Braid and leader questions

[Pafisher]

Hello, I am 15 and I don’t know a whole lot about fishing lines so I am looking for some advice. I have a 7ft medium heavy rod with a 4000 Daiwa spinning reel. I use this rod for bass in the river and ponds around my area. I use this rod for pretty much every technique and lure type because I only have one bass rod so it’s a do it all kind of rod, I will say I mainly throw soft plastics though. (T rigs ned rigs etc).  As of now I am using 8lb mono and it has started wear. All of my friends use 15lb fc and it seems to work well for them. They have baitcasters though, and I’ve heard it’s hard to use fc as your mainline on a spinning reel. I’ve read a bit online and it seems a braid mainline to fc leader would be good for me. I thought that a 20-25lb braid to a 10-12 fc leader would be good? Is this in the ballpark of what lb test I should be using? Any brands to look for or to stay away from? Any info on this would help me out.

 

Thanks, -Eli 

[Jig Man]

Welcome Eli.  You are correct about fluorocarbon and spinning reels.  I think you are on the right track with the braid to leader idea.  I’m sure you will get several recommendations for the sizes.  I personally have settled on 15# braid with 10# fluorocarbon leaders.

 

I use this for Ned rigs, light jigs and swim baits.  I fish clear highland reservoirs and the 10# leaders work well and the 15# braid gives me decent cast lengths.

 

I hope you get something figured out.

[Scott F]

Make things easy on yourself. For now, until you see a need for it, just fish straight braid. It won’t keep you from getting bites, you won’t have to learn new knots and you won’t have to spend money on fc line. IF, you have problems with abrasion, not likely, you can always add a leader in the future.

[LCG]

I would spool up with 15lb braid for sure. Then you have the choice of straight braid or using a leader. You get the best of both worlds. 

 

I use 15lb 4 strand braid on my spinning combo with or without a 6lb yo zuri hybrid copolymer leader (diameter and break strength of 10lb line) on a stout medium fast action rod. Very versatile combo. 

 

Ps... Use monofilament as a backing to your reel to save cost of the braid as well as giving the braid something to grab onto the spool. Spooling straight braid will cause the line to slip on the spool. 

[islandbass]

I will only recommend going straight braid if and only if you are fishing from a floating device. This is also a real NO (for me) if you are fishing from the shore. 
 

Many here giving advice probably fish from a boat and so their advice is good. 
 

However, if you are fishing from the shore, I would consider going with mono straight up or mono with your fc leader. 
 

Here is why:

1) Even at 15# strength, braid will be very difficult for you to break off. Even if you managed to break the line, there is now a strand of braid floating around for nearly forever in the river because it will hardly break down.

 

Another question - how is your catch rate compared to your friends? About the same, better, or worse? If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
 

I am only talking about straight braid that wouldn’t recommend if you’re shorebound.

 

A 4000 size also holds a heck of a line of line so if you decide to use braid so I recommend the advice already given about putting a mono backing, then the rest braid until your leader. 
 

One last thing. FC sinks so if you’re fishing poppers and you see a worsening in performance, just switch to a mono leader. 
 

Oops. One more thing. I recommend the alright knot to join all your lines. It is a great knot and can be used even when the diameters of the lines to be joined vary greatly in diameter. 
 

Personally, I’d stick with the 8# mono and add an 8-10# leader if you “really” have to use or want to try fc.  

[brophog]

I know braid to fc leader is very popular these days, so this may be going against the grain, but do you have a reason you want to move away from mono? You say it’s starting to wear, but you didn’t say you were dissatisfied.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to all of the lines and people have their preferences so you’ll get a lot of opinions. 

[MyKeyBe]

15-20 pound braid is not that hard to break and it almost always breaks or slips at the knot just like any other line unless it's compromised just like any other line. It can also straighten a hook and you get everything back just like any other line. I think 20 pound braid might actually be easier to break than 12 pound mono because it doesn't stretch. You don't have to walk it back 10 feet before it breaks. If you want to use a leader because abrasion is an issue or it gives you confidence, just know it's another knot/failure point and if you do have to break off there's a good chance it will break at the leader knot leaving the whole leader in the water.

 

Get 15-20# name brand braid. Get a spool of cheap 8-12# mono to use for a leader. Pull 80-100 yards of line off your reel and cut it off. Tie the braid to the old line still on the reel and fill the reel with the new braid. 4 carrier braid will be noisier and cut through vegetation better than an 8 or more carrier line. The fish don't seem to care one way or the other, you might.

 

Fluorocarbon is certainly an option as well but it is more expensive and can have knot issues. It's generally going to be more abrasion resistant and sensitive but for a short length like a leader I don't think it makes any difference for sensitivity. Fluoro also sinks and mono and braid both float.

 

I have never fished for bass from anything but the bank. No boat, no kayak, no canoe, no float tube, not floating on my back, on an elephants back... 😆 

 

 

[JN94]

20 lb braid to 15 lb fluoro or mono leader would prob be my choice. I'd go a little heavier on the leader since it's an all around rod and you're fishing Texas rigs

[Jigfishn10]

Hey @Pafisher, welcome aboard!

 

All good advice here but switching out lines can get pricey. 

 

If you are really set on braid with an FC leader, then the advice @LCG gave you to strip back some mono and tie the braid and use the mono backing. Otherwise the cost to add braid to your particular reel would definitely be an expense.

 

If you find that the braid/FC switch is too expensive then strip off 100 - 150 ft of mono and blood knot/double uni knot/Albright knot more on. it would be the cheaper route. Grab some line conditioner while you're at it  

[Susky River Rat]

I normally run 10-20lb braid usually suffix 832. 
 

 I know some will cringe but, I run about 6ft of Berkeley  vanish 17lb on everything for a leader. I do this because of how rocky the susky is. It will just tear up braid l. The only time I have a failure in my line leader or other wise is when breaking it out from a snag. Now I have been bit off by musky. Tooth proof is not my intent though. 

[Lead Head]

Most of my baitcasters have 30lb 832. Jigs and frogs get 40lb 832 or #4pe (sunline is all I have tried so far).

 

I use 14lb sniper for a fc leader, and 16lb supernatural for mono (top water). I run a 25# sniper leader on my jig rod most of the time so I can pick my jig through the razor edged chunk rock all over my pool of the AR river without spending a fortune on line and jigs.