Whether you're fishing in one of the reservoirs near Baltimore or at the Baltimore Canyon, leader is a critical part of your setup. If you use too light of a line you might lose a fish and if you go too heavy you may get less bites. There are a lot of factors that go into selecting a leader, such as how good the target fish’s eyesight is, the water clarity, the type of fishing you are doing, and proximity to structure.

pulling a rockfish up to the boat
That leader is your critical connection to the fish.

Fishing Leader Basics

First, let’s discuss what a leader even is and why you should use it. Your setup has multiple components: the rod, reel, mainline, leader, and bait. The leader helps disguise your mainline, acting as a barrier between it and the bait so that the fish see as little as possible. Some fish have good eyesight and can be extremely line-shy, and using a leader helps trick the fish by making your presentation look more natural. Aside from giving you a stealthy edge, leader has many other important benefits such as abrasion resistance around structure, shock absorption, and the ability to use a lighter mainline.

Braid has a lot of great pros, mainly the thinner diameter and lack of stretch or memory, but it’s also very poor at resisting abrasion. Monofilament has thicker diameter and more stretch and memory, but it’s also better at resisting abrasion. By using monofilament leader (often in the form of fluorocarbon, which is the type of monofilament with the least visibility underwater) in combination with your mainline you are able to harness the pros of both.

That abrasion resistance is a must if you’re fishing around heavy cover such as bridge pilings, docks, oyster beds, or rocks, and your leader can take much more of a beating than straight braid would. The next big plus is shock absorbency; since braid has very little stretch it can be a little too easy to pull or even bend out your hook when a fish shakes its head or jumps. Using a leader lessens the chance of this, especially when using thin hooks. Another big plus of using leader is the ability to use a lighter mainline and fit more line on your spool. If you set your drag properly you can handle very big fish on super light gear.

fluorocarbon fishing line leader
Fluorocarbon leader is generally considered to be the best at fooling those fish.

Leader Knots

For attaching your leader to your mainline there are tons of different knot options. For lighter lines the Alberto knot, Albright Knot, or Uni knot are great options. (TIP: Always use a little saliva to lubricate your knots before synching them down tight). For heavier leaders over 60 or 80 pounds the FG knot or PR Bobbin are hard to beat due to the impressive breaking strength. (TIP: Use a lighter to melt and “mushroom” the tag end of the leader material on heavy lines over 80 pounds, and a few drops of liquid super glue to lock your wraps in place once you synch the knot down).

A good rule of thumb to determine how long to make your leader length is to make it a little longer than the biggest fish you think you might catch. For instance, if targeting trophy stripers or drum, a 40” to 50” leader line will prevent the fish’s scales or gill plate from slicing through your braid. However, try to avoid having your leader long enough that it runs through the top guide every time you cast because this can wear down your knot.

Leader Size

When it comes to selecting what pound test leader to go with, it’s important to consider the factors mentioned earlier including species eyesight, water clarity, and proximity to the structure you are fishing. As a general rule the lighter (and thinner) the leader is, the more likely fish are to strike. If you are marking fish or seeing fish not committing, you can try downsizing to a lighter leader to improve your chances of fooling the fish.

yellowfin tuna on a hook
Look close at this underwater picture of a 50-pound yellowfin tuna; you can see the hook but the 30-pound fluorocarbon leader it's attached to is nearly invisible. Hooks tied to 40-pound leader went untouched this day.

Here are some basic recommendations for what size leader to go with for some common species:

  • Catfish: 40- to 80-pound test, depending on where you are fishing and if you are targeting channel cats or big blue catfish and flatheads.
  • Common Bay species including schoolie striped bass, flounder, speckled trout, and slot -redfish: 20- to 30-pound test, going on the light side in open water or heavier if you’re fishing around oysters or docks.
  • Common Bay species with very sharp teeth, like bluefish and Spanish mackerel: 30-pound test, but if you are getting bitten off consider switching over to a light wire leader.
  • Largemouth bass: Eight- to 15-pound test.
  • Panfish like perch and spot: Six- to 12-pound test.
  • Pickerel: 12- to 20-pound test.
  • Snakehead: 20- to 25-pound test (however, when fishing in thick grass, vegetation, or with thick gauge hooks, remember that casting straight braid with no leader can be beneficial to slice through the vegetation and aid in a strong hookset).
  • Trophy stripers: 30- to 50-pound test.
  • Very large Bay species like cobia or bull redfish: 40- to 60-pound test, going on the light side in open water or heavier if you’re fishing around oysters or pilings.

Whether you're finesse fishing for perch or targeting bull reds on heavy tackle, choosing the right leader is critical. And always remember, if fish are following but not committing, downsizing your leader is one of the best adjustments you can make on the fly—just don’t downsize too much, or those bites will quickly become break-offs.

-By Ian Rubin