Braid Leaders

[mdk_1234]

Do y'all prefer fluro leaders or mono leaders or none when using braid. Lemme know your setups! Thanks everyone!

[CrappiePappy]

I used 6-8lb test mono on my Pushing rod/linecounter reel setups because my main lines were 20lb mono or 30lb braid. As far as my one casting outfit that has 10/2 PowerPro hi-viz braid, I've never used a mono (or fluro) leader ... and caught many a good Crappie in a fairly clear water lake (Watts Bar in Tenn) and at a couple of lakes here in KY.

That one casting outfit is a 7' Bionic Blade IM8 graphite rod (Med action) - Shimano Spirex 2000 reel - PowerPro 10/2 hi-viz braid. I used it primarily to cast 1/16oz Road Runners and Charlie Brewer Whirly Bees ... with the idea that I could get them back if they got snagged on wood or rocks. I also found that I could cast the 1/16oz Road Runner farther and easier, without the need for a heavyhanded hookset. Merely continuing to reel and sweeping the rod about a foot was all that was needed for a solid hookup, even at 30-40ft away.

[keeferfish]

Prefer no leader.

[mdk_1234]

I used 6-8lb test mono on my Pushing rod/linecounter reel setups because my main lines were 20lb mono or 30lb braid. As far as my one casting outfit that has 10/2 PowerPro hi-viz braid, I've never used a mono (or fluro) leader ... and caught many a good Crappie in a fairly clear water lake (Watts Bar in Tenn) and at a couple of lakes here in KY.

That one casting outfit is a 7' Bionic Blade IM8 graphite rod (Med action) - Shimano Spirex 2000 reel - PowerPro 10/2 hi-viz braid. I used it primarily to cast 1/16oz Road Runners and Charlie Brewer Whirly Bees ... with the idea that I could get them back if they got snagged on wood or rocks. I also found that I could cast the 1/16oz Road Runner farther and easier, without the need for a heavyhanded hookset. Merely continuing to reel and sweeping the rod about a foot was all that was needed for a solid hookup, even at 30-40ft away.

thanks!

[Les Young]

Clear water i use a 10lb clear mono leader.

[RyanJ]

No leader. We have shown here it seems to make no difference with anything.

[Brag]

Not an answer to your question, but I had the strangest thing happen to me the other day. I was fishing 10 pound braid on a spinning reel and I THINK I had 6 pound fluoro for a 5 foot section of leader. I was fishing a double jig rig with loops on both jigs, one maybe 14-18" above the other one. I broke off not one, not two, not three, but four different fish on that rig in a few hours of fishing. A couple of them were likely "good" crappie, but they were just crappie and most were probably in the 11-12" range (which is what I was otherwise catching on that day). Most were hooked on the bottom jig and the line broke at or near the loop on the upper jig, but I think one of them broke both jigs off (likely hooked on the upper jig, broke the line at the upper loop and I lost everything underneath it too). My uni knot (braid to fluoro) was fine and never broke, it was the loop knots, typically the upper/inline loop that broke. I still don't know what's up with that, but I'm leaning towards using mono rather than fluoro next time or possibly just doubling the line over itself instead of looping it over itself three times.

[Ketchn]

leaders are wasting time in most cases , extra clear water and super old wary fish might make it a need ....said might ....
crappie are not all that smart , just saying
they live in a world of underwater tangles and probably could really care less about a thread in the water .....

[mdk_1234]

leaders are wasting time in most cases , extra clear water and super old wary fish might make it a need ....said might ....
crappie are not all that smart , just saying
they live in a world of underwater tangles and probably could really care less about a thread in the water .....

I'm new to braid. See people saying fluro is a must due to line shyness and others saying crappie aren't line shy tie your jigs straight to your braid. LOL