Flurocarbon or Steel?

[EatSleepFish]

was wondering what everyone prefers for their muskie leaders? have heard good things about both, but dont know which to stick with. also, what length leader do you prefer?

[Professional Edge]

I have changed all my sticks to Flurocarbon leaders when I fish Leech. I have more confidence using it in clear water.

Keith

[delmuts]

i'll add to the question! the other day i watched a TV program, where they recomended to use a solid wire for gliders and jerk baits. a stranded for cranks, and a flouro for surface lures.( i think i have it right?) opinions? right now i am kind of confused!del

[AWH]

Most people that are confident with fluoro will use wire with jerks/gliders and fluoro for virtually everything else.

Aaron

[mskyfshntchr]

I mostly fish muskies on a clear trout lake in Canada. Since switching to fluoro leaders 2 years ago I'm catching more fish than anyone in the boat. I'm fishing the same water...I attribute it to the leader. The other guys won't, but hey...NOT MY LOSS!

I use them for everything but any walk the dog lures.

On more stained lakes, I don't think it matters, but on that clear trout water it seems to.

Stealth tackle company makes some nice leaders.

[RK]

Hiya -

Man, I've flip-flopped on leader choices so many times over the years...

I have been using Fluoro leaders the last couple of seasons. At this point, my take on them is this:

- I use them for things like bucktails, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwaters, but not for jigs (with jigs they eat the whole thing, and I don't like the idea of their teeth sawing on Fluoro, plus wire cuts weeds better), or jerkbaits, or trolling around rocks.

- I will no longer use any Fluoro lighter than #100. Most of what I use is #130, and I'm only using #100 till the spool I have runs out. I've had some close calls with #70 Fluoro where leaders were badly abraded and nearly cut through after landing a fish. Have also talked to others who've had fish break off with Fluoro leaders less than #100.

- You MUST have the right crimping tool. Cup to Cup, compound pressure crimpers are the only ones to use. You can get them from Saltwater catalogs like Bass Pro's Offshore Angler. Point to cup crimpers (the cheap red-handled ones you see all over) are bad news for Fluoro. They crunch the sleeve down and pinch the leader material rather than compressing the sleeve around it. Use oval or double-barrel sleeves. For trolling leaders, loop protectors (little springs that slide over the leader material) help protect the loop from wear by the snap or swivel.

- If a Fluoro leader is nicked or abraded at all, toss it. Fluoro's wierd stuff. It's tough, but as soon as it's compramised, there's a dramatic loss of strength.

- I like fluoro for open water trolling, because it's very fish-friendly when fish roll. I used to use single-strand wire, but it can be tough on fish if they do the spin thing.

- I do NOT like Fluoro for trolling around rocks. It gets chewed badly.

- I don't think the low-vis nature of fluoro hurts...but I'm not convinced it helps a whole lot either in most cases.

- For trolling around rocks, I used some new leader material last year. I don't like what single strand can do to fish, but I think 7-strand is worse yet. Then I found some 49-strand cable. Great stuff. More durable than either SS or 7-strand, very soft, seems to be easy on fish.

- For jerkbaits, etc., I still use single-strand.

Uhh.... I think that's what I think. Today, anyhow

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[cupper]

Just to piggy-back on what everyone else has said... I use flurocabon for bucktails, spinners, trolling, cranks, and some heavy jerkbaits. I do NOT use it for any type of lighter jerkbait like a suick, or walk-the-dog baits (giant jackpot). I have only caught a few fish using the stuff, but I like it for the most part. Like RK said, it probably doesn't make that big of a difference, but on pressured water that is clear it can be all that it takes to turn a fish on.

[10,000 Casts]

130 # minimum

There is a guy at thorne bros that makes them, they are awsome.

What RK said sums it up in a nut shell

John