Why use a leader?

I am considering putting braid on my newest rod acquisition, an 8' ACC Crappie Stix. I've seen several mentions in posts where people using leaders with braid. What is the reasoning behind that? I thought that one of the reasons that people use braid when crappie fishing is because they use hand tied jigs which are more expensive than plastics. But if you use a leader, aren't you defeating one of the purposes of using braid? I do also understand that one of the other reasons for braid is the sensitivity.

Many use a "High visibility" braid and use a leader for less visibility to the fish.

I use Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon for a leader.

100% agree! Leader is very important at times! Very well put Mr. Gamblinman!

That's exactly what I use as well. I use 10# Seaguar as the leader. Along with less visibility to the fish, it is much easier to retire a jig onto the fluorocarbon or mono leader than tying to braid. The 10# leader is still strong enough to straighten a hook most of the time. As far as losing hand tied jigs, that just happens, don't get too attached to them.

Lollygagger,

Excellent Question.

Color doesn't matter until it does.

There are those that will tie their braid right to the jig and many times it doesn't matter. A lot of it has to do with the stain and clarity of the water.

But in the lake you and I like to fish I will get bit on a rod with a leader versus without a leader 10-1. I've tested it and tried it and without the leader I will out catch you all day.

The next time we are out I will be happy to show you how I rig up my line and can show you how to do it with yours. A couple of times of you doing it and rigging up will be a non event. I do not use swivels or anything like that. I use 8 LB Vanish Gold Flourocarbon for my leader. The biggest thing to remember when using Flourocarbon is you have to wet the line before you cinch the knot or you will burn the line and it will break immediately. Many don't like Flourocarbon, but I happen to like it.

If I do have a leader on and I get hung up a good solid pull will break the leader and I can tie on a new leader and jig and get back to fishing.

You have seen me fish and I am a bit more aggressive by tying as many as 6 jigs on my line at once so I can really work the water column. That being said if I get hung up or have a big cat hit my jigs if my line does break I am out 6 jigs all at once. However, I also get a lot more bites because I am covering such a large window of the water column. I also have to be careful in the way that I fish those jigs because all it takes is a fish popping off my line at the water surface and I can have an instant rats nest. Then I have to rig up again. Fishing the way I do is not for everyone and I certainly buy more jigs on a regular basis, but I do have good results.

So much so that the first time I rigged up my line that way my Dad busted out laughing and told me I was nuts. 15 minutes later after I was getting bit and he wasn't he decided to rig up the same as me and it became a sling fest. If you look the next time we are out you will see both of us being pretty aggressive with the way we are rigged up. Again, it's not for everyone. Can cost more $$$.

When I fish timber I will use two at the most.

I know many a folks have caught doubles, but yesterday Dad caught his first Triple. That was fun watching him bring up 3 Crappie at once. There was a 4th chasing his bottom jig and it peeled off right at the surface. I sure would have liked to have had a video of that. Two of the three were keepers and it was fun to see them with those Grapefruit Limeades in their mouths. Luckily I was able to net them before they busted his line.

Feel free to call me you have my number. I'm off the next two days. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

Braid: We use 20# Power Pro Super Slick in Aqua Green. I bought a 1500 yard spool on Amazon for $134.95.

We boated 50 yesterday by 3:10pm. The wind was horrible and did not let up until Noon-3PM. We looked for you yesterday.

Great response HOGON. I'd love to see that 6 jig setup. I'm not comfortable with 2! LOL.
What knot do you use for braid to floro? Also, what do you use for the added jigs(kind of knot)? What kind of spacing between jigs? Sorry for all the questions, but the more info I have, the better crappie fisherman I can become. I use a very small swivel, and it works great for me. I guess I need to rig up a rod with 2 or more jigs, so when I do fish the bridge, and I don't have to worry about getting hung up. Thanks for the post, very informative.

Double uni for braid to fluorocarbon.

Huckabee knot to attach jigs.

I use 15# braid and 10# leader. I have landed bass to 8# and catfish to 20# without a problem.

it would be nice to see this rig !!! thanks for the info.

Wow,

I did not realize anyone paid any attention to what I wrote on the forum.

I know it sounds complicated, but again after doing it a few times it is super easy to rig up the way I do.

Things to remember:

You will buy more jigs, plastics, and more hooks.
You will use more leader line.
You will find yourself tying up and having to re-rig more often. This is due to break offs and ending up with a rats nest when you lose a fish at the surface.
The above being said, you will also have a lot greater chance of getting bit because of the large swath of the water column you are covering.

I tried it totally on a whim and it worked!
Dad became a believer real quick when he saw my results in the first 15 minutes of fishing with my rod rigged that way,

Ok Rods,

Take the end of your braid and pull the line back towards you so it's paralleling the line. The end is coming back towards you. The end of the braid is now the bottom of the letter U and you are looking into the U if you will from the top. Pinch the top of the U and make a circle with the bottom of the braid. Go through that circle three times and pull it tight. You will have a knot with a loop at the end of the braid. Trim the excess.

Now take your leader line and do the same thing, but don't forget to wet the line before you cinch the knot. Then get you enough leader line off the spool about two arms lengths worth and clip it off the spool.

You will have a knot with a loop in the bottom of your braid.
You will have a knot with a loop on your leader line on one end and the end of the leader line where you clipped it off the spool on the other end.

Insert that loop of the leader line through the loop of the braid where you have the leader line simply going through the loop of the braid. Then take the end of the leader line and insert it through the loop of the leader line. Pull and as you do the two loops will meet and keep pulling until tight. You now have leader line attached to your braid. Sounds complicated but it's not. It's easier to show it then explain it I guess.

Then you add as many jigs as you want on the leader line just start dropping them onto the leader line. If your going to use 6 drop on 6 jigs. Tie the bottom jig on using the same knot you used for the braid and leader line. When it's tied on the jig is on a loop. Then I take the next jig and put it about 10 inches above my bottom jig and tie the same knot. I keep doing that all the way up the leader line. All the jigs are hanging from loops all the way up the leader line.

Remember to wet your line before cinching every single knot all the way up or you will burn the line.
It's crucial to wet the line.

It truly is easier to show someone in person than try to explain it via typing it on the forum.

Possibly I can find some videos on you tube later or someone else can and post them if they understand what I am trying to explain to Rods. It's very easy once you have seen it and done it a couple times.

I'm more than willing to help in any way that I can.

I don't have any idea on how to post pics, but possibly I can get with Dad and we will take some pics and post them sometime soon on here.

Feel free to call me Rods. 214-264-3232. If I don't answer leave a message and I will call you back.

I am on this forum because I love to learn from other fisherman and also share what I have learned over the years. I learn something new every time I get on here.

We will get you rigging up like me in no time at all if that's what you want to do.
I'm gonna help Lollygagger next time I see him on the water.

Tight Lines!

The only advantage I can see for using a leader is that it makes it easier to break off and retie. As far as visibility goes, the fish could care less. JMO

From my experience (and I'm only speaking for myself) is that the visibility of the line does not matter to the fish. I've tried braid just a couple of times and didn't like tying it. Maybe I just haven't given it enough time. I currently use Hi Vis mono and have been very please with it. I do go through some plastics but they're relatively cheap compared to hand tied jigs. When I've tried braid in the past, I've used a flouro leader but I guess I'm just used to the mono. I've got retying the mono down now.

It's a Ford vs. Chevy question, and there are no wrong answers. My $.02 would be to fish one rod with braid all the way to the jig, and have another rod with braid/leader to the jig. Fish them both for several trips, and then you will have your own answer

I like this answer. As for me I'm not a fan of braid. Little man however likes it on his Bonehead rod but knows to switch to his ProAngler with Florocarbon when I get too far ahead! He get's bit fine in stained water or real early in the morning but once the suns up good on a clear water lake I feel straight braid gets less bites.

Plus I use a spinning rod/reel, my reels are 1000 or 500 size, light braid and 8 pound mono leader is my favorite. Great feel, I can see the up bites with the
yellow braid, and the rod/reel is easy to use...

I can say that all braids are not the same in my opinion.

The first Braid that I used that I truly liked was the Power Pro Super Slick and I have been using it ever since.

If you are going to use Braid I highly recommend getting a Boomerang Tool. They are snippers and I was turned onto the Boomerang Tool by Mr. JIGUM Jigs aka MATT CARROLL and I love it so much we have like 6 of them in the boat. Way better than clippers.

Leader...no leader...it doesn't matter until it does.
Color...it doesn't matter until it does.
Jig Size...it doesn't matter until it does.
Did I just say size matters?

Use whatever equipment works best for you and whatever puts fish in your boat for you.

There is no right or wrong answer I totally agree with that statement.

Tight Lines!

I'm gonna check out the Boomerang Tool that HOGON suggested by JIGUM Jigs. His website is currently down though.

So, if I decide to use a leader, what are the advantages/disadvantages of mono vs. floor leaders?

Jigum is retired and Jerry' Jigs took over for him.

The Boomerang Tool was not on Jigum's Site he merely introduced me to the Boomerang tool on a fishing trip. You can get it on Amazon or the Boomerang web site. It's a great tool if you fish with Braid and way better than toe nail clippers.

https://www.boomerangtool.com/collections/all-boomerang-products/products/the-snip-basic

The difference between Flourocarbon and Mono is Flourocarbon sinks.

There are those that personally dislike Flourocarbon and there are those that personally dislike mono.
It all boils down to preferences and whatever works best for you.

The one thing I can't stress enough with regards to Flourocarbon is you must wet the line before you cinch the knot or you will burn the line and it will break. Just an FYI.

I've tried a couple of different floro's and it just seems to brittle to me. I've always wet my knots so that is not the issue. Mono is so inexpensive now, that is what I use. I use the tiny swivel and have had to retie the braid only a few times in the last year. Once when I frayed the line by pulling drag off the reel and not paying attention. And the other times when line got caught in the trolling motor and broke the tip off my rods. Yes rods, plural, as in more than one! (3) to be exact!
I hope that doesn't happen again. Any way the Mr. Crappie mono suits me fine and is easy to retie. I'll give that tool a look, although I really don't need it. I just like having to much stuff!

I'm glad you brought up reel size! The memory of mono can be a problem with smaller reels, much more so than larger reels. Not an issue with braid.

For me, fluorocarbon is close to a perfect leader material. It is less visible than mono = you can use larger diameter. It's more abrasion resistant = we fish in a lot of brush. Higher density = more sensitivity. You do have to be more careful when tying your knots with fluorocarbon and always wet the knot before pulling it tight. I tie in a 4'-5' 10# fluorocarbon leader to my braid and it does not effect the sensitivity of the braid. YMMV

...Yep what he said...some of my rods have had the same leader on them for 6 months...I love fluoro.....flurocarbon+braid = UNPARALLELED THUMPAGE.

Rods,

This video has a guy with rope demonstrating how to tie the knot I use with all my jigs.
The only difference is I go through 3 times and in this video he goes through twice.
It's the same way I tie my loops on my Braid and my Leader too.

https://youtu.be/l8e8zmbr-Mo

This is not the exact way I attach my leader to my Braid, but it is one that you may like to use.

I tie a loop on the end of my Braid. I tie a loop on the end of my leader. I take about two arms lengths of leader off the Spool and Clip the line. I take my leader loop and place it through the loop on my Braid. Then once my leader line is essentially through the loop on my Braid then I take the end of my leader line and put it through the loop on my leader line. Slowly start pulling until tight and both loops will be attached at the tips. You will have a knot with a loop of Braid above and a loop of leader line below with a knot between the two. A second knot will be at the bottom of your leader line from where you tied your loop on the leader line. Picture the number 8. The knot between the two lines is going to be in the middle of the 8 circles.

Again this video is just another way to attach Braid and a Leader. He is talking about Fly line but it is the same concept with Braid and a Leader just a tad different from how I do it.

http://youtu.be/LIsD5-W6pFE

Hope these help.

Thanks HOGON, I pretty well understood what you explained. The vids were informative. I've seen so many videos on knots, I can't keep them straight!

I would call the one in the video above, a "double granny".

I'm not using a leader. I don't want to have to learn all those crazy knots.