im glad that my mono leader comments got some more discussion going.

the reason i use the leader is for a few different purposes.
1. knots. its much easier to tie knots with mono because theres no messing with scissors or lighters
2. intentional breakoffs. i have 40# braid on all my rigs. (sufix 832, 10# mono diameter to match precision trollings data) breaking 40# braid is a chore, so having a place in my line system that i can pop free without destroying my hand or paddle is nice, but its still plenty strong for fish.
3. visibility. i troll and fish in lots of lakes all over wisconsin, and it definitely helps in those places. it not really needed up in the Q, but im proficient with it, so its not worth changing when i can pick up a couple extra fish or two because of it. bite offs are a non issue because with barbless and floating cranks, they float right back up. waiting around a couple extra minutes in a fishy spot gets you a few more casts...

its not about being a 'shock absorber.' thats what the long rods do. properly setting the drag is very important as well. it needs to be looser than you think. and there is no 'hook set' while trolling. the fish striking and the rod bending does all that for you.