braid and shock leader

Mon Feb 02, 2009 9:41 pm

I am wondering do i need shock leader with braid . I use 30lb braid on a 13 ft beachcaster but am thinking of getting a 16ft and using braid on it.

Re: braid and shock leader

Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:04 pm

yes mate, a 60lb taper'd leader would be best, even though braid is tougher than mono
it has the same breaking strain. some lads reckon there's no need for leaders but for me,
its a safety thing as well as rigs are'nt cheap so you'll not be wanting to put new ones on
every time you try a big cast

Re: braid and shock leader

Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:21 pm

I would second that. Use shockleader, for safety at least. Also find out wot knot works best for joining to braid coz mono and braid dont knot the same.

Re: braid and shock leader

Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:03 pm

plus braid will cut the finger off you like a hot wire on butter taper shock leader is what i have on my set up with braid

Re: braid and shock leader

Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:55 pm

em, mono too, can cut deep.Even tying knots (low diam.line)
A note to new anglers using fixed spool reels... adjust the drag knob down fully to lock position before casting, otherwise, if the line slips on cast it WILL do damage to your finger.

Re: braid and shock leader

Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:05 pm

learned the hard way about casting with braid :oops: deffo tapered shockleader best way to go

Re: braid and shock leader

Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:35 am

see what your saying but i use an 18ft penn and braid ,snaped off once in the last year .
:mrgreen:

Re: braid and shock leader

Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:01 am

you don't need a shock if you are overhead lobbing. you do need to protect your finger casting- make sure the spool is locked solid. i pendulum cast a six ounce on 65lb. braid with no shock just to see and it was fine. there was no-one around i might add! i wouldn't do it again though. for overhead casting it's fine and a good way to avoid weed. a shock would help preserve the braid as the end closest the rig seems to take more punishment. personally i would use a shock unless i wanted to use the braid to avoid weed.

Re: braid and shock leader

Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:57 pm

if your not using heavey weights you can do without a shock leader by using a thumb button or cannon but to tell you the truth a mono shockleader makes casting easier and will give you a snapoff point if you get snagged thus saving your expensive braid,if using tapered leader discard the first few yards of thin line use it where it gets to around 20-25 lb breaking stain the 16 or 18 lb is very thin for joining to braid :wink:

Re: braid and shock leader

Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:16 pm

i use 80lbs braid on one of mine and dont use a shock leader, i catch a lot more fish as there is less stretch, i dont know if its right to do so, but hope it helps.

Re: braid and shock leader

Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:34 pm

80 lb :shock: you must be expecting something big :wink:

Re: braid and shock leader

Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:54 pm

I heard rumours of white marlin of the north down coast :wink: :lol: i dont think 80Lbs would be enough :lol:

Re: braid and shock leader

Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:19 am

I loaded up 3 reels with braid last night. Stong stuff,wasnt a scissors,knife or nail clippers that would go through it cleanly!
Ive only used mono before is there an deteriotion with braid from the saltwater? Should I WD40 it and I presume rinse with fresh water after every session?

Re: braid and shock leader

Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:21 pm

braid will last longer than mono :D

Re: braid and shock leader

Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:58 pm

just chuck it out ,no need to rinse it it will last years at least 2 if you fish clean ground 8)