FS Digest

I’m about to change my line and I am debating between braided line w/ a floro leader or straight floro. I mostly fish Texas rigs,wacky rigs, shaky heads, spinnerbaits, flukes and cranks. Which should I go for?!

Edit: I was reading some articles about my issue and some people say that if braid has a floro leader, the floro line isn’t as effective? Is that true?

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by 2Highwaythrowaway

FS Digest

I do braid to leader for t-rigs, wacky rigs, top water, and the like. I prefer straight fluorocarbon on my moving baits like cranks, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and swim jigs. In thick vegetation straight braid even on the spinnerbaits.

I have tried straight fluoro on wacky rigs twice and hated it. The line would transmit the bite, but i couldn't tell when the lure was resting on the bottom.

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by RU4real13

FS Digest

The trick is to watch the line where it enters the water, the line will slack a little when it hits bottom. But, if you are using much thicker then 10-12lb it’s going to be really hard to see of the water is deep.

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by 5uper5kunk

FS Digest

I've only ever gone braid to fluorocarbon on spinning/casting reels so I know no better. Other than straight braid which is hell in windy conditions being so light.

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by SomeKindOfSound

FS Digest

For anything bottom contact or where a bass will hit it on the fall, I am fluoro all the way. If you’re talking about a spinning reel then thicker fluoro can be a pain, so braid to leader has some advantages.

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by 5uper5kunk

FS Digest

Braid with fluoro is my go to. It's true the fluoro isn't as effective but if you give yourself enough of a leader you will be fine.

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by FreshFanBoy

FS Digest

I was planning on giving myself around a 6ft leader. Do you think that’s enough?

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by 2Highwaythrowaway

FS Digest

Depends on how big your rod is imo. O try to go for about a foot short of a rod length. But I'm just fishing small rivers for trout. If you are fishing in lakes or big rivers you will want a bit more. Not sure how much more for big rivers and lakes as I haven't fished that much.

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by FreshFanBoy

FS Digest

I've got braid on all except my catfish reels, and use about 6ft of fc leader on a 7ft rod. There are some issues when using braid with lures, but in all honesty, the effects are negligible. Braid is more buoyant than fluoro, but the amount of drag thicker, straight fc line will cause the lure to rise more than the relatively thinner braid. Sensitivity isnt an issue as neither have much stretch, and if anything, braid excels in this area. The only downside is you're adding a knot, which can weaken the joint, but there are plenty of knots available that also negates that. I've inadvwrtantly pulled in plenty of 10+lb pike on my ultralight setup with 10# braid on a 10#fc leader to know a proper knot wont fail

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by oOorolo

FS Digest

What knots would you recommend? I’ve heard of the fg knot and the blood knot.

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by 2Highwaythrowaway

FS Digest

I find the blood knot finicky to tie especially when it's cold and your fingers are a bit numb. It's also a variation of the double unit knot. They're both good knots, but I find the union unnecessarily bulky with heavier line. Also, on heavier line and with certain braids, it can slip since the wraps are larger in diameter, so more wraps are needed which means an eve larger knot.

They fg knot works very well but theres a learning curve to tie it consistently reliably. It also doesnt work well with thin diameter line and especially if you have a thicker braid to a thinner leader. I do use this, but only with 50lb braid to 50lb fc (or down to 30# braid with the same DC, after that, it tends to slip).

I use an Alberto knot for everything lower. The 10# braid to 10# fc leaves a 3/8" "knot" that slides through the guides very easily. It's similar to an fg knot, but the DC is doubled over and cinched so it won't slip. Practice trying this first with some excess line at home though, as it's very easy to "burn" the fc. It's also a bit tricky to get the end of the braid to tighten, instead of at the top where it loops through the fc. If this happens, your fc will slip right through. Put a couple half hitches on the tag end of the braid after tightening everything down to make it pass through the guides a bit smoother

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by oOorolo

Harris T. Fudpucker Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

I only use braid, no leader. Today fishing in under the trees, throwing a 1/8 oz chatterbait, it performs flawless. When I do hookup to brush, I don't worry about a lost bait, with 10lb braid. I caught two fish that have teeth today, a catfish and a dog fish, both had the bait deep inside and the teeth acting like a saw, I had not trouble, where as maybe I would have lost one or both with mono. I use an improved cinch knot and never had one come off at the knot.