risking a line catch on a cast (on the knot or the guide) and launching your baits into orbit, or snapping off fish close to the boat on final lunges for the same reason. A decision each has to make for themselves. So far I've landed numerous fish to 50# on traditional or even light outfits without having a single connection knot failure using the shorter (4'-6') leaders, so I continue to roll with it.

Fully agree!, but guys like GY has folks thinking it is a wise idea and the reason that this question get asked so often 

[Quarry Man]

use 4 carrier braid or 8 carrier on spinning reel, 4 carrier is cheaper and will work fine. on casting use 8 carrier. i like line to line knots to match up with the blank to epoxy line about 12" from the reel. i also cast with the line roller closest to the rod blank. also consider that your line to line knot is  small and smooth knot. you also want to use a similar diameter for each line, giving maximum strength. like 50 lb braid and 12 lb leader. replace leader at 3' or 1' longer than water visibility. I also use a longer leader in clearer water. 

[S Hovanec]

I start out with an 18' leader.  It allows for multiple break-offs and reties without needing to retie a new leader.  It's usually enough to fish all day, especially with multiple rods rigged the same.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

It depends on your reason for using a leader at all. 

[Team9nine]

3 hours ago, NHBull said:

Fully agree!, but guys like GY has folks thinking it is a wise idea and the reason that this question get asked so often 

 

These guys change their opinions as they change their systems over time. GY using longer leaders was from back in 2008 when he used lighter test lines for both braid and leader, and wanted to protect his leader knot connections. Now days, he's upped everything and recommends 5'-6' leaders, 8' max. 

 

Yamamoto On Shorter Leaders

Quote

Knot no longer any issue

Perhaps the biggest change for anglers (in addition to small diameter 16-20 braid) may be getting used to 14, 16, 20 lb leaders used in Yamamoto’s system. Typically, many anglers used 6, 7 or 8 lb leaders with 10 lb braid. What Yamamoto’s doing now easily doubles the leader strength that most anglers are used to using – it eliminates that weak leader link from the system (as well as eliminating 10 lb braid).

 

“I use 16 lb clear Sugoi fluoro leader most of the time,” says Gary. “Just 5 to 6 feet of leader (maybe tying on 8 feet to start so you have a little to cut back during the day) is all you need.”

 

“Length of the leader is not so significant,” admits Yamamoto, “as long as there are 5 or 6 feet of fluorocarbon leader is fine. As the day goes on, and I cut back frayed line, the leader gets shorter and shorter. As long as it is still in good shape, I normally will not replace the leader until it gets much shorter than say five feet.”

 

-T9

[Darren.]

For me, I generally tie a leader one or *maybe* two arm lengths

apart. Mostly one. Then I retie when it gets down to maybe 2 feet

or so....

 

Generally. I am not a stickler on when to retie, but I can say I don't

let it get past 12-16".

 

Also, as to Gary Yamamoto's leader length, he once tied on 20 feet or

more because he liked to have the leader knot on the reel when fighting

the fish close to the boat. Don't have the reference, but it was prominent

in the material I read.

 

Me, I don't worry about the knot since I try to balance the rod, drag, 

and fish-play methods in order to land a larger bass w/o breaking.

[RoLo]

 

Normally, the length of the leader should equal the distance between the tiptop guide

and your reel plus the average lure overhang (distance between tiptop guide and lure).

For most rods, this will provide a leader about 6 feet long, which offers long leader life

and keeps the knot from entering the reel spool.

 

Roger

[Further North]

12 hours ago, LxVE Bassin said:

It's a personal preference. The leaders I tie on average are about 8.5 feet in length. I am not big on retying new leaders for every presentation so I initially tie on a long leader and as I switch lures or hooks it will decrease in length. Once I get down to 2 feet I put a new leader on.

 

About the same here - except I don't want the leader-to-braid knot on the spool. 

 

Hurts my thumb when I cast.

[Angry John]

I use a lot of flouro leaders so i tie them from knot right out of tip-top to hook on hook hanger.  This way the line never gets bent around the tip-top when storing or traveling.  This i feel creates a weak point where your more likely to break off.  On most of my rods that ends up being right about 4.5-5 feet.  If your drop shot fishing in super clear water then you may need longer and then its not really a leader but a top shot.  I feel anything over 10 feet should be considered a topshot.

[Boomstick]

It depends. If you are using a leader for finesse techniques, you may want to throw on 30 feet and cut it off when it gets to around 4 or 5 feet (2 ft isn't enough to tie a dropshot for example). If you are using a leader so should you snag something big, you can get your line back then you want to use 6-8 feet and really need no more than 2 feet. I personally don't like the knot on my reel.

[LxVE Bassin]

5 hours ago, Further North said:

 

About the same here - except I don't want the leader-to-braid knot on the spool. 

 

Hurts my thumb when I cast.

 

Im right there with you. I make it to where the knot doesn't reel into the spool.  I literally make sure the knot stops an in inch or 2 before the level wind.

[uncustered]

DVT nailed it. IMHO, the answer is "depends"....

 

Strictly speaking bass fishing if you are a fan of micro guides (of which I absolutely am not), then your knot better stay out of the guides. period.

 

If your using 65Lb braid, 25+Lb flouro then you don't want to wind that knot on a low-profile bait caster...

 

Depends....

 

I usually use 18-24" leader for bass applications. Since I build my rods I control guide sizing and that's why I never use smaller then size 7 ring.

 

It goes back to the answer of "depends".

 

I know this doesn't apply, but for surf fishing I've used 30' for shock leaders.

 

Uni-uni is hard to beat to have a small strong knot. I've never had one fail due to casting.

 

Catchemall!!!!

[Further North]

30 minutes ago, uncustered said:

DVT nailed it. IMHO, the answer is "depends"....

 

Strictly speaking bass fishing if you are a fan of micro guides (of which I absolutely am not), then your knot better stay out of the guides. period.

 

If your using 65Lb braid, 25+Lb flouro then you don't want to wind that knot on a low-profile bait caster...

 

Depends....

 

I usually use 18-24" leader for bass applications. Since I build my rods I control guide sizing and that's why I never use smaller then size 7 ring.

 

It goes back to the answer of "depends".

 

I know this doesn't apply, but for surf fishing I've used 30' for shock leaders.

 

Uni-uni is hard to beat to have a small strong knot. I've never had one fail due to casting.

 

Catchemall!!!!

Interesting...I appreciate the perspective, I need to ponder that a bit

 

I like micro-guides, and use a leader...but I've been using the FG knot for two seasons now and have not had any problem with the know going through the guides.

 

...but I don't use 25# fluro for bass applications, I'm down around 8# - 12#.

 

For pike and musky, I'll go to 65# - 80# braid and 50# - 80# fluoro (if I'm not using tieable wire), but none of th0se rods have micro-guides.

[d-camarena]

I do about 12ft leaders. I have never had any problems and the knot goes well into the spool