Leader advice?

[Backlasher]

What do you recommend for a leader. It seems like there are really strong opinions on this one whenever you see leaders discussed on the other message boards. Like with everything I think musky fishermen over analyze and make a big deal out of everything. I thought I'd ask your 2 cents.

[Paul Schlagel]

I agree that the topic of leaders always seems to spark plenty of discussion on the message boards.

You’re wise to give your leader choice some careful thought and consider it an important part of your gear. In my opinion, the leader is the most over-looked and underrated part of the musky fishing setup. Over and over I see clients show up for a day of fishing and the leader they’re using is a total piece of crap. It always surprises me that so many fisherman will spend thousands, on rods, reels, and lures - and then try to save a buck or two by using a cheap bargain leader.

Anyway, your leader is really important. OK enough preaching.

Fluorocarbon
I use fluorocarbon pretty much exclusively. I haven’t used a wire leader in several years. I’ve never had a fluoro leader fail. I use a 130# or heavier. There are flouro leaders available in 80# or 100# but I strongly feel that 130#is the minimum. The leaders I’ve been using have a #5 Stay-Loc snap and a quality ball-bearing swivel. Cheap leaders have a cheap swivel or a cheap snap; both can and will fail. Don’t use the cheapest leader you can find - it’ll fail and break you heart.

I’m using up the last of a large quantity of Thorne Brothers 130# fluoro. That’s the leader I’ve used for almost everything. When I’m throwing Pounders or any of the really heavy plastics I’ll often re-tie with a 200#, especially in the fall. It’s probably overkill, but it makes me feel good. The 200# leaders I’ve been using were made by Bulletproof Tackle. That was a good leader but Bulletproof Tackle closed shop and I can’t get them any more and I ran out at the end the ‘08 season.

When I run out of leaders I have, probably by the end of June, I’ll be switching to Stealth. The Stealth leader is knotted and glued and the tag end is secured with a crimp. I think it’s the best design of any leader available. The knots look great. Anyone who has tried making their own knows how hard it is to tie a knot with that stuff. They might cost a bit more but it’s money well spent. Heck, I’d spend even more if there was a better leader but I don’t think there is. I’ll probably go with 150# and quit worrying about switching back and forth between 130# and 200#. A bunch of my guide friends have been using Stealth for a year or two and really swear by them.

Wire
I wouldn’t ever, ever, EVER use another stranded leader. Over the years I’ve seen a stranded leader break twice. Both times the leader failed on a really bad backlash and the lure went flying. I think the stranded leaders fatigue and fail, or more likely, they get a little kink in them which creates a weak spot. Don’t use stranded leaders.

The solid wire is pretty dependable. The single strand in the 150-175# range seems to be a pretty good all-around leader. A thinner wire around 100# or so would be a good choice for trolling and rocks are a concern. I know there are different types of solid wire and some are more springy and resist bending, but I don’t know enough about wire to recommend one leader over another. Just make sure it has a good ball bearing swivel and a Stay Loc snap.

Regardless of whether you choose flouro or wire, replace your leader often. A leader, even a heavy solid wire one, was not meant to last through several seasons. It kills me when I see someone’s leader that looks like it has a thousand hours on it. Don’t be a tight wad - replace your leader. I always have a lot of extra leaders on hand and I never hesitate to put on a fresh one when it’s needed. I also have a pack of replacement Stay Loc snaps. You can get a 25 pack of replacement Stay Locs for about 10 bucks. The snaps can weaken after they’ve been repeatedly opened and closed many times. I replace the snaps often and replace the leader whenever it’s abraded or nicked.

Whoa! This has been long-winded. Can you tell I was bored? Anyway, that’s the two cents you asked for.

[Backlasher]

One more question is why the preference for florocarbon. It seems fewer people are using wire. Thanks for all the info.

[BBushy]

Hey Guys,
I think one reason more people are using Flouro is because they don't kink. I think Flouro will last longer. I myself have just started using Flouro and
I went with Stealth last summer and was really impressed with them. This year I'm going to use the 150# Stealth. I still use some wire leaders and that
is mainly for like gliders and walk the dog topwaters.
Hey Paul it was nice to meet you at the Minnesota Muskie Expo and good luck in 2009.

[Paul Schlagel]

Good to meet you too, BBushy. Good luck and have a good season - I hope you get to use your net a lot.

BBushy made a very good point, I'll add a couple more.

Reasons for using fluoro:

Better lure action is the biggest advantage for me. I fish with soft plastics a lot and they have much better action on a more supple leader. A stiff, solid wire leader kills some of the action from some types of baits. A stiff wire leader is like clipping your leader onto the end of a welding rod, and it can show in the action of the lure.

Clarity (invisibility) of the leader might make a difference. This one is subject to debate. When you come across a hot fish it doesn't matter at all what kind of leader material you use. On neutral or negative fish it might make a difference, especially in clear water and bright conditions. Like I said, it's debatable. But an invisible leader sure can't hurt, right?

Like BBushy mentioned, it doesn't kink. That makes a pretty big difference, especially if you're fishing a lot. Some wires are more "springy" and resist kinking, but they'll still kink some of the time. Fluoro won't kink. For this reason, I think fluoro leaders last much longer. That's surpising to a lot of folks who think a steel leader lasts forever. They don't.

I'll also add that I rarely fish gliders and don't fish much shield water. I'd probably use more wire if I fished more shield water with sharp, jagged rocks.