Anyone go leaderless?

[jbsoonerfan]

Straight braid homie

[NHBull]

I wasn't, but am now, no leader, except for dropshot.

[Mobasser]

I made a thread about mono lines a while back. I can tie a good knot. That's not a problem. But, I still like having one knot tied to my hook or lure, and I like the way mono handles and cast. Any fish I've lost with mono in 35yrs have been my fault, and I can't blame it on anything else. I really doubt I'll ever use a leader for any of my fishing. Don't see any need to change now

[Catt]

Every where I fish has lots of vegetation, timber, brush, or all 3.

 

Bass can not see my line if it had to ?

[Armtx77]

I caught 63 LMB this past weekend on a 500 acre lake, 100 degree temprature. The largest was just under 6lbs and almost every fish was between 16-22".

 

I caught them out of a canoe, in 8-12' of water, using 6lbs Stren HiViz Gold, a neon yellow 1/16oz jig head and purple and chartreuse crappie swim bait.

 

If there was one fishing boat, there was a dozen. If there was one jet ski, ther were a dozen...etc.

 

Split rings, plastic bills that are an inch long, treble hooks, Mardi Gras colored baits...etc 

 

Im not buying that fish are line shy.

[Manly Studson]

11 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

No leaders for me. Lately I fish monofilament line almost exclusively it seems.

Same here. Mono has been my choice for almost everything. I don’t fish very deep (no need for fluro), and 12 lb mono works well in thick stuff (no need for braid).

[Koz]

I’ve fished braid with and without a leader and noticed no difference in catch rates so now I stick with straight braid.

 

Fishing straight braid came in handy today when I hung up a lipless crank. First I tried the bow technique and let the line snap to vibrate the lure free. No dice. So I let out some line, dropped the rod, then began wrapping the braid around my heavily gloved hand and pulled and pulled, then released the line and the lure popped free. If I was using a leader I would have lost the lure.

[Bluebasser86]

I never use a leader with braid on casting gear. I fish topwater poppers and walkers with straight braid and rarely tangle, despite the rumor that it will happen all the time if you try to do it. 

 

I use a leader often with spinning gear, but more for abrasion resistance and sink rate than for the visibility.

 

I've seen too many bass hammer A-rigs with heavy wire, hooks, snap swivels, looking like a chandelier dragging through the water, to believe that they're that scared of fishing line. 

[Diggy]

When I bring 1 rod with me, I'll use leaders if I fish Texas rigged plastics to prevent them from getting shredded up by the line if they slide up the hook.

[king fisher]

I tie braid direct to most top water lures.  Always use a leader for live bait, and occasionally for sub surface lures.  I find myself using mono more than I used to.  At one time I used braid for almost every type of fishing.  Like lots of people I thought it was a great improvement over mono because of  strength to line diameter and low stretch.  I have come to realize stretch can be your friend, more than an enemy in many situations.  Diameter is a big concern when line capacity is an issue ( mostly saltwater applications).  Most of the time I'm not that concerned with diameter.  Distance casting with spinning gear being an exception.  Sensitivity is a big plus for braid, I use it when I feel I need more sensitivity than than I get with mono, or floro.  For fresh water fishing I use mono 80 percent of the time.  Straight braid, 10% and braid with floro leader 10%.  I only use braid when the advantages are significant.  When guiding, or fishing with kids, where I'm the one having to deal with all tangles, mono all the way.

[Boomstick]

I virtually always run a 6lb or 8lb fluorocarbon leader with my finesse setup, but when it comes to fishing a jig, I will either fish it with 15 or 17lb flurocarbon on my MH/F rod in lesser cover situations or on my H/F rod for heavier cover, and then I often fish it on 65lb braid -- and still have landed a few!

 

 

[Glenn]

I don't use leaders on anything.  Call me "old school", but I've been bass fishing since the late sixties, and leaders didn't become a "thing" until recently.  I've caught countless fish without using leaders, and never felt the urge to jump on that bandwagon.

[FishTank]

I only use leader if I need a wire leader for something big and toothy but never for LMB.

[billmac]

I'm guessing that a lot of you who don't use leaders are still using fluoro, just using a whole spool?

[Russ E]

31 minutes ago, billmac said:

I'm guessing that a lot of you who don't use leaders are still using fluoro, just using a whole spool?

I use straight braid on baitcasters for topwater. Braid to flouro leader on spinning gear.

All other baitcasters get fluoro or copoy.

I never use a whole spool of fluorocarbon line. Always use a mono backer.

Most of the time I use sunline sniper. It comes in 200 yard spools. I fill 2 reels off of each spool.

[new2BC4bass]

I haven't been leaderless in over 43 years.  That is how long I have been married.

[Mike L]

8 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

I haven't been leaderless in over 43 years.  That is how long I have been married.

I know the feeling. 

It's 49 today for me!

 

 

 

 

Mike

[CroakHunter]

I only fish a leader on spinning rods for line handling issues of mono or fluoro main line on a spinning rod. For the first time in over 5 years I am also fluorocarbon free. 

[S Hovanec]

I did an experiment while fishing Erie a few years ago.  2 identical DS setups fished side by side, one with straight braid and one with my normal FC leader.  The braid only rod didn't get bit, while the leadered braid caught multiple fish.  That's all I needed to know about braid.

[billmac]

I'm trying to reduce my fluorocarbon footprint.

[Manly Studson]

1 hour ago, billmac said:

I'm trying to reduce my fluorocarbon footprint.

I like it! Let’s call it ‘Green Fishing.’ We could use vines for leaders. Totally organic!

[new2BC4bass]

5 hours ago, Mike L said:

I know the feeling. 

It's 49 today for me!

 

 

 

 

Mike

Congratulations?  Or sympathy? 

[roadwarrior]

5 hours ago, S Hovanec said:

I did an experiment while fishing Erie a few years ago.  2 identical DS setups fished side by side, one with straight braid and one with my normal FC leader.  The braid only rod didn't get bit, while the leadered braid caught multiple fish.  That's all I needed to know about braid.

The other issue that is particularly important to me is the ability to break off when I need to.

 

 

[The Maestro]

7 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

The other issue that is particularly important to me is the ability to break off when I need to.

 

 

I keep a glove on the front deck. Wrap the line around your hand a few times and you can break off pretty much anything. 80lb braid can be a bit tough but she'll go if you pull hard enough.

[S Hovanec]

2 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

The other issue that is particularly important to me is the ability to break off when I need to.

Back when I was boatless, i took a float tube trip on a local river.  This was back when superlines were pretty new on the scene and I didn't know much about them.  I got hung up.  I couldn't break off.  I actually reeled myself upstream and got over the snag.  Still couldn't break it.  I  had to kick over to the shore and stand up to be able to break it off.  That's when leaders became important to me.  Then it was for break-off purposes.  Now it's for line visibility in clear waters.