JMO but smallies are not line shy at all. No reason for a leader for visibility reason IMO. Heck I usually use 30 lb braid or 8+lb copoly. Hang a 5+ lb smallmouth on 4 lb line and your asking for a dead fish. Either from breaking off with hooks in its mouth or from delayed mortality from the prolong fight. Heck I even use 8 lb test with float'n'fly setup.
When I do use a leader (for abrasion resistants or for topwater hook fouling issues), uni to uni or slim beauty knots is what I use. With most leader knots, you want lines to be similar in diameter. So for 4lb nano, I would look at 2 lb mono/copoly/flouro or some thin tippet from the fly fishing section. Or move up to 6 or 8 lb nano and use a 4lb leader. PS IMO DAMYL Tectan line is a premium small diameter mono.
Last edited by bfish; 10-18-2012 at 06:44 PM.
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