I used to fish without a leader, because I knew no better. Now I won't fish without one, though mine is only ever around 60cm long. In my opinion, I get a better presentation with 'invisible' flourocarbon line because it's not as obvious in the water as green braid. The abrasive qualities of a mono are also a huge advantage to me as I often fish over rough ground and get dragged through the rocks.

As far as lure action goes, if you use the correct knot to tie on your lure or clip, it is actually more 'free' to move around than if you tie straight to the lure or clip with a sh1tty knot. I use the Rapala knot.

I use 20lb braid and 20lb flouro, any lighter and I'd lose a lot of lures, even while casting (I often fish heavy, 60g plus, lures). I recently had some bumper sessions in crystal clear waters with the sun shining, without changing tactics. Everywhere is different, if you've found what works, and catching 4kg Bass certainly sounds like you have, then stick with it!!

 

I always used to fish with a 15 lb fluorocarbon leader, after being influenced on various forums, I tied braid straight to the lure and I hooked a fish of a lifetime and she just rubbed up against a rock and was gone, I stood there stunned just looking at my frayed braid in disbelief.

I have gone back to a fluorocarbon leader with a lure clip, lesson learned !!!!

 

Nigel, I read somewhere that if FC line gets roughed up - it can be more clearly seen than braid.

I always used a leader, until having lost a few lures and a decent fish early on this year.

I've not noticed any difference in catch rate or presentation of lures.

However, expensive pieces of braid have been lost, due, to fraying which didn't happen. when using a leader.

 

Nigel, I read somewhere that if FC line gets roughed up
However, expensive pieces of braid have been lost, due, to fraying which didn't happen when using a leader.

Change leader when rough, problem solved! I won't trust a scuffed leader to hold a fish anyway!

So scuffed up braid is OK, but scuffed up flouro is bad? Not following the logic here. Roughed up flouro leader to me means that the lure is still dangling from my line. Had it been braid, subjected to the same treatment, all I'd have is a frayed end, no lure.

To each their own though. I prefer a lead, and I catch the occasional fish so I'm happy with that.

 

I use a 6-8' Fluorocarbon leader as it gives me abrasion resistance, I don't lose yards of expensive braid every time I break off and as it gets roughed up I can just replace it. I have tried braid straight through on occasions, but I've found it more trouble than it's worth and likes to wrap around trebles and lure clips!
I use 20lb braid and a 16lb fluorocarbon and find it 100% breaks somewhere along the leader if snagged.

 

I use a leader. Just to help protect against abrasion. Presentation wise I don't think it makes any difference.

 

since the move to braid i always fix straigh to braid with clip swivel ,, only time i use mono if i use bombarda float with mono leader for fly or lure:wink: lost more fish using mono leader when i used mono

 

Change leader when rough, problem solved! I won't trust a scuffed leader to hold a fish anyway!

So scuffed up braid is OK, but scuffed up flouro is bad? Not following the logic here. Roughed up flouro leader to me means that the lure is still dangling from my line. Had it been braid, subjected to the same treatment, all I'd have is a frayed end, no lure.

To each their own though. I prefer a lead, and I catch the occasional fish so I'm happy with that.

Ye, take your points Nigel I'm still experimenting without a leader. If you do use a leader your bringing in another potential weak link. Unless your a competent knot person then it shouldn't be a problem. However, I don't have that confidence with my knots. Therefore. one less knot to ties is beneficial to me.

I also think there's something in it for the producers of quiet expensive FC over ordinary mono, which, for me, is as good.

As I said previously, I'm still not sure with regards to the pros and cons yet, but, for now I'm sticking with braid

Taken from another forum
I recon about five or so years ago I mentioned on here about some research I had read about regarding what happens to flouro when it gets damaged or scratched.

When the surface is marked or damaged the area where this has happened actually glows when light is directed through it and this can lead to all sorts of weird light effects that can be seen from below.

Not sure if this fraying is visual to the naked eye or under a microscope

 

I also think there's something in it for the producers of quiet expensive FC over ordinary mono, which, for me, is as good.

I use the cheapest flouro I can get hold of. In the conditions I fish, the thicker (diameter) 20lb FC I can get, ie the cheap stuff, is better than the low diameter expensive stuff simply because it's more 'meat' to cut through!

As regards knot strength, there are a number of really simple braid to mono knots that I can't snap with my hands without doing myself serious injury

We simply don't know what fish see. I know you can see 'stress' in plastics with two polarizing filters placed at right angles to each other. I imagine this is what you'd see in the flouro if it's scuffed. I doubt fish have that kind of sight tho. I may be wrong.

 

Nigel, what do you think of the double uni knot to join the fluro to the braid?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk_VUb-dOQo

Cheers

 

I try and avoid threads like this, a similar subject is currently being discussed over on WSF with the usual egomaniacs holding sway.
That being said, your post seems to be very genuine Colin.

I think some people do not use a leader because a leader knot is a weak point. If you are lucky enough to hook into a 70+cm fish, people want utter confidence to land it I.e. No weak links.

Some say that people only fish with leaders because they lack confidence to do without.

Personally I always fish with a leader and these are my reasons;
When I leave the house I do not know whether the fish will be feeding hard or not, when fish are "on" I doubt they care much for presentation at all, they'll attack anything and indeed I've had bass hit a feed shallow on splash down. However, when they are being finicky, I believe presentation matters and the more natural your bait looks the better, I nearly always go prepared for a hard day!

Secondly; I maybe out and fish topwaters for a bit, change to a metal and then Texas. I like to make the change with the least amount of fuss possible, I wouldn't dream of fishing Texas through Kelp, Granite and Barnacles without a leader. Fluorocarbon is supple, sinks better than mono and is abrasion resistant, its only drawback is it is brittle.
so yes A leader gives me confidence but I'd like to think for the right reasons rather than to prove how big my Willy is.

I do use mono leaders on occasion, mainly when using metals on a stiffer rod and tight drag, reason being; its stretchy properties act as a shock leader for crash diving fish. You can't always give fish line, Pollock are not clean fighters like Bass and will take every opportunity to reef you, I actually prefer Pollock to Bass for that reason.

There will always be disagreement on all these things though and at the end of the day, I am happy enough with my fishing to carry on until I see the benefits of another method.

 

Didnt know it was so controversial sorry!
TBH I didnt know it was that popular to go straight through with braid until I was searching around on here the first few times ,I was mainly wondering if there was a consensus and therefore I should change.
Anyway,thanks all for your input,guess I will get used to the rough and tumble of this forum.Though it is much politer than football forums I frequent!

 

Colin ,nothing controversial in your question about the use of leaders.This is one reason why in my mind we have a forum ,to discuss methods and to get the opinion of others on them.

 

Colin ,nothing controversial in your question about the use of leaders.This is one reason why in my mind we have a forum ,to discuss methods and to get the opinion of others on them.

Dont worry mate I am not some delicate flower!
Think what I have learnt on this subject is there is no right answer,go with your instinct and what works.A guy who moved here thought i was crazy having a 3lb leader,but in some venues I got so sick of seeing fish start to follow the lure and pull away that I had to try something different and it just seemed logical to me.I would rather hook up and get broken than not hook up was my thinking..

 

Nigel, what do you think of the double uni knot to join the fluro to the braid?

At risk of being called an ego-maniac directly, or anything else for that matter, I think it's a good knot, but a bit fiddly to tie when there are fish at my feet and my hands are shaking because one has just taught me a lesson!

I use 2 knots; at home, before a session, I tie the 'Henry Gilbey knot'. Only started using this recently, and it is a great knot. On the go, I throw a loose overhand in the mono, post the braid through it and pull it tight. Then wrap a double blood around the mono. This is my usual knot and I trust it completely.

Knots in braid are not as strong when they cinch down braid on braid; Rather have braid cinch against mono, or mono to mono where you can.

 

Colin ,I used to be a straight through braid angler until I started fishing with SP's ,Do live, Senkos etc where I thought there was a need for a leader or perhaps when fishing over rough boulder strewn ground.

Nigel ,thanks for your response,do you fancy starting a sticky with diagrams video's for different leader knots , It would be very helpful to quite a few on here including myself.Could also give your ego a boost :lol:

 

Nigel that sounds like the old shockleader knot we used to use for attaching the mono reel line to thicker mono shockleader. Like most others I used it for years when beach fishing back in the day and never had a crack off. I never tried it with braid though so can't comment. For lure fishing I do use the uni to uni and have never had it fail even when pulling out of snags. There may be stonger knots out there (reverse albright and Henry's perhaps) but I find the uni to uni (also known as grinner to grinner) easy enough to tie and have faith in it. I don't use very long leaders so knot size doesn't bother me. So it works for me but may not suit everyone. I hope we won't get tied up in knots over this though!

 

Didnt know it was so controversial sorry!
TBH I didnt know it was that popular to go straight through with braid until I was searching around on here the first few times ,I was mainly wondering if there was a consensus and therefore I should change.
Anyway,thanks all for your input,guess I will get used to the rough and tumble of this forum.Though it is much politer than football forums I frequent!

Unfortunately it can be controversial I suppose but no need to apologise at all, perhaps it should be me apologising for allowing previous bad experience to enter this thread.
The leader debate is usually one that comes out between now and March and is typically known as a "winter thread", it goes along with "long rod or short rod"; "C+R politics", "mark burn" and in recent years UV and also religion.

As I said though; I could tell you are genuine and as such are genuinely interested in fishing as opposed to phishing

I am out in Skiathos in August hopefully, would be kool to meet if you fancy it?

 

I never use a leader but others I fish with do.The catch rate would be on a par if not a little better.I have lost fish from getting cut off with just braid straight through .I just have more confidence with braid straight through.but it makes scence to use a leader when fishing over the rough stuff ,as for catch rate I have no concerns about braid plenty fish this year without a leader.

 

The leader debate is usually one that comes out between now and March and is typically known as a "winter thread", it goes along with "long rod or short rod"; "C+R politics", "mark burn" and in recent years UV and also religion.

Lee I thought that this was to do with 'cabin fever'

 

Nigel, do you fancy starting a sticky with diagrams video's for different leader knots , It would be very helpful to quite a few on here including myself.Could also give your ego a boost

I'll put something together this winter, and run it past the mods. Contributions welcome!

Ego boost, that's what I'm after

 

I'll put something together this winter, and run it past the mods. Contributions welcome!

Ego boost, that's what I'm after

isnt the knot you use called the slim beauty?

 

I am out in Skiathos in August hopefully, would be kool to meet if you fancy it?

Well,that is no problem for me!!we can discuss knots :batonhead: lol
It is my most difficult month,but seriously would be great to meet any visitor from here.It is my least favourite month for fishing,too many people,too many boats but fish wise it is a time when everything is here.I guess you have already booked,which area are you staying?

Definatly Lee.

 

Nah haven't booked yet, we are primarily there for a wedding but I am determined to stretch the holiday to accomodate some fishing time, no point flying all that way for a week when at least two days are taken up with shit I can't be arsed with hey :-D

I'll let you know exactly where and when when I have broken down her indoors. Be good to meet man

 

isnt the knot you use called the slim beauty?

Nah it's different to that, similar but a bit simpler. The Slim Beauty looks like a good knot, but I don't like that it has 3 tag ends... Also, with doubled up mainline it would be twice the size of mine. I don't know where I learned my knot, nor do I know its name. I do know that it's bloody strong and very easy to tie! That's what I look for in a knot.