# Tarpon leader



## Mason m (Aug 7, 2011)

I have a 10ft clear sink tip line on my 12wt does anyone have easy tarpon leader recipe?


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## bamdvm (Apr 3, 2010)

9 ft. of straight 80#.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

bamdvm said:


> 9 ft. of straight 80#.


The guide I went out with used about 7 feet of straight 60# mono with a 5 foot 50# flourocarbon tip.


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## FTAC03 (Sep 12, 2007)

What knots would you use on the recipe above?


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

Uni-to-uni works well.


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## txed (Jul 10, 2012)

*Tarpon Leader*

Got a great guide in The Keys. He uses double uni knots, 50 pound Mason Hard Mono for butt 3 feet, 30 pound class @ 3 feet, and 50 pound again @ 3 feet for bite tippet. Nailed a 130 pounder (see avatar) one year ago and it worked fine. In fact it nearly killed me....one hour battle. Would have liked a 20# class tippet to break off the dang thing at about 50 minutes!

This year we just used straight 50 pound--the problem with Not using some sort of class tippet is that if you have, say a 60 pound straight mono and get it wrapped around one of your body parts from finger up, and hook a monster, I really hate to think about it....just my opinion but at the moment of hookup, you are totally crazy, fish is going crazy and line is flying all around....


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## Backcast (Jul 22, 2005)

I just finished reading "Passion for Tarpon" by Andy Mill. He posts his leader in the book. Somewhat complicated using a bimini twist and 16 lb class tippet with shock leader.

I wonder if you could google his leader? man that was a good read.

The DVD teaser with book of "Chasing Tarpon" shows him lifting a bucket weighted via a pulley to test your pull strength. Gives you an idea how much pull you can put on a 16 lb test tippet.

Joe


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## Mason m (Aug 7, 2011)

I've been building some leaders I got the guys at swan point landing to show me how. Get two arm lengths of 25lb fluorocarbon and double them 2ft long make your bimini. Then you will have a single strand of 25lb at the bottom of your bimini you'll leave about 1 1/2ft and add 60lb test at the bottom. I will try and post pics tomorrow.


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## Mason m (Aug 7, 2011)

*Leaders*







here is the picture where the 25lb hard alloy is doubled above the Bimini under the bimini you will have about 1 1/2 ft of strait 25lb then 60lb fluorocarbon


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## bamdvm (Apr 3, 2010)

Ha. I think you were in there while we were tying leaders last saturday.


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## Mason m (Aug 7, 2011)

Haha yep that was me!


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## bamdvm (Apr 3, 2010)

You're a lot taller than you look on the internet.


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## Mason m (Aug 7, 2011)

bamdvm said:


> You're a lot taller than you look on the internet.


Lol did y'all catch any fish last weekend?


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

I pretty much run the following:

3' of 40 lb butt. Perfection loop to my fly line.
3' of 30 lb class. Double uni to the butt.
2' of 60 lb to 80 lb shock. Albright to the class.

If fishing muddy rivers, I'll shorten this up. With blue water, I'll extend the butt a bit. Depending on the size of fish I'll step it down. But overall, it is stout, easy to tie, and gives you a weak point in the system. If you run heavy line all the way, the breaking point could be larger than your fly line. You want the class to be the weak point in case you need to break the fish off. 

I've tied Mill's rig before and it is good, but it is more time consuming. The biminis add shock absorption, but that is more important when fishing light class to help protect it. The huffnagle is a good knot, but a well tied albright works just as good and is a little easier to tie. Again, huffnagles are good with a lighter bimini loop since you double the line over. You don't need this if connecting 30 lb to your shock.


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