Flourocarbon leaders

[Will]

I've always used steel leaders ahead of my musky baits. Durability and reliability have been great.

I fish some high pressure waters, a few are pretty clear. Ive been wondering if using a low vis leader

Might put a few more fish in the boat.

Anybody use and like them?

Pros/cons?

Durability????

Thanks

Will

[Esox_Magnum]

Been using Stealth flouro for 3-4 years now, they last alot longer than steel and just as reliable.... couple are going on their 3rd season without issues....

[Will]

Cool, but are your muskies down there as mean as ours up here?

[Esox_Magnum]

I use them up there to....We have put several over 50 in the nets on the Stealths in the past few years, best was a 52+, from Iowa of course...

[Will]

thanks for the good info, I'm gonna give em a try.

[Esox_Magnum]

I use them for 95% of my baits, only a few select topwaters still use wire for...

[Will]

I was wondering about that, thanks again.

I'd wish you luck this season, but it doesn't sound like you need it.

[RawHog]

I've heard flouro is good for bucktails and maybe jerk baits, while steel is better for other applications. I'm making no claim here, so will someone please add onto what I'm saying?

[Nick Kuhn]

I use fluoro for everything. never really had much of a problem. You will need to get the right length though for gliders and WTDs, and it may vary from bait to bait.

[john skarie]

Although it sounds strange, flouro "sinks" more than steel does.

It will make your topwaters front heavy and is totally useless with some jerk baits. Specifically I had troubles with the heavy Wade's Wobblers. The way I fish them I give them long hard pulls with a long pause. On the pause with flouro leaders the bait would sit vertically instead of horizontally, the nose of the bait pointing straight down.

JS

[Musky Buck]

I should be, but I'm no fan of flouro just basing it off musky bites, for some reason, I know I'm overanalyzing it but 10-1 wire over fluoro to the point I just gave away all my fluoro leaders to some boy on the dock one day. Caught them with wire for a few decades so I'm old old school and overthinking things, but for some weird reason the wire seems to be the ticket, sure theres no way to know other than my cousin who casts all the spots 1st got shut out for a month, after I made the switch back to wire I had 9 in the boat that same month, I realize it's the lure really and how it's fished but I used the same baits with fluoro and then it got in my head and so now I can save a buck or two also. Way unscientific, just my preferance. Also, the lakes have seen triple the pressure so it's more so that than any leader anyway. The pressure is much of why I wasn't getting much activity on fluoro.

[Jmeyers]

I very rarely use wire, just a personal opinion but I've bent a few wire leaders hitting up against rocks or getting snagged up on something. Flouro doesnt seem to have that problem....I will use wire on some topwater though.

[TomWehler]

I like the way Musky Buck thinks....I guess I am of his world myself.

Learn to master the lure...fish just sort of come....old saying, right tool right nut? they is just killers of smaller than them things.

Guided a shark guy one time late 90s...saw I used hard wire for this an cable for that....liked I made my own. Told me to try some BIG floro carbon he used.....they used for sea fishys.....said this would not bend or coil up on me an last a long time. Nor mess up fish mouths like some wire did or harm scales or fins when muskie fishes roll...made sense..so tried it. So it came to be the third of fouth thing I used for leaders......still able to save an make my own.... Groovy!

Never been one to think a musky gives a hoot about seing a leader......heck he / she eats them too.

Seen some of same things on a few lures John S. mentioons also..but to me that is just a new look to old lure..kinda a fun.

Personal choice I would guess...or for me..what ever I find cheaper an have on onhand to make.

Its all good.

No right or wrong......but pleasezzzz don't buy a $500 reel an put it on a $400 rod with $50 worth of line an add a Wal-MArty $1.99 leader......KABLMA!

Keep on a rocken!

Tommy

[Musky Buck]

LOL Tom right on, lol, you know I've had some slow days in the boat and on the lake to overanalyze leaders etc. I actually like the golden shimmer of some of the leaders lol. I guess that's the beauty of musky fishing, when they are hot and biting you always want to replicate that not knowing would a different lure, line,rod,leader, etc. have also landed that fish, there's no scientific control and variable really, it's all about you when you start reaching for leaders at your favorite store and yes skip the Walmart special.

[Esox_Magnum]

Interesing about the Wades, never seen that in any of the 30+ I own and run flouro on them also... Mainly throw the 9 and 11" weighted versions and see no difference in the death rise....

[Vermilion_figure_8]

For some WTD topwaters the Fluro will tend to sink on you. Either get a shorter length one, or go to wire. I use Fluro for everything, and have been experimenting with the Nylon leaders because they do not have the "memory" of a pinch or bite mark like Fluro does. Always something new to try!

Timmy

[dcraven]

Regarding durability - I'd like to weigh in... I started an experiment one of the first years fluorocarbon started to be commercially utilized for muskie leaders. How long ago was that? Maybe eight years ago or so? Not sure, but I was given several different types and not one has broken on me to this day. I've changed snaps on them a time or two but these three leaders are still going strong today. There are marks/scratches from teeth on them - and they are supposed to be dramatically weakened from such marks but they just keep keeping on... The fluorocarbon sure seems durable to me. DC

[goblueM]

I should be, but I'm no fan of flouro just basing it off musky bites, for some reason, I know I'm overanalyzing it but 10-1 wire

Actually I think you are UNDERanalyzing it I'm guessing you use wire leaders a lot more frequently than fluoro, hence more fish on wire.

Just like saying I catch most of my fish on bucktails... because that is my confidence bait and what I'm throwing more often than not at prime times

[HugoBox]

I pretty much. Hanged to flouro but I honestly hunk it's cause I got bored and spent an offseason thing them!

I agree with the other guys I don't think a fish stops to look at the leader when shes about to eat a trash can lid spinning around some flashy stuff. That said, I did tie some 130 lb leaders and used solid rings instead of snaps and swivels and it feels super light and seems to glide quite well for those types of baits. I had a friend who watched a Mille Lacs BIG GIRL swim off with his Super Model pinned in her yap after she bit trough a 150 LB flouro leader that he had just purchased that day. That would keep me up at night. That has caused me to go to the 49 strand heavy leaders when fishing rubber. I've had too many inhale a big dawg so thinking wire would hold up better for that stuff.