Leader

[samo]

Hi,

i will be putting in a good few hours plugging/spinning for bass this summer. just wondering would anyone have any advice regarding leaders. i use 12lb mono on my reels.

cheers,

samo.

[lure fisher]

Hi Samo

I use 10lb braid mainline and 1 metre 20lb fluoro leader and rapala knot to attach lure when surface lure fishing.

If im not to lazy to change spools i use 20lb braid and a 2 metre 25lb fluoro leader using diving plugs and soft plastics.

The braid keeps me in contact with the lure and gives me a better cast and the fluoro leader acts as rubbing leader which is important when fishing over rocks which i do a lot of the time.

Of course all these choices are for the individual to make, im not saying that this set up is a must, its just the way i like to set up.

A

[samo]

Cheers for the advise mate.

[whelzer]

I see a lot of guys here recommend using fluoro as a leader.

Is there any particular reason to use it over mono. Tried some a couple of years back for fly fishing but couldn't get on with it at all. It was very stiff (is this good for lures) and found knotting the stuff a mare.

[lure fisher]

Hi Whezler

I think you hit the nail on the head regarding the stiffness of fluoro over mono. I think it helps when working surface lures in particular.

Making good knots was an issue with fluoro in the past but not such a problem with newer fluoro on the market. i use seagur or rio brands designed for tippets.

A

[Pat]

I think you hit the nail on the head regarding the stiffness of fluoro over mono. I think it helps when working surface lures in particular.

Conventional wisdom would suggest use mono over fluro for surface lures .

[lure fisher]

....

[Pat]

I got this tip off from JimH http://www.probassfisher.com/ . I'd bow to Jim's experience on the matter, as when lure fishing he concentrates more on surface fishing.

[Pat]

Apparently, mono floats better on the surface than fluro helping your popper/slider to sit better.

[hugo]

I lost a few nice lures from crackoffs when using Vanish as a leader, so i now use the braid straight thru with the drag set lower, and just keep an eye on the front end for chafing. No problems since. Any thoughts on this?

[Pat]

Same thing was happening to me. I was using an albright knot. On a tip off from JimH I changed to a reverse albright http://powerpro.com/publish/content/glo ... knots.html ....haven't looked back since.

[hugo]

Ah. Thanks for that Pat.

But did yours go at the knot? Mine seemed to break off further back, mostly when I was using a plug with moving mag weight.
The all-braid set-up has given me no problems since so I'm not inclined to revert.

[funkyflounder]

i use 20lb amnesia... i dont really understand how clear, clear mono has to be.. how good is a bass' eyesight like?!

[JimH]

A human eye has 14 times more 'resolving' power when compared to predatory fish - visual acuity in fish is quite low and is more tuned to movement and contrast - they physically cant perceive detail.....!

The fluoro/mono debate is more oriented towards better presentations particularly when using smaller surface lures and or mono flouro, also the abrasion resistance of fluoro is higher than that of mono when compared.

choices - choices

[hugo]

A human eye has 14 times more 'resolving' power when compared to predatory fish - visual acuity in fish is quite low and is more tuned to movement and contrast - they physically cant perceive detail.....!

... so its a fair bet they wont spot my thread-like 14lb braid, especially in weedy ground

I remember when braid started appearing various experts said you had to use a mono leader as a "shock absorber" because braid has no stretch. Thats the job of the rod and the reel drag, surely. I still wonder if it wasnt a case of people who used mono all their fishing days just being unwilling to give it up....

Only problem I find with all-braid is if you get fighter on - one biggish bass slashed itself so deeply on the braid that it couldnt be returned.

[JimH]

The amount of stretch in mono compared to fluoro is quite different.
Fluoro tends to sink mono tends to float.
Flouro has a lower light refractive index than mono.
Flouro is more abrasion resistant than mono
Flouro is more expensive than mono
There is practically zero stretch in braided lines.
Modern lure rods tend to be stiffer than traditional 'spinning rods'

[Budawanny]

Lads, lots of info there. One more question while we're on the subject. Whether all braid or using a leader, what is the best way to tie it to the lure?

I ask because especially on poppers I find the belly hook loves to foul during a cast. I've tried clip swivels and this was particularly bad, sometimes as much as 50% of casts fouled. I've tried a biggish loop in the line that can fit over the lure and that is not so bad but still fouls quite a bit. Using a knot like a rapala fouls less but man it is painful for changing lures especially in poor light.

Would like to know what anyone else does.

Cheers.

[hugo]

I always take off the belly hook on my lures, apart from fouling the line they're the ones that get you wedged in the weed. No difference in hook-up rates, in fact I think it makes it easier for the fish to take the lure. For attachment I just use the braid straight through to a spin link, lost a few good lures from mono crack-offs even though it looked OK before the cast.

[Budawanny]

It pains me to have type this..... mainly becuse I took off half my fingertip off yesterday with braid trying to get some extra yards on a cast!

I'm all for leaders from now on - or I will be once the trigger finger grows back!