Salmon with this rod?

[MuskieBait]

I would say you need a little more than 120yds if you plan to fish from river mouths or piers, especially with a 6'6" medium rod. But since the line is on your reel already, just go with it. Just a caution that if you do hook a big salmon, you may get spooled and lose all your braid.

A "rub" leader or an abrasion leader does just what its name implies...it is a length of line closest to your hook or lure that is usually thicker and more abrasion resistance. This is used to prevent your line from cutting if the fish rolls in the line (if fish has rough scales, sharp gill plate or some teeth), or if you fish in areas with a lot of structure (dock, wood, rock, reef...etc).

The line depends on your application. You can use either fluoro or mono. If you fish crystal clear water during the day, you may want to use fluoro. If you fish in coloured or more turbid water, or if you fish at night, you can use mono.

The weight depends on the size of fish and you need for abrasion resistance. If you are fishing in a weedy area or areas with some small branches only, you can get away with 15lb mono since that diameter is thick enough. If you have to fight a big fish around docks or if the bottom is rocky and encrusted with zebra mussels, you want 30lb mono since you need the strength to turn a fish away from obstacles and you need the thickness to within the sharp objects that may cut your line.

Braid is good around weeds and wood, but braid cuts easily from contact with sharp objects like rocks and zebra mussels. It is always wise to use a "rub" leader with braid.

How is this different from a regular leader? When people speak about leader, it could imply using a less visible, lighter and thinner diameter line in situations where fish are line shy. But in this case, it is the reverse. You want a leader that is heavier than your braid to prevent you from being cut.

The length of "rub leader" depends on how much obstacles you have, and your confidence. As I suggested above, you can use 5-20 feet of it.

Just as an illustration, currently I'm using a 7' MH casting rod with a 350 size baitcaster spooled with 250yds+ of 40lb braid with a 5' length of 30lb mono. Yes, the braid is heavier than the mono, but the mono has almost double the diameter of the braid. In my case, I pay attention to the diameter, not the strength. I only use a 7' rod because I get enough casting distance to cover 80% of the channel I'm fishing. I can use a 9' rod but then I'll be casting the lure onto the other shore of the channel. In my case, it is not necessary to use a longer rod at all. I also use heavier line and have beefier gear because I have to deal with dock post and docked boats. I need the ability to turn a fish from certain areas. If you fish an open shoreline, it is not necessary to use 40lb braid or a 30lb mono leader.