Do we go a little overboard with the fluoro leaders? 2024
Glaucus reply :
I've been a big believer in fluoro leaders, especially braid to fluoro, due to everything we're told about the near invisibility factor. It's always worked for me, so no questions asked. However, for the better part of the summer I've been pretty much exclusively fishing rivers for smallies with the Ned Rig using braid to fluoro. If I'm not in the yak or in a position to wade, I lose a lot of rigs because of rocks and debris, especially at the dams. It's been a giant pain in the butt having to retie leaders on top of having to retie the rigs. Eventually I said screw it and put straight 8lb straight mono on (pops the bait free easier than braid) and noticed zero difference in numbers and size, from the dark muddy water of the dams to the clear green tea water down stream where you can see every rock, fish, and stick on the bottom. So I ordered my Ned Rig specific setup (Fenwick Eagle ML/F with a President 25) and decided to go with 6lb Yozuri. It's been beautiful. So do we put too much stock and focus on the supposed necessity of fluoro leaders? I'm thinking so. I can see it making a difference in some places under some conditions, I guess. I went to a crystal clear pond with a couple of friends yesterday and fished Senkos on straight braid with no leader and didn't notice a darn bit of difference either. I don't want to cut fluoro out of my equation necessarily, but it is nice seeing no difference and being able to skip that step of tying the leader.
MNGeorge reply :
We fish primarily in rivers also and use the fluoro to braid set up more for the ability to break off when needed than for the invisibility factor. We use a longer than normal leader to start with so we can retie several times before needing to replace the leader.
Angry John reply :
I use braid on a spinning reel due to line twist and any leader will work. I use YHB the most but anything will do.
LxVE Bassin reply :
Leaders make break offs less of a hassle and prevent me from losing a lot of my main line when they occur. I use longer leaders and break offs are usually at the knot connecting lure and not the connection knot.
LionHeart reply :
I use 6-8 foot mono leader and they last a very long time. I usually only re-tie 3 or 4 times per trip though.
CroakHunter reply :
I'm a braid to leader guy on almost every set up. I use big game as a leader though. I'm not convinced that fluoro is that great. I gave it a fair chance and have resorted back to a mono or copolymer leader. I don't use a leader for visibility as much as i do for abrasion resistance which is why I chose a very hardy line like big game or cxx.
Sam reply :
Glaucus, I had the privilege of fishing with a bass pro two years ago and he told me that he forgoes the leader and uses braid straight to the hook for his flipping and pitching.
He told me that he has not encountered any negative inpact on his bites and hook-up ratios.
He also informed me that many pros are doing this now as they want as few "weak spots" in their setup as possible, and the leader to braid knot is one weak spot that can be eliminated.
But it seems this little secret is being kept hidden from the public by the pros who use this set up.
I am now using it and I have not had any problems with getting strikes or my hook-up ratio.
Go figure. 
Scott F reply :
I’ve never believed that bass have the brain power to reason and figure out that line is a bad thing so I’ve never used mono or FC leaders to hide my line, or for any other reason. I’ve always used straight 8 or 10 pound braid on my spinning gear. 10 pound will break if I get snagged and I seldom drag my line over rocks where abrasion is an issue.
813basstard reply :
It’s all a confidence thing and palecbo effect. Honestly. If you think it makes a difference, it does.
BassWhole! reply :
On 8/25/2018 at 7:42 PM, 813basstard said:It’s all a confidence thing and palecbo effect. Honestly. If you think it makes a difference, it does.
Double blind experiments consistently show up to a 30% placebo effect. Additionally there is a solid confirmation bias towards items that cost more $, and it's not a case of attempting to deceive oneself. If you fish 2 identical lines, and one costs more than the other you will prefer the most expensive one and actually perceive a difference, even though one doesn't exist, and again additionally, there is the mob mentality (see WP threads) and finally the "I own it, so I defend it" syndrome, just talk to any Shimano fanboy.
Specifically to the fluoro leader question, I find no reason to use it when LMB fishing, I haven't found them to be line shy at all, and I haven't found fluoro to provide any significant abrasion resistance over a decent stiff mono. As far as leader or no leader, there I will use one when abrasion resistance is an issue or when fishing treble hook lures or vertical jigging, or drop shotting and the like. YMMV, (but it won't).
everythingthatswims reply :
There have been plenty threads about this, and you will always have people on both sides of the argument. In clear water, a fluorocarbon leader makes a difference because of visibility, but there are many reasons besides visibility that they are important. Sensitivity is huge, braid to a leader is more sensitive than straight FC or mono (mono leader on braid is less sensitive than FC, surprises me with that short of a piece of line but it is). The leader also gives the bait a better action than straight braid, since braid floats. Lastly, you will have a much better hookup ratio with braid to a leader over mono, because of the no stretch.
I would LOVE to go head-to-head in a clear body of water against one of the guys who says bass can't see braid 
CroakHunter reply :
On 8/25/2018 at 9:56 PM, everythingthatswims said:would LOVE to go head-to-head in a clear body of water against one of the guys who says bass can't see braid
I wouldn't fish against you if you were fishing in a bath tub and I was at lake fork.
fishwizzard reply :
I base my leader on sink-factor alone. Floro sinks so it gets the nod most of the time, I will even bump up to a pretty thick leader (like 12lb) when fishing tiny inline spinners just to get a little more depth on the retrieve.
lo n slo reply :
On 8/25/2018 at 10:17 PM, CroakHunter said:I wouldn't fish against you if you were fishing in a bath tub and I was at lake fork.
he’d figure something out, wouldn’t he? ????
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
I'm in the no leader camp. I fish very clear waters daily and no issues catching bass crappie straight braid. Beings I don't use leaders can't make a direct comparison with that set-up. I do use straight fc though and my results don't convince me it matters as far as a visibility factor.
With certain baits I feel fc hinders the action of my presentation being able to twitch pop lure off bottom more efficiently. I can see this in shallow water with braid tied to fat ika the ika will pop off bottom where with fc it gets dragged more due to weight of fc holding it down. Ika just doesn't get the action with fc that I like it to have.
Dirtyeggroll reply :
What about fluoro with a braid leader?
It’s different and something the bass don’t usually see, so it’ll have to work.
TnRiver46 reply :
On 8/25/2018 at 9:56 PM, everythingthatswims said:There have been plenty threads about this, and you will always have people on both sides of the argument. In clear water, a fluorocarbon leader makes a difference because of visibility, but there are many reasons besides visibility that they are important. Sensitivity is huge, braid to a leader is more sensitive than straight FC or mono (mono leader on braid is less sensitive than FC, surprises me with that short of a piece of line but it is). The leader also gives the bait a better action than straight braid, since braid floats. Lastly, you will have a much better hookup ratio with braid to a leader over mono, because of the no stretch.
I would LOVE to go head-to-head in a clear body of water against one of the guys who says bass can't see braid
I know I can see braid underwater and I don’t even live in the water! I don’t think many folks are going to challenge you to a head to head Fishing match, young man! (At least not for money.....). Back to the OPs question, I use braid because it’s limp and casts a mile. I tie a leader on it when it’s clear. I always keep a spinning rod with straight 8 Lb mono for clear water days when I am losing a lot of jigheads because I don’t like spending all my time fiddling with new leaders
Log Catcher reply :
I only use leaders on my spinning rods. I have 10 pound mono for a main line. I add a barrel swivel and 8 pound floro about 3' long. The barrel swivel helps stop line twist problems. I don't like tying my lines together as I don't like the idea of casting knots through my guides.
N Florida Mike reply :
I have never used a leader. Nobody I grew up with did either. I use mostly mono, and have a few reels with braid , and just tie directly to the hook. I like line that floats so I can see the twitch when the fish takes it, so I dont like flouro. I catch plenty with either line, and the baits work fine. I just dont see any reason for a leader.
BassThumb reply :
I was a smallmouth river rat for years as a kid, wading around the shallow islands of the Mississippi. I exclusively used 15lb braid on a 7' 6" ML/F spinning setup and tossed small spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, lipless cranks, tube jigs, flukes, and darterheads. It was some of the best fishing I've ever had. I doubt it mattered that I thought a "leader" was made of steel and used for northern pike. That said, the water had a little color to it.
This year, my three biggest largemouth came while pitching with straight 50lb braid. The lakes I fish are very weedy. It's unlikely that fish are seeing the line in heavy weeds.
If using light line around light cover, I'll use braid with a long fluorocarbon leader on spinning tackle. It handles the best on a spinning reel, and I do believe bass can be spooked by braid in open water, especially when it starts getting worn out and lighter in color.
Mike L reply :
Don't use leaders for anything.
Straight braid or Flouro depending on what I'm doing and where I'm doing it.
Sometimes I think folks use it as a crutch and because of the many threads like this where the majority use it so it must be the thing to do.
That said, @everythingthatswims is one of the most accomplished anglers on the water whose opinion has proven results and should be valued.
Mike
soflabasser reply :
Never found a need for flourocarbon when it comes to bass fishing and do just fine catching lots of big bass that many tournament fisherman would dream of catching in a tournament.I have lost count of the +24 inch bass I have caught on straight braid in clear water in my +23 years of bass fishing and only use a mono leader when I need the extra abrasion resistance mono provides. In saltwater fishing I also don't use a flourocarbon leader and instead I use braid with a mono leader or I use strait mono.
Brad in Texas reply :
I use 10 lbs. braid to 8 lbs. fluorocarbon for most of my finesse spinning tackle rigs. It has a lot of "little" advantages where and how I fish.
I do totally agree that in many presentations, many places, fluorocarbon leaders are of little value.
The "why" behind it? I think fluorocarbon would never have survived as a main line in the market place; it'd have failed. Pros? Perhaps so . . . as they most often get their lines for free under sponsorships so they can put fresh line on frequently. Still, most people just don't like the way fluorocarbon behaves as a main line.
Same thing, too, for straight braid and its few inconvenient aspects.
Finally, price, compared to today's much-improved monofilaments and co-polymers. It is pretty high.
So, for its tiny advantages, fluorocarbon ends up being relegated to short leaders for most of us. And, we replace them often. I'd never use these beyond one day out and I re-tie my terminal knots often, sometimes even the junction knot a time or two on the water.
If the new co-polymers get much better, for example something like Sufix Advantage and many others, fluorocarbon might take a big hit in market penetration.
Brad
MickD reply :
I don't think the "invisibiliity" of FC is enough better than that of mono to justify the fragility of FC. I've checked knots lately and often found that after a while the braid to FC knot fails easily, and it's always the FC right at the knot that fails. I'm going back to hard mono leader material for my leaders. I usually use 10-15 pound leaders.
soflabasser reply :
On 8/26/2018 at 11:13 PM, MickD said:I don't think the "invisibiliity" of FC is enough better than that of mono to justify the fragility of FC. I've checked knots lately and often found that after a while the braid to FC knot fails easily, and it's always the FC right at the knot that fails. I'm going back to hard mono leader material for my leaders. I usually use 10-15 pound leaders.
I have also noticed that flourocarbon is much more fragile fishing line than monofilament and that flourocarbon tends to break at the knot much more often than mono does. Have been using Big Game mono for leader material and have been very happy with the knot strength, shock resistance, and abrasion resistance it provides over fluorocarbon lines.
everythingthatswims reply :
What I forgot to mention in my post is that I am talking about spinning tackle in terms of braid and a leader, since the OP was talking spinning gear. All of my spinning rods have 10lb braid, and I will fish 6-12lb fluoro leaders depending on the application. The only time I could see myself using straight FC on a spinning reel would be very deep drop shot fishing, the big boys in Waddington were in a situation where that could make a difference over braid to leader, fishing in 20-50+' in strong current. FC has much less resistance on the water since it sinks and is dense, so you have better contact with the bait. Problem is, FC has a bad attitude when you put it on a spinning reel!
I use straight fluoro and straight braid on all but one of my baitcasters. I would say 80-90% of my baitcaster fishing is with FC. Rarely do I fish with braid, when I do I am probably frog fishing, or dropping a texas rig in heavy vegetation. I will put on a mono leader for topwaters with treble hooks, but that is just to keep the line out of the hooks. I never use braid with a leader for things such as a t-rig/jig, always straight fluoro somewhere in the 12-20lb ballpark.
When I have tried jig fishing with 50lb braid to 20lb fluoro, I break off too many fish on the hookset. That being said, the best jig fisherman I have ever fished with (he kicks my butt OFTEN) fishes exclusively that setup. He and I have very different hooksets, and that is why the braid works for him and not for me.
ww2farmer reply :
I am firmly in the braid to FC leader camp, and none of these stories of "leader knots create a weak point" or "fluorocarbon is weak and fragile" hold water with me. I have YEARS of exp. using it, untold number of hours on the water actually catching big fish, and cashing in or winning tournaments with my sets ups to tell me other wise.
If you have problems with the braid to leader knot, or with the leader breaking your either:
#1 tying bad leader knots
or
#2 using garbage fluoro as leader material
or both....period.
That being said, I do not use fluoro as main line on ANY of my reels....100% braid, 100% of the time. 10lb on spinning reels, and 20,30, and 50 on casting reels depending on application. The only time I use straight braid is frogging, top water, or punching very thick very shallow grass.....in deeper grass I use a heavy leader.
TOXIC reply :
I'm in the no leader camp and have tried both. As for the fish seeing the line then how do you explain spinnerbaits with thick metal arms and A-Rigs with more wire than a telephone closet? 
I am a firm believer in confidence though and you should throw what you have confidence in.
soflabasser reply :
Flourocarbon line is not 100% invisible under water and anyone with decent vision can see flourocarbon line in a cup of clear water. Bass often bite out of instinct (reaction bite) and that helps explain how there are lots of people fishing with strait 50-80 pound braid and they catch +8 pounders with plenty of 4-7 pounders in the mix in waters many would consider clear. As I stated earlier I have lost count of the +24 inch bass I have caught on strait braid in clear bodies of water, so I got real life experience on this subject, not something I read online, in a book, or regurgitating something a tournament fisherman told me to do. I use the uni to uni knot for my leaders and a uni knot or Rapala knot when tying the lure. As for the quality of my knots, I have caught +150 pound sharks on 30 pound test braid mainline (with a mono top shot and wire leader to prevent line being cut from teeth) so I think its safe to say my knots are done quite well.
Jason Penn reply :
I have tried the braid/leader thing now multiple times, and just doesnt work for me. Straight fc is just more sensitive to me the way I fish. I do believe braid is more sensitive on tight line, but I dont seem to fish that fast with bottom bouncing lures.
I had a few years where I was unable to fish due to financial reasons. Prior to that, I used 8# fc on a 2000-sized Daiwa without much problems at all. Now I cant seem to get a high priced fc to work well on a 3000-sized reel!!! Not sure what Im doing different now.
MickD reply :
On 8/27/2018 at 11:48 AM, soflabasser said:I have also noticed that flourocarbon is much more fragile fishing line than monofilament and that flourocarbon tends to break at the knot much more often than mono does. Have been using Big Game mono for leader material and have been very happy with the knot strength, shock resistance, and abrasion resistance it provides over fluorocarbon lines.
I'll try Big Game mono-easier to find than hard mono leader material.
mattkenzer reply :
Spinning Reels
- Main Line - 10lb and 15lb braid
- Leader - Fluoro or Maxima Mono 100% of time - which one depends on the situation.
Casting Reels
- Main Line - 30lb, 40lb and 50lb Braid
- Main Line - 15lb Big Game Mono
- Leader - Maxima Mono 100% of time on 30lb and 40lb Braid.
Pickerel carry Boomerang Snips ..... 
webertime reply :
For me and I would assume many northern guys... The wind... wind knots and the wind catching the braid is a huge pain when fishing a drop shot or shaky head. The wind simply does not catch and drag Flouro or Mono like it does braid. I do the Aaron Martins type leader, 30ft of 7 or 8lb Flouro then braid, I'll replace once the leader gets to about 12ft. I agree that the line visibility issue is more often than not overblown.
The guy that just won the BASS Open on Champlain is a good buddy of mine, his drop shot set up is a Shakespheare rod with straight braid...
It's all about confidence.
FryDog62 reply :
The great compromise line that I have used is.... drum roll...
Sunline FC Flippin Fluorocarbon:
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Flippin_FC_Fluorocarbon_Line_200_yd/descpage-FC.html
Here’s why - -
You have 30 inches of clear line followed by 12 inches of bright yellow. Tie the 30 inches at the hook for invisibility, and the high viz is above for you to see. You get a line that sinks uniformly and no leader knots to fail.
The only downside side is that the smallest lb test it comes in is 16. If it came in 8-12 I would also use for a variety of applications besides flipping including wacky rigs, dock skipping, etc.
Yumeya reply :
Braid to fluorocarbon for me.
I fish deep rock structure most the time and if I get a snag I would rather lose my leader then have to cut a ton of braid off, also most of the time my knot will brake at the bait, my leader knots are simply amazing (fg knot)
There is no weak link with my FG knot, its amazing.
But I see no problem fishing mono as a leader or strait braid, I have done both and have not had any problems
catching fish.
Caliyak reply :
On 8/25/2018 at 10:47 AM, Glaucus said:I've been a big believer in fluoro leaders, especially braid to fluoro, due to everything we're told about the near invisibility factor. It's always worked for me, so no questions asked. However, for the better part of the summer I've been pretty much exclusively fishing rivers for smallies with the Ned Rig using braid to fluoro. If I'm not in the yak or in a position to wade, I lose a lot of rigs because of rocks and debris, especially at the dams. It's been a giant pain in the butt having to retie leaders on top of having to retie the rigs. Eventually I said screw it and put straight 8lb straight mono on (pops the bait free easier than braid) and noticed zero difference in numbers and size, from the dark muddy water of the dams to the clear green tea water down stream where you can see every rock, fish, and stick on the bottom. So I ordered my Ned Rig specific setup (Fenwick Eagle ML/F with a President 25) and decided to go with 6lb Yozuri. It's been beautiful. So do we put too much stock and focus on the supposed necessity of fluoro leaders? I'm thinking so. I can see it making a difference in some places under some conditions, I guess. I went to a crystal clear pond with a couple of friends yesterday and fished Senkos on straight braid with no leader and didn't notice a darn bit of difference either. I don't want to cut fluoro out of my equation necessarily, but it is nice seeing no difference and being able to skip that step of tying the leader.
Fluoro sucks, plain and simple LOL
NYWayfarer reply :
No leaders for me.
This season I have been fishing Suffix Elite 8lb mono on my spinning reels and Kastking Fluorokote 12lb or Berkley Big Game 10 and 12lb on my baitcasters.
evilcatfish reply :
Personally, I've gotten away from leaders and pretty much run straight mono, floro, or braid. I'm really OCD when it comes to knots, and having both connecting and line to lure knots is too much for me to handle. I definitely recognize the advantage leaders can offer, but when I use them I spend more time fiddling with line than fishing haha
MickD reply :
My double uni's are tied well, and I've spent a fortune on FC trying to make it work. Maybe junk FC costs a fortune.
To be a little clearer about the failures I've had in the FC side of the double uni, it is after the rig has been used quite a bit. If I retie every time I go fishing I know I will not get the failures with FC, because they don't occur right away.
The FC is more fragile than mono under these conditions. Period :-)
everythingthatswims reply :
On 8/27/2018 at 6:02 PM, ww2farmer said:I am firmly in the braid to FC leader camp, and none of these stories of "leader knots create a weak point" or "fluorocarbon is weak and fragile" hold water with me. I have YEARS of exp. using it, untold number of hours on the water actually catching big fish, and cashing in or winning tournaments with my sets ups to tell me other wise.
If you have problems with the braid to leader knot, or with the leader breaking your either:
#1 tying bad leader knots
or
#2 using garbage fluoro as leader material
or both....period.
That being said, I do not use fluoro as main line on ANY of my reels....100% braid, 100% of the time. 10lb on spinning reels, and 20,30, and 50 on casting reels depending on application. The only time I use straight braid is frogging, top water, or punching very thick very shallow grass.....in deeper grass I use a heavy leader.
Team9nine reply :
Interesting and timely that Randy Blaukat just posted his thoughts on this exact subject over on his FB page, and the ensuing discussion in the comments section pretty much reads just like this thread...
Glaucus reply :
On 8/28/2018 at 6:58 AM, Team9nine said:Interesting and timely that Randy Blaukat just posted his thoughts on this exact subject over on his FB page, and the ensuing discussion in the comments section pretty much reads just like this thread...
Bout time I get one step ahead of the pros
soflabasser reply :
On 8/27/2018 at 8:33 PM, MickD said:I'll try Big Game mono-easier to find than hard mono leader material.
I have been very happy with Big game mono for both leader material and for applications where I fish with only mono. There are other good brands of mono out there but I find no need to change when I am already having great results. If it aint broke don't fix it!
On 8/27/2018 at 6:12 PM, TOXIC said:I'm in the no leader camp and have tried both. As for the fish seeing the line then how do you explain spinnerbaits with thick metal arms and A-Rigs with more wire than a telephone closet?
The bass definitely see the wire arms on spinnerbaits, a-rigs,and hooks just like they see flourocarbon under water. You are right confidence is extremely important in bass fishing, and some guys get confidence fishing a ''invisible'' line like flourocarbon even if its not invisible.
soflabasser reply :
On 8/27/2018 at 9:30 PM, webertime said:It's all about confidence.
Yup you got that right! Confidence is very important in bass fishing and I have 100% confidence in my ability to catch big bass with strait braid in clear water. I don't even bother weighing bass anymore if I feel they are under 9 pounds, that should give you a idea how good I did bass fishing this Summer with strait braid.
Mobasser reply :
I have used a leader, but prefer not to.One lake I fish has very clear water, and I like mono better- I just drop down a little in lb test. I havnt seen any difference in numbers or size. Plus I like one knot only
everythingthatswims reply :
On 8/28/2018 at 6:58 AM, Team9nine said:Interesting and timely that Randy Blaukat just posted his thoughts on this exact subject over on his FB page, and the ensuing discussion in the comments section pretty much reads just like this thread...
Braid and leaders may be a touchier subject than c&r when it comes to bass fishermen, it gets us in the feels. Justin Lucas made a video talking about braid and a leader for flippin and people went nuts over it, he said he knew they would though!
Todd2 reply :
I never use leaders. I do darken about a rod's length of hi viz braid with a marker but even that is probably more for me than the fish.
Hook2Jaw reply :
I am surprised at the amount of people here saying that fluoro sucks for knot strength, break strength, etc. I use 10, 14, and 17# BERKLEY VANISH, of all things, and I hear bad stuff about that line all the time. I've landed tons of fish that were between 7-11 pounds in the last year on the general consensus worst fluoro ever without issue. This is crankbaits, texas/carolina, and jig fishing.
I'm doing it with a lazy butt improved clinch rather than the superior Palomar for fluorocarbon.
I haven't broken off a fish in god knows when, and the only time I do break off is when I'm snagged. This is the absolute truth.
I think you guys are burning your line. Slobber more and tighten less.
As far as folks mad with leader connection, learn the FG. Tied correctly, that knot does not fail. Your leader will break before the FG everytime, and that's catching everything in inshore saltwater around me. Redfish, seatrout, and even a king mackerel last year in NC.
fishwizzard reply :
On 8/28/2018 at 12:00 AM, FryDog62 said:The great compromise line that I have used is.... drum roll...
Sunline FC Flippin Fluorocarbon:
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sunline_Flippin_FC_Fluorocarbon_Line_200_yd/descpage-FC.html
Here’s why - -
You have 30 inches of clear line followed by 12 inches of bright yellow. Tie the 30 inches at the hook for invisibility, and the high viz is above for you to see. You get a line that sinks uniformly and no leader knots to fail.
The only downside side is that the smallest lb test it comes in is 16. If it came in 8-12 I would also use for a variety of applications besides flipping including wacky rigs, dock skipping, etc.
There is this line if you want the same idea in finesse sizes;
FryDog62 reply :
On 8/28/2018 at 7:51 PM, fishwizzard said:There is this line if you want the same idea in finesse sizes;
Thx fishwizzard. Now if they could just come out with something that’s fluorocarbon (sink rate) and in the 8-12 lb range. Seems like Sunline is above and below the sweet spot for bass fishing - but they have the right idea!
Team9nine reply :
On 8/27/2018 at 12:03 PM, everythingthatswims said:What I forgot to mention in my post is that I am talking about spinning tackle in terms of braid and a leader, since the OP was talking spinning gear. All of my spinning rods have 10lb braid, and I will fish 6-12lb fluoro leaders depending on the application. The only time I could see myself using straight FC on a spinning reel would be very deep drop shot fishing, the big boys in Waddington were in a situation where that could make a difference over braid to leader, fishing in 20-50+' in strong current. FC has much less resistance on the water since it sinks and is dense, so you have better contact with the bait. Problem is, FC has a bad attitude when you put it on a spinning reel!
I use straight fluoro and straight braid on all but one of my baitcasters. I would say 80-90% of my baitcaster fishing is with FC. Rarely do I fish with braid, when I do I am probably frog fishing, or dropping a texas rig in heavy vegetation. I will put on a mono leader for topwaters with treble hooks, but that is just to keep the line out of the hooks. I never use braid with a leader for things such as a t-rig/jig, always straight fluoro somewhere in the 12-20lb ballpark.
^^This exactly^^
Braid is of very limited practical use on my baitcasters
????
Glenn reply :
Two things:
- I don't use leaders. Ever.
- Braid is for specific purposes, and is not for everything. I use it for flipping/pitching/frogging and sometimes big baits like swimbaits.
soflabasser reply :
On 8/28/2018 at 6:15 PM, Todd2 said:I never use leaders. I do darken about a rod's length of hi viz braid with a marker but even that is probably more for me than the fish.
Your post reminds me of one my fishing mentors. He would use a permanent marker to darken the first couple feet of braid and told me he has caught more big bass doing this than letting the braid fade. His PB bass is almost 15 pounds (much bigger than most tournament angler's pb bass) and he has albums full of big bass that he caught from clear, weedy lakes with strait braid. He did not like to use leaders. I don't darken my braid anymore but I do follow the other lessons he taught me.
GateToWire reply :
I have 10-15 lbs Daiwa J Braid on my spinning rods and use 6-10 lbs fluro leaders on all of them.
I only use the Braid because of castability and line management on my spinning rods
On casting it's Sufix 832 with a Sufix Mono leader. Same reason....I can cast braid further and it is easier to manage. Mono leaders for some stretch and ability to land fish
Cranking is all straight fluro...12 lbs Sniper Assassin for both Shallow and deep cranking
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