Leader To Braid Length

[ghost]

I'm going to start tying a mono leader to my braided lines this year.  I have always just tied lures straight from braid.

So I am wondering how long to you have your leaders?  I'm thinking of keeping it at a foot, so I can still get the feel when a fish hits.  But if I start using mono leaders for topwater in a couple months, should I go longer on the leader or keep it at about a foot also?

[SimonSays]

I've recently started using flouro for a braid leader works great, but it is another thing I have to worry about...

anyways, I've never used mono as a leader but for the fluoro I use about 3-5ft tied with the alberto knot to my main line.  

[twors]

I use a fluorocarbon leader on my braid and I make it just short enough to keep the splicing knot from entering my reel, on baicasters that is. This will give me enough leader to do a few reties before coming to short. I've found that the knots don't like going though the level wind guide on my reels that well during casts. No such worrys on my spinning reels however.

[Grey Wolf]

Unless you are wormin in crystle clear water why would you want to add a leader to your braid ?It's just something else that could go wrong. You're defeating the purpose of braid by adding stretch to your line with the floro or mono leader material. JMHO

[RoLo]

When I first switched to braided line I used various clear leaders including Trilene XT, Fluorocarbon, Trilene Big Game, et al.

Eventually I tried fishing without any leader and never looked back. If there's any reduction in the number of strikes,

I completely missed it. A leader now, is the farthest thought from my mind (bass are bulls of the woods).

So I guess my answer would be 0" leader

Roger

[Tokyo Tony]

RoLo - even in clear water? What color braid do you usually use?

I'd love not to use leader, but I just don't have much confidence without it. When I get hung up, the breaking point is almost always the leader-to-braid knot.

Edit: to clarify, it seems to me that fish in clear water may be turned off by seeing the line, but if not, I'd rather not use leader because it's a pain to retie leader and lure after each hangup.

[Grey Wolf]

RoLo - even in clear water? What color braid do you usually use?

I'd love not to use leader, but I just don't have much confidence without it. When I get hung up, the breaking point is almost always the leader-to-braid knot.

Edit: to clarify, it seems to me that fish in clear water may be turned off by seeing the line, but if not, I'd rather not use leader because it's a pain to retie leader and lure after each hangup.

Do your self a favor , try fishing with out a leader for a month or so and see if you have differant results (more fish , less fish).

[huskertko]

RoLo - even in clear water? What color braid do you usually use?

I'd love not to use leader, but I just don't have much confidence without it. When I get hung up, the breaking point is almost always the leader-to-braid knot.

Edit: to clarify, it seems to me that fish in clear water may be turned off by seeing the line, but if not, I'd rather not use leader because it's a pain to retie leader and lure after each hangup.

You mentioned my biggest problem with braid, confidence.  I usually don't fish cyrstal clear water, but it is by no means chocolate milk color either, and whether the fish can see the line or not, or even if it matters if they can, my problem is the confidence.  If I think the fish can see it, I have a problem concentrating on fishing spending too much time worrying if they can see the line.

I am giving braid one more chance for a couple months and see how it goes.  The other reason I really want braid to work out for me is, the rod that it is one, my jig rod, is also going to double as my frog rod this summer, so I hope it works out.

[XbassmasterX]

RoLo - even in clear water? What color braid do you usually use?

I'd love not to use leader, but I just don't have much confidence without it. When I get hung up, the breaking point is almost always the leader-to-braid knot.

Edit: to clarify, it seems to me that fish in clear water may be turned off by seeing the line, but if not, I'd rather not use leader because it's a pain to retie leader and lure after each hangup.

You mentioned my biggest problem with braid, confidence. I usually don't fish cyrstal clear water, but it is by no means chocolate milk color either, and whether the fish can see the line or not, or even if it matters if they can, my problem is the confidence. If I think the fish can see it, I have a problem concentrating on fishing spending too much time worrying if they can see the line.

I am giving braid one more chance for a couple months and see how it goes. The other reason I really want braid to work out for me is, the rod that it is one, my jig rod, is also going to double as my frog rod this summer, so I hope it works out.

bit concerned about your jig rod is also your frog rod as jig rods are mostly 6'-6.5' and frog rod is much longer so what length power action??? is your rod  :-?

[Bassn Blvd]

Unless you are wormin in crystle clear water why would you want to add a leader to your braid ?It's just something else that could go wrong. You're defeating the purpose of braid by adding stretch to your line with the floro or mono leader material. JMHO

Was thinking  the same thing.

[huskertko]

RoLo - even in clear water? What color braid do you usually use?

I'd love not to use leader, but I just don't have much confidence without it. When I get hung up, the breaking point is almost always the leader-to-braid knot.

Edit: to clarify, it seems to me that fish in clear water may be turned off by seeing the line, but if not, I'd rather not use leader because it's a pain to retie leader and lure after each hangup.

You mentioned my biggest problem with braid, confidence. I usually don't fish cyrstal clear water, but it is by no means chocolate milk color either, and whether the fish can see the line or not, or even if it matters if they can, my problem is the confidence. If I think the fish can see it, I have a problem concentrating on fishing spending too much time worrying if they can see the line.

I am giving braid one more chance for a couple months and see how it goes. The other reason I really want braid to work out for me is, the rod that it is one, my jig rod, is also going to double as my frog rod this summer, so I hope it works out.

bit concerned about your jig rod is also your frog rod as jig rods are mostly 6'-6.5' and frog rod is much longer so what length power action??? is your rod :-?

7foot heavy, fast action

[Tokyo Tony]

Unless you are wormin in crystle clear water why would you want to add a leader to your braid ?It's just something else that could go wrong. You're defeating the purpose of braid by adding stretch to your line with the floro or mono leader material. JMHO

Was thinking the same thing.

Well with a 4 foot leader there will be a little stretch, but not nearly as much as if you were just using mono or flouro.  I know some people use a leader for the sole purpose of having a shock absorber.

I just hate having to tie a new leader AND a new lure after I get hung up because although the uni to uni knot is strong enough for any fish, it's still the weakest link in the line.

[RoLo]

RoLo - even in clear water? What color braid do you usually use?

Yes Anthony, even in crystal clear water I use PowerPro moss-green braid in 20 to 40-lb test.

When I was a kid, my dad maintained a tropical fish tank. The guppies often swam around with a streamer of stool

sometimes longer than the guppy. The disappearance rate of guppies with baggage in tow, was no different from the other guppies.

Fishermen anguish over line-visibility, yet those same fishermen have no misgivings about split-rings,

snap-swivels, weed-guards & treble hooks, which are far bulkier and far more intimidating than a single thread.

As Maude's mother used to say, "picture this": A feeding bass notices a Heddon Super Spook.

In the gin clear water he clearly sees the two large treble hooks dangling beneath the surface creature.

The bass decides to accept the snap-swivel and both large treble hooks, but THEN

he notices a single filament streaming from the nose of his next meal....That Does It, ALL BETS ARE OFF!!

To be sure, bass are harder to catch in crystal clear water because the flaws in our lure delivery are also crystal clear.

In gin clear water there are a few things we can do to reduce the hoax factor. Most importantly is to use a finer diameter line,

but the reason is not to reduce line visibility but to obtain more natural, unfettered lure action.

The effect of line drag is covert but cumulative. It's also helpful to use a smaller size lure, and one with neutral, non-gaudy colors.

Finally, stepping up the retrieval speed in clear water also helps to obscure the flaws in delivery. Hope that helps.

Roger

[Tokyo Tony]

Roger, you have just given me the confidence to use braid with no leader  

Very good point with the Zara...I'd never thought of that.  I guess I was brainwashed, so to speak, by all of the commercials, fishing programs, and especially the flourocarbon craze, to believe that line visibility is a very significant factor.

I still think there may be situations in which a flourocarbon leader may be beneficial, but now I'm starting to think that those situations may be few and far between.

Thanks for the info Roger, I always enjoy your posts.

[Grey Wolf]

We sometimes give old mr. pea brain bass too much credit.