Leader question for all you musky maniacs..

[The Yeti]

I heard once, that if you are throwing cranks or jerk baits, use a stiff wire leader. If you are pulling bucktails or spinner baits, use a normal flexible leader. Is this true? If so, what are the advantages ?

[Muskydanno]

My experience has been that the solid wire imparts better action to the jerkbaits and such than say a seven strand or mono leader. It just gives you a more direct link to your bait and does have an impact on how much you generally get tangled up in your hooks.

I have gotten in the mode the last couple of years where i use flourocarbon leaders for just about everything. The advantage there is that you don't have the kinking that you would with a seven strand leader for bucktails and spinnerbaits. The argument there is that you may give up some strength. I haven't run across the fish yet (yet) that has been able to break one, but i haven't had one in the mouth of these toothy critters for very long either. What it all ends up coming down to is personal choice, but the solid wire leaders definitely have their place in my arsenal.

[Fish-n-Freak]

I agree with MD

I like the solid wire for Jerkbaits of all kinds. (Jackpots, Suicks, Mantas and Bulldawgs) The main action of these lures are the side to side and/or up and down movement. When I change to a lure that I want to work with some additional action, like twitch/crankbaits and Bucktails or Spinnerbaits I will go to a flexible leader. They allow the lure to move more, giving off better vibration. Most of the time I use a leader of about 10 or 12", unless I am trolling and then a leader of 3 or 4 feet is preffered around rocks! You don't want your line hitting rocks while trolling.

As far as the Florocarbon or HardMono leaders go, I would use them with a large bucktail or mag bulldawg because the chances are less that they will get their teeth on the leader. I don't like them for any jerk or twitch fishing because when fishing slow, you have a much better chance of the fish contacting the leader on the strike. I have had a number of fish hit a slow moving glide bait and double it over on the line/leader. Now you have teeth and hooks all rubbing on the leader and that is where wire is the best. When you are just reeling in a bucktail or topwater lure, the fish hit and you have the line clear of their teeth and the hooks. Floro and Mono are an option in those cases.

Good Luck!

Steve

[minniwinni91]

I dont use any thing but mono leaders there great for all the fishing I do I have caught several fish on one leader including 51 52 and 54 not trying to brag just telling you what these leaders are capable of.I havnet had any problems on the mono as of tangling and that type of deal one of those fish was on a jerk bait.