What thickness for Fluoro leader?

G'Day!

So I picked up my first baitcast reel, a (barely) used Ambassador C4 5601, yesterday and I'll be spooling it up with 50lb Suffix 832. Is there any hard/fast rule to determining the test strength of fluoro that I should use as a leader?

-John

I use 20lb for walleye, bass etc. What species will you be targeting with your new setup?


Paul

Probably 70% / 20% / 10% split between LM Bass / Pike / Musky.

bass and pike, you might get away with 20lb.
Musky,not so much. On my musky rods, i use 100lb power pro with 24'' of 100 lb flouro leader for trolling, and 12'-18''', of 100lb for casting.Then again, we get some huge musky where i fish.Kawartha muskies tend to be a bit smaller, but they are still toothy beasts to deal with.

i gather you fish the Ottawa river?.....Big Muskies:lol:

Yeah, Ottawa river and Gatineau Park lakes. I won't be doing anywhere near enough musky targeting to warrant putting together a proper rig for hunting beasts though. I might change my mind in a few seasons, but not planning any dedicated Musky trips for 2012...

I fish the seaway south of Montreal, and the lakes along the river from Cornwall east.Musky is a whole nuther animal.be sure to have good bolt cutters, and a suitable net or cradle.Hard to believe such a monster can be so fragile.

Tite Lines John


Paul

Pinck said:

G'Day!

So I picked up my first baitcast reel, a (barely) used Ambassador C4 5601, yesterday and I'll be spooling it up with 50lb Suffix 832. Is there any hard/fast rule to determining the test strength of fluoro that I should use as a leader?

-John

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This is just my "Personal Opinion" based upon YEARS or EXPERIENCE:


50lb - 100lb Braid line and leader?


Other than possibly trolling for 50lb Muskie in the St. Lawrence .... (Mentioned and then stated: " not really") ... Why you would need that kind of heavy setup.

Dont get me wrong, use what ever turns your crank.



However, Bass & Pike and Walleye - 100lb line?

Considering the average Bass and Walleye are in the 2lb-7lb range and Pike in your area get around 2lb-15lb.



Heavy line RESTRICTS:

- Casting Ability

- Sensitivity

- Allows less good of a "Sight Presentation" to targeted fish

- Does not allow "Natural Drift" or Lure action

- Less amount can be spooled on your reel

- Costs more (Lb for Lb)

- Increases the chance of BREAKING your rod, when snagged

- Reduces the Play (Fun & enjoyment) when fighting a fish

- Is harder to cut or manipulate while tying up


ETC ...>ETC.



I would personally reccomend staying within: 6lb - 20lb range.



Again, whatever you prefer and enjoy the "FEEL OF" is the choice YOU should make.
There are "Some exceptions" and for those occassions - be prepared.

It sounds like 99% of the time, you would NOT BE IN A SITUATION that requires that kind of line weight and set up.
If you go with the LIGHTER SUGGESTED LINE, I can garuantee you will have better action, feel and catch MORE FISH!



Just my 2 bits.





ps: Congrats! on the new reel (It has great reviews) May you catch lots of fish and get great performance and enjpyment from it!



Here is ABU's own stats for the reel:

12 lbs. / 205 yds.(mono ) 30 lbs. / 250 yds. (Braid)

Hey Blair,

The purpose of a leader in this case is going to be for reducing line visibility and increasing abrasion resistance. I certainly am not looking to increase my break strength

As for the high test strength of the main line, a lot of my motivation for that is going to be resistance to overruns and not so much that I'm going to be hunting 50lb bass (although really, aren't we all?). As I get more and more seasons under my belt using a baitcaster, I'll probably start dialing back my line thickness for the advantages you mentioned.

I completely agree with you on the absolute fun and enjoyment of playing the fish, and using lighter line/tackle. The other rod that I've purchased for 2012 is a 7' ultralight which is going to be an absolute blast! I'm really looking forward to some epic battles come the spring.

Thanks!

John

I hear ya Blair.
However, i stated 20lb for bass/walleye, not 100. I usually troll for walleye using 10lb powerpro and 24 inches of 20lb leader.Where i fish dictates the tackle i use. I like to almost bounce my lures off the bottom when trolling. Zebra mussels will rip lesser lb line to shreds.
As for Musky, most experienced musky hunters will tell you the same thing.80-100 PP for trolling, 50-80 when casting.
When i am trolling them, its in deep weedlines,in a river environment.Fast curent, lots of debris.I did however omit that on my musky casting setup, i use 50lb braid with premade 80lb leaders.I use a Curado300 for casting, on an 8ft StCroix Premieum muskie rod, and for trolling i use the Convector cv30 line counter on a 7ft H Compre.

Your advise is excellent also.we should outfit ourselves for the areas we fish.

mercman said:

.we should outfit ourselves for the areas we fish.

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Totally agree with you! (And John)
There are definately different circumstances and preferences.

Considering the amount of "NEW FISHERMEN" that view the boards, I always like to reccomend good overall useage advice.
I'm glad too hear that you enjoyed your season John!

I remember your intitial inquires into the Set ups for your summer adventures.

(Saving the time from double posting to the other thread)

* Before, you take apart your BAIL - be aware of how the SPRING SET UP is. (Have the specs and diagram ready).

The new "reels" can be a lot more COMPLICATED ... with "Built in - encased systems" (At least I find them complicated! compared to the older reels).

Pay special attention to exactly how everything is set up .... clean it well, put in some lithium grease and put er back tight!



Best to you!

The only time you want to use 65lb for fishing bass is when your flipping and pitching in heavy weeds where you can keep you rod high and basically pull the fish on top of the water and drag it across towards the boat. Not very sport manly but an effective way of fishing heavy cover. Other than that, the most common line used would be from 8 to 12 lb test. The next choice that you have to make is what type of line to use. Mono is good for surface lures, braid is useful for long casts and floro is good for stealth. I usually use floro for most because it is very difficult to see in the water and it is quite abrasion resistant.

I hope this helps.

Spinninreel said:

The only time you want to use 65lb for fishing bass is when your flipping and pitching in heavy weeds where you can keep you rod high and basically pull the fish on top of the water and drag it across towards the boat. Not very sport manly but an effective way of fishing heavy cover. Other than that, the most common line used would be from 8 to 12 lb test. The next choice that you have to make is what type of line to use. Mono is good for surface lures, braid is useful for long casts and floro is good for stealth. I usually use floro for most because it is very difficult to see in the water and it is quite abrasion resistant.

I hope this helps.

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dont fish musky much anymore but for medium duty walleye casting using husky's, x raps and yo- zuri's i use 20 lb braid and 10-15 lb leader. try to match the line weight to your lure weight to prevent breaking off lures while casting. have you choosen a rod yet because matching the rod to the presentation you will be fishing is important. crank baits use a softer action. spinnerbaits and brush jigs get something stiffer.

Hey guys, appreciate the general gear advice.

A few points since there seems to be some curiosity on why I'm setting up like this.

I have multiple rods, so I'm not needing this rod to necessarily be a "swiss army knife / do everything" rod. I fish many species in many areas, so I gear up for flexibility in the situations where I find myself.

My biggest reason for going for 50lb braid on this reel is because, as stated, this is my first baitcaster. I'm looking to reduce my backlashes by reducing dig in with thicker line. Yes, this will impact my casting distance, that's a known trade off. As I get better with it I might look to reduce my line size to increase my casting distance, but I'll see what my experience is like with the 50lb.

The bonus is that I live near some really sizeable musky and catfish, so it's not inconceivable that I could end up happy that I've got a heavier rig.

I've got the Ambassadeur C4 on a Quantum Tour MH 6'6" with suggested lure size of 1/4-1.5 oz. Obviously if I'm looking to get into any really serious musky fishing, I'll be looking to get a proper musky rod so I ca throw around firetiger painted tree limbs with trebles attached all day long.

Anyhow, I'm pretty satisfied with the answer I got of using 20lb fluoro as my leader. I won't be looking to pull in fish bigger than that, and if I'm going for anything really toothy I'll be looking to use a steel leader anyways.

Thanks!!!

Pinck said:

Hey guys, appreciate the general gear advice.

and if I'm going for anything really toothy I'll be looking to use a steel leader anyways.

Thanks!!!

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Wire leaders, even coated wire leader can damage fish that decides to roll, as Muskies and Pike tend to do.You can buy premade flouro leaders up to 100lb test, at any tackle shop. Or you can make your own,with heavy duty swivels purchased at the same tackle shop.
Just a heads up

have to agree with mercman....back in my musky days i would use 65lb test titanium leaders and actually had fish shear them while trolling. this was a devastating feeling as the prognosis of a 30 lb ski swimming around with my triple bucktail stuck in its rakers is not good. trust mercman go with the 100lb flouro for muskies also upgrade ALL of your terminal 100lb coast lock snaps, triple split rings, and Xtra heavy swivels. SPRO is good also look at saltwater tackle.

Pinck
This may help with your new reel.
http://pages.infinit.net/fishing/bait101.htm

Once you get the hang of it, its really easy.

mercman said:

Pinck
This may help with your new reel.
http://pages.infinit.net/fishing/bait101.htm

Once you get the hang of it, its really easy.

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Thanks Mercman, I've definitely read that page already, and many like it. I'm now just at the "practice, practice, practice" phase in the backyard shooting at a snowbank

Pinck said:

Thanks Mercman, I've definitely read that page already, and many like it. I'm now just at the "practice, practice, practice" phase in the backyard shooting at a snowbank

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If you happen to OWN a LARGE DOG (or the neighbour's) ..... tie a CHEW STICK to the end of your line and let em run around the yard.
Makes the practice more fun and realistic!



*SMILES*

Blair said:

If you happen to OWN a LARGE DOG (or the neighbour's) ..... tie a CHEW STICK to the end of your line and let em run around the yard.
Makes the practice more fun and realistic!



*SMILES*

Click to expand...

I use my Pom as a walleye, and my Lab as a Musky !!!!Amazing similarity in pulling power:shock: :wink: