braid and a florucarbon leader woks for me.

Okay, so would this Rod, Reel, Line & Leader combo work well for soft plastics going after Redfish & Trout while wading?

Rod - St Croix Avid 7'6" MLF 6-12lb 1/8-1/2oz
Spinning Reel - Daiwa TD Fuego2500A
Line - 30lb Braid
Leader - 20lb Fluorocarbon

Is there a risk of the rod breaking because the line is to strong?

Personally, I don't like the casting characteristics of fluorocarbon. I stick with Trilene XL (old school, for sure) for the limp non-memory characteristics and check for frays with every fish. 12-lb is my all around weight.

If you're just using a jig head and tail, tie it directly to the braid.

But you do agree with the combo, and I needn't be unduly concerned about rod breakge?

Generally speaking that combo will do fine. I've broken several rods while horsing reds to the shore/boat. Falcon, St.Croix and another one that can't remember. So, it is possible that you could break a rod, but not likely.

Thanks Mike!!!

And thanks again Pat - I like the idea of keeping it simple!!!

I wouldn't worry too much about rod breakage. Set the drag properly, don't horse the big ones and you'll be fine.

Always use a loose drag even if you have 30 lb line. You wont have to worry about breaking the rod. With Soft plastics only, I don't worry about the leader. Unless there is a specific need for the leader, less knots is always better.

You might consider a little heavier action on your rod, when I use less than a MH, the rod tends to whip around, and causes the aggravating wind knots.

But everyone is different, most use a lighter action, I like the stiffer mostly for stabbing a flounder, they clamp down on a jig so hard it's difficult to get the hook in one. Oldham screw lock head with a gamakatsu hook will go a loooong way in improving your catch ratio.

I was thinking of using a 1/8oz jighead, do I need to step up to 1/4oz because of the braid - supposedly they float?

No, I use 1/8 99.999% of the time, no issues.

that is it in a nutshell. Don't neglect to set your drag properly. I too have had a rod broken but it was because I wasn't paying attention to my drag.

I remember throwing Kelly Wigglers with a Abu Garcia 1000( my first Baitcaster) and 10lb line,Matching red Abu Garcia 7 ft Popping rod........I Slaughtered the Reds and Trout on that rig when I was a kid...

Dunno how anyone is breaking any rods, considering I haven't broken a rod in all my time fishing, but braid does do a number on your rod. Braid has alot of sensitivity, but I prefer not to use it due to its nature. It doesn't stretch at all, has alot of memory in the Texas summer heat, and it can and will damage your rods. I think you're vastly overestimating the redfish you're gonna catch, but better to be safe than sorry, I guess, but 10 lb. mono should be more than enough for anything you hook into.

Personally, I throw 6 lb. test mono. It works great on my 7 ft. rod with 2500 capacity reel, and I feel that I can catch pretty much anything of a decent size in saltwater or freshwater. I've caught huge bull reds and jack crevalle wadefishing with it and it is more than sufficient With 10 lb. mono, you'll have that extra little bit of leeway. You don't need a swivel and you really don't need to worry about rod breakage, as long as you use mono.

With braid, the temptation is to use it to its capacity, which your rod and reel combination is not built for. Your reel will only have a max drag capacity of around 12 lbs., so any force over about 18-20 lbs would be a test of your max reel capacity and your rod flex. Obviously, 30 lbs. is significantly more than this number. Having your reel on it's highest drag setting and rod above its rating also decreases performance and longevity. Braid is quite resistant, however, but when you tie on a section of leader, it only adds another potential problem to your rig. The rule of thumb is to use as few knots as possible, because each knot is a potential failure of your rig. So, if you're gonna use braid, tie it directly to your lure. Otherwise, you're still gonna be fishing mono/flouro anyways.