Help with Wire Leaders

[MurkyWaters]

Today I was fishing with a popper and was using a leader. I set the hook into a small bass and the line went limp. I got the line back to the boat and the clip at the end of the leader had come undone and when I set the hook, it pulled the clip straight (so I lost the bait...and the fish). This has happened to me before while casting crank baits. I'm beginning to think that leaders lose me more baits than they save! P.S. For the next 15 minutes, the bass proceeded to jump out of the water to shake the popper free and I could hear the rattles every time it did. It was taunting me!

Tell me that this has happened to others out there...What is the deal? Am I buying junk leaders? What leaders do you use for casting? Do they have special clips? Help please...I'm trying to get into cranking.

[ddsbyday]

I make my own for this reason. If you purchase them it doesn't hurt to take a minute to recrimp the sleave with a needle nose. They are very easy to make.

[Nick Kuhn]

There's a few type of snap-locks u can get on the end of the leader. The best are the cross-lock style snaps at the end. The simple L-bend style clips do come undone. They look like this. Never had one of these come undone.

[MikeEiden]

I've had that happen a few times before years ago from the snap weakening quickly from changing lures. The cross-locs are a good upgrade as well as the stay-loc which I prefer the best. These can be threaded onto your existing leader if the wire is still good. I personally went to mostly flouro leaders with stay-loc snaps. Saved me money in the long run with bad snaps and wire kinks.

Good luck..

[Esox_Magnum]

I have had the kind pictured come open a few times, so far only lost a cheap grinder spinnerbait. The stay loc's I like the best theres basicly a safty lock just incase it comes undone.

[dcmusky]

I make my own and I attatch the lure with a split ring, never lost a lure because of a snap since!

[IRISHbaseball]

i use eagle claw 12 inch leaders and they work fine, never had any problems with them