Topshots & Leaders for Trolling

The thrill of catching a big game fish offshore drives many anglers to try offshore trolling. Like most techniques in fishing, there is specialized equipment and new terms to learn. Anglers with a background in any other technique are likely familiar with the term leader line, but many wonder what a mono topshot is. A mono topshot is fishing line attached to main line braid and the lure for the purposes of shock absorption and abrasion resistance. It is longer than leader line, often up to 100 yards. A low-profile knot is used to connect the topshot to the braid to reduce friction through the guides. A mono topshot is often used by anglers who maximize line capacity on a trolling reel by using braid mainline and need shock absorption for hooksets and abrasion resistance.

When considering that one of the main purposes of the topshot is shock absorption, it makes sense that monofilament is used instead of fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon has incredible transparency to improve a lure’s presentation, but doesn’t have as much stretch as monofilament to absorb the shock from hard-striking pelagics. Without enough stretch, you can risk ripping the hook out of the fish’s mouth when its rapidly turning and diving.

A mono topshot is critical when trolling and using braid as a main line. Braid has a small diameter to help you maximize the line you can fit on your reel, but can fray easily when it makes contact with rocks, reefs, or other structure. A topshot of higher strength mono can be resilient to a lot of elements a trolling line can encounter.  Speaking of main line braid, if you’re unsure of what type of main line to use, read my article Mono vs Braid for Trolling: Which is Right?

Braid also has no stretch and can cause a hook to rip out against the tension a fighting fish puts on your line. Imagine a big game fish trying to get unhooked and jerking around rapidly to get away. If the fish jerks hard enough, the momentary force could be higher than your line strength and cause it to snap before your drag has a chance to engage.

How to Attach a Mono Topshot

When using solid braid, the mono topshot is typically connected using a uni to uni knot, an alberto knot, or an FG knot. Each of these knots maintains the breaking strength of the line and has a small profile. A small profile is especially important for a topshot because the knot will move in and out of ring guides or roller guides and will be spooled on the reel. When targeting big game pelagics, or any fish for that matter, you want to avoid weak spots in your line. Knots that don’t decrease the breaking strength of the line are critical.

Skilled trollers targeting big game fish will often use hollow core braid as a main line and splice in the mono topshot. A splice almost never fails and is the smoothest possible joint. A splice is a connection that maintains 100% of the breaking strength of the line. To splice your mono topshot on, you’ll need a splicing kit. Splicing kits, like this one, normally contain instructions on how to splice the topshot on, and a variety of splicing needle sizes for different size line. A spliced topshot moves easily in and out of the guides and is hardly noticeable when spooled on the reel.

A mono topshot can also be combined with a leader if the conditions demand it. Very clear water can drive the need for a short fluorocarbon leader before the lure. Toothy fish can drive the need for a short wire leader before the lure or bait, too. Keep in mind the primary purposes of each part of your line: main line delivers the bulk of your line capacity, a mono topshot adds abrasion resistance and high shock absorption, a leader can provide abrasion resistance, some shock absorption, transparency, and protection against getting bit off.

An additional advantage of using braided main line with a mono topshot is the ease of maintenance. The main line braid can last for years and it’s easy to replace a mono topshot as frequently as every trip out. You’ll need to keep a spool of monofilament on hand if you want to change it out this frequently. You can even change your topshot out if your conditions change and you want to increase or decrease the line strength.

Monofilament Line Recommendations

There are several good options for monofilament line as a topshot, such as Sufix Superior and Berkley Trilene Big Game Mono. You’ll most likely need line strength equal to or higher than your main line strength. When I spooled my International with braid and added a topshot, I picked 65 lb braid and 70 lb mono topshot for targeting medium sized mahi off the East Coast of Central Florida.

The Length of Your Topshot Can Vary

Before getting your trolling reel spooled up with braid main line and a mono topshot, you’ll need to consider how much of each line you want. A mono topshot 100 yards in length is most common. Anglers looking to maximize lure depth may want more braid in the water and opt for fewer yards of mono. Some anglers want the simplicity of cutting back the mono as it deteriorates through the season and will prefer 200 yards of topshot. When offshore trolling with a mono topshot, hundreds of yards of line will be let out for proper lure or bait depth and distance behind the boat.  

The latest trolling reels, such as the Penn International VISX, are lightweight and geared towards pairing with standup rods. Anglers will keep the rod in a rod holder while trolling and pick it up for the fight to the boat. A smaller size trolling reel makes a stand up fight much more enjoyable, but doesn’t have enough capacity to spool completely with monofilament. If you need to learn more about the features of trolling reels, read my article Trolling Reel Features Explained.

Whenever fishermen are trying to maximize line capacity, they’ll choose a braid main line because of the smaller diameter. The system requires shock absorption which is achieved with the mono topshot.

Whenever I’m pulling a hard fighting fish to the boat, I’m constantly mentally estimating how much line I have left to retrieve. I spool my trolling reels up with a dark green braid main line and then transition to 100 yards of clear mono topshot. It’s helpful to be able to estimate 100 yards are remaining as soon as I see the knot or the color change. This is also about the time I better have another person next to me ready to grab the line and swing the fish to the gaff or straight in the boat.

When you’re spooling your trolling reel for the first time, you’ll need to know how much mono topshot you want. After spooling the braid main line on, you’ll need to have enough room for 100 yards of mono while making sure it’s not overly full. I have filled a reel too full before and regretted it when I was retrieving. Most trolling reels are manually levelwound and if your reel is too full, there’s far less room for error in the levelwind. And if you’re in the market for a trolling reel, read my article The 2 Best Trolling Reels.

A Topshot and a Leader Are Slightly Different

It can get confusing to differentiate between the many types uses for fishing line. There’s backing, main line, bridle, topshot, wire, and even cable. Anglers new to trolling have likely never heard of a topshot before and frequently ask what the difference between a topshot and a leader is. A topshot is a fishing line that is long enough to travel through the rod guides and often reeled in on the spool. A leader is shorter and does not go through the rod guides. Topshots and leaders are both intended to provide shock absorption, abrasion resistance, and sometimes transparency. Read on to learn about when to choose a topshot and when to choose a leader.

Topshots are common when trolling because of the extreme amount of tension that occurs. The pressure of pulling diving lures or weights behind a moving boat drives the need for heavy tackle and a lot of shock absorption. You’ll want to protect your main line and your reel from too much shock to prevent it from breaking, especially if your main line is braid.

The additional length of a topshot provides even more shock absorption. A hard striking wahoo can put a lot of pressure on main line braid and snap it if it’s not protected. Also consider the amount of stress on the line when you bring the fish to the boat. Usually you’ll be reeling the fish in, and another person on the boat will grab the line, quickly wrap it around his or her hand, and yank the fish in the boat.

When selecting the type of line for your topshot, you may wonder whether monofilament or fluorocarbon is the best choice. A monofilament topshot is most common because the stretchiness of mono provides the best shock absorption. Fluorocarbon has some stretch to it, but not nearly as much as mono, so it won’t protect your main line, protect your reel, and prevent the hook from ripping out like monofilament does.  Since one of the primary purposes of the topshot is shock absorption, fluorocarbon is rarely used.

In certain scenarios, it makes more sense to use a leader than a topshot. When trying to decide, keep in mind what type of fishing you’re doing and what the environment is like. When doing something like speed or slow pitch vertical jigging with some rocks on the bottom, you likely have enough length with leader line.

If your setup includes a 6 foot jigging rod and about 2 feet of rocks are at the bottom, a 3-4 foot leader is about right. If you’re trolling in crystal clear waters, you’ll need a mono topshot for the shock absorption, and you may also want a fluorocarbon leader between the topshot and the lure to keep it stealthy.

If you’ve decided that a leader line is what you need, you’ll have to decide on monofilament, or fluorocarbon, or even wire. And then there are color choices and line strength choices. Monofilament gives great abrasion resistance, is cost effective to cut off and re-rig when needed, and ties knots easily. It’s is a great choice when using topwater lures because it tends to float.

Fluorocarbon is great when the waters are clear or the fish are spooked because its nearly invisible. Wire is difficult to handle, but may be the required choice for a leader when there are lots of toothy fish like barracuda around.

Topshot and Leader Color and Line Strength

Generally, a clear leader or topshot is the best color choice to minimize the chances that the fish see your line tied to the lure. Clear isn’t possible with wire, so you can choose a thin wire to minimize its visibility, or look for a nylon coated wire. A long shank J hook, such as an O’Shaughnessy hook can accomplish the same thing as a wire leader. The line strength can be lighter, equal to, or heavier than the main line, depending on its purpose. Light leader or topshot line strengths are rarely chosen in saltwater.

A line strength equivalent to the main line works well when you’re not expecting rough structure or hard strikes, like when you are slow pitch jigging near a drop off since the strikes are usually soft. A heavier line strength is recommended if you’re expecting hard strikes, like those that are common when speed jigging, or when you’re repetitively going over rough structure, like casting out and bottom jigging over a reef. Heavier line strength for the topshot is commonly used when trolling because the strikes are hard and tension on the line can get very high with weights, diving lures, or planers.

I’m confident in your understanding of topshots and leaders after reading this article. Before you leave, read my article on Trolling Depth & Line Length. Tight lines, y’all!