# Leader



## easler24 (Nov 29, 2010)

My main line is 8# Maxima on most of my reels, but my terminal line is some kind of floro, either Berkley Vanish or P-Line. I've found them to be equally good. I use a San Diego knot at the swivel and a snell knot at the hook. Knots hold very well if I lube them up well, and the line is abrasive resistant. 
I agree that line diameter is more important than test when determining what to use.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

tannhd said:


> Correct.
> 
> Although certain companies .008 will hold more weight than other's .009. Typically i stick to .008 which most times is 5 lb or so.
> 
> ...


I refuse to use flouro and I refuse to use blue spawn netting. :lol:


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## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

I run 8 -10lb ultragreen as well.
Although i found out the last few weeks that the Betsie and Platte river fall runs don't seem to mind UG in 12lb.:evilsmile


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## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

tannhd said:


> What about flourocarbon?
> 
> Are there any people on here that refuse to use mono anymore?


I have found a few trout streams where it is beneficial to use flouro but have yet to find a steelhead river where it made any difference.
I feel a good presentation of your bait, regardless of the line choice you make , contributes more toward hooking fish.


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## samsteel (Oct 6, 2008)

thousandcasts said:


> I refuse to use flouro and I refuse to use blue spawn netting. :lol:


yeah and I don't see you breaking out any waxworms either


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

tannhd said:


> Correct.
> 
> Although certain companies .008 will hold more weight than other's .009. Typically i stick to .008 which most times is 5 lb or so.
> 
> ...



Yes. Also, some say mono's are not exactly what it states on the package. For instance, from talking with guys that actually go about putting a micrometer to spools of line, Maxima typically mics out .002 thicker than stated on the spool.

I don't want to say I refuse to use mono, but have gotten into kind of a comfort zone using flouro. When I experimented with it originally, I thought it "may" have made a difference, but like alot of gear choices in angling, I can't say my choice was made with much objective comparison. Presently, I would say I continue using it because I am used to using it.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

REG said:


> Yes. Also, some say mono's are not exactly what it states on the package. For instance, from talking with guys that actually go about putting a micrometer to spools of line, Maxima typically mics out .002 thicker than stated on the spool.
> 
> I don't want to say I refuse to use mono, but have gotten into kind of a comfort zone using flouro. When I experimented with it originally, I thought it "may" have made a difference, but like alot of gear choices in angling, I can't say my choice was made with much objective comparison. Presently, I would say I continue using it because I am used to using it.


That's it exactly. If I've learned anything over the years it's that less is more. When you reach a comfort zone with what you're using and it works, then that's less time your worrying about how you're fishing and it leaves more time for WHERE you're fishing...which is the most important part of the two. 

To paraphrase an old Eddie Murphy bit: 

_"Do the fish bite when you throw what you throw? Do you catch fish? Well then tell Hutch I said have a coke and a smile and shut the *&^% up!"_ :lol:


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## vano397 (Sep 15, 2006)

I kind of refuse to use mono for leader, mostly for abrasion reasons... I fish smaller rivers mostly, and often have to get tight to cover to find fish. I went through about 5 or 6 brands and sizes till I found one that was consistent, and that was p-line cxx...
From what I've read (and found to be true) regular line filler spools even in flouro are manufactured differently than the leader spools of leader material. The leader material is stronger, more abrasion resistant, and more consistent diameter, leaving far less weak spots (I get really cheesed when I lose a fish and it was because the leader broke somewhere other than my knot). This only really matters if your fishing low clear water and have to use 6 lb or less. and sadly I have had days where I could not hook fish and tied on 4 lb and started banging them.
My other leaders are no less than 120 lb, and the same goes for those, mono doesn't hold up to teeth... flouro does.


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## easler24 (Nov 29, 2010)

vano397 said:


> From what I've read (and found to be true) regular line filler spools even in flouro are manufactured differently than the leader spools of leader material. The leader material is stronger, more abrasion resistant, and more consistent diameter, leaving far less weak spots (I get really cheesed when I lose a fish and it was because the leader broke somewhere other than my knot).


I have not noticed a difference between the two. Just the spool size.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> My other leaders are no less than 120 lb, and the same goes for those, mono doesn't hold up to teeth... flouro does.


I disagree. Like you, I fish mostly small, wood filled rivers. I've never had an issue with abrasion resistance using Max. I had a skamania hen take me through quite a wood gauntlet a couple weeks ago, running 6lb Stren/5lb Max. She took off so quickly downriver, I didn't have direct control, as I had to hop around, over and through trees/brush. When I finally caught up to her, after pulling my line off numerous logs, we had one last standstill before I landed her. While my line was textured up some, it still held. I've had many a problem with flouro, mainly seaguar.


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

vano397 said:


> From what I've read (and found to be true) regular line filler spools even in flouro are manufactured differently than the leader spools of leader material. The leader material is stronger, more abrasion resistant, and more consistent diameter, leaving far less weak spots (I get really cheesed when I lose a fish and it was because the leader broke somewhere other than my knot). This only really matters if your fishing low clear water and have to use 6 lb or less. and sadly I have had days where I could not hook fish and tied on 4 lb and started banging them.
> .


You are right. Several years back, a fishing bud contacted Seaguar and asked what the difference was between CarbonPro and the leader material.
Seaguar noted that while both were flouro, the difference was in the resins and hardeners.

As you noted, the leader material tends to be stiffer and more abrasion resistant.

One thing I question about flourocarbon is shock strength. I might be off on this, but since it seems mono might have more stretchability than flouro, it appears to have better shock resistance. When fishing lighter leaders (.008 and less), to me it seems like I get more breakoffs with lighter flouro than I ever did when I used a similar diameter mono. And I note this using expensive stuff (Grand Max) when dropping down to a lighter leader. Again, this is purely empiric.


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## no lead (Jul 28, 2005)

that is why i stick with maxima. 8# strong all day long. closer to 10# at max pull but why wonder?


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## tannhd (Dec 3, 2010)

Ya, Maxima is awesome. I just bought some clear for the first time. I have always used ultragreen.

Anyone have any experience using the clear Maxima?


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## GuppyII (Sep 14, 2008)

Maxima is always in my boat, but,last year I started using seagar floro and fell in love with it. I'm using 8-10 lb and get more bites than 6lb Max! I use the 12 lb for leader ice fishing for walters and will never go back to 8lb Max for that, simply good stuff.

bambi makes a cute sandwich


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## vano397 (Sep 15, 2006)

ausable_steelhead said:


> I've had many a problem with flouro, mainly seaguar.


Ill agree with that. I tried both kinds of seagaur, and after one trip threw them away. 
I was also referring to just the constant bouncing into stuff while float fishing. I really only use about 2' of leader, and noticed my leader breaking off on snags and on fish with regular flouro line, and with mono. And the reason I didn't like it is it would always break somewhere in the middle of the line. if it snaps a knot thats fine, knots are naturally the weakest part of the equation, but the middle of the line is unnacceptable.
Maxima I think is an obvious exception. its a great line, and is bulletproof.
@ REG I definitlely agree with the shock strength, being more stiff, it has less stretch, and will break easier on hard impacts. I have come to use this to an advantage in float fishing. 1st the main line mono has enough cusion in its stretch to protect anything a fish is going to do. 2nd when i snag a hook, I can "pop" it off, and it breaks easier than straight pulling.


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## tannhd (Dec 3, 2010)

I use 8 lb CXX, 5 lb Maxima. 

When i snag i actually pull very slow and steady. Typically i am actually able to straighten my hook our before even my 5 lb breaks. 90% of the time most of my lost fish are due to straightened hooks rather than any line breaking. Makes a much easier re-tie. 

BTW i use the lazer sharp L42 hooks exclusivley.


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## MickL (Dec 16, 2003)

8 lb CXX is darn strong stuff. I bought my 1st spool of it a while back and tested it.......... it broke at 15 lbs! The 6 lb CXX I tested earlier broke at 8.5 lb.


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## BIGUNIT (Nov 30, 2011)

For years i used froghair 100% floro. in 6 and 8 lb, but at $11.50 per 25 meters it gets to expensive so i have switched to p-line floro ice. it comes in 2,3,4,5,6,8 lb. i tend to use the 5 and 8 lb most on the time.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

PLINE Flouro got my vote. Started using it a fews years ago and haven't looked back. I used to mainly fish 6 lb leader...I even chased fish downriver...well I don't chase fish anymore(got made fun of for it once by a member of this board in a thread). 8-10lb can handle steelies in most situations. On hot fall fish I bump up to 10. I have been using a little 6 lately in a smaller stream and am getting more hookups, but still only broke off one fish all year! When chucking spinners I throw 12 lb CXX and only got a handful of larger fall runs to break drag this year. PLINE it is for me.


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## STEELnICE (Dec 4, 2007)

The P-Line is good no doubt but I still swear by Frog Hair which i actually started using after reading a report by Splitshot.


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