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  1. #1
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    braid to flouro leader length

    Last year I went straight braid for everything. This upcoming year I decided I am going to try a braid to flouro leader for my crankbaits and chatterbaits (used around wood and rocks, not weeds). For those that do this, approximately how long of a flouro leader do you use? I was thinking 6-8 feet since I don't fish really clear water and also having a leader that length would enable me to keep the connection knot from reaching the spool. Sound about right, or should I be going longer?

  2. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    Mar 2016
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    Twin Cities, MN
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    #2
    It's all about personal preference. I don't think there's anything inherently bad about having the knot get onto the spool, and even though people say certain reels won't play nice with it (Tatulas with the T-Wing, for example), I've found that's not really true until you get into bigger diameters. I run 40 lb braid to a 16 lb Sniper leader on my chatterbait setup with a Tatula Type R and reel the knot into the spool every cast without any issues. Of course smaller diameter stuff works fine as well. It's only on my flipping and pitching setup where I run 50 lb to 25 lb fluoro that the knot doesn't want to come through the line guide, and again this is a Daiwa T-wing which is supposedly as bad as it gets for catching leader knots.

    The main thing I've found is that if it's a rod where you'll EVER be pitching, you want the knot either outside the guides (so like a 4 foot leader), or far enough into the guides to be away from the tip top. If that knot is close to the tip top when you position your bait for a pitch, it's gonna catch and you're gonna want to murder someone. 6-8 feet is a perfect recipe for that.

    When I set up my flipping and pitching leader, I tie the leader so that the knot is between the reel and first guide when I'm set up to pitch. That makes it about 12 feet long or maybe even a little longer (I just tie the leader knot to the spool then cut it at the appropriate length). The knot does not get into the spool where it will catch yet far enough away from the tip that it flies through like it's not there when I pitch, and stays that way through several reties. Once it starts getting close and wanting to catch, I just tie on a new leader. A spool of fluoro lasts a LOOONG time doing this, so don't feel like you're being wasteful to throw away 8 feet of leader. Sounds silly to say it, but that was honestly my biggest hangup before I realized how ridiculous I was being.

    I generally do about the same length on my other setups, mostly because it allows me to pitch other baits even if it's not a rod that I usually pitch with. Spinning rods I'll often go like 18 feet (usually three "wing spans" worth) since I've found that this helps with wind blowing your bait, allows me to have the knot on the spool when I get a fish close to the boat (no chance of it catching on a guide if that fish surges), and of course allows a bunch of reties. If you ever drop down to fish, fluoro jumps off the spool and allows a straight drop much easier than braid, too.

    I tried braid to a leader for cranking and went back to straight fluoro. That and my dragging rod (C-rig, Football jigs, etc) are the two that get straight fluoro. I found braid caused me to lose fish while cranking and caused me to snag up more when dragging (guess the braid made the sinker wedge more somehow, maybe the complete lack of stretch), so I went back to fluoro. 12 lb Sniper is awesome for cranking, and this past season I tried 18 lb Shooter on the advice of a buddy for dragging and it works excellent. Everything else (save for the times I just go straight braid like frogs and other topwater baits) is braid to a leader. I will occasionally run straight braid on swim jigs, chatterbaits, etc at times, but prefer the leader due to it reducing the noise sawing on vegetation (probably in my head) and is less likely to make my bait disappear if a toothy gets it or I drag it on a metal dock post the wrong way.

    Lots of different schools of thought and opinions on this, so looking forward to what others have to say!
    2011 Skeeter ZX225
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  3. Member
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    Jul 2015
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    #3
    Dang, I could do a write up on how I set up my braid to flouro leader, but Drewflew33's method is almost identical to mine. So X2 on what Drewflew33 said, but, I do use braid to flouro on football jigs, and yes, like he said, it is easier to get a lure hung up this way. Also, just like what he said, I do not use braid at all with cranking.

  4. Member
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    #4
    Drew, thanks for the great information. I was originally thinking about going straight flouro (15lb Assassin) for my cranks & chatterbaits, but I've had such bad luck with flouro in the past (cast out, get a backlash that pinches the line, snap the line a few casts later, then lose the lure and my mind) that I thought doing braid to flouro might be a better way to go. I'm not really worried about the connection knot getting reeled onto the spool, but just thought that if the 6-8 foot length would work well then that would be one less area for the knot to go through. I do plan on also doing braid to flouro on my pitching rod, but only plan on havng a 3-4 foot leader for that since that rod has the AGS guides and they tell you not to run a connection knot through them.

  5. Member
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    Nov 2019
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    #5
    Simple, make your leader the length of the rod it is going on. This will always put the knot between reel and first guide when casting.

  6. Member
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    Feb 2013
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    #6
    I don't like putting a "kink" in the fluoro which happens when the leader is inside the tip guide when I hook the bait to the bait keeper hook. I tie on the leader to keep the knot just outside of the tip guide... it ends up being a little over 5' long. Drop shot leaders end up a little longer.

    oe

  7. Member
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    #7
    I personally don't like line to line leaders, just another potential failure. If I make a leader, I want both ends tied to a swivel, so the line isn't kinked so tightly. (Too sharp a bend radius, which can kill floro)

  8. Member
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    Nov 2009
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    #8
    I personally wouldn’t use braid or braid to fluoro for cranking out chatters. I prefer some stretch and give with line and glass rods for both applications so losing fish doesn’t come into play