No, the leader line should typically be slightly weaker than the main line.
You can get away with using equal or slightly heavier leader lines, but that is not ideal.
There are a couple reasons for this.
First, the whole point of a leader line is to reduce the visibility of the line.
And even if you are using a clear leader line such as fluorocarbon, if the leader is really thick, it will have more visibility and be a little bit less effective.
It is an unfortunate truth that occasionally, your line is going to snap. The main reason for this is getting snagged on a log or rock underwater.
When this happens, you want your leader line to be weaker than the main line so that when you pull back and snap off.
The line will either snap at the knot to the hook or somewhere in between the lure and the connection knot.
This way, you save a lot of your leader and don’t have to retie.
This part isn’t super important, but I like my leaders to be 30-50% weaker than the mainline.
If I am using 30 lb braided line, I will probably use a 15-20 lb fluorocarbon leader line.
This way, you get the full benefit of the fluorocarbon’s invisibility while still keeping your leader much lighter pound test.
The simple answer is fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon is the most invisible and low key line there is.
And since the point of a leader line is to prevent the fish from seeing your braided line, fluorocarbon is overall the best.
However, fluorocarbon is quite expensive. So if you are on a budget and don’t want to invest in the pricey fluoro, monofilament will also work well.
Monofilament isn’t quite as invisible, but it still has very low visibility.
Monofilament also has a lot of stretch which can actually be better when using lures with small treble hooks.
If you are fishing in super muddy water or are fishing a frog or buzzbait, then you actually don’t need to use a leader at all on your braid.
But in pretty much every other situation, you will need to use a leader when fishing braided line.
This is of course because braid is very easy to see in the water and can spook fish away from biting.
Generally speaking, your leader line should be slightly longer than the water visibility.
If your lake or pond has 2 feet of visibility, then your leader should be slightly longer than 2 feet.
This keeps the braid out of view without over exerting the leader.
There’s still no real reason to have your leader line be heavier than the mainline, but I also don’t see any problem with having the leader be as strong or close to it.
When fishing for catfish, you don’t have to worry as much about getting snagged or having the catfish see a thick line.
But you still may not want to use straight braid if you are catfishing in clear water.
So feel free to use a rather heavy leader line to give you extra strength when fishing for catfish.
