Braid with Fluoro leader.

[prime89]

Hey guys,

I want to respool my baitcaster with lighter line, i had like 30 lbs powerbraid on it. But im thinking of going down lower for mainly bass fishing and casting distance as well and compare the two lines.

If im using 15 lb braid as my main line and want to add a fluoro leader, how do i match it? How much lb test fluoro works with 15lb braid and how much should i add? I was wondering is some has experience using this set up.

peace. PoW!

[MuskieBait]

The fluoro leader does not need to be too long if your intention for the leader is for...

1) lower visibility

2) abrasion resistance

3) small amount of line to allow stretch

In most cases, a 3-4 feet of fluorocarbon is adequate. I usually use a uni-to-uni knot if the diameter of the line is "close enough". In cases where I'm attaching a heavy fluorocarbon to heavy braid, where the knot becomes a bit large to pass through the line guides, I would use a slim beauty knot (actually, mine is a kind a hybrid knot between a slim beauty and a mid knot). When I say heavy braid to heavy fluoro, I mean 50lb braid to 30lb or heavier fluoro.

For your case with bass fishing, it really depend on where you are fishing. If you are fishing in heavy cover where you may need to drag a fish out of the cover (wood, heavy weed, lilypads...etc), I would use a heavier fluoro leader such as 20lb or heavier. Actually, I would use a heavier braid too in that case. If you are fishing in area without much cover with the 15lb braid you proposed, you can use a lighter fluorocarbon leader such as 10-15lb. However, you have to be aware that 15lb braid has the same diameter as 4lb mono, so the uni-to-uni knot may be more difficult (but not impossible) to tie. You have to make sure the knot is tied properly (the loops and wraps of the knot lies properly once tied, and the knot was lubricated before tightening). But again, if the braid diameter and fluoro leader diameter is hugely different, I would try the slim beauty knot.

[Tyger]

(09-09-2012 10:47 PM)prime89 Wrote:  Hey guys,

I want to respool my baitcaster with lighter line, i had like 30 lbs powerbraid on it. But im thinking of going down lower for mainly bass fishing and casting distance as well and compare the two lines.

If im using 15 lb braid as my main line and want to add a fluoro leader, how do i match it? How much lb test fluoro works with 15lb braid and how much should i add? I was wondering is some has experience using this set up.

peace. PoW!

I generally don't use a leader, but I believe you should match up the diameter, e.g. 20lb PP has the diameter of 8lb Invizx

[MuskieBait]

(09-10-2012 04:40 PM)Tyger Wrote:  

(09-09-2012 10:47 PM)prime89 Wrote:  Hey guys,

I want to respool my baitcaster with lighter line, i had like 30 lbs powerbraid on it. But im thinking of going down lower for mainly bass fishing and casting distance as well and compare the two lines.

If im using 15 lb braid as my main line and want to add a fluoro leader, how do i match it? How much lb test fluoro works with 15lb braid and how much should i add? I was wondering is some has experience using this set up.

peace. PoW!

I generally don't use a leader, but I believe you should match up the diameter, e.g. 20lb PP has the diameter of 8lb Invizx

Not necessarily. It depends on what you are doing and what was your requirement. If you were to match 8lb fluoro to equivalent braid diameter, you need 20-30lb braid depending on brand. If you were to match 15lb braid to equivalent mono diameter, you will be going down to 4lb fluorocarbon. Most times, your fluoro leader and mono leader will be thicker than your braid...but as long as they are "close enough", you should be ok.

Braid is abrasion resistant for wood and weeds in general, but if your braid were to contact sharp rocks, or zebra mussel encrusted areas, it will cut without much effort. In those cases, you do want some fluorocarbon or mono as a rub leader to prevent frequent cut offs.

Try this at home...take a length of braid and rub it against a table corner. It is very resistant to that rubbing against a wooden edge, even if that edge is dry and splintered (if it was wet and smooth like many driftwood or roots, it's not even an issue). Now, take the same braid (undamaged) and carefully (for your own sake) drag it lightly over a razor or a kitchen knife and see how easy it is to cut it. Or, take that same line and rub it against the sharp edge of a rock. It does not take much effort to cut the line.

15lb braid will cut very easily due to contact with a sharp edge...so if you want to land some fish in places with rocks or zebra mussels, a rub leader is suggested.

I even tried this with my 65lb braid...it takes very little effort to cut 65lb braid with a knife or razor. Zebra mussel shells are just as sharp.

Now back to the point. When fishing in rocky areas or in areas with mussels, you likely won't be fishing with 4-6lb fluoro leader as a rub leader anyways (if you want to match the diameter of your braid to fluoro). It cuts pretty easily since even 8lb fluoro is pretty thin (a little better than straight braid, but not much better...trust me...I lost a lot of big brown trout to zebra mussels in the fall fishing 8lb fluoro...fishing too heavy a leader they simply don't bite...it's a pretty tricky situation...). I would try to use heavier fluoro if you can get away with it. Like I said, 10-15lb fluoro is a pretty safe bet...unless you are fineses fishing, but then realize you could likely lose more fish but get more bites with lighter fluoro. It's a trade off sometimes. If you are fishing 15lb braid (equiv. diamater of 4lb) and attaching a 10-15lb fluoro leader as a rub leader, you simply can't match the diameter. So it all depends on your requirement for the fluoro.