Now what about using this setup for a jig? Would you need a leader for less visibility? Then again, if you're fishing heavy cover, the 12lb mono might not suffice. Right? Again I'm new to this so just learning.

That being said. What's the point of using braid for strength if your 12lb mono lead is going to break anyways at it's breaking point? Why not just use all 12lb mono in this case??

 

The point is sensitivity. Jigging with mono is like having a 50' rubber band between you and your jig. You will not feel strikes in time to set the hook. Mono tied to braid will only stretch the length of the leader and give you far better feel. Fluoro tied to braid is slightly better for this.

 

This is also especially helpful if fishing in areas where snags are inevitable. The light leader allows me to break off easily if I can't retrieve my lure.

 

Now what about using this setup for a jig? Would you need a leader for less visibility? Then again, if you're fishing heavy cover, the 12lb mono might not suffice. Right? Again I'm new to this so just learning.

 

I use a fluoro leader tied onto braid on a majority of my setups. With that said, I usually use a leader with approximately half the lb. test strength of my braid main line. For river smallies I use a 10-15lb. braid main line with a 6-8lb. fluoro leader. For Potomac snakeheads in heavier cover I will use 30-40lb. braid with a 15-20lb. fluoro leader.

 

A lot of folks will tell you to tie on 65lb. braid or something heavy like that (which will work,) but you will sacrifice casting distance if you go heavy with your line. For flipping and pitching into heavy cover (punching for instance) this is a sound strategy. For casting walking topwaters (where you want to make long casts to cover water) it makes more sense to fish lighter line to cover more water. I usually top out at 30lb. for frogging too, as I have yet to meet a patch of lillies or hydrilla that exceed 30lbs. (even with a 10-15lb. snakehead hooked to them.)That's what the drag on your reel is for. Tournament fishers may disagree with this statement.

 

For jigging specifically I will usually tie on a fluoro leader with a modified albright knot. There are exceptions to this (heavy vegetation/punching being a major one.)

Hard to beat seaguar premier fluoro leader material. This is a saltwater special on the west coast long range fishing fleet. Use it for wahoo and giant tuna but they also make it in 12 15 &20lb test. Best strength for its diameter and lies softly on the water. Uni to uni is the smallest connection knot if your diameters are far from one another just double up the spectra side of the uni knot. I have noticed much larger fish coming on my top water lures since I have gotten away from straight spectra just 3ft oof mono or fluoro has meant bigger fish. Numbers were always good but the older fish seem Leary of spectra.