Texas Rig Directly to Braid?

I know most of you use braid. For Texas Rig, do you tie directly to your braid or do you use a leader? If you do tie directly to braid, do you use a black marker to black out the last couple of feet of your line?

Right now I’m using #8 mono. I’m thinking of moving to #15 braid but I’d like to still be able to tie directly without a leader. Will it work?

I assume the action of the worm will be a little different and that I’d just have to figure it out. I also assume that I can still use a small split shot just above the worm when I need to. I prefer unweighted when I can but sometimes a little weight is needed.

I’m also guessing that #15 braid would be a little more resistant to abrasion breaks from rocks or from northerns than #8 mono. That’s one of the reasons I’m thinking of switching. Several times, I’ve had my mono break while playing a fish very near a rocky shore as well as some northern bite offs.

Thanks.

Cannot help on the bass fishing terminal part. But regarding braid, it is much more susceptible to cutting from rock than mono. A sharp edge to braid under tension is a fast cut. The same with mono is abrasion and not cut line.

Bob, I mostly use braided line. Some texas rigged soft plastics get tied directly to the braid. Around rocks I use fluro as it is more abrasive resistant especially in lakes with zebra mussels. I do not use monofilament on any spinning setup as I don’t care for the rubber band stretch effect it has.

Some of my bait casters have 30 pound braid and I was tying a few fast moving lures directly to it. I didn’t think a pike could snip it off very easily. Until about a month ago. Three times in a row I got cut clean off using 30 pound braid. I don’t want to use a steel leader as it affects the action of some of my lures. Someone suggested I try using 20 pound fluro. So now I have been tying about a 12 inch section of 20 pound fluro as a leader material. Last weekend I tried it and it held up to the ravenous teeth of the pikenado as I landed several 30+ inch pike without getting cut off. Additionally, the fluro did not inhibit the action of the lure and I was still able to catch bass. The key is to inspect it regularly and if you see any nicks or kinks in it, re-tie immediately.

I prefer a Braid to Fluro leader when I’m Texas rigging. Either fishing weightless or with a bullet weight. The fluro leader takes out almost any chance of the fish seeing the line. You can often get away with slightly heavier line on the leader as well due to the clearer line. Learn to tie the FG knot. Best Braid to Fluro knot by far. Smooth and comes thru the eyes real easy.

I am sure you can get away tying the braid direct to the hook sometimes but in pressured waters I think the Fluro leader will get you more bites.

gimruis wrote:

Bob, I mostly use braided line. Some texas rigged soft plastics get tied directly to the braid. Around rocks I use fluro as it is more abrasive resistant especially in lakes with zebra mussels. I do not use monofilament on any spinning setup as I don’t care for the rubber band stretch effect it has.

Some of my bait casters have 30 pound braid and I was tying a few fast moving lures directly to it. I didn’t think a pike could snip it off very easily. Until about a month ago. Three times in a row I got cut clean off using 30 pound braid. I don’t want to use a steel leader as it affects the action of some of my lures. Someone suggested I try using 20 pound fluro. So now I have been tying about a 12 inch section of 20 pound fluro as a leader material. Last weekend I tried it and it held up to the ravenous teeth of the pikenado as I landed several 30+ inch <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>pike without getting cut off. Additionally, the fluro did not inhibit the action of the lure and I was still able to catch bass. The key is to inspect it regularly and if you see any nicks or kinks in it, re-tie immediately.

Gimruis – I did lean something about Fluro leaders lately. I have always just used regular fluro line as my leaders and found out that fluro made for leaders was different than fluro made as mainline. The fluro made for leaders holds up to the toothy critters even better than regular Fluro – Just a FYI. You may already be aware of this.

I typically tie directly to green/camo power pro braid when texas rigging and do well. I think that the bass don’t care/see it when you are ripping through weeds.

fishthumper wrote:

Gimruis – I did lean something about Fluro leaders lately. I have always just used regular fluro line as my leaders and found out that fluro made for leaders was different than fluro made as mainline. The fluro made for leaders holds up to the toothy critters even better than regular Fluro – Just a FYI. You may already be aware of this.

I didn’t know that. I honestly didn’t think that pike could cut through braided line. That was painful lesson last month three times in a row, losing about $40 worth of lures. I had to do something. The fluro I’m using right now so far has been effective but if the problem re-surfaces I’ll have to try something else.

The small pike aren’t usually an issue and those are the ones I usually catch lol. But every once in a while a gator shows up and they engulf the entire lure and everything is just gone.

I’ve gotten relatively good at feeling T Rig worm strikes on mono and am missing fewer and fewer. I don’t find line stretch as much of a problem.

But I’m not good about inspecting my line during my fishing session. With #8 probably any abrasion is asking for trouble. I usually fish on weed edges so I don’t have to worry about ripping through weeds.

For me the issue is the rocks around the shore. This year is particularly bad because the water level is low. When it’s higher, I can usually steer the fish into a break in the rocks and “beach” it on top of a rock or between two rocks in a few inches of water. This year it’s mostly get it close, handle the last run or two, then drag/lift it with the rod or get down and hand lift the line.

fishthumper wrote:

I did lean something about Fluro leaders lately. I have always just used regular fluro line as my leaders and found out that fluro made for leaders was different than fluro made as mainline. The fluro made for leaders holds up to the toothy critters even better than regular Fluro – Just a FYI. You may already be aware of this.

100% correct. Texas rigging and jigs are the only lures I use a 100% fluoro for. For pitching or skipping shallow cover or docks I don’t need casting distance that braid gets me and as FBRM stated, braid slices easily. I also like having a little bit of stretch with jigs and T rigs. It’s mostly a feel thing for me.

Greenhorn wrote:

I typically tie directly to green/camo power pro braid when texas rigging and do well. I think that the <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass don’t care/see it when you are ripping through weeds.

Ditto

I’ve never had an issue or what I would consider less bites because of it. Weeds hide alot.

For largemouth I think you’re fine to tie braid direct to moving lures, but for finesse I tie on a fluorocarbon leader. For smallmouth and walleye (largely sight feeders) I always tie a fluorocarbon leader regardless of lure I’m using. Have only seen it make a difference twice when I didn’t tie a leader and was out-fished… there won’t be a third time.

I always use a fluoro leader. Because why not. No matter what you wont be able to blame it on the braid

Off topic, but my son had my rods for a tournament. I was lazy and tied a crankbait directly to braid. I couldn’t believe how I could feel every weed. I still like the fc leader, but it was a learning moment.

ssaamm wrote:

Off topic, but my son had my rods for a tournament. I was lazy and tied a crankbait directly to braid. I couldn’t believe how I could feel every weed. I still like the fc leader, but it was a learning moment.

Running cranks I always go direct to crank bait and I rip them in and boat flip them with no net.
For walleye no crappie no but cranking for bass I dont usually worry

No fish cares on a cranko-IMO

Visually I don’t think it makes much of a difference tying braid directly to a crank, but the lack of stretch with treble hooks can be an issue so I usually go straight fluorocarbon or co-poly.

ssaamm wrote:

Off topic, but my son had my rods for a tournament. I was lazy and tied a crankbait directly to braid. I couldn’t believe how I could feel every weed. I still like the fc leader, but it was a learning moment.

I tried going to fluoro from braid with crankbaits and I couldn’t figure out where my cranks were because I couldn’t feel anything. Braid is so much more sensitive. Switched back to braid after one trip.