braid leader

[seanie35]

guys just wondering when using braid as mainline on a baitfishing set-up is it ok to use it straight through to the rig, kinda wondering how higher strengh braids say 40lb bs or more react to casting or is it better to use a proper mono leader.......all thoughts welcome

[fishermannum1]

some people do use it straight to the rig, but you have to still think on safety, so i would always use a mono leader. also if its cold and wet and something go's wrong when casting, the braid will cut into your finger like a hot knife, so i for one would recommend the mono leader, better safe than sorry....

[chrisfeeney30]

i agree, i would use a mono leader if i were you..

[eric]

i use braid on my fixed spools for general scratching and weedy days, i always use a leader. on a cold day could you imagine the damage braid could do to your finger.

[pete the plug]

personally I would always use a mono leader when using braid,two reasons, when using braid there is very little stretch which is great for bite detction but that little bit of stretch is a great safety net should a fish start going mental as it gets near the edge of the beach.
Secondly the main area of wear on the line is where the lead link joins the line (sand,gravel,stones etc) and your skinny old braid will not be man enough for it.
Stick to the rule 10lb of line to 1oz of lead as a minimum to stay safe.And make sure that you have at least 6-8 turns on the reel.
Most of my fishing is plugging and spinning for bass, but I always use a flourocarbon leader bearing in mind that most lures weigh less than 25g the leader is kept to about half a metre 20lb flouro to 20lb braid, or 15lb flouro to 14lb braid. again this is really used as a rubbing edge. Its supprising just how tatty this short leader can become in a short while.
hope this helps you out.
good luck.
Pete

[seanie35]

cheers lads very informative replys

[roger de dodger]

braid straight through is fine for scratching in close ,for distance i use 20lb braid with a mono shock i think braid is great but can be too sensitive sometimes meaning you miss fish by striking too early a mono leader dampens the sensitivity somewhat so isnt a bad thing even for scratching

[red]

i used braid for the first time on a beach last week and didnt have a leader as i was only lobbing it 20 yards for flats. i took it off after a few casts as i couldnt read the rod tip properly as i wasnt used to the thing nodding so much. must say tho that even the slightest movement showed up i could actually feel the lead touch every stone on the retrieval. i can only imagine what a good fish would feel like on it.

what knot would be reccommended for the mono leader? ive been told the reverse albright is the best but found the diagrams on the power pro site too awkward?
cheers, and sorry if it seems like i jumped into seanies post and changed the subject a little.

[roger de dodger]

grinner to grinner is the only one i use cos its easy to tie even out fishing in the wind ect to keep the knot as small as possible i use tapered leaders 18 to 60lb but remove the first few yards of thin leader and tie it to the 20-25 lb thick part as it knots better normally use 20 or 30 lb braid

[fishermannum1]

heres another one http://www.stripersonline.com/Pages/Art ... knot.shtml
but will be awkward to tie with cold hands and the wind blowing, found this one very good and strong...

[red]

cheers lads.