Food for thought, a lot of respected salt water gurus swear up and down it is the difference between getting bit and not w/a lot of species in their enviroment. It's a different atmosphere and species obviously but it does make you think.

I used no leader for awhile and caught plenty of Bass. Now, unless I'm frogging or being lazy, it's a leader every time. I'll happily take an extra fish caught w/a leader; even if its a placebo effect on my part. I also enjoy tiring a fresh section of line via the Alberto, just feels cool lol.

So by this logic, a lake that has a lot of pressure they can and should get conditioned to seeing the line and not be spooked.

 

As far as the line diameter goes i don't think it is as much about visibility as it is about the sound signature the line makes when in the water which is then picked up by their lateral line.

 

This does not make it natural just because they are pressured, again think like a bass, they avoid it.  I am not sure if the fish feels the line's vibration, when conditions are muddy even stained, I don't focus as much on my line choice, do you?

This does not make it natural just because they are pressured, again think like a bass, they avoid it.  I am not sure if the fish feels the line's vibration, when conditions are muddy even stained, I don't focus as much on my line choice, do you?

I throw straight braid on pretty much everything so i is never a concern for me.  I do color the line with a sharpie though.  Now on my fly rod leaders i use either flouro or mono depending on what i have laying around.

 

I have used a leader in super clear conditions but i haven't noticed any difference in success.

By coloring the braid you must believe in some importance of the fish visually being able to see the line, this is key, instead of me coloring my line with a sharpie I tie a modified albright knot and use 10# Seagaur FC InvisX, so far this hasn't let me down.  I fish allot of rock and timber and the occasional living tree and FC stands up to it better then Fireline/Nanofill.  I don't tie leaders for every lure, mainly on the ones the fish get a good look at.

I've caught 32 double digit bass & here's the break down.

20 on Mono only - 12 on braid no leader

18 on Texas Rigs

13 on Jig-N-Craws

1 on a Rat-L-Trap (12 plus), PB!

braid only...they are bass not too smart...now if they were bottle nose dolphin even they dont care for line color they will steal your bait without being hooked anyway lol(sorry for the dolphin rant i hate those pesky clowns when im fishing)