Do I need a leader??

[piersm2]

So I have been reading quite a few posts that talk about using braided line then having a mono leader on it.  This is news to me as I have never done this. 

I am usually fishing for either panfish or walleye so using lb anywhere from 2-6.  Can someone enlighten me on what I should be using and how to go about doing it?

[missoulafish]

Are you catching the fish the way you’re doing it now?

[piersm2]

I have been, but wanting to switch to suffix braided line this year and curious if I will be ok just using that.

[missoulafish]

Most would run a leader at the end of the braid. I would too.

[Baetis62]

18-24” of quality fluoro leader material has always worked for me.  If your jigging a small swivel at that connection can help reduce line twist and unnatural spinning.

[glenwyo]

Braided line will freeze up a lot more than mono (that's been my experience) if you do not fish in a shanty. I gave up on braided line as I don't use a shanty. I've tried a couple of different braids without  noticing much difference as to how quickly they freeze. Grant it, any type of line is going to have ice cubes dangling from it when it's well below freezing, but braided has been worse for me.

[piersm2]

Would you run Fluoro or Mono then?

[hardwater diehard]

some video to help with your decision ...I use mono ...swivel... and then fluorocarbon leader ...I fish inside a shelter and outside on a bucket I don't fish deeper then 30 feet .

[anglerbrian]

I fish in Saskatchewan where it gets as cold as anywhere except for Alaska and Siberia. I use super braid main lines on all of my rod and reel setups. Power pro Suffix and Spider wire Stealth.. The only time I don't use a fluoro leader is when targeting pike. Then its a titanium leader.
  Do the braids ice up a bit?? Of course all lines will ice up when its minus 20 and below. I prefer fishing outside the tent so I pick rods with larger guides as this is more of a problem with ice buildup than the lines. Braids are so sensitive and the low stretch is a must for me when fishing deep. I use 18 inch to 4 feet of fluoro leader. You can catch fish with any setup you have confidence in but after spending most of my 62 years in  Canada this is what I have settled on.

[Icenflies]

Ice Braid (30lb) - uni knot to 5' fluorocarbon heavy ish fluoro (25lb) - small barrel swivel - 2' of high quality fluoro (15lb) (smaller breaking strength than the heavy fluoro) is my laker set up

For trout in super clear lakes, and probably more related to what you're fishing...

Ice braid (12lb) - uni knot to 10lb cheap fluoro - barrel swivel - 2' of high quality 6-8lb fluorocarbon fly fishing tippet (smaller diameter, higher breaking strength then terminal fluoro).

[SpoonieLuv]

Flouro leaders all the way! 😊

[slipperybob]

Personal preference and/or situation calls for it.

I run braid because I want braid straight to lure.

If midwinter and I need some 1-2# floro then it make that long leader (top shot) of it .  it's usually about 6-10 feet long.