I’m planning a Xmas to give a gift of a bass rig I already have the 9’ , 8 wgt. package all set to go but am wondering what wgt. and length of leader I should add. Would a plain short piece of 10# test be OK?
The recipient will mainly be using Wooly Buggers and popping bugs.
Thanks for the advice.
I use a straight piece of #15 about 6’ long.This works well around pads and brush.I will add a short tippet of #12 if im fishing smaller flies.#10 is going to be a little too light and will collapse with poppers.
I generally use a 9 foot leader( rod length) for bass. Bass are not leader shy but the longer leader helps me to fish a little deeper when fishing weighted patterns. Popping bugs cast better with a tapered leader. I use to make simple tapered bass leaders with 5ft of 30lb, 2 feet of 20lb and 2 to 3 feet of 12lb mono. Now i make twisted leaders ( somewhat like a furled leader) which make a tapered butt section that I add 12 lb test tippet to. If there is a lot of moss the fewer the knots the better.
A straight length of that 10# leader (about the length of the rod) will do just fine for bass. When I want to get really sophisticated casting some mid-weight poppers, like side casting to get up under some limbs along the shore, I’ll start with about a 6’ length of 18 or 20# mono and tie on about 3 1/2’ of 6# for a tippet. Seems to work just right for me.
Depends where I’m fishing and what size fly I’m throwing, I use a straight piece of fluorocarbon, 5 to 6 feet long. 10# to 25#
What he said.
All good info. Guess I’ve gone Hi-Tech for bass these days. Have a couple of outfits set up and use a Furled Leader designed for bass or bigger bugs and streamers. The bass versions are only about 5-6’ long with a step down or two in them. To this I just tie into the ring anywhere from 8# to 12# test standard mono leader about 5’ long. I do loop the Furled leader to line so that if I want to switch to a sinking leader it is an easy change. If I do this I switch to Fluoro mono for it’s sinking ability.
Ray,
I sent you a PM several days ago in regard to your question…