I've used similar set-ups in saltwater. You must use a stripping basket!! 100' of running line gets very tangled very fast. I've never used it with a poly leader. My shooting heads are all sinking so I would not want a floating leader. Using a 9wt you can easily cast 125'. Perfect for saltwater shore beach fishing. Careful when a big fish hits short line, the running line can cut your fingers if your not careful getting the fish on the reel.