Fluorocarbon vrs. Mono Leader

[DoubleTrouble]

I was just wondering what most of you use for leader when rigging your lures when targeting Blue Marlin? Im using Momoi 400-600lb 15' clear leader with a 10' double line to main line. Im usually short handed and most of the time its just me and my deck hand. Im thinking of using wind-ons and a 6' Fluorocarbon leader but was wondering if the flouro is over kill or not??

Any suggestions i would greatly appraciate it. Thanks!

[Chip]

I personally think flurocarbon makes no difference trolling lures and I've seen it explode. great for live bait if you can afford it though. Same diameter mono is stronger than fluro. I like momoi extra hard (marlin Hard) in 2.05, 2.33 and 2.45 and if hunting only bigger fish then delete the 2.05 too.

Chip

[Peter Pakula]

What chip said, plus add some length to the leader. 15' isn't really long enough for big fish.

If you're not hunting big ones specifically and just want them all and you've found 15' ok then no need for super heavy leader so 2.05 and 1.8 is fine in super hard as it's much more abrasion resisatant than soft mono.

[PacoSaca]

Gotta agree with Chip and Pete... no flouro for me.
It has too much memory and feel lures don't swim the same.

I use Momoi 2.20 but go to 24' on all my leaders plus 12' double line to make 36' total... still 4' to spare according IGFA rules.

[DoubleTrouble]

Hey Paco
Here in Cabo I run 15’ leaders with a 10’ double line. I was thinking on running wind-ons (never used them) and 6’ – 8’ leaders. Seems far too often the leader becomes dangerous and I’ve been contemplating changing so it’s a bit easier to handle as I’m always shorthanded on my boat, hence the Flouro question.

I sent you an email about a few weeks ago, did you receive it? I've been in Cabo for two weeks so i could have missed it.

Take care

Originally Posted by PacoSaca

Gotta agree with Chip and Pete... no flouro for me.
It has too much memory and feel lures don't swim the same.

I use Momoi 2.20 but go to 24' on all my leaders plus 12' double line to make 36' total... still 4' to spare according IGFA rules.

[DoubleTrouble]

i appraciate your response. seems like i've been using to short of leader. i do only really hunt the larger Blue's. I thought maybe my 10' double line and 15' leaders would suffice. I'm always looking to get an edge up and learn and not to mention grow in the sport. i do appraciate your advice!

Danny

Originally Posted by Peter Pakula

What chip said, plus add some length to the leader. 15' isn't really long enough for big fish.

If you're not hunting big ones specifically and just want them all and you've found 15' ok then no need for super heavy leader so 2.05 and 1.8 is fine in super hard as it's much more abrasion resisatant than soft mono.

[Hennessy]

Wind-ons are amazing if you are fishing with a green crew or fishing solo, you can pull of the rod tip at a 90* essentially taking wraps without taking wraps, MUCH safer and smooth on the drop. Following the leader is deadly.

Put a small 2" piece of dacron over your double line loop at the end where you loop to loop connect to keep similar materials touching at the pressure point then whip it smooth. Reason is windons have dacron loops. dacron or spectra to mono is bad....

hope that makes sense??

Fluoro for live bait and go small even for big fish, 150-300 lb leader.
mono just match the diameter to the action of the lure and or size of the bait.

all the boyz above are thousands of fish in experience in the books so listen close, even though they are half crazy......have you met a career marlin seeker that is normal?

good luck

[Chip]

I use 24 to 28ft leaders and a short double about 4 or 5 feet (won't reach the spool) on the corners and short rigger, boy scout knot straight to swivel on the long rigger and stinger. many guys here use all boy scout knots = no double line. On a fish with an 11 ft short and 6ft+ girth on a 15 ft. leader with one wrap around the body your main line will be in danger of the fishes tail or body. short handed, inexperienced pulling long leader, small pit etc... windon is good/safe idea. then you could use a 20ft windon and 9ft leader and be very safe.

Chip

[DoubleTrouble]

Chip/Hennessy,

Thanks guys for all your advice here. I came to the same conclusion regarding switching over to wind-ons after this season. I wanted some real world experience/advise from all of you before I changed over.

I had more than a few scary situations happen this past year regarding too much leader, small cockpit, large fish and inexperienced fisherman. Two of the half dozen times were downright unnerving........I had an inexperience fisherman on the rod, my deckhands experience but coupled with the above line items was a mixture of dangerous proportions, hence the wind-on questions.

A few of the Stories-Both situations happened with the Man on rod NOT doing what he was supposed to do, yes there was yelling involved Both instances happened with two different fisherman and 3 weeks apart. Both didn’t reel in to keep up with the decky even with my instruction, S@#% happens so fast as all you know........anyways, on one of the occasions a 400lb+ decided she didn’t like the color of my hull and at the last second tore away from my decky and at that moment there was too much slake in line at the time coupled with 32lbs of drag all at once yanked the fisherman (stand up gear by the way) to the corner as the fish went under the boat. She pulled the $1,500 rod onto the rail snapped it! Now we have a pissed off fish, broken rod and my decky almost got wrapped up in a blink of an eye moment, nice right?....we leadered the beast at least. On the second occasion 3 weeks later the same situation minus the broken rod. I have had many instances but not as dramatic as this due to the mixture of lengthy leader, shorthanded and guys that fish once maybe twice in a year……... Bottom line, I’m switching over!!!

Chip…..I’ll see you soon and thanks again guys for all your help!

P.S………Hennessy- to answer your question, yes most skippers are a sandwich short of a picnic on most days. Being that I work to fish and not mixing business and pleasure, I will exclude myself from my comments as I like hamburgers

I attached photo (dad & nephew) of broken rod 7/14th 2011 pre fishing bisbee east cape. rod was 2 weeks old! good times.........

Originally Posted by Chip

I use 24 to 28ft leaders and a short double about 4 or 5 feet (won't reach the spool) on the corners and short rigger, boy scout knot straight to swivel on the long rigger and stinger. many guys here use all boy scout knots = no double line. On a fish with an 11 ft short and 6ft+ girth on a 15 ft. leader with one wrap around the body your main line will be in danger of the fishes tail or body. short handed, inexperienced pulling long leader, small pit etc... windon is good/safe idea. then you could use a 20ft windon and 9ft leader and be very safe.

Chip

[plankton]

Dan,

I've used wind-ons for ever now, and have caught some pretty nice fish with them, and they work fine for just about every big fish scenario. As Chip and Mike says, go the full length overall, say 9' leader, 20' wind-on, for example, as you will need as much length as you can when a big girl gets wrapped up.

However, there is a caveat. Unless you are anally anal about your rigging, and have spent hours calibrating your crimpers to the nth degree, you will inevitably end up introducing two weak points into your system - for although your leader and wind-on my be 650 Extra Moimoi, for example, your two crimped connections to the swivel in the middle may be considerably less, and they will come apart in the hands of a deckie that can really pull, or gets hung up in the corner under the gunnel, one hand clasped for dear life round a cleat.

Now while this may be a good thing in some cases (those who write "HI MOM !" on the soles of their shoes in the hope of a brief bit of YouTube glory may not like this weakness, for example) there are two instances where you may wish to re-think - firstly is in a tournament, and secondly may be if you chase world records. If you do neither of these things and purely fish for fun, then no worries. If you do want to cart a fish back to the weigh-station for any reason though, you might want to watch just how much your deckie begins to grunt when you're using wind-ons.