Shockleaders | Find the best for UK sea fishing

There are two main types of shock leader: standard shock leaders and tapered leaders. Tapered leaders have lighter line at one end that becomes gradually stronger as the line gets closer to your rig. This means your leader knot will be smaller, so it doesn’t hit your eyelets and slowdown your cast or damage your rods eyelets. Ideal for use with continental style rods, as the thin end of the tapered leader makes it easier to pass the knot through the small tip eye of the rod. Standard shock leaders are usually sold in spools, while tapered leaders come in packs of five per spool. Both types of leaders are around 13-15m in length.

When choosing a shock leader, it’s important to consider the breaking strain of your main line and the weight you’ll be casting. The ideal shock leader should start at around the same breaking strain as your main line and gradually decrease to a suitable breaking strain for the weight you’re casting.

The length of the shock leader is also a matter of personal preference, but the minimum should be twice the length of your beachcaster and about 6 turns left on your reel.

How to tie shockleader knot

How strong should a shock leader be when beach casting?

A good rule of thumb is to use 10lb of breaking strain for each ounce of lead. So with 6oz leads, a 60lb shockleader would be ideal. Once you’ve hit 60lb, you don’t need to go any heavier unless you’re conger fishing and need the abrasion resistance.

What do crack offs happen?

One cause of crack offs is your trace line being lighter than the shock leader. Even though the shock leader is strong enough, if the rig itself is too light the lead will still snap your line. Your whole set up is only as strong as its weakest point. Tying knots in your line or using crimps that damage the line can also cause problems.