How do you measure your leaders?

[KokeRook]

I know the simple answer is "with a ruler"... 101duh101

Actually I'm wondering when you say you use a 10" leader what are you measuring?

When Herzog did an instructional video on how he ties his Rastical he says "measure it 12" from the back of the hook to the connection to the dodger.

When I was talking with Gary, of Fish with Gary, at the Puyallup sports show on how to fish he tackle he said to use a SHORT leader on his because of the beads that extend from the Dodger. He said 6"-8".



Sorry for being redundant :

What is the standard for measuring you leader...just the line from the the front hook to the attach point? OR The Entire thing from back hook to attach point? OR From the back hook to the back of the dodger (counting the lock swivel, and split rings as part of the leader)?

Maybe I'm over thinking this and getting to detailed with my set ups???bandmyhead


Thanks for the help All.
Much appreciated...as always.

 

[kok-head]

I know the simple answer is "with a ruler"... 101duh101

Actually I'm wondering when you say you use a 10" leader what are you measuring?

When Herzog did an instructional video on how he ties his Rastical he says "measure it 12" from the back of the hook to the connection to the dodger.

When I was talking with Gary, of Fish with Gary, at the Puyallup sports show on how to fish he tackle he said to use a SHORT leader on his because of the beads that extend from the Dodger. He said 6"-8".



Sorry for being redundant :

What is the standard for measuring you leader...just the line from the the front hook to the attach point? OR The Entire thing from back hook to attach point? OR From the back hook to the back of the dodger (counting the lock swivel, and split rings as part of the leader)?

Maybe I'm over thinking this and getting to detailed with my set ups???bandmyhead


Thanks for the help All.
Much appreciated...as always.

i dont measure mine, i just longline and snag other peoples setups and since i use heavier mono i can reel in their gear and steal it...i actually dont but ive wondered if some people have tried to do this with mine before during combat fishing

i prolly dont measure my leaders the typical way, i measure from the very tip of the lure to the end of the snap swivel on the dodger, my dodgers (traditional style and sling blade) are all between 4-5" and i mostly run 2.5" squids and 1.5" crappie tubes behind them, i use a leader distance of 8-9"

 

[SuperD]

yes, you are probably over thinking it. I've NEVER put a measuring device on a leader. It's all eyeball and if 1" makes a big difference, it's all by accident.

 

[KokeRook]

Thanks for the replies


I think it will be interesting to hear from several others on this.

I wonder if a pattern will develop. " the eye ballers and the measurers".

I did notice on a couple days last year that the fish seemed to want more action ( shorter leader) than other outings.


Thanks

 

[dragonfly]

the old rule of thumb is your leader length should be up the back of the dodger and back down the front. most people don't measure but go by what works and like you said some days they like a little more action I always keep my lure approximately 8'' back and change speed on the boat to get more or less. a lot of this is once you fished a lake for many years you kind of know what colors they are likely to hit and the speed they like, and start there then change up to see what they like today or this minute. dfly

 

[SuperD]

And then there's always the bending of the dodger that mimics a shorter leader. Once you've tied a 9" - 10" leader, it's pretty hard to cut and re-tie without potentially making it too short. A little massage of the dodger and add a little extra action without shortening the leader.

 

[KokeRook]

Thank you Dfly and SupD.
Much Appreciated.

 

[kok-head]

Thanks for the replies


I think it will be interesting to hear from several others on this.

I wonder if a pattern will develop. " the eye ballers and the measurers".

I did notice on a couple days last year that the fish seemed to want more action ( shorter leader) than other outings.


Thanks

in the spring the fish in my local kokanee lake are a bit more picky as are many springtime kokanee but i can figure them out most days and get some limits, and in the fall i usually get my limits with higher speed and more lure action and all other factors become a little less important

dragonfly is spot on about knowing your local lake, you'll see the same boats you always see with limits of fish, and in the spring ill see many new boats on the lake that see me catching and motor over and ask what they are doing wrong and i always tell them "you haven't had 3 full seasons to fail miserably on this lake yet"

 

[mrmike]

KookeRook I use my desk and measure a mark at 12 inches/I then take my hook which I have already tied my leader to with is 12 # (Fluorocarbon) I attach the hook to the end of the desk and measure out desired length . I use P-Line/Maxim/Izorline I never had issue with any of line they all seem to work good for me. I add another few inches allowing for the knot It all approx. Wahla The heavier line add more action to your hoochie/or what ever you attach I then attached my line to a wobbler of some sort with give the correct action and your hoping a fish will bite hope this helps. I am a type of fisherman I take no short cuts I wash my hands with a special peppermint soap when I enter the boat especially who ever is handling the baits good luck I hope this help a little

 

[nofish]

Ok, so mine might sound a little different than everyone else, but I have my leader 1 1/2 times the length of the dodger I am running and I will shorten it up from there and yes with some dodgers my leader might only be a few inches long. Hope this helps. just my 2cents

 

[SuperD]

nofish, tell me that you've run a hook directly off your dodger. LOL!

 

[KokeRook]

Thank you mrmike. Yes it does help. I also believe in details. It had carried over from fishing for salmon and steelhead on the rivers. However, I do think I take it a bit too far sometimes.

That comes with the touch of OCD that I have.

Thanks for the reply no fish

 

[dragonfly]

I have a box of black nitrile gloves I use plus lemon dawn keeps the boat cleaner and it's easier to handle the fish plus a wash down to hose every thing off. Mike never heard of peppermint though is that something special?. dfly

 

[Mharri333]

When I started researching kokanee I understood the general rule to be two and half times the length of your dodger. I have seen articles where they had them as long as 43 inches (below). MY general rule... Never measure (especially in front of another fisherman).

I like to start out a new leader a little long. If it doesn't get a strike I shorten it up a couple inches until it gets a bite. I fish Lake Samish religiously. I start out early season with a long leader and it gradually gets shorter as the summer progresses. I like a 10-12 inch leader (I eyeball it). Last week when I spoke with Gary (FWG) he recommended shorter leader with his new dodgers. That might help increase the hit rate with his specifically. I would say that shortening until it gets hit is a pretty good plan. Especially if you see colors getting hit around you. You might not be getting the right action.


(BILL HERZOG WRITES)
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Set your alarms early, Kokanee Nation kiddies: if you sleep in 'til the sun is up, you'll miss the best bite of the day at one of our "sleeper lakes": Lake Samish.

If you're out there bright ... er, dark ... and early, though, you can expect to come home with a quick limit of fat, feisty 15-plus-inch kokes. Yes, I said "15 INCHES." There were exactly four other boats on the water when Danny Bravo and I road-tripped it up I-5 to Samish this week, and what we found demands a return trip. Or two. Maybe three.

The killer shizz: watermelon Dick Nite dodger, 43-inch leader, bright green Wedding Ring with a silver-plated Rooster Taile blade, and a little bit of "Cosmic Funk" scent with a bait of choice.

 

[KokeRook]

I have not heard of peppermint either.

And it feels strange to me if I fish without gloves.

 

[mrmike]

KokeRook A friend who was a full time guide who is no longer with us/ turn me on to Dr.Bronner ( Magic ALL ONE)18-1 Hemp Peppermint pure -Castle soap it made with Organic oil along time ago its something that puts us in are comfort Zone/tried the glove You hand don't breath/not many stores carry it Hagen and Fred Meyers/ my personnel experience I never leave home without it.

 

[dragonfly]

I googled it and Walgreen's is supposed to carry it sounds interesting.
Refreshingly Natural Soap

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But what really makes this soap stand out is the peppermint essential oil. It tingles your body, wakes up your mind and revitalizes you with each breath.

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Order your own Dr. Bronner's Peppermint 18-in-1 Hemp Pure-Castile Soap today!
I will see if I can find it and give it a try dfly

 

[fishslayer13]

The length of your leader should be a starting point. Get used to the idea of seeing it in the water, the way it runs. When I tie a new lure on, I always look at it in the water and see if it has the action I want. (The fish will tell you when it IS right) All dodgers and sling blades run a bit different. The more aggressive the fish and the darker the water color, the more action I like see on my lure. You can shorten for more action and lengthen for less. I have had days on a dodger where I was less than 6 or 7 inches To catch fish. Than I have had days when I was 3 feet behind it and did the best. Your Dakota type dodgers have a faster (quicker) action. 5 inch sling blades are quicker than a 7 inch. The 7 will lurch it forward and back. The 5 will wiggle it side to side.

I always run a spinner a little further back than a hoochie or fly. I dont want side to side action ,I want forward and back action. This is why I have never seen the need to have a hoochie with a plastic nose on it to make it wiggle. You can achieve this by using the proper dodger etc.

I guess what Im trying to say is dont get stuck running a lure all day because it says you should be that distance from your dodger.

I run 4 downriggers on my boat I run 2 that are quick and 2 that are slow in action. 1 hoochie slow, 1 fast, same on spinner. When I get a color and action they like I switch everything but 1 to that set up. Than I start paying attention when doing a few S cures to see if they are hitting more on the outside curve thats going faster or on the inside of the curve thats going slower. I adjust my speed up or down for the side taking the most hits.
Dont get stuck on the what I should be doing as apposed to switching up and finding out what works.

 

[SilverBullets]

Great topic! One thing i haven't seen mentioned here is leader length as it pertains to water clarity. Granted, short leaders are needed to impart action from a dodger on lures that have no action of their own, but leader length on lures that have their own action can be alot different from lake to lake. Where i mainly fish for kokes the water is pretty clear (loose sight of the downrigger ball/flashers at around the 30' level.) From every artical i've read and the many seminars i've attended over the years for Paulina and East Lake one thing is for sure... up there the fish like long leaders. For most lakes a 24-36" leader is a good choice for lures like the Apex... up there a 5' leader is recommended. I still use a dodger but it's more for attraction. Just something to concider on clear water lakes...

 

[KokeRook]

The length of your leader should be a starting point. Get used to the idea of seeing it in the water, the way it runs. When I tie a new lure on, I always look at it in the water and see if it has the action I want. (The fish will tell you when it IS right) All dodgers and sling blades run a bit different. The more aggressive the fish and the darker the water color, the more action I like see on my lure. You can shorten for more action and lengthen for less. I have had days on a dodger where I was less than 6 or 7 inches To catch fish. Than I have had days when I was 3 feet behind it and did the best. Your Dakota type dodgers have a faster (quicker) action. 5 inch sling blades are quicker than a 7 inch. The 7 will lurch it forward and back. The 5 will wiggle it side to side.

I always run a spinner a little further back than a hoochie or fly. I dont want side to side action ,I want forward and back action. This is why I have never seen the need to have a hoochie with a plastic nose on it to make it wiggle. You can achieve this by using the proper dodger etc.

I guess what Im trying to say is dont get stuck running a lure all day because it says you should be that distance from your dodger.

I run 4 downriggers on my boat I run 2 that are quick and 2 that are slow in action. 1 hoochie slow, 1 fast, same on spinner. When I get a color and action they like I switch everything but 1 to that set up. Than I start paying attention when doing a few S cures to see if they are hitting more on the outside curve thats going faster or on the inside of the curve thats going slower. I adjust my speed up or down for the side taking the most hits.
Dont get stuck on the what I should be doing as apposed to switching up and finding out what works.

Thanks for the Reply slayer.
Some very good info there.

I understand the not being in the rut and the need to let the fish tell me what to use. You initial sentence is exactly why I asked the question to start this thread.
Sorry all if I was not clear on my posts. I was just wondering if there was a standard way guys measure leaders.. Example, when I watch a kokanee kid demo or read an article on a suggested rig and the leader length to start at, and adjust from there... where is that measurement taken? Is it the entire rig including hooks...just the line between the hooks and attach point?

Like steelhead and salmon fishing on the rivers, kokanee fishing seems to carry over in that there are generally no exacts... More about adjusting to the water conditions, lighting, mood of the fish, etc.

This thread has has received some great replies and info.

Thank you all for your input.