What is the advantages of using a leader vs not using leader?

Well Mac let me give you my .02 cents worth. I pull plugs alot. I do not like attaching my plugs with a snap swivel warts do not run right. so what I do is use the snap that comes with the plug then run a 4ft leader to a barrel swivel to the main line. this way I do not get line twist. Next it is hard to tye a egg loop in your main line. I did meet at old guy up on the OP once that did run main line to a hook to drift fish. He would snell knot his hook and just slide the knot down the shank of the hook to make a loop to hold his eggs. he would fold some rubber tubing snip a hole in it and loop this like you would attach a rubber band to a line to attach his lead. Worked great.

There is a knot that I use a lot in the fall when fishing straight bait in smaller slow moving rivers. It is basically a egg loop that allows you to tie your knot directly to your main line and does not need the additional tag of line used in the traditional egg loop. The only down fall of this knot is it gets very tight against the eye of the hook when you hook a fish or hang up. All it takes is your fingernail to slide it back down to create your egg loop and you are fishing again. I have caught hundreds of fish on this knot and to this day, have never had it break while fighting fish.

Wiggle wart,
ok, so, how do tie the knot? :p

RC, I'll show you one this weekend.

Another advantage to running leaders is that you can use a heaver main line, when you hang up the leader will break leaving your lead and swivel still attached

Fishhead5

Steel,
I`m really looking forward to it, it`s my first day off in 6 weeks.
I`ve got about 30 hooks tied up,
remembering from past expierience on that river
probably need most of em`. Heh-heh.

No need for a leader if you're running light line--8lb test and down, or higher in low-visibility conditions. I've had luck drifting by sliding a piece of tubing up the line into which I insert the lead, then using a turle knot to attach a hook (forms an egg loop). Or use split shot.

Used to rely on this rigging when fishing a terminal area with hordes of people. The quicker you can get your line back in the water the better; if you lose it all you have to tie three knots using the snap-swivel/leader/hook rigging unless you've got leaders pre-tied. Naw--just slide a corky on your line, tie a hook on, and pinch some shot and you're ready to go. Downside is that you'll run through a spool of line quicker--but no big deal if, like me, you swap it out for a new spool each month or so anyway.

Some situations demand leader material, however--in low, clear water, use a long light leader...yes fish will see your 20# test Ande, and yes they will avoid it. Leader is nice for applications involving some sort of spinning thing--or, might as well use leader, since you'll be using a snap or barrel swivel.

turle knot: http://www.fishandfly.co.uk/knots/turle/
http://shoreangling4u.tripod.com/knotguide/id24.html
http://shoreangling4u.tripod.com/knotguide/id24.html

Having said all this I must admit I always use leader material at least 2 lbs lower than my mainline, and usually have at least a barrel swivel joining them...so really I've found the answer to "Why use leader?" is "Because it works."

I run sraight main line all of the time. My philosophy is that anytime you join wo pieces of line together, you have a potential breaking point. I run hollow core lead up the line and pinch it down snug, then I use a url knot to tie my hook on with.I've never had any problems with this set up

Ya know, now that I think about it, something doesn't make sense to me. For example, when I use 12 mainline and 10 leader, 90% of the time I lose everything. Maybe these are too close together? Should I be using like 12 main and 8 leader or what? Is it possible that both my lead and hook (or just my lead) get snagged every time and that's why I lose it all? Thanks.

Krome earlier this summer I was using 12lb Ande mainline and 10lb Maxima leader. I lost all my gear everytime I got hung up. If your lead is what is hanging up and it won't pull free you can lose all your gear too.

~ Dr Pepper

Yeah, it really sucks that I lose everything. I use slinky's too, which aren't sposed to hang up as much (seem's to be an untrue statement to me, anyway) and when they do hang up they're sposed to come free easier than other weights (again never seems to happen with me). So what's the answer, Pepper? Just go to 12 main and 8 leader? Probably not too light for where I'd be fishing this winter (smaller steelhead).

First of all what kind of methods we talkin about? Plugs, spinners, floats & jigs straight mainline is probably alright because your line ain't suffering that much abuse. For regular drift gear its mostly laziness. We did this for awhile on the Hump for big nooks years ago just because we were going thru rigs so fast...none of us could afford to own/pack a second reel. Problem was we were blood knotting on a new pile of Ande about midday when our spools were down to half full....on some days in a couple of hours.
Pack a second reel if you can. Also use the same line for a mainline as you use for leader. If your leader is lighter you only bust your leader. I run either Maxima ultragreen or izorline on my reels and match leader brands to mainline brands.

Gooose

Dr Pepper,
Is it possible that 12lb Andes is not as strong as 10lb Maxima? More likely, the first swivel on the line is the place that catches and it breaks there. I'm intrigued with the idea of no leader.

Goooooooooooose, I'm talking about driftfishing with bait/corky. I use Maxima Chameleon main and leader. 12 and 10. I guess I'll just try 12 and 8 this year. Or-has anybody use that 14 pound line they have for main? Maybe I could use that and 10 leader and not break everything off every time.

Krome Brite what kind of knot are you using for attaching your mainline to swivel? I use a double improved clinch knot...at least that's what I call it. I use a simple improved clinch for attaching my leader. It's a rare day when I bust my mainline with this setup. Theres a lot of stretch factor built inherent to mono so a 2 pd difference may not always be enough.

Gooose

And while your sitting there tying your hook on every time you break off could you also take the time to net my fish for me since your not fishing anyway?

Cant catch fish if your lines not in the water!

If your knots are breaking you have a knot tying issue with yourself, or quit buying Danielson and Eagle claw line!

Bob D

I'm with Goose on this one. I typically use 15/12, 12/10, 10/8 and 8/6 mainline to leader combinations. I also use different mainline and leader brands. I do this because I feel like I'm taking advantage of the different characteristics of each line type. My mainline is usually soft and castable, such as Ande or Berkeley. While my leader is stiff and abrasion resistant, such as Maxima or FC. With this said, I'm also cognizant of the fact that 10-lb Maxima is probably as strong as 12-lb Ande. In order to increase the differential between the breaking strengths of the lines, I use two different knots to attach them to the swivel. While attaching my mainline I use a double cinch knot, aka "River's Inlet knot." Other than a bimini twist, this is the strongest knot that I know and it's much quicker to tie. For my leader I usually employ a uni-knot or improved cinch, both 85% knots. By using two types of knots, unless the weight is hung, I rarely lose everything.

peace out.......
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Vivarin ProStaff

Since I use Maxima Chameleon for leader and main, I'll have to try a different brand this winter for one or the other. I never do the improved clinch, just the regular clinch knot. But I tie it either single or double on both ends of the swivel. I'll have to try it double on the main end and single on the leader end. Thanks guys.

Many guys have been tying jigs straight to the mainline. For convetional driftfishing it's best to use a swivel and leader to reduce line twisting.