Let's talk leaders...

[scattered_grass]

Just wanted a general consensus on what everyone's using on different baits. What lb. test are you pulling on your large Islanders/Expresses, medium Sailures/Witches, and small dinks? I started going through some tackle yesterday for Spring/Summer and I have way to many different leader sizes, I want to simplify. I use Jinkai monofilament.

[seapower]

You need to come by the boat one weekend. Your Dad showed me around the boat the other day, look's good. Has quite abit of room all the way around, for a boat of her size. I expect she's a keeper! Frank

[MAKO19]

130 lb Momoi for the larger lures and 100 lb Momoi for the witches and naked baits. I am thinking of switching everything over to 100 lb to get more bites since you are only going to get a shot at a big blue or big eye every once in a while. Most of the time it's 30-60 lb yellowfins, gaffers and whites so 100 lb is fine. I actually bought a coil of Jinkai since Momoi doesn't make smaller leader coils anymore (at least that what Melton tackle told me). The one thing I noticed though about the Jinkai is that it has a smaller diameter than competitors in comparable lb test. For example 130 lb Jinkai has a diameter of 1.04 mm and 100 lb Momoi has a diameter of 1.20 mm. This is nice but be careful when crimping. I use the double barrel sleeves and noticed a 1.3 crimp is too big for the 130 Jinkai and a 1.0 crimp seems to be too small. This has caused me to stray away from using the Jinkai 130. Maybe switching to the single barrel aluminum sleeve would help but I prefer the copper double barrel sleeves over these.

[clt_capt]

I generally run 130 on my Islanders and other large heads

for smaller heads and witches I run 90

and I usually run 60lb Cajun fluoro (red) or 80 mono for naked hoos.

The 130s and 90s I will usually crimp a loop of wire through the hook eye as an added measure of protection. Doesn't always work, but has saved more than 1 hoo.

Most of what we catch are mahi and hoos anyway

[mikehalseyjr]

I use all fluro.

I use to use ande but it is too stiff.

I switched to Yo-Zuri HD pink fluro, way more flexible. I have 30,50,60, & 100lb.

For trolling I use all 100 lb on everything. You can almost tie the 100lb, but I crimp it anyway.

The 60lb you can tie perfectly, no crimps.

It's expensive, but if you take care of it. It will last.

Mike

[92 feet down]

130lb. on Ilanders & larger lures.
100lb. on med hoos.
80lb. on dinks
All mono.

Of course this past year we caught a 225lb bigeye on a dink rig on a Penn 30-wide. That was a b*tch.

[scattered_grass]

Great info here, thanks for sharing. I've been making up some rigs over the past week and have come to the conclusion that I can't pull anything under 125 lbs. 100 is just too small for me! Small stuff is getting 125, medium/large 150/200. It's getting to be that time fellows! Good luck this year.

[offshore]

We change them up quite a bit depending on what we are fishing for. If we are strictly Dolphin and Tuna fishing Long 80-100 leaders are what we use. If we are Blue marlin fishing nothing smaller than 200lb Momoi Xtra hard leader. White marlin 80lb is our standard leader. Blue fin out of OI 200lb. Starting in May we will be bill fishing so 200+ leaders will be the norm...Mark

By he way we still catch lots of meat Blue Marlin fishing!

[Split Bill]

Tuna rigs (witches, etc) -- 80lb flouro long windons
Dink baits for whites and dolphin -- 80 lb mono
bluefin 150 or 200lb test
blue-marlin baits (spanish mackeral, pink pig & horse, etc) -- 400lb mono

Seems like i'm pretty similar to everyone else, with the exception of 400lb mono on the blue-marlin baits. I've never thought it's hurt us, but maybe i'm wrong. What do others use on your big baits?

Great thread by the way.

Ed

[Bud Man]

Great Info
Trolling outfits it usually 80 flouro for the bally rigs
Blue fin 150 to 200

chunking 30 to 80 flouro long leaders mostly