Leader or no leader?????

[Alphahawk]

I fish braid sometimes for crappie cast and retrieve......2# test braid. I fish waters that are very clear and rocky, and I use 2# test FC leader. But the leader is serving 3 purposes. One is for the invisibility factor.....abrasion resistance, and the last is for a shock leader. Using true 2# test braid with no stretch and you hook into a bigger fish or even a 2 pound crappie something has to give.....and a slight rub on a rock with 2# test braid and it is goodbye fish. This has worked very well for me for a lot of years. I’m been by your home lake many times when trout fishing the White River. Looks like a lake that needs FC leader to me.


Regards


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[DockShootinJack]

To me it is a sweet & sour thing. I believe that in very clear water (as cp said) the braid can look like anchor rope underwater. I love braid but I choose not to use a leader with it. My reasoning is that it is just 1 or 2 extra knots that could be the weakest link. If I feel that braid is not the line to use I simply switch over to a reel that has mono. No leader or extra knots required. Just my thought process.

I am the same way. The fewer knots between me and the fish the better.

[bigdoug03]

I go back and forth. I'm convinced I get a few more bites with a floro leader. On the other hand, I break off a lot and a good portion of the time I lose the leader and have to retie the whole thing. Depending on where I'm fishing I think the extra time I spend re-tying the leader cancels out the extra bites I might get.

[DockShootinJack]

Main reason I use braid. You stay hung up shooting docks. With braid I can bend out the hook and pull free. Beand the hook back and I am fishing again. Took a coworker with me last weekend. He broke off and retied 10 to 15 times. It seemed like he spent more time trying on new jig heads than he did fishing. Added bonus is a big catfish or bass can be wrestled away from the dock and fought in open water. With mono they would wrap you on a piling and break you off .

[Ketchn]

most of the religious braid folks use leaders best I can tell , but I aint a good barometer since I rarely use it myself .
I don't like fishing line that's stronger than me

[ezgoing]

I use braid, I have never used a leader with it. I have caught wild trout without needing a leader so have never seen a need for using it with other fresh water fish. Saltwater fishing is a different matter, I did use leaders when I was fishing the ocean but those were steel leaders.