16 replies to this topic

[Meanderer]

When casting Little Cleo's or JX's into the harbour, do you use a leader??

If so why? and which leader? Thanks.

[NADO]

When casting Little Cleo's or JX's into the harbour, do you use a leader??

If so why? and which leader? Thanks.

LOL I thought this was going to be a thread on stewardship and conservation.

I dont but dont take advice from me as I have yet to catch anything from the Pier.

[Angler_Brazil]

I don't as well, same with NADO, I am yet to catch a fish at the pier.

[jpct]

I stopped using leaders for salmon 4 years ago.

I run 10lb mainline to a swivel. Thats it.

I've broken off on a salmon maybe 3 or 4 times in 4 years, and landed easily 500+

lol.

Chinnies are dumb. They can't see line. If they could, then they wouldnt be able to be flossed like it was going out of style.

[Rainbow]

^jpct is right. When they are stacked up in rivers they don't always avoid line and in return get flossed like crazy, but I've noticed they do try to avoid fishing line when they can, so maybe it would be a good idea not to use heavy line when pier fishing. There's really no need for fluorocarbon out in the lake, just a decent main line. I only use fluorocarbon when float fishing.

[jpct]

There's also no need to use 50lb braid.

Just because the salmon is 30lb's... DOES NOT MEAN you need 30lb line.. Alot of people think this. It is a common misconception.

10lb seems to be the sweet spot for me. Rod choice is 100x more important than line IMO.

I dunno how many chinnies I've pulled in on 4lb lead line on my fly rod... heh...

[Majstor]

yeah keep pulling on 4lb and fight them for 1 hour , thats why u see them belly up down the river

[O.My.Buddy]

a chinny's eyesight underwater is definitely better than a human's...if the crank on a fluff of yarn on an #18 they can see pretty good...jcpt is right 10lb is a sweet spot for line...just don't use the lazer yellow, orange or red lines...guys use em floating so they can see the line then tie a leader so fish don't see line? I don't get it...see lots of guys using it down south...I don't see those guys catching lots of fish...a strong 4lb flouro is a good leader and fish can be landed decently with a good float rod, depending on the pool you can use 3 or 2lb and not exhaust a fish to death, particularly in cooler waters...seen quite a few situations guys are using 6-10lb leaders and not getting bit and me and my buddy smashing them on 4lb

[jc53]

I think the op was inquiring about spoon chucking from the piers.
I run 20 lb braid and 20 lb fluoro @ 3 feet or so. I find the 15 lb fluoro at little light for my liking.

[O.My.Buddy]

yeah, I totally got that the op was spoon chucking...have found 10lb to be great for lures for salmon from Nipigon to Port Hope and points in between. I guess I wasn't clear on that. You pretty much have to use a leader if you're using 20lb tow rope. Your stick must be something like a fence post or if longer, a telephone pole or your rod would blow up...know a guy busted 7 rods in a season on braid...at least if you break you don't leave a mile of that shite on the bottom or dock...I get irritated when I get tangled or trip on that stuff...last time at Port Hope a guy up river from me, like 50 yards up, was using braid off bottom with not enough weight and tangled me up...I just cut it...10 mins later I see him playin with his line trying to figure where his rig went...I lmfao!

[NADO]

nothing wrong with 20lb braid, its thinner than any 10lb mono you might be using. I have 20lb braid on one spool and 8lb mono on the other. Not sure how you would blow up a rod using 20lb braid, did he not know how to set his drag properly? Ive never even cracked my 7' medium using braid and I can be pretty aggressive when im getting snags out with my braid.

[O.My.Buddy]

he was a down easter so he certainly knew better, partly he was just horsin around, sed "I have 40 rods, lets see how many I can break"...still increases chance of bustin a rod on snag or tangle or somethin shtoopid...salmon like to follow lures and have a good look at your presentation before hitting or turning away...a lil thicker 10lb still has less vis than 'thinner' 20lb braid...if you been chuckin metal with straight braid for a couple seasons and have not been getting bit/hooked up...I'd have to say you've probably had many refusals and your choice of line and lack of leader is the reason...don't really matter if you have your drag set properly if you're not getting hooked up, does it?...I even use flouro leader bottom bouncing at night in clearer, shallower waters...keeping the main line outta their faces as much as possible is always a good idea...

[NADO]

I think my lack of hooking up is probably more to do with the fact that I usually pier fish in early August/late June from 5-8 in the evening lol. I should probably be using a fluro leader during that time but I always figured id wait until I see at least one fish hooked before I give up on the braid and that never happened. Im always up river during the part of the season that is good for pier casting but I may change that up this season (probably not lol).

Just dont like when the line I use most of the time except for when im pinning is referred to as tow rope lol. I think u gotta go to at least 30 for that classification.

[georgianbaydrifter]

yeah, I totally got that the op was spoon chucking...have found 10lb to be great for lures for salmon from Nipigon to Port Hope and points in between. I guess I wasn't clear on that. You pretty much have to use a leader if you're using 20lb tow rope. Your stick must be something like a fence post or if longer, a telephone pole or your rod would blow up...know a guy busted 7 rods in a season on braid...at least if you break you don't leave a mile of that shite on the bottom or dock...I get irritated when I get tangled or trip on that stuff...last time at Port Hope a guy up river from me, like 50 yards up, was using braid off bottom with not enough weight and tangled me up...I just cut it...10 mins later I see him playin with his line trying to figure where his rig went...I lmfao!

LMFAO .....was i there or just you and the pikie?

[georgianbaydrifter]

i peir casted for the first time this year and smashed them. Really not much too it 10 ' peir rod loaded with 10lb test clear BIG GAME 3/4 oz cleo worked erratically to imitate fleeing alewife.

[O.My.Buddy]

@GBD ya, that was the night of the first big run/smash show...pikie rigged that guy's line and his woman's...I didn't even know it was on a rod, thought it was from the garbage can beside me lol joyfully took a cigar to it...@NADO I call all braid tow rope...good for what it's made for: trolling lunge, flatlining St.Mary's, rippin weeds for 'eyes and overgrown sunfish and taking money from fishers, and for flatlining or eyes still using leader

[MikeyMikey]

I use 30lb braid with my medium power rod and I do use leader on and off and i really didn't notice much difference for pier fishing.
I also set my drag tighter than normal people would (after initial run) and i like to place the butt of my rod to my belly... (i need to work on my arms i guess). So tighter drag + not using arm as much = much harder on the rod i guess.
With my other rod medium power I actually tried to break the rod back many years ago and I really can't image how one could break a rod... seems extremely hard. Let's just say I pulled hard enough to some what bent that stock hook from cleo.

Back to the original topic, I say just use the leader and call it a day. Can't be worse than not use it, right?.
I use a Seaguar 20lb or so leader, tying line to line.

Enjoy!