muskie leaders

[Quinn]

Hey I am going to be a beginner muskie fisherman this summer. What type of leaders should I be using for casting, trolling, and night fishing. I plan on doing all three methods for musky and have heard that a different style leader is recommended for each type of fishing. Is this just a scam to get you to buy different types of leaders? Thanks for any input.

[smeese]

I have heard a longer one for trolling.....I got 24" ones for that. Casting I like to use the titanium ones 80# or 100# They are fairly stiff and work well for most lures. This is just my uses and maybe not the answers your looking for. Good luck with the new sport!

[MUSKY18]

Personally, for myself, I use different types of leaders for different types of applications/lures. On all my bucktail rods, I strictly use the Stealth 130# Florocarbon leaders. Absolutely the best thing out there. Will use them for prop style topwaters as well. When I am using a Walk the Dog topwater bait, such as weagles,docs,jackpots,etc., I prefer a stiff single strand leader. Pops the bait more and gives off a little more splash. Same with jerkbaits. Very stiff single wire leader, heaviest I can get. Enables me to work the bait much better, and I have more confidence in them. Now for trolling, I take Doug Johnson's advice. I use a long (24 inches) 7 strand coated leader. I like to drill my baits into the rock edges and the coated leader shows nicks/cuts/weak points much better than other leaders do.

Now this is my personal preference, and others might have different techniques for different leaders, etc. I know that some guys use florocarbon leaders for all applications. Main thing is to get out on the water and see what YOU like best and then go with it.

[Fish&Fowl]

I like to use the 140# stiff, single strand wire leaders for casting. For trolling, I am trying the Ty-Ger tie-able coated leaders. I haven't caught anything on one yet, but it seems like a good concept.

[PostFrontal]

140# Floro for bucktails

Minimum 100# single strand wire (no swivel) for jerkbaits, gliders, walk the dog top water. (the package holding the leaders will say jerkbait leaders)

You don't want to use floro for these because it has the potential to foul with the lure because it bends.

Normal leaders for everything else.

[Lotwfisher]

I use a 4 foot 130# fluoro for trolling so when the muskie rolls it wont get cut by the wire. I use single strand and 12" fluoro for everything else.

[RK]

Hiya -

I make all my own leaders, regardless of application. Way, WAY cheaper in the long run.

I use basically the same leaders for everything - 10" or so 140# single strand wire. I just prefer to keep it simple, and I'm not very convinced at all that different leaders for different baits matters very much overall.

I *do* definitely use longer leaders for trolling. For open water or weedline trolling where grinding rocks isn't likely, I use #130 fluorocarbon, for exactly the reason Lotwfisher stated - they're very fish-friendly when fish roll, which they tend to do, especially in cold water. If I'm grinding rocks, I use #150 lb, 49-strand uncoated wire, which is the most fish-friendly wire I've been able to find, and has the added bonus of being the most kink-resistant wire I've ever used. The best stuff I have found is stuff I order over the net from a company called Leadertec, in England, of all places.

My $.02

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[iceman1212]

I have caught fish on floro and stranded.. with that I will tell you that a leader is only as good as the crimps that are on the ends, I hit the water hard last summer and casted off 2 expensive lures do to bad or faulty crimps on the leader. You would be even more ticked off if you lost a fish because of this. So every time I look for a nice crimp, or even double crimped too.

[propster]

Quinn, send me an email if you're interested in getting some of all 3 - 130# flouro, single strand and seven strand - to get started. Some are slightly used, others new that we don't use anymore. Most have ball bearing swivels, some with Staylock snaps, others with Berkely cross-lok snaps, some Crane. Get into them cheap, then decide what you like, before buying a bunch or deciding to make your own. kedberg at frontiernet dot net

[jsondag]

Gene Seuring, who owns Leaders and Lures is the Mad professor of leader making, he makes a ton of sizes, strengths, and lengths. He's like a friggin' NASA engineer.

Get a hold of him for the bottom line on leader materials and their applications - He can even give you ridiculous information like bio-molecular structure of different flourocarbons. It is absolutely insane!

[NCLaker]

... Minimum 100# single strand wire (no swivel) for jerkbaits, gliders, walk the dog top water. (the package holding the leaders will say jerkbait leaders)...

What are the benefits of not having a swiviel on you jerkbait leader? Does it make a lot of difference if it has a swivel or not?

Thanks!

[propster]

In my opinion it doesn't hurt to have a swivel, it's just that if you use it strictly for jerkbaits (no lure spinning = no twist) you wouldn't need it.

[steffanf]

9" 100# Titanium leaders (no swivel): jerkbaits, some topwater

9-12" 80-100# Florocarbon (with swivel): bucktails, some topwater

9-12" 80# Florocarbon (no swivel): cranks, spinnerbaits, plastics

[10,000 Casts]

No leaders are not a gimmick...

12" 130 lb flouro leaders for Bucktails/spinnerbaits, cranks/twitch baits, bulldawgs, prop baits, keep an eye on the krips, I like mine tied and crimped with a mushroom on the end.

seven strand works good for the above too.

Piano wire leaders for glide baits and WTD. Really the only glide bait that I absolutely need a solid wire leader is a Manta but I have a seperate rod set up so I just keep one on there at all times.

Don't scrimp on quality and price... No need to make your own either, I personaly would rather buy them and spend my free time in the ice house or on the golf course and for some reason, I just don't trust my work... I know it's easy but I would still have my doubts.