Jigs With Braid...leader Or No Leader?

[Brand0n]

you guys use a leader when using braid for your jig rods? i got a spare rod i wanna throw some 50lb braid on it for when summer hits my local lake gets hit with heavy weeds. figured it would help my chances if the fish dont see the braid.

[lmoore]

In clear water I use 15-17 pound fluoro. Clear water with heavy cover I use 20 pound. On the muddy Mississippi I use 65 pound braid and don't notice a difference in catch rate from guys using fluoro.

[Brand0n]

this lake is never clear, always stained or muddy.

[webertime]

Braid and some Sharpie streaks for that type of water.

[A-Rob]

In those conditions....

straight braid man

you won't deter any bites and you won't miss hookups or have break-offs

I even fish straight braid in clear water b/c all my lakes are grass lakes and if you are pitching to places with clear open water you aint catching fish. The weeds will cover the braid. So I'm sure you'll be good.

Edit: I agree with above about the sharpie marks, I do that to

[ww2farmer]

In that kind of water.....no, it is not needed IMHO.

[Bassn Blvd]

I don't use leader either. If the bass aren't scared of a freaky looking jig then they're not going to be affraid of a piece of string that looks like grass.

[roadwarrior]

this lake is never clear, always stained or muddy.

No leader, direct tie.

[Megastink]

Don't you defeat the purpose of using braid when you tie on a leader? If you feel the need to use a Fluoro leader, just use fluoro, not braid. When you tie a leader on, you create THREE KNOTS:

1) Braid to leader

2) Leader to braid

3) Leader to lure (this one is inescapable)

That is THREE CHANCES TO FAIL! I understand the concept of trying to increase sensitivity, but not at the expense of tripling my odds of losing a fish or lure. And its not like you can capitalize on the strength of the braid becuas eyou have three knots and fluorocarbon at the end of it.

Just my two cents...

[Dwight Hottle]

I use braid with mono leaders all the time. Don't buy into the three knot failure fallacy. I use a back to back uni knot to join leader to braid & have a almost never failure rate. Think about it. If you trust your first knot why can't you trust your 2nd & 3rd? Fly fisherman & saltwater guys have been using leaders to main line connections forever on world record fish. Tie it right and forget about it. When fishing low visibility water & fishing reaction bite lures you don't need a leader. When fishing clear water with great visibility you do need a low vis leader for finesse fishing, slow presentation, live bait etc. Sometimes you need a leader for abraision resistance. And don't forget the leader can add a little give or strech into your tackle.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Something to ponder---Fish dont seem to mind all those wires connected to the lures on an Ala Rig why would they worry about the line connected to a jig.

[J Francho]

In weeds, I tie direct. In rocks or under docks, I use a fluoro leader.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

In weeds, I tie direct. In rocks or under docks, I use a fluoro leader.

I had a 18" bass on and use 10# braid, at shore there are rocks and the line just touched a big rock and snap no real rubbing or drag across the rock basically touch /snap. Luckily the fish stuck between that big rock and another rock so able to grab it get my hook back.

[James Yalem]

Something to ponder---Fish dont seem to mind all those wires connected to the lures on an Ala Rig why would they worry about the line connected to a jig.

Totally agree which is why I tie direct to braid, usually 20-30 lb test green.

[barroncooper]

I refuse to use a leader after losing a huge fish at the knot joint. since then I notice no difference in numbers and size not using a leader.

[J Francho]

Learn to tie an Alberto and those issues are a thing of the past...

[A-Rob]

I use braid with mono leaders all the time. Don't buy into the three knot failure fallacy. I use a back to back uni knot to join leader to braid & have a almost never failure rate. Think about it. If you trust your first knot why can't you trust your 2nd & 3rd? Fly fisherman & saltwater guys have been using leaders to main line connections forever on world record fish. Tie it right and forget about it. When fishing low visibility water & fishing reaction bite lures you don't need a leader. When fishing clear water with great visibility you do need a low vis leader for finesse fishing, slow presentation, live bait etc. Sometimes you need a leader for abraision resistance. And don't forget the leader can add a little give or strech into your tackle.

I should mention I use a leader for smallie fishing or finesse fishing (spinning gear) for largies...I don't break off, but I also don't use the same hookset as my jig rod.

It's not that I think it's a knot failure issue but just a preference for straight braid on my jig rod. My opinion changes depending on the rig

I fish mainly grass lakes and consistently find bass pitching with braid. I break off 20# fluoro to easy so I just go straight braid.

Of course this is just all personal preference.

Chris Lane just won the classic flipping/pitching with mono! haha

[jkarol24]

If i'm fishing weeds and grass, then tie straight to the braid. A sharpie is your friend, recolor as needed. Anything to do with rocks, docks, wood, open water, or anything clearer than slight mud i will use a 20 lb fluoro leader. As jfranco stated, if you tie yourself a good connection knot, you will have almost zero problems unless that leader is too long (more than 3-5 ft for pitchin) and the knot is catching on your guides. Even this shouldnt be a problem, but some dont like it and/or use micro guides.

[ww2farmer]

John and Jason, you guys are fishing the same docks, so to speak, as me. I flsh them with 20 (skipping with spinning gear) or 30 and 50 lb braid on my flipping and pitching rods, and put my baits in the dark and nasty spots, rubbing against metal poles, cables, boit hoists, props, pontoon boat decks, etc..., I don't seem to have any issues at all with break offs. Do you guys have a horror story, or just fearfull of braids poor abrasion resistance. I pay close attention to my line dock flipping and retie at any hint of a fray, sometimes thats every other dock. I have far more confidence getting a fish out from a boat hoist and around a dock post with 50 lb braid than I do with 20lb fluoro. Not to mention how much easier and effortless it is pitching/skipping stuff way back in there than with heavy fluoro. Now for some reason I don't have that same confidence in braid around rocks, maybe because I can't see (most of the time) what my line is rubbing on, or how much of my line has run across it. I do know I lose way more baits on offshore cover/debris with straight braid (no doubt due to zebes out there too) than I ever do shallow dock fishing.

[CKFishin]

Learn to tie an Alberto and those issues are a thing of the past...

This.... I have used the knot for multiple techniques and have never had it fail at the joining knot... Not to mention it goes through guides quite nicely...

[J Francho]

Do you guys have a horror story, or just fearfull of braids poor abrasion resistance.

Several horror stories. Since I've settled on a system that works, I'm hard pressed to change it.

[jignfule]

I fish straight braid in those conditions. Even when our waters clear up I use braid with out a leader especially in weeds.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I do not use a leader when I fish braid. For me if I was in a situation for leader I'd just fish flouro line.

[McAlpine]

I grew up fishing clear to lightly stained northern lakes so I always use a leader with braid. Just a confidence thing I guess but it also depends upon where you are fishing. However; I don't use any heavier than 10lb Flouro on any rod and consider this to be heavy line. The guys that are used to fishing the big reservoirs which tend to be more stained/muddy are not dealing with the same issues as someone that fishes natural lakes which tend to be more clear. Just have to judge this against what your water is like if you feel you need a leader or not. On the flipside though I have always been amazed at the aparant need for 20,30,50 lb line. I dont get it. I cant even remember the last break off I had and I generally boat several 4-5 and maybe a 6 lb bass every year with 8 and 10lb line. Last trip I made to canada I boated a 12 lb lake trout on 6lb mono and a 20lb Pike on 10 lb mono with a wire leader.