Richie I tie direct usually. Unless I get lazy then I put a Breakaway clip on
I like a Home Rhodes loop knot on my lures. It's a favorite from my fly fishing days. I can tie them with my eyes closed. I like the stealthyness of it. I will usually retie after a few good fish or whenever it looks abraded from bloos or rocks.
I used to be a fluoro guy and still like the fish feel of fluoro to this day, but I changed to braid about 5 years ago and use 20lb braid on everything now. I tie a piece of heavy Seaguar Fluoro on the end with a well lubricated triple surgeons knot pulled on each tag closed. (And yes there are some that will tell you that is a no-no to tie that knot but I've never had a problem with this)
Whatever I got in the bag at the moment. 30-80 lb test. Makes a good bite guard and leader. I will start with 6' and it usually gets whittled down to 3 or so after a few outings and reties. Then I cut back and change. I like fishing multiple rods on a boat so that you can stay pre-rigged with the proper rod. Hard to do that on shore though.
I think with the advents of the Breakaway style clips it's almost a no brainer for most to use those. Put a modified clinch on there and the clip is your swivel. Makes it easy to change lures if you want to go from say a needle to a popper. I like the new Tactical Angler clips those have a neat design that seems to work well.
Some guys will always put a swivel on the line. I don't, my view is that there shouldn't be much line twist unless you got a problem with your reel and the way it is laying the line down, or the line was put on the spool improperly...If your line seems like it has alot of twist, take the lure off, have someone hold the end while you walk away with it unspooling on the rod, have them let go and walk around a grassy area it will untwist itself. Make sure you do that with it on a rod so it re-spools properly. Works on a boat too, let the line pay out behind the boat while your moving with nothing on the end it will untwist itself.
