Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: zimmer on October 08, 2005, 07:59:09 AM
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JUst curious what length of leader everyone is using?
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For what?
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As I short float only, I use 12 to 18 inches. A couple of reasons, it helps keep your bait down in the zone you want to be fishing, it keeps foul hooking of fish to a minimum and rightly or wrongly I believe fish are not bothered by the weight being close to your bait.
For example one of the top steelhead rods on the Vedder uses only about 10 inches!!!!! Maybe I better shorten up mine. ;D
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12-24" is a good standard to go by depending on water conditions.
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Man i dont get it i was using about 12 inch or less leader today fishing none crowded water with good roe. Perfect depth and i didnt get a coho. :-[
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You were not the only one.
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It's not only leader length. If the fish are a little spooky and the water allows, you may want to go a little longer with lighter leader. You never know if your weight or float is spooking them. You really have to mend your float with a longer leader. Keep a tight leash on it because it doesn't dive like it does with a short leader. Oh and just to make sure you don't snag, don't set the hook at the end of the drift.
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We were discussing this over lunch today. I personally don't believe the float or weight spook the fish as the presentation on the hook reaches the fish first in a drift.
Under clearer, lower water conditions, simply downsize your float, and use a smaller weight.
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For sox I use 15'-20' leader. ;D ;D ;D
For coho I mostly flyfish with 8' leader with 2'-4' tippit.
Float fishing 2'-4' leader.
They are pretty much standard, I think.
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We were discussing this over lunch today. I personally don't believe the float or weight spook the fish as the presentation on the hook reaches the fish first in a drift.
Under clearer, lower water conditions, simply downsize your float, and use a smaller weight.
Or you can use a drennen the fish cant see them right?
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You guys are obsessed with Drennans. Oh wait, I use Drennans all the time. ;D I use Drennan mainly because of the colour of its top, which makes sighting it very easy. The shape of the float seems to make it quite stable and sensitive. I don't think the clear body has much effect on the fish. If it does, then it doesn't make sense why some locals with foam floats are outfishing me most of the time. ;D
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Good debate. Also being an avid fly fisher, I think the clear float may have something to do with it during clear water and sunny days. It is probably less apt to cast a shaddow. Also, downsizing the # test of your leader will give the bait a more natural drift. I fish at Rocky Ford Creek alot and have seen on many occasions, fish spook because of the wake left by the knot tied between my leader and fly line. This creek gets hammered as much as anywhere and has very educated fish.
As far as how effective drennans are with salmon would be very hard to measure. These fish are not around for very long and may not learn to associate floats with being hooked. It may just be another piece of debrit in the water.
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good point. It would suck to loose some if you paid $7.00 for them. I bought some just to say that I have them and maybe they'll give me a leg up on my buddies. However I found them at fishusa.com for about $2.80 a piece.
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good point. It would suck to loose some if you paid $7.00 for them. I bought some just to say that I have them and maybe they'll give me a leg up on my buddies. However I found them at fishusa.com for about $2.80 a piece.
The ones we use 20 grams are listed at $3.95 and the 28 grams ones at $4.45 . After paying the exchange, duty and the shipping most likely the same as here.
Of course instead you can find ones that others have lost for nothing out on the river, I have found 4 that Rodney has lost already this year. ;D ;D
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love this kind of info - I have been using anywhere from 3 ft to 6 ft leaders with either 10 or 12lb test
On another note, I was making tea in the kitchen while watching Mark Pendleton on Fishing BC. He mentioned something about using a floating weight on his set-up for river fishing. What the heck is that. I always have my weight fixed.
My nemesis is always that weight - it is what always seems to get snagged on me - any suggestions
THC
Simmer
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My nemesis is always that weight - it is what always seems to get snagged on me - any suggestions
Side your float down, so it keeps your weight off the bottom.
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ZIMMER
Learn to shorten up when float fishing. After years of fishing I STILL have to remind myself to reduce my float depth. As for your 2-3 foot leaders shoten them up as well. If your fishing in 2 -3 feet of water your bait is most lickley floating close to the surface. You really don't need more than 18 inches .I normally use about a foot when steelheading. When fishing a deep pool during a low clear water situation you then may want to lenghten you leader. If you are constantly hanging up , your fishing to deep.
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On another note, I was making tea in the kitchen while watching Mark Pendleton on Fishing BC. He mentioned something about using a floating weight on his set-up for river fishing. What the heck is that. I always have my weight fixed.
Never heard of a floating weight setup
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FISH ASSASSIN
Most likely he meant sliding weight, not floating weight.
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Yep, sliding weight. Two reasons I prefer a sliding weight than a fixed weight:
- If you tie/connect a fixed weight onto the swivel, it would be dangling and often causing tangles with the leader.
- If you pinch a fixedweight onto your main line, it may damage the line after awhile.
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for float fishing for salmon
12 to 18 inches of leader for wool and single egg presentation
18 to 24 inches for roe or other fresh baits
24 inches for colorado/ french blades, under the float.
i use surgical tube and a 1 to 2 1/2 inch pencil lead and float to match water speed and turbulence.
I don't believe in dragging bottom with my weight and will adjust float depth so as to feel only the occasional tick on the bigger rocks in a particular run
6 to 12 lbs leader for coho
10 to 12 lbs for anything bigger than 20lbs. mainline is ALWAYS maxima ultra green 15 lbs
steelhead is a whole other ballgame.
changing leaders from maxima to flourocarbon (p-line cfx) and from 8 to 12lbs
main stays the same except when spoon fishing with ironheads or k2's, this i use 14 lbs smoke fireline with a rod and half length of 15lbs spliced in at the end as a strike shock absorber.
here is where i will only use balsa or drennan floats and my weights switch from pencil lead to split shot.
the satisfaction of enticing a fish to bite on a well presented rig that is "shortfloated" sure beats the hell outta flossing em.
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I did shorten up on the float and yes it is a sliding weight set-up - my mistake
Seemed to work pretty well at the stave today
Seems to be some awfully large chum in the Stave right now - gave my 17lb test main line a real work-out. The fly rod got one hell of a work out too
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I hate using surgical tubing with pencil lead. Lose too much lead.
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buy some cord and fill it with shot (bigger the shot the better because your slinkie can be shorter). burn and pinch the ends and add a swivel at one end. It works better than tubing and lead sticks.
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ZIMMER
Learn to shorten up when float fishing. After years of fishing I STILL have to remind myself to reduce my float depth. As for your 2-3 foot leaders shoten them up as well. If your fishing in 2 -3 feet of water your bait is most lickley floating close to the surface. You really don't need more than 18 inches .I normally use about a foot when steelheading. When fishing a deep pool during a low clear water situation you then may want to lenghten you leader. If you are constantly hanging up , your fishing to deep.
Good post. If people would follow this they would not foul hooking so many fish that is happening to much in my mind. I would be interested in hearing how many fish at the hatchery are carrying a lot of unnessary ornaments on their arrivial.
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Personally I prefer a bit longer leader, up to about 42". I got into this habit after many guided trips on the Stamp, where a longer leader seems to be the norm. As for weights, I use a sliding weight.... a free running snap swivel and a bead on my mainline, then the appropraite length of pencil lead clipped on.