Time for a foolish question,

[seapower]

Hey guy's saw a post somewhere else on here about a fella afraid to post. Well I'm not afraid to stick my neck out here on Marty's site with a foolish question. Here it goes. I have bought the bag's with "leader material" inside and I have bought the end's of spool's at the tackle shop. Is there any difference in what I make the leader out of, other than price? Same pound test, clear for clear etc... I'm not talking about flouro here, just mono leader. Thank's Frank,SeaPower

[Anders]

I'd say yes and no. Yes it matters if it matters to you and no it doesn't matter if it doesn't to you. Things happen while fishing that make some people believe in things that others don't. If both work for you then it doesn't matter. If you get wanted reults from one and not the other then it does matter. Thats my opinion and maybe someone who has been fishing longer can fill you in, but if I had to say one way or the other, I would say it doesn't matter if they are the sme brand, but brand to brand i would think matters.

[rarhomes]

Hey guy's saw a post somewhere else on here about a fella afraid to post. Well I'm not afraid to stick my neck out here on Marty's site with a foolish question. Here it goes. I have bought the bag's with "leader material" inside and I have bought the end's of spool's at the tackle shop. Is there any difference in what I make the leader out of, other than price? Same pound test, clear for clear etc... I'm not talking about flouro here, just mono leader. Thank's Frank,SeaPower

The only difference I am aware of is that some leader materials are harder which makes them wear better and of course the leader materials are stored in bigger loops creating less memory.

Also heavier line over 100# will be hard to find.

[stressrelief 28.5]

That was the second part of the question I wanted to ask.I used the shorts to make my leaders.Thanks for asking. ............Frank.......................

[gottaflylee]

Interesting question here Frank and I guess it would depend how or what you are going to use ot for. You have basically 2 kinda of mono, hard and soft to keep it simple.
Hard mono is or has a good abrasion resistance, I like it for bite tipits as well as snelling on hooks but it does not much stretch.
Soft mono ties good knots has stretch but not as abrasion resistance as the hard.
What you buy in the packs are made to be leaders, bulk spools are not made to the higher standards of the leader packs and are designed to be put on reels, in a nut shell...

[seapower]

Capt. Lee, you bring out a good point, hard verus the soft. What I use mono leader for is mostly bottom fishing (tiles, seabass) and 3 way trolling rigs for rock. I've been getting the end of the spool's in BigGame mostly. I did notice that the mono that came in the bag's was a stiffer, harder product. Would I be safe to assume (we all know what that mean's) that if I was making a leader for a real tough fighter (wahoo down deep, I currently use mamoi for this)to use the "Leader" material, and for the other fishing the "spool" variety would be ok? On the soft stuff I've been tying it and the hard I've been crimping, this OK? Thank's ,Frank

[Deep C]

In the heavier stuff I use, there are diifferences. Hard or soft, stiff or limp... Al have slight impact on how our big lures run...
I use sufix line and the ends of the spool become my leader material for the light stuff. Its got great abrasion resistance reduced stretch and yes its there for me to just take as I need...

I know I know "Deep cheap" but when doing a couple hundreed rigs for chub at three yards per, its nice to have. No slow uncoil, just pull it off the spool...

[gottaflylee]

Ok Frank, some more of my 2 cents...

As a rule, your spool lines have more light refractory properties, where as your leader lines do not. Now what does this mean and correct me if I'm wrong. Some years ago, I found out that Spanish Mackerel would eat the knots off when I tried to use Floro, as well as some spool lines, Silver Thread is the worst out of the bunch and don't use it for any kind of leader or Decoy line....

The harder your spool lines, the more your knots and line connections will show. Now how much does that matter, depends on what you want to do with it...on the troll, in the wash, I don't think it matters much but get it in the clear water, I think it does, just as copper color wire verses silver paino wire.

For bottom fishing probably, doesn't not matter that much although, I gonna use floro for both jigging and on my bottom rig from the swivel to the hook, not for the sinker, which is of a lighter line that the main line I am using.

If you have a doubt of how your lines and knots look, do a bucket test. Take your leader in a coil with how you attach the hook and drop in in the bucket (needs to be a gray or black bucket) with water. Do it in gray light as well as bright sun light and see what you got... I know that in gray light and rain, I can not see floro well to tie a knot...