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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.
What is a Shock Leader for Surf Fishing ?
October 24, 2019
Fishing weights are used to keep the bait stable in the strike zone and prevent the current from pulling your terminal tackle away from where fish concentrate and feed. And while using them is critical to increase the bites and avoid being dragged to deserted areas in the surf zone, they can also be dangerous for you, for the others, and for your expensive gear.
Casting heavy leads puts massive stress on the fishing line during the build-up phase, and if your line does not have enough breaking strength, it will snap right after the cast and puts your safety and that of others in danger.
In addition, you risk losing expensive lures and leads when the line breaks, and you will be forced to make new setups every time the line is cut, which can ruin your fishing day.
So what is the solution for all that ? The solution is to use a shock leader.
A surf fishing shock leader is a heavy line extension (typically 80 lb monofilament) added to the main fishing line in order to absorb the massive stress you create when loading the rod. The shock leader should measure around 27-30 feet and be tied to the main line using a small solid knot.
In this article, we will discuss why shock leaders are important to surf fishing ? What is the appropriate way to tie a shock head ? What are the optimal knots, materials, and sizes for shock leaders ? and also, what are the cases where shock leaders are not needed ? So keep reading !
What is a shock leader and why it’s important for surf fishing ?
As said earlier, a shock leader (or heaver) is an extension that we add to the main line in order to absorb the excess of stress when casting the rod, and therefore, avoid break-offs and tackle loss.
When you tie a 3-5 oz sinker to a standard 12-15 lb surf fishing line, a forceful load may be able to break your setup. Why ? Because when power casting, you apply enormous centrifugal forces on the line, more than what it was designed for, and more than any sizeable fish can do. As a result, the line breaks, and all the terminal tackle attached get lost, and hopefully, it doesn’t hurt someone during the flight.
This is why shock leaders are so important for surf fishing. Their high breaking strength permits to cushion the massive pressure that powerful casts create, hence protecting you, others, and your fishing equipment.
Question : Why do I need a heavy extension when I can simply use a main line of high pound test ?
This is a possible solution. The use of a main line of high breaking strength will be sufficient to prevent break-offs and you will not need a shock leader in this case. However, thick lines come with some disadvantages that can affect your productivity and reduce your catches count.
First, a thick line receives more pressure in the current and is more affected by the movement of water and the tidal changes. This will result in less stability in the surf zone and your baited rig will often be pulled away from where you believe the fish hold.

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Second, when casting a line of large diameter, it receives more friction from air and the wind, which slows it down and limits the casting distance.
Also, you won’t be able to fit much line in your reel if the line is thick. This can be a big problem when fishing on beaches where the sandbanks are very far from shore.
So as you can see, using a too thick line is not the ideal solution to prevent snaps when casting heavy weights. Yes, it can do that, but it will also hurt your overall productivity and casting distance.
The ideal solution is to attach a strong shock leader to your standard surf fishing line. The shock leader should measure about twice the length of your surf rod, plus 5 to 6 wraps around the spool. Personally, I use shock leaders of about 27 to 30 feet and they always do great.
That said, it should also be mentioned that the knot tying your main line to the leader will be a weak spot in your tackle. Therefore, if the rig gets snagged or a large hooked fish performs a deep and rough jerk, it is the leader knot that will most likely break, leading to a tackle loss and a new setup.
That’s why you should use solid and strong knots for your surf fishing shock leaders.
Personally, I always use the uni knot system for my leaders. It is a very strong knot and its strength does not diminish by a sudden shock but rather by constant and steady pressure for a long period of time.
Other fishermen friends use and recommend the blood knot.
Whichever knot you pick, make sure it is solid and small. When you launch the line, large knots hit the guides of your rod more often, resulting in more resistance and thus a shorter casting distance.
Generally speaking, what causes the knot to be large is the difference in diameter between the two lines tied. Moreover, the difference in size loosens the knot and makes it more vulnerable to shocks and spike pressures.
How strong the shock leader should be ?
The strength of your shock leader should be dictated by the weight you cast.
As a rule of thumb, you should use at least 10 pounds of line weight for every ounce of your casting weight. And that includes the sinker and the bait.
For example, if you cast a 4-ounce lead with a 1-ounce chunk of bait, then the minimum breaking strength of your shock leader should be 50 lb.
This is the minimum pound test for your heaver in order to resist the stress exerted by the 5 oz casting weight. Any lower weight may easily break during a power load.
That said, you should be aware that 4 ounces are sometimes not enough to hold in rough surf conditions and strong currents.
When the swell is too strong and the water is roughly moving, your 4-oz baited rig may fail to remain stable in the surf and the current may easily drive it out of the strike zone where the fish are more likely to bite.
In a situation like this, the only thing most fishermen would do is to increase the casting weight, and as a result, upgrade the strength of the shock leader too. However, since changing the weight is way easier than changing the entire shock leader, one may prefer to use a heavier leader from the beginning so he can avoid changing the whole setup if the casting weight fails to hold in the surf zone.
Generally speaking, you will rarely need more than 8oz of casting weight when surf fishing. This is heavy enough to deal with the choppiest surf conditions and the strongest currents. As a result, the best breaking strength for surf fishing shock leaders is 80 lb.
This weight will permit to absorb the stress exerted by standard 3-4 oz sinkers while remaining effective to cope with a heavier lead in case the surf conditions require it.
Read more tips on how to fish strong currents.
What material is best for shock leaders ?
Monofilament is known to be the most used material for shock leaders. The high stretch quality of mono lines helps to absorb the stress when casting heavy weights, and thus, prevents the line from snapping even if the used pound test is less than the recommended rule (minimum 10 lb test for each ounce of casting weight).
Mono is also highly resistant to abrasion, which helps to deal with mixed and rocky seabeds, as well as sharp-toothed fish like bluefish and the flounder.
In addition, compared to braid, mono is less visible in the water. As a result, your bait will look more natural and more appealing to fish.
However, there is one problem with monofilament leaders, and it is their large diameter.
The knot that would tie an 80 lb monofilament shock leader to a 15lb main line is normally a large and weak knot because of the difference in size between the 2 lines. As a result, you will have a vulnerable spot in your setup that may be the source of any future snap or break. In addition, the larger the knot, the more likely it is to hang up the rod’s eyes when casting the bait.
Also, the difference in size will make the spool spin differently during the load affecting the casting distance.
That’s why many surf anglers prefer to use braided lines for their shock leaders.
An 80 lb braid leader is about the same diameter as a 15 lb mono line, making the combination braid-to-mono great for solid and small knots.
When you don’t need a shock leader for surf fishing ?
With all that I said above, I should also mention that there are cases and situations in which a shock leader is not necessary for surf fishing.
Remember that the role of a shock leader is to absorb the stress exerted by heavy sinkers when throwing the bait. So obviously, if you are not using much casting weight, then a shock leader is not necessary.
A 15 lb line will easily handle a 1/2 oz sinker and there is no risk of breaking the line when casting such weight.
However, be aware that a too light sinker may not be able to keep your baited rig in the strike zone, especially when a strong current is in the surf.
In that case, you will be forced to upsize the casting weight, thus, use a shock leader.
Another situation where shock leaders are not needed for surf fishing is when you use braid for your main line.
Braid is known to provide very high breaking strengths with low diameters. As a result, you can use a strong line that handles the casting stress without compromising the casting distance and the stability in the surf.
An 80-lb braided line has a diameter of approximately 0.017 mm, which is the same as an 18 lb mono line. The difference is that the mono line can not cope with a 4 oz lead without a shock leader, while the braided line can handle leads up to 8 oz without a shock leader.
Another benefit of using straight braid without a shock leader is that you remove a potential weak spot from your line, and you do not have a knot that shortens your casting distance by hitting the guides of your rod.
However, be aware that using a braided line without a shock leader is not a cost-effective solution. Braid is more expensive than mono, and thus, whenever you cut the line for a new setup or after a snag, you lose a considerable amount of money.
Also, braid does not stretch as much as mono. As a result, it does not help to absorb the pressure when fighting large fish or when trying to get out of a snag.
Summary
Shock leaders are very important for surf fishing. Tying a 27-30 ft line extension of high breaking strength to your standard surfcasting line helps to absorb the pressure you exert on the terminal tackle when loading the rod, protecting your gear, and ensuring your safety and that of others.
However, a shock leader is not necessary when the main line is strong enough to handle your casting weight. In general, you need 10 pounds for every ounce of your casting weight. As a result, if you use a line of this strength, then you don’t need to tie a shock leader and add more vulnerable spots to your tackle.
I hope this article helped you know what is a shock leader and what is used for.
If you have any questions, remarks, or opinions, please do not hesitate to write your comment below. Also, if you enjoyed this post, make sure to share it via your favorite social account.
Finally, I want to share* with you the shock leader that I use on my surf fishing setups.
Shock leader for surf fishing
Good shock leader for surf fishing. Very flexible, nearly invisible, stretchy, low memory, and above all, it has a low diameter compared to the other mono/fluoro lines available. This allows to tie strong and small knots with the main line.
Brand : KastKing
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