To tie or not to tie, that is the question

I am going to start using some flouro leader and am curious what you guys do for attaching it.

Ive always used wire leaders, and they always come with a swivel on one end and a clip on the other end, but I picked up a spool of 60lb flouro leader and want to make something for myself.

So, should I tie the leader to my braid, then tie it to the bait? or should I match how my wire leaders have always been with the clip and swivel. I was thinking of making up a few 12 inch leaders and just tossing them in my bag.


The water I normally fish is crystal clear, so thats why I am switching to flouro.

 

I use a 8-10 lb seaguar flourocarbon leaders with a small ball bearing swivel rigged to my regular stren line...never used braided except for ice fishing tip-ups. I guess it depends what your fishing for. Less the fish can see the better especially in a crystal clear lake as here. I never use wire leaders unless fishing for large pike, or walleye.

 

Forgot to say all my fluorocarbon leaders are at least 18''-36' long...some even more depending whats rigged to them.

 

I always use swivels.

 

So I tied a leader last night, heated the tags to make a mushroom, it seems pretty strong, but my god do the knots look like they will come undone real fast (I have been pulling on them hard and they seem solid)

Im going to try to make a few more tonight and test them to see what knot I can tie the best. Maybe I should of gotten the 30lb flouro instead of the 60lb. I might order a crimper so I can just make crimp connections instead of tying.

 

my spinning rod has braid. I used a flouro leader. a long ass leader so it needs to go thru the rod-guides smoothly. I use the Alberto Knot. easy to tie and strong. I have had one knot come loose but that was my error, and I felt like a turd. tying in wind, and in a hurry = no good knot.

I use a LONG leader because it make sense to me. I might clip off my drop shot and switch to a wacky worm, and then clip that off and try a Ned, back to drop shot. you lose length as the day progresses. especially with a dropshot rig. I rather not retie that Alberto (I have many times successfully) while bobbing around on a kayak, being blown into the treeline...

 

60LB leader?! what are you fishing for? what is the mainline strength?

my braid is 15lb and I am running 8lb leader.

 

Northern pike with the leader. I have 20lb braid on most of my rods. I chose 60lb flouro because I have no clue what I am doing with flouro leaders I should of gotten smaller, but figured 60lb should handle the teeth pretty good.

Most of the things I read said 50-80lb for pike.

 

Nothing can piss one off more than lots of line twist...good ball bearing swivels as small as possible are best.

 

I've caught 20 lb + pike in northern quebec on 10 lb monofilament line with a wire leader no problem. I'm not a big believer in these braided lines unless fishing places where your likely to get hung up often.

 

Last year I broke off so many times on mono that I ended up switching a few of my reels over to braid. Sofar no breaks on it, but it sure does tangle up worse.

 

I love the hook setting power of braid. its why it is only on my spinning where on a good day, I can cast far. my baitcasting distances are very vanilla. flouro works fine

 

That is something that I like with the braid, when I get a bite, I feel it right away.

 

I fish strictly braid with no leader. Mostly for trout in Utah.
Me and my buddy usually fish identical set ups. Mostly long lining a rapala or shad rap in rainbow trout colors behind our kayaks. Only difference is he uses strictly 10-12# fluoro and I use a 6# moss green braid
We usually have the same amount of hook ups. so I’ve basically givin up on the whole fish can see my line bs.
I’ll stick to strictly braided line and not lose any lures lol.

edit. I know that doesn’t really answer the question but I tried doing leaders and couldn’t tell a difference so I gave up on em

 

I use uni-to-uni to tie braid to fluorocarbon and the Palomar for fluorocarbon to hook/lure, etc.

 

super interesting!! I would have imagine trout were the most line shy.

 

Trout by me are dumb and aggressive. They are all stocked trout, I was catching them last fall on bass jigs (skirted jig with a craw trailer)

 

oh..no, I backpack for native CA trout. we did a 10 day, 9 night backback trip to a lake. well, we took a mule train up and backpacked out. there is a lake up there, I swear the trout never seen a kastmaster spoon. I was using some fancy 3-lb line my friend gave me. the fish wouldn't totally commit to my cheap 4'lb, I respooled with 2lb I had packed with me. I got trout, but I couldn't hork them up onto land, so he tied on a top shot of his 3-lb fancy stuff and it was like trout-appalozza. I don't even see 3'lb line.

 

I can also say I ventured deep into the seirra Nevada’s backpacking for 10 or so days chasing the elusive golden trout.
Me and my girlfriend both hooked into a couple with. You guessed it some moss green braided line no leader. Using a tiny little pink squid maybe 1/64 ounce