Should I use a leader with braid?

[Flushdraw]

I'm fishing small ponds south of Houston. Water clarity is stained 1-4 feet visibility (guessing). I fish ponds that have grass. Some ponds appear to have grass near the shore only (5-15 feet out...I think American pond weed). Other ponds have submergent grass and mats in some places. I'm using 50# Hi Viz braid (Power Pro). I use a 2-3 ft flouro leader (15lb). I'm fishing with a 7'4" heavy fast action. I'm generally hopping baits off the bottom, but sometimes fish a fluke or buzzbait.

 

Is using a flouro leader helping me at all, or just another breakage point? A year ago, I was using 30# braid to a 6' leader. I'm catching more and bigger fish now probably due to experience (I'm a newbie). Do the bass care about my neon yellow line at all? It doesn't appear like they do. What's your experience?

[PaulVE64]

In grass they probably dont care about the line. 

If you do worry about the neon colour then use a black permanent marker and make it camo.

 

And use a big nasty hook

[papajoe222]

I use Sufix 832 Hi Viz braid for my jig and Texas rigged plastics. Using that color braid, I always use a leader, but I keep it around 2.5ft. and switch it out when it gets down to 18in. or so.  I use it for better strike detection as it's much easier for me to see. I have no idea if the fish can see that braid, but I want all factors in my favor and if there's a chance that my line can spook the fish, I'll take my chances. I have other setups with Lo Viz green that I never use a leader with.

[padlin]

I have no where near the experience of most here so take this accordingly. I use lo vis green braid, flouro leader when fishing around toothy fish, pickerel in particular, and early spring when the water is crystal. Straight braid works fine other times although I don’t remove a leader if there is one is already in place. I tried hy vis yellow last year, I didn’t care for it, but that could be a confidence thing.

 

our water is clear compared to water I’ve seen in the south.

[Susky River Rat]

I only use a leader because of rubbing against rocks l. It frays the braid and I have lost fish. 
 

in your case I would not worry about a leader.

[gimruis]

I assume this is on a bait caster being that its 50 pound braided line?  Seems a little over kill for the presentations being described here.  The only time I'm using 50 pound braid is when I'm froggin' or in super heavy duty jungle type vegetation when I need serious wenching power.

[Zcoker]

I'd say loose the leader and fish your heart away. I once leader'ed up out in the glades for whatever reason but not anymore. Glades is about as stained and full of grass as it gets. Not worth the trouble, imho. More knots to worry about. More prone to failure, espeically with floro! Strait braid for me. No difference in the amount of hits, either, even from trophy sized fish.

[Pumpkinseed Lizard]

I use a leader with braid. I like the longevity and casting performance of braided line as well as the the tight line sensitivity. But I also like fluorocarbon so I get the best of both worlds.

 

-If I can't get out of a snag I have a couple break points. Most of the time it breaks at the lure. Breaking off with straight braided can suck,

 

-Fluoro leader sinks faster than braid and on slack line Fluoro is more sensitive than braid.

 

-The leader acts as a shock absorber and it might save you. Braided will weaken when it rubs up against stuff.

[Bankc]

Try it both ways and see if it makes a difference.  There are too many factors to just throw out a blanket answer that applies to everyone. 

 

However, I will say that in my experience, the fish don't seem to see the line.  And we don't have vegetation up here, because all of my local lakes are drinking water reservoirs, so they put chemicals in them to kill off the plants.  Yum.  But anyway, I've tried both ways, and come to the conclusion that it's mostly a non-factor. 

 

Though I still use a leader in certain situations where a leader is advantageous.  Like sometimes braid is too limp and gets tangled up on the hooks of my lure when I cast it, so a mono leader helps out with that.  And when I'm fishing something like a drop shot that's just sitting there, not moving, I'll switch to a fluorocarbon leader, just in case the bass are line shy.  Because with a drop shot, they might actually have time to inspect the bait and notice the line.  With most other baits, they move too fast and in the stained water, there isn't enough time for the bass to do anything but bite out of instinct before the bait is gone. 

 

Also, with moving baits, I'm more worried about the sound the line makes than the visual appearance.  And since braid is thinner per pound test, it should make less sound because it displaces less water, assuming you're using comparing line strength and not diameter. 

 

But like I said, try it both ways and find out for yourself.  Many anglers have been very successful doing it both ways. 

[Pumpkinseed Lizard]

One thing I forgot to mention. Whether I am bass fishing with conventional tackle or fly fishing for bass or trout, in 99% of my experience when you are retrieving a lure or fly with no slack they are not leader shy. 

 

Where they are leader shy is when the lure or fly is still or being dead drifted.  I've never dead drifted with braided but I would think it would drift great given how supple it is.

 

That being said, I would always use a leader for the reasons I mentioned above. 

[Scott F]

Whether a bass can see the line or not really doesn’t matter. What does matter is, does the line prevent them from trying to eat your lure. In my experience, the line bothers the fisherman more than the fish. If you believe the fish won’t bite because of the line, it affects your confidence and how long you’ll stick with your presentation. I’ve seen it here dozens of times. Many guys here always use leaders with braid and are convinced it helps with the number of bites they get. I never use a leader and am convinced the bass don’t care.  Try it both ways, look at the pros and cons for you,  and decide which suits you best

[Glenn]

Leaders are not a requirement.  Braid is not a requirement.  Many, many times you can use straight up fluoro or co-poly and catch plenty of fish.

[Swamp Girl]

I'm straight braid. I have tried leaders, but they're just one more thing to do. 

[Ohnooze]

1 to 4 feet clarity in south Houston?  Man, I don't think I have seen anything in the Houston area with more than 6" clarity.  I 

[TOXIC]

1 hour ago, Glenn said:

Leaders are not a requirement.  Braid is not a requirement.  Many, many times you can use straight up fluoro or co-poly and catch plenty of fish.

I knew there was a reason I liked you. 😂 

[DinkDonkey30]

I use 60lb braid on all my rods. I use various leader sizes to control depth and fall rate of the lures on the rods. Idk if it’s the right way or not but I don’t struggle to catch bass. This week I have absolutely smacked large mouth on isolated logs in 5ft or less of water with varying amounts of weeds. 10-15 bass per 3 hour trip on an extremely heavily pressured river 2 or more tournaments a week on a 19 mile stretch dam to dam.Super clear water. 3o wide gap hook black and blue or black and purple 6th sense worm, 2ft of 10lb sufix red label fluro fg knot to braid 6th Sense 7ft medium heavy rod, lews kvd reel. If that doesn’t get the bite I switch to a Yamamoto senko same colors as the 6th sense worms, wacky rigged,2ft of 12lb sufix yellow label fg knot to braid, 6ft 7 Fenwick ultralight rod with a Diawa reel. 

[Flushdraw]

9 hours ago, gimruis said:

I assume this is on a bait caster being that its 50 pound braided line?  Seems a little over kill for the presentations being described here.  The only time I'm using 50 pound braid is when I'm froggin' or in super heavy duty jungle type vegetation when I need serious wenching power.

Yeah, that's why I'm using 50. Maybe it's overkill, but these bass will dive under the grass and getting them out can be tricky.

8 hours ago, Pumpkinseed Lizard said:

I use a leader with braid. I like the longevity and casting performance of braided line as well as the the tight line sensitivity. But I also like fluorocarbon so I get the best of both worlds.

 

-If I can't get out of a snag I have a couple break points. Most of the time it breaks at the lure. Breaking off with straight braided can suck,

 

-Fluoro leader sinks faster than braid and on slack line Fluoro is more sensitive than braid.

 

-The leader acts as a shock absorber and it might save you. Braided will weaken when it rubs up against stuff.

Those are two things I didn't consider. Thanks.

6 hours ago, Ohnooze said:

1 to 4 feet clarity in south Houston?  Man, I don't think I have seen anything in the Houston area with more than 6" clarity.  I 

Not South Houston...south of Houston. I'm generally fishing the League City area and south of there. You're right, though. Most of that area and also north into The Woodlands is < 6" visibility.

The bayous down here are all like that too.

[Ohnooze]

25 minutes ago, Flushdraw said:

Yeah, that's why I'm using 50. Maybe it's overkill, but these bass will dive under the grass and getting them out can be tricky.

Those are two things I didn't consider. Thanks.

Not South Houston...south of Houston. I'm generally fishing the League City area and south of there. You're right, though. Most of that area and also north into The Woodlands is < 6" visibility.

The bayous down here are all like that too.

Yeah I lived in Houston and or Galveston until about a year ago.  In fact I have a house in Manvel (trying to sell it now) and worked in Deerpark.

 

All that awesome redfish and trout salt water fishing south of you...fish that as well?

[Koz]

There are a lot of factors deterwhen I use a leader. But in general, when I finesse fish I use a leader. When I power fish I use straight braid.

[Flushdraw]

3 hours ago, Ohnooze said:

Yeah I lived in Houston and or Galveston until about a year ago.  In fact I have a house in Manvel (trying to sell it now) and worked in Deerpark.

 

All that awesome redfish and trout salt water fishing south of you...fish that as well?

Manvel? I grew up in Liverpool...kind of neighbors.

 

I just moved to Texas City which means I have a free pass to the dike anytime I like. My closest bass pond is 20 minutes away. The TC dike is a 5 minute drive. I may have to throw a line in. A swimbait on an Owner Flashy Swimmer should catch something.

[Ohnooze]

18 minutes ago, Flushdraw said:

Manvel? I grew up in Liverpool...kind of neighbors.

 

I just moved to Texas City which means I have a free pass to the dike anytime I like. My closest bass pond is 20 minutes away. The TC dike is a 5 minute drive. I may have to throw a line in. A swimbait on an Owner Flashy Swimmer should catch something.

Oh yeah fishing can be really good at the TC dike especially in a kayak.  I use paddle tails more than anything in saltwater. 

 

You ever catch a big red drum and you'll love some saltwater fishing.

[PaulVE64]

On 9/10/2024 at 11:11 AM, ol&#x27;crickety said:

I'm straight braid. I have tried leaders, but they're just one more thing to do. 

I knew it. With a big nasty hook.

[FishTank]

I'm going to say yes, sort of. 

 

Most the ponds I fish have clear water and when fishing straight braid the fish run away from a lure, even a small one.

 

On the other hand, the lakes I fish, it doesn't seem to mater as much.  There have been a few times where I have been having a good day, broken off my leader and didn't retie due to heavy winds. I wouldn't catch anything the rest of the day. Typically it's on a wacky senko set up, which pretty much catches fish all the time for me. Then turn around and fish straight braid on topwater or a jig in some heavy grass and the fish hit it.

 

[dodgeguy]

Forget leaders. Vicious no fade braid in moss green 50 lb test.

[gimruis]

Quite honestly I'm pretty shocked that there's a countable number of anglers out there using straight braid in 50+ pound test to bass fish.  The only setup that I have with 50 pound braid is my frog setup.  50 pound braid on a spinning setup seems wildly overkill IMO

 

Its obvious that some of you don't fish around rocks with zebra mussles or in pike infested waters either.  Both of those will rip through braided line like butter.