This 20-pound tarpon frayed, but did not wear through the author’s 50-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. (Photo by Mike Conner)
January 28, 2025
By Mike Conner
If you fish in saltwater, and spool up with either monofilament or gel-spun polyethylene (braid), chances are you will need to use a leader. With the latter, visibility is the main concern.
Rarely do anglers tie opaque braid to a lure or bait hook. You could get away with that at night or in the most turbid waters, otherwise you need that strand of “invisibility” to get the fish to bite.
There are situations where you can certainly tie your clear monofilament fishing line directly to your hook or lure—such as when targeting fish such as sea trout, red drum, small bonefish and others that lack sharp teeth or rough lips that abrade or bite through a light line in the 6- to 10-pound-test range. But to be on the safe side, it makes sense to tie on a heavier leader because most fish are not particularly leader-shy. Plus, you might encounter toothy or rough-lipped fish sharing the same waters as your target species that don’t require a leader. And, the underwater structure—rocks, coral, ridge and dock pilings and more—might call for the heavier leader, too.
The term “shock” leader is often used, but in reality calling your leader a "bite leader" is more accurate.
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Here are leader options for popular species (either spinning or baitcasting tackle) that cover things when fishing Florida inshore waters.
Bonefish, Redfish, Trout As the popularity of braided lines increases, the need for the “invisible strand” increases, too. I would suspect that flats anglers are using braid almost exclusively at the juncture, primarily for increased casting distance. So when fishing for bones, reds or trout, decide on your pound-test and leader length. I recommend a level strand of 10- to 12-pound fluorocarbon (or mono if you prefer it) anywhere from three to six feet long, tied to your braided line with a slim knot (such as the Uni-Knot, blood knot or the popular FG knot). These pass through your guides well, so long as you trim the tag flush with the line. Seatrout sport a couple of canine teeth for grabbing prey, but they are conical and don’t sever this light leader. An exception to this pound-test recommendation for bonefish is if they are on flats that have rough pieces of coral, or the deeper surroundings where your bonefish go on a long run have sea fans. In that case, ramp up to 15-pound-test leader.
Pompano and Permit The popular Florida pompano does not have sharp, line-cutting teeth nor a particularly rough mouth, but this fish tends to mix with ladyfish, especially where mullet muds occur over soft bottom. That attracts some bluefish too, in many Florida coastal bays from winter through spring. I always expect this, so I tie on a 3-foot strand of 20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon.
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Permit sometimes mix with pompano, and their greater average size makes a 15- to 20-pound-test leader a good idea.
On the flats of South Florida, hard-running permit can take 100 to 125 yards off your spool quickly, and they reach channels and deeper edges of flats that have sea fans, corals and sponges. If they foul your line on such things, a 3- to 5-foot piece of 20-pound leader might prevent a cutoff.
Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish This Spanish mackerel was landed with a short, 40-pound-test bite leader. (Photo by Mike Conner) There are two ways to go for these saber-toothed battlers—wire or heavy mono or fluorocarbon. If you’re finding Spanish over nearshore reefs or along beaches with clear water, wire can put them off a bit. In turbid water, or if you are chumming them, wire is not as much a deterrent to strikes. If you do use single-strand wire, stick with light stuff—No. 4 for example, which is thin, and tests around 40 pounds, which is not critical. Its diameter is sufficient for even the biggest macks. Choose between coffee-colored and “bright” stainless. This stuff is stiff, and can kink, so use only a 1-foot piece or 18-inch piece at most. If you’re casting braided line, consider tying in a 3- to 4-foot piece of 20-pound-test mono or fluorocarbon to the braid. Then attach your wire bite leader to the material with an Albright Special knot.
If you choose to use heavy mono or fluorocarbon rather than wire, figure on 40- to 50-pound-test and tie your bait hook or lure to that. Only the biggest Spanish macks can sever through it. If big ones are around, you might even go to 60-pound.
Snook This slot snook took a soft plastic, and only nicked up the angler’s 40-pound-test mono leader. (Photo by Mike Conner) The raspy mouth of even a small linesider can quickly wear through your light monofilament casting line. There is a concern that during the battle, even a heavier leader can end up inside the fish’s razor-sharp gill plate, but that’s a rarer thing. It’s the lips of the fish that do the damage.
Snook that inhabit mangrove shorelines, or are found under docks and bridges, call for mono or fluorocarbon bite leaders heavy enough to withstand wear from not only the fish, but the structure. Barnacle-encrusted mangrove roots, dock pilings and bridge abutments can even cause cutoffs as a hooked snook takes line off your reel. Same applies to inlet jetty rocks, too.
You can even get away with a short light wire bite leader at night, and some anglers swear it’s not a bite deterrent during the day. There was a time when snook anglers used wire without a second thought. Slot-sized snook can be fished with a bite leader in the 25- to 50-pound-test range. Oversized fish, and rough structure call for 60-pound in general.
Tarpon Tarpon require a bite leader, period. Even the little guys in the 5- to 10-pound class, the kind of juvies that you might break out that ultralight, or 6-pound class spinning rod for. A 25- to 30-pound-test bite leader about 12 inches long will keep you attached to that fish. And you can make that an 18- to 24-incher that will allow you to retie should the fish abrade the leader. The bigger the tarpon, the heavier the leader. Fish in the 25- through 50-pound class call for 40- to 50-pound-test; tarpon bigger than that, a 60- to 80-pound-test bite leader.
It should be noted that flyfishers in the Florida Keys have settled on 60-pound-test for the sake of stealth. It is felt that hard-pressured fish in such clear water detect the 80- to 100-pound-test bite tippets that were once the standard. With live bait, or when fishing for tarpon at night or in turbid water, those heavier bite leaders can be fished.