# 50 pound Fluoro leader overkill?



## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

I have 14 pound mono for the surf for puppy drum and 8 pound mono and 6 pound mono for the sound side for flounder, specs, etc.
Ive been seeing a lot about 50 pound "shock leaders". 75 feet of 50 pound fluoro leader is about $25.00....in trying to keep cost down could i use this for all 3 different size of mono line, or is it over kill on the smaller ones? do i even need shock leader or a leader on the smaller ones?

Thanks


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Soundside you want a fluoro bite leader, maybe 20-30 lb, 12-18 inches.
For the surf, you want a shock leader if you will be launching weight. Rule of thumb is 10x the weight you cast. So 4 oz means 40 lb test shock. You only need enough to wrap you spool 3-4x while you cast. I use BBG mono for that. And that 10x is for a full on cast.
I also lobbed about a pound of weight/bait with that same 60 lb shock leader, so it really depends on how hard you cast.
For shock leader, mono is fine and cheap.


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## Catch This (Nov 19, 2005)

+1 on what PODS said. I use about 6 feet of 20lb flouro as a shock leader on the light stuff in the surf and bay.


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## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

yea im not looking to cast way out there. i will only be tossing 4 oz of weight plus bait...so you think 20 pound fluoro will be fine for me for the surf and sound?


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

10-15 lb fluoro for inshore up to 25 or 30 lb if needed around oysters/rocks. This is tied to your main line with a uni-uni knot or similar then tied to your lure. Tie Carolina rigs out of fluoro. I usually use 20 or 25 lb. 

For the surf tie your rigs out of fluoro and use a mono shock leader, tied to your main line, then to your fluoro rig. 50 and 60 lb mono is suitable for almost everything and overkill for a lot situations. I usually use 30 lb shock leaders with lighter line for panfish on longer casts. I very frequently use no shock leader with 12-14 mono for pompano throwing 2-3 oz bottom rigs, but this is with light 7' rods for the suds and in the trough... 

A shock leader is just so you don't snap your line due to the force behind heaving big chunks of bait and lead out.

50 lb fluoro is great for puppy drum rigs but it doesn't HAVE to be. Can always buy a couple fluoro rigs instead of buying the spool of fluoro.


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## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

Fish finder rig ? No need for fluoro at all.
Even throwing just 4oz on 20 lb is a little sketchy, the place on your leader where the snap swivel for your weight hangs takes allot of abuse, when I use a 50 lb shocker to throw 7 or 8 oz I like to retie after no more than 20 casts.
General rule of thumb is 10 pounds of line test for every ounce.


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## Catch This (Nov 19, 2005)

20 lb flouro shock is all I use with 2,3, or 4 oz plus bait


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## pmcdaniel (Nov 13, 2013)

I've always assumed that the shock leader should be mono because it has the most stretch...you know...to absorb the shock.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Virginia_2_Maine said:


> I have 14 pound mono for the surf for puppy drum and 8 pound mono and 6 pound mono for the sound side for flounder, specs, etc.
> Ive been seeing a lot about 50 pound "shock leaders". 75 feet of 50 pound fluoro leader is about $25.00....in trying to keep cost down could i use this for all 3 different size of mono line, or is it over kill on the smaller ones? do i even need shock leader or a leader on the smaller ones?
> 
> Thanks


What size weight are you throwing? Floro leader used as a shock line is expensive,as well as overkill.. As a leader it can be great,although generally not necessary to catch pups or big drum.. Many use floro for this,and in clear water floro leaders do shine against standard mono.. They are more abrasion resistant,and imho will catch more fish in clear water,love using it when sight casting with jigs and other lures.. Shock line,rule of thumb is in the post above,and cheap is good as long as you tie good knots and change it out regularly..


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## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

thanks for all the info guys! now i just need to figure out how to tie the leader and shock leader to my running line lol!


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## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

never mind just watched you tube video uni to uni knot look stupid simple


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

There are lots of "lively" threads here about which knot is best between your running line and your shock leader. (double overhand in the shock and uni run through it for the mainline here).


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## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

went and bought 20 pound fluoro leader for the smaller (6 & 8 pound mono) for the sound side and got 40 pound mono line to tie to my 14 pound mono for the surf. 
now will attempt to tie the leaders to the running line.

will update of success or failure lol


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## jcarpenter (Apr 13, 2011)

Is there an easy know for attaching a fluoro leader to braid? I use a double uni to attach like lines, but have not found a good one for 2 different types of line.


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## 23mako (Aug 24, 2016)

jcarpenter said:


> Is there an easy know for attaching a fluoro leader to braid? I use a double uni to attach like lines, but have not found a good one for 2 different types of line.


Double Albright or alberto for braid to mono or fluoro.


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

i used to use those two but I moved over to red philips knot and like it better, i trust it more than alberto if I am expecting some big pullage

this may be sacrilege but when pomp fishing i have run a 40lb braid casting leader (using spinning gear & breakaway cannon) to a swivel and then my fluoro rig, have caught just fine despite the braid being relatively close to my baits. sometimes when it is real clear i will go to 20 or 30lb clear mono shock loop to loop connection to my bottom rig. i use gemini sinkers these days and only throw 2-3oz and can hold in a hurricane if needed depending on how i set my arm tension on the sinkers...this lets you get away with a power cast with a bottom rig that is only 25 or 30lb fluoro. FM rig is another way to get around this but I like those gemini sinkers


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

jcarpenter said:


> Is there an easy know for attaching a fluoro leader to braid? I use a double uni to attach like lines, but have not found a good one for 2 different types of line.


I use 8 turn uni (braid) to 4-5 turn uni (mono/fluoro). Has held in everything from 8 lb Fireline to 30 lb Sufix 832 braid, including on some biters.


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## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

the 5-6 turn turn uni to uni (mono to fluoro) seems to work great


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## 23mako (Aug 24, 2016)

greg12345 said:


> i used to use those two but I moved over to red philips knot and like it better, i trust it more than alberto if I am expecting some big pullage
> 
> this may be sacrilege but when pomp fishing i have run a 40lb braid casting leader (using spinning gear & breakaway cannon) to a swivel and then my fluoro rig, have caught just fine despite the braid being relatively close to my baits. sometimes when it is real clear i will go to 20 or 30lb clear mono shock loop to loop connection to my bottom rig. i use gemini sinkers these days and only throw 2-3oz and can hold in a hurricane if needed depending on how i set my arm tension on the sinkers...this lets you get away with a power cast with a bottom rig that is only 25 or 30lb fluoro. FM rig is another way to get around this but I like those gemini sinkers


Interesting insight. I have had good luck with the double albright. Will have to check out that knot. 

The most important thing in knot tying is to tie what you are confident in.


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

Drumdum said:


> What size weight are you throwing? Floro leader used as a shock line is expensive,as well as overkill.. As a leader it can be great,although generally not necessary to catch pups or big drum.. Many use floro for this,and in clear water floro leaders do shine against standard mono.. They are more abrasion resistant,and imho will catch more fish in clear water,love using it when sight casting with jigs and other lures.. Shock line,rule of thumb is in the post above,and cheap is good as long as you tie good knots and change it out regularly..



Honestly Bro, whatever Drumdum tells you, do it. 

Uni to uni will be just fine for a spinner and the applications you outlined. No sense in spending money you don't have to on all this fluorocarbon. It's fishing not Rocket Science ... You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want to. 
The uni knot is probably the most used knot in fishing today..


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## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

2na,
i just went with the uni to uni.

on the 14 pound mono i uni to uni tied 40 pound mono line for my shock leader for the surf.

for the 6 & 8 pound mono i uni to uni 20 pound fluoro LINE as my leader for the sound for trout and flounder etc


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

You will find that it comes off the spool and goes though the guides smoothly.. Less chance of a break off..


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## Virginia_2_Maine (Aug 4, 2015)

10-4 big guy. 2 1/2 weeks until i get the lines wet. fingers crossed


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Virginia_2_Maine said:


> 2na,
> i just went with the uni to uni.
> 
> on the 14 pound mono i uni to uni tied 40 pound mono line for my shock leader for the surf.
> ...


 Uni to uni is a great knot.. All that being said,my rule of thumb on this is if the shock or leader tied to mainline is over double the size of the main line,double the mainline.. You can do this (without doing it my way with a bimini) by tying a simple spider hitch or triple surgeons loop in the mainline to attach the double uni to the shock line.. You can look up a simple way to tie a spider on the fishing bible,and the triple surgeons is a simple triple overhand knot to double your main line and attach to shock with double uni.. If confused blame it on me I can't explain it worth a chit,but I could tie it in front of you and you'd pick up on it in about 5 seconds.....


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## jimim77 (May 6, 2016)

Oldmulletbreath said:


> Fish finder rig ? No need for fluoro at all.
> Even throwing just 4oz on 20 lb is a little sketchy, the place on your leader where the snap swivel for your weight hangs takes allot of abuse, when I use a 50 lb shocker to throw 7 or 8 oz I like to retie after no more than 20 casts.
> General rule of thumb is 10 pounds of line test for every ounce.


I have a follow up question re: the fish finder rig cause I had two losses of what I would imagine were large fish. My setup was 20lb mono main line - uni to uni - to 30lb mono (prob 40 feet) where my sliding snap swivel was - swivel - 50lb mono (18 inches) to hook.

the first loss i had was at the 30 lb mono. my uni to uni knot was left behind so i know it wasn't my knot. there was about 10 feet of the 30 lb left so i know it wasn't my uni to swivel knot. was it just from the sliding snap swivel rubbing the 30 lb? should i have done anything diff? i was using 3 oz weight in the surf.

the second loss i had was at the 20 lb main line. again i know it wasn't my uni to uni giving out cause it was totally gone and it looked like the 20 lb line was shredded. so should i have been using braid for the main line?

this has always been my biggest issue. i usually fish with double loop drop rigs i tie with 30lb mono. or i fish with steel rigs for blues with floats. both rigs are attached to a snap swivel on my main 20 lb line by a surgeons loop. 

my fish finder is above. should i go to all braid for all my main lines and then the snap swivel to whatever rig i want to use?

thnks for the help everyone!
jim


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## 23mako (Aug 24, 2016)

Was this all on the same rod?


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

jimim77 said:


> I have a follow up question re: the fish finder rig cause I had two losses of what I would imagine were large fish. My setup was 20lb mono main line - uni to uni - to 30lb mono (prob 40 feet) where my sliding snap swivel was - swivel - 50lb mono (18 inches) to hook.
> 
> the first loss i had was at the 30 lb mono. my uni to uni knot was left behind so i know it wasn't my knot. there was about 10 feet of the 30 lb left so i know it wasn't my uni to swivel knot. was it just from the sliding snap swivel rubbing the 30 lb? should i have done anything diff? i was using 3 oz weight in the surf.
> 
> ...


Large Shark is cutting the line with its tail or teeth.


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## jimim77 (May 6, 2016)

there was deff something on each time i lost the 2 fish. i didn't think it was teeth cause it was so far down the line.

so is how i had my reels setup to blame?


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## jimim77 (May 6, 2016)

23mako said:


> Was this all on the same rod?


each fish i lost. . . yes. after i lost the one i removed the full rig i had. took off a few feet of my 20lb and tied on a new rig by an uni to uni knot. second time is when i had the tear off on the 30 lb line and my uni to uni knot was left behind along with some feet of the 30 lb mono


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

jimim77 said:


> each fish i lost. . . yes. after i lost the one i removed the full rig i had. took off a few feet of my 20lb and tied on a new rig by an uni to uni knot. second time is when i had the tear off on the 30 lb line and my uni to uni knot was left behind along with some feet of the 30 lb mono


See garboman's response...


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

jcarpenter said:


> Is there an easy know for attaching a fluoro leader to braid? I use a double uni to attach like lines, but have not found a good one for 2 different types of line.


spider hitch to a Yucatan knot, my fave.
js


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

I wonder if it wasn't a small shark esp with the shredded line further up from the shock. Shark skin can do a number on lighter mono. I run a longer shock leader for this reason if I know there are a bunch of biters in the area. I will run my shock about double the normal length.

Edit: I did not see page 2 and kind threadchit on Garbo's post


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## jimim77 (May 6, 2016)

So for next year surf fishing at topsail should I go with braid on all my reels for my main line? Would that be ok for my fish finder rigs? Braid to 30 lb mono for the sinker on slider and then swivel to 50 lb leader with hook? 

Or is braid not good for surf fishing use? This is only my third year surf fishing so new to it but not new to freshwater.


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## pmcdaniel (Nov 13, 2013)

If your mono or flouro line is getting torn up braid is not going to help. It is the least abrasion resistant of the 3 types.


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