LEADER MATERIAL FOR BRAIDED/ FLOUROCARBON LINE

[opsirc]

Well I decided to get a new open water setup ; rod, reel and line. Going to change to a graphite rod from my old ugly stick and get a new smoother 8+ bb reel to go along. And after all the years of using 6lb Trilene XL, decided to try one of the braided or fluorocarbon lines, not sure which one yet. But I noticed that most everyone recommends using a mono leader.

Question being: do most of you use a heavier mono or something equal in test to the braided or fluorocarbon line?

thanks

O

[PierBridge]

Fluorocarbon line is a cousin to the nylon monofilament line so you wouldn't need a leader when using it.

For braided line a mono or Fluorocarbon leader is often used some will use a swivel to attach others will use a uni-knot and a similar sized diameter Fluoro or mono line to the braided line.

One of my rigs has 2-10 PP and a Fluorocarbon "Vanish 4lb" leader connected by a uni knot.

[PerchJerker]

Braided and flourocarbon are specialty lines, they work great for some applications, they are terrible in others.

I have some reels that are spooled with mono and some reels that are spooled with braided (or fused) superlines. I don't have any reels that are spooled with flouro, although I use flouro as a leader in some situations. In general, it is not very often that I use flouro or mono leaders - sometimes, not all the time.

I wouldn't make a wholesale change away from 6 lb XL, I think you might be in for some unpleasant surprises. Hopefully you'll have a 2nd reel or 2nd spool, if so I would think about keeping 6 lb XL on one of them, and go with a braid on the other. Good luck.

[markkstanley]

Like Perchjerker said I have mono on one spool and braid on the other. Use braid when trolling, 50/50 between mono and braid when casting and vertical jigging, mono for slip bobber and rigging. I am going to try the Gamma copolymer which is supposed to be twice as strong as similar mono but fishes like mono. One warning braid and graphite rods requires a drastically reduced hook set. A snap of the wrist WHILE reeling is all you need to drive the hooks home.

[sparcebag]

I went from trilene XL & XT last year to flouro.MISTAKE for me anyway, knots kept breaking line breaks on hook set just a bad experience overall.

[Daze Off]

I have combos filled with all three different lines and the spinning outfits have interchangeable spools so I also have a variety of strengths as well. Each has its best purpose and I try to use them accordingly. Mono floats and flouro does not so it impacts how deep your baits will run as well.

I never use a leader except when Carolina-rigging when I use flouro if I have a braid main-line. To me it just adds a few more weak points to potentially fail when landing a fish.

The only real contribution I want to add is to remember to have a mono backing on your spool before threading braid or you will get slipping.

The best thing is that it is not the end of the world if you spool a reel with something and don't like it - it is easy and comparatively inexpensive to change to something else. I've experimented with some braids and some monos that I did not like and just stripped them and replaced with something else.

I'm fishing an ulta-clear lake in Missouri at the end of the month and am taking all of my braid off and replacing with flouro and will have to change back for the fishing up here when I get return.

Good luck!

Daze Off