Trolling spoons off riggers, length of leader ?

[websterwilli]

??  When trolling spoons off the riggers, I'm using 30#  test to the release,  what is the correct length of floro leader line to the lure.  Also, is it better to splice the lines together, then attach swivel,  or swivel off the 30# line with floro leader to spoon.  Thank you for your advice/opinion.

[Sk8man]

I think it is good to first think about WHY you are using the leader and how it best serves that function. The 30 lb (or plus) test main line is quite visible because of the diameter of the line and the fact that mono seems to show up more visibly in the water especially in shallow water and up towards the top   of the water out deep. The main purpose of the leader is to provide stealth or less visibility in the water possibly adding to the action of lures. An additional characteristic of the fluorocarbon leader material is that it is a little stiffer than mono and usually a little smaller than standard mono diameter as well as less visible in the water. . One consideration is how to attach the mono leader because it needs to come through the tip and eyelets of the rod and also through the level wind mechanism of the reel so big inline swivels and large knots will be a problem. There are many Youtube videos of possible knots for transitioning between the mono and fluoro or braid and fluoro. Some knots are better than others for each situation. I use a #8 SPRO black swivel for nearly all these situations because it is small enough to come through the eyes but strong enough to work (50 lb test for the # 8 . If you use small strong knots or the #8 SPRO you can use whatever length leader you wish as it just winds right on your reel but if the swivel or knot is too big you are stuck with making the leader length to the length of your rod so you can net fish (especially if solo).  I often use a 20 ft fluoro leader for most situations....just a personal preference as it is close to a boat length away so I figure the fish may not be spooked by anything such as the mainline, immediate prop wash  etc. The specific leader length also relates to what you are running and on which setup (e.g. copper. vs. downrigger for example but again it is largely a personal preference issue like many of the "issues" on here. I use Seguar 20 lb fluoro for most situations on Lake O and 12 lb. test on the Finger lakes.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Sk8man

[spoonfed-1]

??  When trolling spoons off the riggers, I'm using 30#  test to the release,  what is the correct length of floro leader line to the lure.  Also, is it better to splice the lines together, then attach swivel,  or swivel off the 30# line with floro leader to spoon.  Thank you for your advice/opinion.

 

Much more than 15 ft of lighter line and you will have problems with fleas.

Splice the lines together then attach swivel. You can splice using a knot or a small spro bearing swivel in either size 8 or 10.

[bondouley]

6 to 10 ft that's all you need

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[mudflat]

I attach a good quality ball bearing swivel to the 30# mainline then add 6-8' of 20# flouro leader with a duolock snap for the spoon