Fluoro Leaders

[thedeadsea]

For those of you that use or make your own leaders out of heavy test Fluoro, what # test are you using? Do they hold up to multiple fish, or one use leaders?

Thanks,

Steve

[Esox_Magnum]

I use Stealth 150# 12" and bought 2 2 years ago, just tied on the 2nd last fall. I'm sold on them, they have held up better than any other leader I have tried.

[cbrooks]

180# test stealth is what I use. I've never had a stealth leader fail and have caught multiple fish on them. I rotated a few 130# leaders out that were starting to fray a little.

[LOTWSvirgin]

I use 130# for tip ups caught some good pike on them no problems yet no fraying yet. Esox turned me on to them and am glad he did.

[Tim_Anderson]

I use the same 130# Stealth Tackle Leaders - have for the past couple of years. Have caught 25 fish or more on the same leader. They keep on ticking, but I still inspect them often. I have changed a couple of them out, but usually because they got nicked on rocks while trolling.

[AWH]

I've been using 130# Stealth Leaders and I might consider bumping that up to 150# in the future. I've had zero issues with 130#, but I don't feel I'm going to lose anything by bumping that up a bit, and it's always nice to have a bit more security.

I've toyed around with making my own in the past. But I prefer to know that the leader is made right and Stealth does it right...every time. There are a lot of less than quality fluoro leaders on the market. I'd strongly suggest you save yourself the hassle of making them yourself and the heartbreak of having an inferior brand fail. Go with Stealth and you'll be happy.

As far as how long do they last? I've been going through a couple fluoro leaders in the time where I would have gone through 15 to 20 wire leaders. More expensive up front, but they save me money in the long run.

I carry Stealth's leaders at Musky Tackle Online. Casting leaders up to 180# as well as his 36" trolling leaders. But if there's a length or a weight leader you're interested in, I can have him tie them up to your exact specs. Not many people easier to work with than Stealth to make sure you get exactly what you want. Can't do that with factory made prodcuts.

Aaron

[thedeadsea]

Thanks guys.

First and foremost, I was thinking about using them on tip ups for winter pike, and then also for muskie fishing in the summer. Just have to believe that clear fluoro presents the bait/lure better than wire or cable.

I got lucky landing a 44.5" and 39.5" pike on straight 17# mono and a 36.5" on 12# mono (caught that one while walleye fishing). I am smarter than to think I should keep pressing my luck while in big pike territory.

Steve

[RK]

Hiya -

I use fluoro at times but I really don't think muskies are all that line shy. I mainly use it trolling because it's so fish-friendly. When fish roll, which they seem to do a lot in cold water, fluoro doesn't slice them up like wire can. 7-strand wire is horrible for cutting fish up frankly. I'm sure the lack of visibility helps but to me it's a secondary consideration.

I make my own (just need a compound crimping pliers - $35 from a saltwater catalog -and some sleeves. It's not hard to do) and think 130# is the minimum. I know some guys use 80 or even 65, but fish can cut the stuff, and fluoro isn't terribly shock-resistant besides.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[dudeness]

RK or anybody, sorry to switch gears, but I know that you have mentioned you use Berkley big game line for your bass set ups. I am looking for a good mono for my bass baitcaster set-ups. Looking for something with less memory than what I've used in the past. Is this why you like the big game?

Thanks - sorry for the high jack.

[thedeadsea]

RK,

Can you tie a knot with 130# or is it necessary to use sleeves?

Steve

[dudeness]

You can and will need to tie a knot, the sleeve is just to crimp the tag end.

I remember buying a fluorocarbon leader a while back and it was only crimped. It broke before I even tied it to the end of my line. That turned me off for a couple more years.

[AWH]

Crimps done right will hold just fine. But unless you're 100% sure you're doing it right, I wouldn't risk it. This is why I rely on Stealth for all of my fluorocarbon leaders. I know they're done right. They do both tie and crimp them. I've seen their knots all the way up to 200# test and they look as good as their knots on 100#.

Aaron

[thedeadsea]

Thanks again everyone.

I'll probably tie my own, at least for pike because I want to experiment with lengths a bit. I want to set up premade snells so I don't need to tie on at the lake or have to deal with pre-tied hooks making a mess in my fishing bin.

Steve

[RK]

Hiya -

Dudeness - I use Big Game mainly for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Some stretch which isn't all bad for SBs, and very durable while still being manageable in higher test lines - 15-17# - even on small bass reels... For things where I want less stretch like cranks or jigs, I use either Trilene XT or Suffix Siege.

As far as crimps/knots go - you have to have crimps done correctly, which is part technique, part tools. You HAVE to have a cup-to-cup crimper rather than a point-to-cup. Point-to-cup crimpers are what you find at Fleet Farm for $12. You also have to have the right sleeves. You want to make sure that the leader material doesn't cross over itself inside the sleeve when you crimp it. Round sleeves are the least desirable because they're the most difficult to prevent crossing with. Oval sleeves are better, and double-barrel sleeves better yet. I use aluminum oval or double barrel - depends on what I grab when I'm making leaders. Then use the right cup size for the sleeve and material, and do the crimp right. Properly crimped, a leader won't fail at the crimps at all, and doing it properly isn't at all hard. Done improperly, they'll fail casting a heavy bait, much less fighting a fish.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[TSchultz]

I agree with others that use only crimps. A properly done high quality double barrel crimp will not fail. I have had every other component from the hook to the butt of my rod fail, including snaps, line, rod, reel, but never the crimp. The key is quality crimps, crimper, and the proper sizes. I've been using floro/crimps since the mid 90's, so I do have some experiance with usage and failures.

[Musky Buck]

I hear RK a bit. I thought oh man, overthinking the muskie that fluoro must be the bomb, put on a fluoro leader and watched my cousin who stayed with wire boat about 10 nice muskies to my 0. Went back to my old leaders and started catching fish again. Who knows. I'm sure some have the opposite experience to mine and fluoro does have a place in the leader world, this is why muskie is so fun, because you can overthink every scenario and tool needed to catch them.

[Cooter]

thedeadsea - if you tie your own I'd recommend practicing with some cheap, heavy mono before trying spendy fluoro. I've had a tough time getting knots to snug up right.

[thedeadsea]

thedeadsea - if you tie your own I'd recommend practicing with some cheap, heavy mono before trying spendy fluoro. I've had a tough time getting knots to snug up right.

Excellent point!

I am one of those "need to know how things work" kind of guy (for better or worse), so I'll grab a cheap spool of mono and some good fluoro when I am in Florida in a few weeks.