Leader For Braided Line?

[Further North]

On 1/9/2012 at 4:59 AM, dodgeguy said:

forget the leader.

Not where I live.  Rough structure will bead brad to death, large, toothy fish will cut it like it's not there...

On 1/8/2012 at 7:24 PM, thetank86 said:

...is there a time where you should use a leader like fishing topwater or cranking?

Yes.

 

Structure that will scuff up the line (rocks, docks, sunken trees in some water), and local fish (we have pike and musky) that can cut braid with sharp teeth encourage those of use who don't care to buy new tackle just because we're not sharp enough to take a reasonable caution to tie in a leader...

 

Limp line that gets tangled in the lure is another place to use it.

[YoTone]

I plan on using a mono leader for my poppers. braid is so supple it gets easily wrapped around the treble hooks on a cast. 

[Czorn]

I use leaders on my spinning set ups for dropshot. The only other rod that has braid is my flipping stick and I don't use a leader on that. I crank with F/C and top water gets mono. Most people think I'm crazy but I hate top water fishing. If I'm fishing top water I'm most likely walking a weightless fluke on top. 

[FishDewd]

I mix it up... in the past of catfishing, I used to use a stronger mainline with a bit weaker leader line connected via a swivel. Now I am learning that with bass fishing, a swivel is not usually required, so I have been experimenting this year using leaders and no leaders... mono for leaders, fluro for leaders, and poly for leaders... haven't noticed much of a difference using any of the three really, other than I tend to break fluoro leaders more often. But I think some of that may be my fault in the knots I chose to tie. I've learned that some knots (like palomar) are said to slightly burn the line when used. I don't like fluoro as a mainline at all... it's just awful in many ways. However, I think it has great potential as a leader. Based on my fishing trip today I have actually rearranged my pole rigs a little... I only had one pole using a leader, but it was the same kind (poly) as my mainline just in a weaker test. I went ahead and added flouro leaders to two of my poles though. Even though the waters I fish are very murky, I still feel like any edge to presentation I can add will be a plus in these heavily pressured waters. Plus flouro seems to transmit feel a little better than just using poly or braid alone, and I am hoping it will help to keep the lines down a bit better when the wind gets gusty. I won't use anything but a braid mainline on my baitcasters, I have tried and it just ends in disaster every time lol.

 

So... idk what is best to do. I'm just gonna try stuff until I find something that works and gives me the confidence I need to be an effective angler.