Story by Hunter Sales | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Selecting the right leader material and line size is critical to having success with a spinning rod. This conversation has been re-sparked lately by some of the top-level touring pros discussing using line sizes over 20-pound test with their spinning setups. I will share my thoughts on how to dial in your line size here.
The first point to make regarding line size is that you must think about line in many more ways than just “which size will not break?” Line is a critical component to providing action to your lure as well.
One of the biggest advantages to using a braid to fluorocarbon setup is that you have a much more direct, low-stretch connection to your bait. This not only increases sensitivity but also allows you to manipulate the movement of the bait in ways not possible before. Furthermore, the diameter of the line controls the rate of fall much greater than most people realize. Heavier line has more drag in the water and slows the rate of fall when compared to lighter line. It might oppose common sense, but when I am fishing super deep water, I will often downsize my line diameter. Lighter line won’t drift as much in the wind and provides a much more accurate presentation when making pinpoint casts.
I know you’re probably thinking, “Okay, so what do YOU use?”
Obviously, there are a ton of variables that affect my setups, but my starting place is 10-pound Seaguar Smackdown to a 10-pound Seaguar Tatsu leader. Seaguar’s fluorocarbon lines are thinner than other lines on the market, so you can get away with a stronger line. In addition to the above factors to consider with line size, there are other factors to keep in mind such as cover, size of fish, water clarity, etc.
I’ll conclude this article by giving up one of my best kept secrets from the 2024 NPFL season. In multiple events, I was targeting fish just under the surface with a 1/8-ounce jighead and a 4-inch Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ. Although even the 1/8-ounce would fall too quickly to keep above the fish, switching to a 15-pound Seaguar Tatsu leader would float this bait just high enough to allow me to stay with the 1/8-ounce head. I wanted to avoid downsizing to a 1/16-ounce for castability reasons.
This is a great example of how to use line size to your advantage. Give some of these tips a try!
Hunter Sales – Angler Profile
