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Braid or leader to lure?

7K views 24 replies 23 participants last post by  EJ@TSFMag 
#1 ·
I'm interested in how many folks use braided line and NO leader - braid straight to lure. I generally use mono or floro leader but unless the water is really clear, it seems to me that light braid is not going to spook the fish. Has anyone tried both methods long enough to know if fishing without a leader has negative consequences?
 
#2 ·
I used to tie Palomar knot straight to lure.
Sure did get old getting outfished for trout, reds, bass....you name it. My buddies outfished me. And I swore up and down the braid didn't spook em....

Way wrong.
30# braid
Crazy Alberto knot to 20# fluoro or mono leader
Canoe man loop knot to lure
Catch more fish more often under all conditions.
 
#3 ·
There are more benefits to using a leader vs not using one.

get hung up and now you have to pull 30lbs of pressure to break the line. If you're using higher test line like fins 40g 45lb, now you're pulling even more pressure against your reel.

when you do break free, now you have several yards less of that expensive line.

braid tied directly to split rings sucks.
 
#5 ·
I honestly feel like if the fish are biting it doesn't make a difference. In my experience if it makes you feel kroe confident in the lure, then tie it on. But when you are catching fish back to back, I don't think it truly matters. I will usually try and start off with floro with that being said, but if I get broken off I usually won't retie it. I feel like there are so many other factors affecting the bite, but to each his own. I've had times where it seems like it mattered and times where the bite was so good they would've hit anything we threw at em.

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#6 ·
Sounds like you guys use heavier braid than I do - I'm typically at 10-12 lb but I suspect if they spook at 30 lb braid they will at 10-12 - there isn't that much difference in diameter. The neutral colors blend in with are typically stained water - I wouldn't want fluorescent yellow tied directly to my lure.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
#7 ·
Use your location when posting feeching ?? cause the water conditions prevail the answer. Middle coat to lower I will use a leader if the water is clear.

Straight Braid on upper coast and never an issue. Just ask Capt Mickey . I will use a leader in real clear water conditions which dont happen in the upper coast bays (except west ) Topwater benefits some, but i have no issues and cant remember the year that i tied on a leader.

Try it an like it or forget about it
 
#11 ·
Frankly I have not noticed a difference as far as the fish are concerned, braid or mono, fish are instinct feeders, competing for food and will strike darn near anything in front of them that resembles food when feeding. Plus upper coast and La water is typically not so clean that a trout swims up to the bait and says "ah I see line--see ya, lol". It's really personal preference, I personally like to use a 4 r 5 foot 20 lb mono leader tied to power pro super slick 8/30 with back to back uni knots. But have on many occasions tied directly to braid.
 
#12 ·
I have a lot of confidence in fluorocarbon leaders. Fluorocarbon won't foul on split rings or treble hooks. It's pretty nice around oyster shell or barnacles being able to stand up to some contact with that stuff. It can survive at least some of the encounters with sharp teeth fish like Spanish mackerel or bluefish maybe long enough to put on a POS lure, some wire leader or move for the next cast. I know there isn't a less visible option, that nothing else will blend in better with water than fluorocarbon.

It is just enough of a shock absorber to tone down the downsides to no stretch braid. I find it much easier to tie on terminal knots with fluorocarbon leader material versus braid. You aren't constantly chipping away at the braid on your reel spool by changing lures. The fluorocarbon leader takes the brunt of the loss. For me, the worst part of the fluorocarbon leader to braid set up has been the knot joining the two. On occasion, I've had that knot hang up in tiny rod guides and end up launching my topwater with the leader into orbit on the cast. I think I've solved that by carefully trimming the tag ends on the Albright special knot and putting a tiny drop of UV cure adhesive on the knot. The uv glue on exposure to ultraviolet light forms a smooth very thin shell over the knot so that it will pass through the guides without issue.
 
#17 ·
For me, the worst part of the fluorocarbon leader to braid set up has been the knot joining the two. On occasion, I've had that knot hang up in tiny rod guides and end up launching my topwater with the leader into orbit on the cast.
Another solution is the FG knot. I recently started using this and it is fantastic for use with micro guides.

 
#13 ·
I have done the straight braid and I've done the braid to mono/ fluoro. They do both work in the waters that I fish, but I much prefer 20 or 30# power pro with a 5' 25# mono or fluoro leader. I prefer this for many of the reasons already mentioned. I tie a loop knot on any lure that doesn't have a split ring to get more action out of my lures, that won't work with braid (I don't use clips or swivels). Straight braid to anything with a treble hook would be a nightmare to untangle with a fish that gets the line twisted up!


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#16 ·
They will hit a lure tied directly to braid even in some very clear water. I've been with sightcasters like Railbird and I've done it myself. Winter water clarity and how finicky they can be in the winter might be a little different.. maybe in that ultra clear water. That said, 9 of 10 times Im still using a leader for the reasons mentioned above. Braid can slip out of the eye of the hook/lure, Many times braid is less resistant to being cut by teeth or gill rakes. If your braid gets hung in a split ring like karstopo said, it's a pain in the arse. many more above. The only time I tie direct is when I don't have time to tie a leader for some reason, or if Im wading and forgot to bring extra leader and need to re tie, and sight casting from a tower where I want to hoist the fish in from the tower.
 
#18 ·
I use fluorocarbon or mono leaders with my braid most of the time. On occasion, I've tied jigs directly to braid and caught fish.

I switched from the Crazy Alberto to the FG knot awhile back. I use long leaders and the knot always passes through my rod eyes. I switched to the FG knot because I found that it glides through the eyes smoothly. With the Crazy Alberto, I always had some knot pop when it came through the eyes. IMO, that little pop robs a little distance off of each cast. Also, the FG knot, when tied properly, is super strong.
 
#20 ·
Tie fluorocarbon always to braid for several reasons.
It's stiffness is better for working a topwater.
Needed to leader in a fish. Wet braid will cut your hands if the fish decide to run.
Invisibility in clear water, a little stretch.

Winter / clear water for Trout 10# to 15# FC.
Spring / summer 20# to 25# FC.

10# braid for Trout & Reds for longer cast using 6 turn Uni to Uni knot.
Fishing heavy structure or surf 15# braid. ...... ICM
 
#21 ·
For the longest time I just tied braid straight to the lure, but fishing around the clear waters of Port Aransas/Aransas Pass/Rockport I did start noticing redfish shying away from my lure, so I started tying on a leader.

10lbs Power Pro to 12 lbs fluorocarbon Leader with a FG Knot. Then a Non-Slip Loop Knot to my lure. This is just for my spinning setup which is mainly used for sightcasting to redfish. If you're planning on throwing topwaters you're better off using a monofilament leader because it floats and has a little more stretch.
 
#24 ·
I tie 4' to 5' of 20# mono to 30# 8 strand braid with an Albright knot on my casting reels. Same thing on spinning reels except I use 20# braid. When the leader is 2' to 3' I change it. I tie lures with the Canoe Man Loop knot or Improved Clinch depending on what it is. If it's a cork set up, I tie braid directly to the cork.
 
#25 · (Edited)
My reasons for using leaders on braid:

-I tie every lure with a loop knot to enhance the action. If a lure comes with a split ring I remove it. I do not like clips or other devices to attach lures. Seen too many failures over the years.
-Going direct to lure with braid, the loop has an uncanny way of finding the tiny gap in the tie-eye of most jigheads and some other lures. Fish gets loose with my lure. Bummer!
-No matter the braid brand or strength, my leader for general bay applications is plain old 20# or 25# monofilament. Snook have highly abrasive lips and super sharp gills...30# fluorocarbon when targeting them or chance of an encounter is likely!
-Freshly tied, my leader is 6' long, joined to braid with Crazy Alberto. There are slimmer knots but i do not use micro-guides, so no need. Alberto is strong in my static pull tests, never had one fail fighting a fish, including large jack crevalle, bull reds, etc. Re-tying lures uses up leader length, ditto when I find a nick or abraded section, I trim it. I use it down to about 2' and then tie a new one. Alberto is easy to tie on the fly!
-I practice a lot of catch and release. Fish often roll back on the leader and tangle, braid cuts into their flesh and gills, especially trout. Braid cinched around a trout can be especially harmful, reducing likelihood of a successful release. Mono or flouro of sizes described is less likely to produce injury to fish.
-Braid tied direct has a greater tendency to foul hooks on topwaters and other plugs during pauses in retrieve cadence, especially when presenting upwind or up-current.
-And of course there is the stealth factor - fish seeing braid - but I do not believe this is much of a factor in most areas I fish.
-I hear some folks mentioning the stretch characteristics of mono or fluoro leaders (i.e. "shock" leader) but given such a short section in use I doubt it can produce much benefit.

This has been my rigging system since I converted to braid about 12 years ago. The latest update was the Alberto joining knot, I formerly used Uni-to-Uni and Triple Surgeon. This set up serves me very well and I encourage others to try it.
 
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