Short mono leader?

[Kevin Li]

Hi,
What is the shortest length of mono leader would you feel confident of using when fishing a tackle graveyard/ shallow reef?

I've use 80lb line with a 9ft of 170lb mono leader. Which I want to reduce the length so that the leader knot falls outside the tip ring as I'll be joining it to 130lb line.

[Jay Burgess]

I don't use 170lb much... generally at our local tackle graveyards I've been using around a rod length of 200lb with PE10 (130lb) mainline... but I've been wondering if a shorter length of 240lb or heavier would be better off...

[Brandon Khoo]

short mono leaders are a personal thing. The boys in New Cal use them to great effect although the locations they fish are probably not as brutal as some of the areas we fish in Oz. I think it would be fair to say that you certainly have less issues with casting when the connection is outside the tip.

[Travis Heaps]

If you're fishing brutal ground then I think long enough to have say a 3-5ft past the end of the rod tip and then down through the guides to where you can hold it but it's not onto the reel.

If you don't want to use a twistie then maybe mono inside hollow core connection to allow you keep casting without have a knot running through the guides.  Would require a change of line if you're not already using hollow.  On that topic...how would it go doing a solid braid to hollow connection (say uni to uni) then hollow to mono?  Save spooling wasting a whole spool of good braid to replace it with hollow?

[Jon Li]

The long leader is used when fishing from a higher platform such as in the case when fishing from a bigger boat to enable the crew to grab the leader n not the PE line , however if one were to fish from a smaller boat then shorter leader can be used . However , a longer leader may have a better chance against " reefing " then a short leader outside the guide .

Jon . 

[Brandon Khoo]

One of the more amusing aspects of GT fishing is when you have a decent sized fish on and you're absolutely wasted already. The leader remains just out of reach of the deckie but you're struggling to get it within reach. Getting those last couple of metres back is such hard work. With the longer leader, it is two yards more that the deckie can grab!  . I know it doesn't sound like much but towards the end of a long fight, it makes a difference to me!

[Jon Li]

One of the more amusing aspects of GT fishing is when you have a decent sized fish on and you're absolutely wasted already. The leader remains just out of reach of the deckie but you're struggling to get it within reach. Getting those last couple of metres back is such hard work. With the longer leader, it is two yards more that the deckie can grab!  . I know it doesn't sound like much but towards the end of a long fight, it makes a difference to me!

Hi Brandon ,

I have been there n done that , not only on GT but on a marlin that played that kind of game and in the end , after 4 hrs of trying to reach the leader , we lost the marlin at the double line . We were using 30 lbs. regulation ( IGFA ) line then .

Nowaday I use long leader + heavy bite leader !

Jon .

[Dave Foyle]

Hi guys,

I've got a bit of an in between way of doing things.  2.5 feet of 350lb bite leader uni-uni to a 4 foot long 200lb twisty, catspaw to a spliced loop of 200lb hollowcore which is spliced into the 130lb hollow mainline. Take no prisoners !!

I've seen Sami Ghandour use a similar set up but running PE10 Varivas mainline and using a neat little "albright" type knot to attach a length of 200lb spliced hollow with a small loop in both ends.

Cheers    Dave

[Travis Heaps]

Hi guys,

I've got a bit of an in between way of doing things.  2.5 feet of 350lb bite leader uni-uni to a 4 foot long 200lb twisty, catspaw to a spliced loop of 200lb hollowcore which is spliced into the 130lb hollow mainline. Take no prisoners !!

I've seen Sami Ghandour use a similar set up but running PE10 Varivas mainline and using a neat little "albright" type knot to attach a length of 200lb spliced hollow with a small loop in both ends.

Cheers    Dave

Can you explain the theory behind all those connections Dave?  Why the 200lb hollow section?  I worry about my one mainline connection let alone 3!

[Brandon Khoo]

Travis, some people add a segment of kevlar as well! The addition of the segment of 200lb braid is common among users of the hollow braid brigade.

There are some quite complicated rigs in use for GT fishing.Check out the one used by Kozo Okubo in Legend 5.

I personally prefer to keep my rig as simple as possible with just a single connection but each to their own.

[Dave Foyle]

Hey Travis - I don't really see it as 3 connections as the splices are invisible and give 100% strength.

Wholly agree with Brandon that there are many good leader systems and connections out there.  I think the most important thing is to pick the one you are happiest with / makes the most sense to you and get good at tying it.

Dave

[Travis Heaps]

Hey Travis - I don't really see it as 3 connections as the splices are invisible and give 100% strength.

Wholly agree with Brandon that there are many good leader systems and connections out there.  I think the most important thing is to pick the one you are happiest with / makes the most sense to you and get good at tying it.

Dave

Yeah fair call, totally agree with go with what works for you.  Just wondering what the benefits of each section of material are that makes you go that way?  Can see why for most but am curious about the 200lb hollow section?

[Dave Foyle]

The length of 200lb gives a bit more abrasion resistance than just running the 130lb straight to the leader.  It gives me an extra 12 feet of better abrasion resistance (compared to the mainline) without having a knot on the reel spool when casting.

All makes sense to me and has worked well for me so far....of course all the benefits I perceive could just be between my ears 

Tight lines   Dave

[Travis Heaps]

Interesting, thanks Dave.

All makes sense to me and has worked well for me so far....of course all the benefits I perceive could just be between my ears 

  Leader set-ups, lure selection, casting routines...all predominantly perceived benefits between our ears, but when we do it we keep on casting with confidence, and the more casts the more likely we are to catch a fish!  It's always intersting to hear about other peoples choices though and why they do it.  Cheers.

[Gavin Ng]

for those that run single strand leaders, how long do you run your leaders and whats the average weight?

i use a pr knot and i like it cause it's easy to tie and it's simple for me. i like to use a leader length where the know is just at the spool, and has enough to hang off for casting. do you guys feel that a longer leader i.e- mopre than a rod length is benificial in saving you from getting busted off the reef? or is it more a case of if the fish takes 2 metres then it'll take 4?

and for those guys fishing heavy braid, how much drag are you fishing?

Cheers