[RiverCat09]

How long should my fluorocarbon leader be when using BKD’s, bucktails, spoons, and other LTG offerings for rockfish on a rod & reel spooled with Powerpro? I would appreciate any good advice from Shawn and any other LTG aficionados. Thanks!

 

[Echo]

24" to 48".... no measurement needed...

 

[Charlie VA]

Save your money. Stripers aren't leader shy. I use 50# in the spring.

 

[spynet000]

I caught a 46''- 40some pound rockfish yesterday on a 12 inch floro leader using a 5'' BA. No science behind it. Its whatever you pull out of the spool.

 

[Gerald]

ya don't need floro.

 

[KenY]

I start out with 6' of leader. And with lure changes, abrasions, and what-not, I let it go till its about a foot. Then I put on another 6' piece. As Charlie said, you can use mono for Rocks. Just don't use a bright color as in florescent green or day-glow yellow. Stay with clear or the Andes pink.

 

[Gerald]

The thing with a long leader is ya gotta cast it thru the eye's. If ya don't tie a small knot it can jerk the ceramic insert out of the tip. Your better off to just use a 2' leader to avoid the problem.

 

[blue lou]

How long should my fluorocarbon leader be when using BKD's, bucktails, spoons, and other LTG offerings for rockfish on a rod & reel spooled with Powerpro? I would appreciate any good advice from Shawn and any other LTG aficionados. Thanks!

BKDs 36"
BAs 34"
Bucktails 31"
spoons 28"
Other lures other lengths.
TOOLS!

 

[twiskman]

Lou... you are a funny guy...

 

[RiverCat09]

I caught a 46''- 40some pound rockfish yesterday on a 12 inch floro leader using a 5'' BA. No science behind it. Its whatever you pull out of the spool.

Thanks for all the responses! :thumbup: I made up spme BKD's with roughlu 12" leaders. I'll start out with that.

 

[Echo]

Thanks for all the responses! :thumbup: I made up spme BKD's with roughlu 12" leaders. I'll start out with that.

If I'm hearing you correctly, you already have BKD's with leaders made up ????

Without sounding like a prick, it sound backwards to me...

Tie your floro to your PP, Maybe put on a generic jig head, depending on where your fishing.. Then add appropriate sized BKD on jig head, or change jig head size altogether... No ??

 

[rocksteady]

Thanks for all the responses! :thumbup: I made up spme BKD's with roughlu 12" leaders. I'll start out with that.

Why pre-make leaders for jigs? Just tie 3 to 6 feet of leader to your braided line with a uni to uni or albright and be done with it like KenY said . Some prefer to tie directly to the jig while I like to use a snap for easy lure change out . No need to be tying a bunch of separate leaders .

 

[skipperwork]

12 inches is ok if you only plan on catching one or two fish but when you are slamming one after another you will find out why it sucks. The reason being is that you need to use the leader to pick the fish up and who wants to keep bending down to reach your leader. Use a longer say 36" or so and now you have something to work with. This comes especially into play when you start using droppers so you have some line above the dropper to grap. Think about the leader as a handle.

Now the other reason you need a longer leader is so if you do get a big fish on the fish doesn't damage your braid. Big fish will turn a lot and you will feel the line getting caught in fish and letting go. If thats the braid touching the fish by by but the heavy mono will take it. Just my take on it.

 

[RiverCat09]

If I'm hearing you correctly, you already have BKD's with leaders made up ????

Without sounding like a prick, it sound backwards to me...

Tie your floro to your PP, Maybe put on a generic jig head, depending on where your fishing.. Then add appropriate sized BKD on jig head, or change jig head size altogether... No ??

No offense taken what so ever. I'm taking this all in and learning. Thanks! :thumbup:

 

[RiverCat09]

12 inches is ok if you only plan on catching one or two fish but when you are slamming one after another you will find out why it sucks. The reason being is that you need to use the leader to pick the fish up and who wants to keep bending down to reach your leader. Use a longer say 36" or so and now you have something to work with. This comes especially into play when you start using droppers so you have some line above the dropper to grap. Think about the leader as a handle.

I hadn't even considered that aspect of it. Thanks!

 

[RiverCat09]

Why pre-make leaders for jigs? Just tie 3 to 6 feet of leader to your braided line with a uni to uni or albright and be done with it like KenY said . Some prefer to tie directly to the jig while I like to use a snap for easy lure change out . No need to be tying a bunch of separate leaders .

That clears up a heck of a lot. I've been tying my BKD's, small shads, bucktails, kastmasters, etc. directly to the leader. I use small snaps for freshwater bass, but thought rock would be too skittish for snaps. Snaps would make life a heck of a lot easier. It looks like I'll have to change things up a bit. Thanks!! :clapping2:

Hey Mike. What size snaps do you use?

 

[Echo]

No snaps.. The less hardware the better... AND I don;t make the rules, I just follow them.

You should bring three to four rods with you when you fish. One could have a top water lure, second 3/4 oz jig head, third, 1 ounce jig head, and finally maybe 2oz jig head. Add BKD or BA on once your at fishing spot...

Then pick which rod suites the conditions

 

[mrobertson]

Paul is right a longer leader is good when you are catching alot of fish. If you've got 18 inches on there that gives you about 1 - 2 breakoffs and then you have to retie the whole leader. I like about a 3 foot leader and that gives me some room for breakoffs. Remember - LTJ can be fast and furious and you don't want to waste alot of time tying and re-tying.

You don't need floro either. I use 40lb Ande mono. It's strong enough to hold a big fish, and its thick enough to give some abrasion resistance. At the cbbt i might bump it to 50lb and in the summer i bump it down to 30lb.

 

[Gerald]

Rock ain't shy of the small snaps. Use the small ones like this.

If your a good enough jigger to not break off a lot and want to very your jig weight around during the tide change or on different structure and ya wan change weights often their great. You can get them very small. We use'm thru the ice for crappie,gils and perch. If you were gonna have a hardware shy stuation it woud be then certainly not for rock. Rock will hit on 80 lb leader. They also work well on a dropper rig to find a spoon and dropper combo. I get the very small stainless steel assorted ones.

 

[rocksteady]

That clears up a heck of a lot. I've been tying my BKD's, small shads, bucktails, kastmasters, etc. directly to the leader. I use small snaps for freshwater bass, but thought rock would be too skittish for snaps. Snaps would make life a heck of a lot easier. It looks like I'll have to change things up a bit. Thanks!! :clapping2:

Hey Mike. What size snaps do you use?

I like these . Low profile and very strong . I fish out of a 17' boat and really don't have a lot of room for a gazillion rods . With these snaps you can change out for a different jig or switch to a top water lure very quickly .