Do any of you use a leader when fishing for lincod? I've lost three good hook-ups due to boken line. In one case I suspect rocks broke the line, but in the other two I was already about half way in when I broke off. I generally just tie my Bighammerlike swimbait(which I use almost exclusively now) directly to 15# Triple Fish mono. Sometimes I use 20# line. Would a wire leader help? If yes, what size and kind? Thanks

If you wanted to do a leader for lings, 30 or 40 mono or florocarbon would probably get the job done just fine. Lings aren't known for being line shy :) but I understand wanting to fish the lighter line to get your bait to sink out faster. Put a heavy duty swivel on and do a 2.5 foot leader would be my advice. Guys in Nor-Cal do just that casting for stripers on the beach. They want the light line for casting distance but the abrasion resistance close to the bait so the don't get frayed and broken off by the striper's teeth, gill plates, or nearby rocks.

definitely throw some bigger leader on via swivel. Unless you're using a really big swim bait or diamond/hex bar, often the lings will inhale the whole thing and the line ends up in their mouth full of teeth. I never use anything under 50lb leader(just regular mono) and if I'm fishing over 100ft with big jig heads and bars(8-10oz)I'll go bigger. I tried wire, but it seemed to not get bit as much, but never had problems getting bit on heavy mono. Big fish+big mouths+big teeth=big leader! Get em while season is open!

Paul

Well what pound test are you using, I using 15-20lbs but I always use leader 4' of 60lbs coz rocks can screw your line big time.. I use my bass tackle whenever I go, but, drag is also important.

Thanks for the replies. I was in fact doing just as you all suggested. I had about 18" of 40# mono leader with an extra 2oz egg sinker above the swivel-basically a heavy duty CRig. It was the end of the day and I had just lost my swimbait (with a leader) to the bottom. I was in a hurry to get a new bait on, so I skipped using the leader, and that is when I hooked up with a really nice fish. It broke- off just as I wrote before. I was asking to see what you all do in these situations as I thought maybe you would have some advice I didn't think about... guess I'll stick to the 40# leaders.

Sometimes fishing can be cruel, when skipped one step of your game plan thats when they strike, but when everything your doing is according to your plan, right tackle, right leader/line, they wont come, I was fishing for striper at San Luis Obispo (2002), I've run out of bait lot of dink nibbling, I found a dead lizard near where I was fishing, ohh what the heck, I'll use my smaller rod "trout set up" smaller hook, put a bell and decided to take a nap, "cling" "cling" "cling", nice one on, guess what happened my tackle couldn't handle it x( , Laguna 1000 on a 4lbs test no heavy leader, then couldn't find anymore dead lizzard :+ went back to the campsite with regret... since then I stick to my plan..

I'm all set to go out of Santa Cruz on Stagnaros this Sunday. I've got plenty of swimbaits of all sizes and colors, each will have a pre-tied leader. Now let's just see if the bite is on for swimbaits. I was going to go to Morro Bay but all the motels are booked up for the weekend. Does anybody know what's going on there this weekend that would cause such a crowd?