When if any, do you tie your bait directly to braided line....ie crankbaits, frogs, creatures....

Frogs and all topwaters, punching thick grass mats, and  very dirty water. Everything else get's a fluorocarbon leader.

When if any, do you tie your bait directly to braided line....ie crankbaits, frogs, creatures....

I generally tie direct anymore. The places I usually fish are filled with weeds and the line blends in.

If I find clear water, I tie a fluoro leader.

Josh

I generally tie direct anymore. The places I usually fish are filled with weeds and the line blends in.

If I find clear water, I tie a fluoro leader.

Josh

 

^^This^^....except I would add that if I'm throwing around a lot of laydowns or stumps I'll generally tie on a short lighter weight fluoro leader.  Lot easier to break off an 8 lb leader than 20 lb Powerpro if I get an irretrievable snag.

Frogs, some topwater baits (buzzbaits, some walking and popping baits), heavy flipping/grass fishing, and dirty water.  As mentioned above, everything else gets either fc or mono topshot/leaders.

I almost always tie everything direct regardless of water clarity. Except as mentioned above with lots of wood, which for me is typically rivers, and then it's just a mono leader.

I'm pretty lazy, and I go direct for a lot of my lures. One situation I definitely wouldn't go direct would be crankbaits, but I don't use a leader with topwaters, jigs, spinnerbaits, or rattle traps. I probably should start though.

I tie everything direct. I refuse to make fishing more complicated than it has to be.

Been a fluro and mono guy.  Just started into braid and, so far, I love it.  However, I HAVE been tying straight off braid to my lures.  No leader.  Was wondering if I was doing myself any sort of justice, but the water where I fish is usually at least stained slightly, so I figure I'm fine, as is.

I've snapped far too many spinnerbaits off tied to a leader... these days pretty much everything except spinnerbaits are attached via a monofilament of some description.

 

 

oe

I tie direct to frogs and when I'm fishing vegetation. 

Based on my personal experience I have no evidence which setup is best.  My preference is leader, never tie my braid direct to lure.

The only time I fish straight braid is when I'm throwing a fluke or frog around pads

If useing a baitcaster I tie all baits and hooks direct, regardless of the line I use.

The only time I use a leader is on a spinning rig and that is only for the lighest of presentations.

Mike

^^This^^....except I would add that if I'm throwing around a lot of laydowns or stumps I'll generally tie on a short lighter weight fluoro leader.  Lot easier to break off an 8 lb leader than 20 lb Powerpro if I get an irretrievable snag.

 

this is me.... i don't use a leader because of visibility, i use them so i can break off a snag when needed.  You'll break a bone sometimes before you'll break off 30-50lb braid!! 

only for frogs and topwaters do i tie direct.

I tie braid straight to baits on two spinning rods and a frog combo. But I still have mono on my BC combos for topwaters and T-rigs. I know conventional wisdom would be braid with a leader for the T-rigs, but I might want to use that combo for something else and it seems to be working well. Plus I hate the feel of the leader going thru the guides.

I use a mono leader for all soft plastics.  I tie directly to braid for everything else.

I use a mono leader for all soft plastics.

Why?

Why?

Because I'm too stubborn/cheap/old school to buy flourocarbon and mono is less visible in the water than braid.  I'm convinced that especially in clear and/or hard fished waters, relative "invisibility" can make a huge difference on a slow moving bait.

Ah. 

 

 

I'm torn on the visibility issue.  I fish some soupy water and don't worry about it.  But, also, I haven't dismissed the argument (maybe Bill Murphy or Buck Perry?) that felt the line leads fish to the bait sometimes.  I must admit that I've seen small bass near the surface checking out the line and then try to eat the bait as it comes up to the boat....could be a whole lotta different going on inside the head of a six-pounder, however.