Leaders - Steel vs. Flourocarbin

[esoxhunter11]

Whats the opinion on fluorocarbon leaders. I am using 60 to 80# test fluorocarbon leaders and I am a little nervous. I seen guys on fishing shows using it, but not all the time. Is anybody else using it and has anybody lost a fish using it?

[S.D. Ice Angular]

That is what i use 80# fluorocarbon.

I have had some guys in out MI chapter that were really resisitant to the fluorocarbon and claim they won' go back to steel.

[AWH]

I use 130# Stealth fluorocarbon leaders almost exclusively with zero failures. I don't use anything lighter than that for muskies and I would be very nervous with something as light as 60#. I actually had Stealth tie me up some 60# fluoro for trolling for walleyes with small musky cranks. But that would be extremely light for muskies.

Aaron

[cbrooks]

150 or 180# stealth flouro. Never had a failure with this leader.

[kyleharty]

I've been using Musky Innovations flouro, don't remember the weight, I believe at least 100#. No problems and I've caught plenty of fish. Mostly good sized pike but the issues with teeth are the same and I'm confident in the flouro. Just check it for nicks after a fish.

[Fishin_Jacks7]

I use 80# Flouro and love it especially for jerkbaits! I found that it has gotten tangled in my DCG more often than I remember my other non-flouro leaders. Just started with the flouro and like it a lot! Don't be afraid to try it...

[Cooter]

I'm a steel guy, 124 or 174 single strand.

[Nick Kuhn]

100lb Fluoro here, love it for just about everything, except a magic maker. The hooks on a magic maker find their way onto a fluoro leader 90% of the casts I think.

I have sent a lure or 2 to the bottom of the lake with lighter fluoro, and also with kinked steel (didn't check them often enough I guess).

[esoxhunter11]

I am also wondering do you use crimping sleeves to make your leader or tie a knot to swivels?

[Esox_Magnum]

I won't use flouro unless it's tied and crimped, I wont trust my baits or a fish to just a crimp on flouro. Had a few old 7 strands pull apart....

[Rebel9921]

I started out with titanium leaders but only for so briefly... I decided to go homemade fluoro leaders at 130# and havent looked back since then... Last year I ran out of #130 and decided to upgrade to 150# and am still loving them!!!

Pretty much I make them the way Rob Kimm described in one of his old posting... which is basically the same way Steve Jonesi or Thorne Bros makes theirs...

I am starting to think about adding nail knots along with crimps... Cant be too safe after all, a weak link may end up accidently killing those Muskies!!!

[jkahler]

I use the Stealth 130# leaders with no complaints. I've landed fish up to 49" on them. For steel the Spro single strand are nice and I've got a 50" on one of those with no failures.

My problem with single strand is it gets bent up, so either you bend it back or trash it. With the Stealth leaders I buy new leader snaps before the leader itself wears out.

[kyleharty]

I had my first problem with 100# flouro leader recently, the leader was through the mouth of a 38" pike and either teeth or a hook tore halfway through a 1" section of the flouro, it was kinda peeled up. Didn't lose the fish so it still did it's job. I'll take it over steel without any hesitation.

[Tim_Anderson]

Ditto what AWH said

[mainbutter]

I've had pike steel leaders fail. I've never used steel leaders for musky because of it.

I've never had a bite off with 100+lb fluoro.

In fact, I've never had a bite off with 20 or 25lb fluoro either, even with big pike and muskies getting the line right in the teeth during the fight.

I replace any leader that shows knicks and damage after catching a fish.