Another one of those "can-of-worms", i.e., everybody has their own pet answers!

As for me, I do a of of fresh warm water fishing here in the Carolina low country for crappy, bream and L/M bass. If I'm doing big poppers on the surface, especially for larger bass, I'll do a straight mono leader, 6 or 8lb test, and it'll do the trick - L/M bass are not finicky. Even if I get into some coastal saltwater fishing for red drum (spot tails), and going underwater using a clouser minnow or a lefty deceiver, I'll stick to a straight leader, only I'll bump it up to an 8 or 10lb mono - the lengths of these leaders is usually the length of the rod that I'm using, for openers. If windy, I'll shorten the leader. For the little bit more wary crappy/bream, I'll use a 5-6' mono 15 or17lb leader and tie on a 3 or 4' mono 4 or 6lb tippet. Works good for me.

When I get up into the mountains for trout, that's another matter. If I'm going after native wild trout, and I'm using dries, I'll go with a store bought tapered leader (they're expensive!). If I'm going underwater, say with a nymph or a streamer, I'll use that straight 5' mono leader only I'll tie on 3' of 3X fluorocarbon tippet (it's thinner then mono).


Hey, seems to work for the girls I go with!