I have recently strted fly fishing for whites. Found out real quick the line and leader for Colorado Trout does not work real well. Snapped of the first couple of flys. I am looking to go to a sinking line. I have one 5 lbs and one 8 lbs fly rod. What is the recommended line? Is it better to use a leader or just tie to the line? I have always used a leader but in doing some reading it appears some folks do not. Amy help would be appreciated!

I have never tried this but the 5 weight rod should handle Sandies and I wouldn't use a leader. The leader is used for trout because of the clear streams. A leaded line would also get the jig/fly down to the fish. Have fun and hang on!!!

Use a tapered leader... any where from 3x or 0x or about 8-12 lb test. without a leader you would be connecting your fly straight to the fly line which the fish would see. also, without a tapered leader it would be difficult to cast because our fly would not turn over.
anything like a 5 or 6 would be good for sandies but a six would be better in case your hook up with a hybrid.
when they are schooling there is no need for a sinking fly line. use a weighted fly like a clouser type minnow to get down to any deeper fish. I personally dont fly fish for them until it warms up a bit and they are up a little shallower and schooling. slabbing is the way to go right now.--ben

Newtofish,
Seems you've found a kickin' new niche. Sandies are a blast on fly stuff. Are you fishing lakes or streams? Either the 5wt or the eight should work nicely, depends on the fish size and your preference, and wind.
Having flies "snap" off can be caused by a number of things. Could be too small of a leader for a heavy fly. Ya could also be not letting the backcast go alllll the waaaayyyyy baaaack. Do you hear a "whip crack" sound as you begin your forward cast? If so...Remember, it's just as far on the backcast as your forward cast is. Try giving cast and backcast both the same amount of time.
As far as line. General rule is five wt line for the five wt and eight wt for the eight.
Leader? for sandies I use six lb Stren. They aren't particular about presentation when feeding. You can go a little heavier if there are hybrids or stripers around.
Feel free to drop me a line and I'll try to answer in more detail.
Tight Lines

There's a bunch of guys in your area that flyfish alot and would be happy to show you the ropes... post the question the the fly fishing section of this forum and you will see what I mean.

Hi newtofish,
If you are fairly new to warmwater fly fishing, check this page out:
http://www.texasflyreport.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

Hopefully the reading is informative. Anyone is free to contribute to the info there. There is a section on white bass.

I would say a 5wt is a good rod. I would also recommend sink tip.

I've found that when fishing sinking lines a short 3 to 4' leader works just find. Fly is right on the money about timing. Cssting a fly is like golf, timing and tempo is everything

I agree, fly casting is a lot like golf in that the %@#-word is frequently necessary. Anyway, it's not a bad idea to have a couple of lines - a floater and a high sink rate. A high sink rate line will be easier to cast on a windy day. You can always fish it near the surface by stripping it in quickly, or let it sink to about where you want. Just my 2 cents.

8 wt rod, 9wt intermidiate[sp?] line, 3-4 feet of florucarbon 8lb, white clouser #4-6 hook

I flyfish for sandies and hybrids all year and do not use a sink tip, but have them on the boat. RH is not a clear lake and you can use heavy leaders; 12 lb to 14 lb florucarbon. If the wind is Zero and the fish are schooling on top I will go to a 6lb leader.

I use a 8 weight rod with straight floating line. I will chase schooling fish from now till Nov. I have some topwater flies I tie, give me a shout out if you see me on the water and I will give you some. The fish can't pass them up!

Good Luck

Not to oversimplify, but 3ft of 10 pound mono works for a leader for most fishing around here. If you're in a crystal clear stream you might want go a little lighter. You'll be glad you didn't go too light if you happen to hook something else...I've been surprized by stripers up to 9 pounds while messing around for whites.