Yes, I hold the braid on the finger.  It is hell on the finger, but they heal better than the rod  I usually take medical tape, or electrical tape for my finger as the only kind of gloves I can get here are gardening gloves.   I should have mentioned to Arry1 that he should use gloves when casting braid on the finger.  I hold the line just before the bimini on the single line and the leader hangs out of the eyes about a metre. 

 

I use to cast with the mono on the finger, could go all day with out gloves, but the damage to the eyes of my rods was to much to deal with.  Especially with no repair shop to fix them for me. I have gone through most all the knots for connecting wind on leaders and all of them cause knots that catch the eyes when casted off the spool.  This becomes a really big problem when you start tossing big lures.  Have had more than a few eyes pulled from the bindings flat to the rod

Hi Kurt, excuse for stealing the thread but on your statement above how long is ur leader and does that mean you hold the braid w/ ur fingers on open bail arm? Sounds like u need some tough gloves to avoid cuts.

I do a lot of popping for GTs in Tonga and have had a few customers bring manufactured wind on leaders.  They are pretty stiff where the kevlar is mated to the mono.  They really make heaps of noise as they go out the eyes, which means friction.  If the leader moves slower than the line is coming off the spool, you will experience wind knots.  This is either small knots in the braid, or the line wrapping around the eyes restricting, or stopping the lure flight.

 

I make my own leaders.  A very short bimini twist connected to a twisted shock leader with a cat paw.  I do not cast with the leader, or the knot on the spool.    That way the things that cause grief going through the eyes is already lined up and ready to go. 

 

Making twisted leaders is pretty easy and is much cheaper the the shop ones.  So, my opinion is to make your own to save money and the headaches.

 

Kurt

 

Need some advice please, im quite green with this type of fishing.

I just brought a new set up for popping for kings and got a 130lb wind on leader on the reel.

When i got the gear home and had a bit of a tutu(as you do) with it i found that the rubber like material that joins the mono to the braid/cord stuff that then joins to the mainline is a very grippy material.

 

Am i likely to experience this stuff coming to a grinding halt when casting? it felt really grippy on the top eyelet.

 

Has anyone experience/issues with this before? Is there an optimum length for the leader?

Im keen to take it out for a flick tomorrow morn.

Any advise would be appreciated.

 

Cheers