leader length

[CIVANO]

What is the shortest leader you would use behind a flasher rolling anchovies in a bait head?

 

[saanauk]

30". Was with my old man and asked him "why the heck were his leaders so short for" as I tied on my normal length. They watched him out fish me 5 to 1. Guess it just depends on time and place. Normally 6 ft minimum for me.

 

[eaglemaniac]

Grab your leader, spread your arms out as far apart as you can. That's your leader. eman

 

[aheny]

I constantly change anchovy Rigs throughout the day, and use mostly random leader lengths, all based on stretching my arms out.
That way I'm forced to try different lengths each day and I notice which are working.
I never liked measuring leaders, it always feels like it wasn't really as important as we make it out to be

 

[fishin_magician]

6 feet all day for me. Imagine a big Chinook runninnwith that Flasher whacking him when he runs....lol

 

[TomicTime]

i am with the Magician......gets the flasher out of the proper Spring bait roll IMO
makes for big fun boatside with the 11' rods but i enjoy that and a singing Islander...

 

[Catch 22]

Anchovies ( and spoons) leader 5' to 6'..

Hoochies leader 2.5' to 3'

 

[saanauk]

Old man got me again last week. Fishing same flasher with anchovies and the same depth. My leader was was 6 feet and his was 36 inches. He got 75% of the hits. Oh well.

 

[ericl]

Flashers attract Salmon pretty well. With a 6' leader the flasher will give the bait an occasional erratic motion. I first learned this method trolling the rocks off Ucluelet for Springs that were all 25lb & up back in the 80's. It had to be rigged "just right" for these big boy's; 6 ft leader with a very slow roll. Too much bait action with either a shorter leader or a faster roll would only catch the smaller fish.

Many are now using bait alone with a "false flasher".

Anchovy is used to imitate needlefish. A true needlefish lure such as Iron Needle, needlefish hoochie, or Coho Killer may be more effective than bait.

 

[burnsy22]

I was using a 6 foot leader and was outfished heavily one time using virtually the same gear and his leaders were close to 8 feet. That was up north island on the east side of the island.

 

[Englishman]

When I started I was using 4-5' leaders and never caught anything. Folks on the Sooke thread advised me to go to 7 or 8 feet and since then I have had modest success. Don't believe in this arms spread wide measure as everyone's arm spread is different! Defining a standard unit of measure with part of your anatomy went out with King Henry the 8th of England!! LOL