Information on Shock Leaders

What is a “shock leader”?

A heavier breaking strain piece of line that is attached to your main fishing line so that it does not break during the cast.

Why should I use a shock leader?

Mainly for safety, so that you do not break of during a power cast and cause damage or injure someone. Also reduce the loss of terminal tackle when fishing due to break offs during the cast and because the shock leader is what takes most of the ware from sand bars etc.

What pound test line should I use?

A good rule of thumb is to take the amount of weight that you are going to cast and multiply it by 10 then convert to lbs to give the minimum breaking strain in lbs of the line to use as a shock leader.

How long should it be?

The minimum length of the leader for casting weights should be: go five times around the reel, up to the tip of the rod and back to the spool, this is the minimum length.

How do I attach a shock leader to my main running line.

There are many ways to attach a shock leader but my favorite for fishing is the Uni-Knot to an overhand in the thick line. For long casting I use the blob knot method. When using a super braid like Power Pro I will make as many as 8 turns in the Uni-knot as super braids tend to slip. I prefer a mono shocker to a super braid as it tends to be more resistant to abrasion.