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Posts: 71
| do a lot of you guys use fluro leaders or are you strickly steal leaders????im not so sure about the fluro leaders m/c they are mono line and the muskie can bite through it a lot easier than steal so do you guys use fluro or steal????i added a little pole asking how many fluro carbon leaders you guys have broken off in the past.....so just take a couple seconds and vote! |
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Posts: 2037
Location: lansing, il | whatever pound test you are using would have ALOT to do with getting bit off. the lower pound test you use, the higher your risk will be in getting bit off. |
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| been using Fluoro (180lb seaguar) for 3+ seasons and have made them for many friends..at last count we had over 500 fish collectively cpr'd with the leaders I make with zero bite offs.
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| All leaders fail and from my experience flouro is least likely to fail out steel, 7 strand, and flouro... |
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Posts: 457
| I use fluoro for bucktails, and topwaters. I can't get used to it for jerkbaits/gliders. Just one of those things, I guess.
The only time I've had one fail was actually in salt, anyhow, so I don't count that. If you practice due diligence, you aren't going to have a problem with it. |
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Posts: 51
Location: Aitkin, Blaine, Minnesota | Broken off on a fish: Zero
Broken off on a f$%^ed up cast after catching a few fish without retiring the leader: 1 |
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Posts: 431
| I switched over to flouro for bucktails and crankbaits last year. No problems, and leaders lasted much longer. Gonna try heavy (250-300 pound) leaders for jerkbaits this year. |
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| There's only 100% Fluorocarbon goodness in my boat. I haven't touched a wire in at least three years without a single bite off. I use 130# all year except late fall when using Pounders and the really big Curly Sue, then I use 200#. |
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Posts: 375
| bn...have you been using the 180# fluoro for everything including jerk / glidebaits and walk-the-dogs too? if so, i would assume you are getting the same action out of the baits as with 174# solid wire? has anyone else totally switched to fluoro for everything or is that not the best of ideas?
thanks,
stan
Edited by STUSHSKY 3/8/2008 10:55 AM
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Posts: 512
| Hey Guys,
I do have one recommendation regarding fluoro as it pertains to a particular bait style.
When using something like a Fuzzy Duzzit where the eyelet is in the middle of the bait, I do not recommend fluoro. Maybe that super heavy stuff would help a lot. I've been using 100-125 lb. test.
I have never been bitten off with fluoro when using any other type of bait.
However, with a Fuzzy, I've been bit off by 8 lb. pike. It is my guess that the fish t-bone the bait and, thus, every fish that hits it will rake the leader and weaken it. Maybe if you check it thoroughly after every hit but, even still, you'll eat through those leaders quickly. I was bit off 2 or 3 times within a couple of weeks before I figured out what was happening.
Another friend of mine made a good point with gliders too in that if a glide swings in such a manner that when a fish t-bones the bait it gets both the leader and bait running parallel to one another in its mouth, it could be potentially hazardous.
For my crankbaits and such where the leader is generally stretched in front of the bait, I use fluoro exclusively and like it and find that the leaders hold up quite fine.
Best,
Todd |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | I use 130 or 150lb test, got some 200lb for jerk baits, hope it works. |
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Posts: 39
Location: Cedar, MN | I've been using 130lb seguar leaders homemade. No problems whatsoever. I love em. But the gliders seem to work better
on solid wire. Flouro for everything else.
Brad |
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Posts: 71
| well it pretty clear to me that most people have had no problems with flurocarbon leaders but as most poeple can see there are a few votes for the 7+ leaders that have broken off which concerns me about getting them....and with the price of just a few i wouldnt want to buy some and them break on me......... |
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Posts: 39
Location: Cedar, MN | I answered 7+ because I didnt see breakoffs thought it was how many owned. Scratch mine off
Brad |
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| bn...have you been using the 180# fluoro for everything including jerk / glidebaits and walk-the-dogs too?
yes, I am using 180 for all baits...actions on the baits seems to be just as good as the results speak for themselves I think?! |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Madison, WI | Been using BN's leaders for the past 3 years with great results. Fluoro for everything I use. |
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Posts: 1270
| I just don't understand the point of flourocarbon leaders for muskys. They are more visable than wire leaders in most musky waters since most musky waters are not crystal clear. And does anybody really think that a musky cares about the leader anyway? I mean these things are hitting DCGs and other baits that look NOTHING like any real food that they eat, if they are dumb enough to strike a bait that looks nothing like real food do you really think they are smart enough to figure out what a leader is?
I am not knocking DCG's when I mentioned them, there are a ton of baits out there that look nothing like real food. The DCG's are just the popular bait right now so I used them. |
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| They are very fish friendly, when a muskie rolls, the steel leaders really cut into the fish. You do not have these issues with flouro. Also it has been shown time and time again that they do increase strikes...However to each their own.... |
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Posts: 1270
| BenR, Can you show me some details as to the "it has been shown time and time again that they do increase strikes" you mention?
This MAY be true for an ultra finnesse style presentation, which doesn't really exist in musky fishing, or in ultra clrear water, which again is not very common in musky waters.
Sometimes I think we give a fish with a brain the size of a pencil eraser to much credit for being able to distinguish things. |
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| Yep, use the search function.... |
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| Have gone to all fluoro leaders and will never switch back. I can work any lure with them. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | My home waters are extremely clear. It is clear down to anywhere from 13 to 16 feet. I have tried fluoro for the past couple of years (through the range of 90# to 130#) and to be honest, my hit rates are up only slightly from wire, but my hook-up rates are way down. Don't know why that happens with fluoro, but my numbers/experience with them reflect this quite heavily (average 1 fish per 4-5 hits over 3 years now). So...I am taking a year or two off of from them and going back to solid wire (catch ratio there is 4 fish per 5 hits over the past 12 years, and is very consistent year to year). I'm just not sold on it. I honestly don't think it makes that much difference at all no matter what color the water....I don't think the fish are going to have a clue whether it is a lure or food... and the leader up front (I feel) will most likely go unnoticed.
Steve |
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Posts: 742
Location: Grand Rapids MN | I've been considering flouro just because I'm tired of kinked stranded leaders. I've lost a few lures from very slight kinks so now I change leaders no matter how bad the kink is and it adds up after a while. I've actually been throwing most of my stuff on solid wire just to save the headaches. So I might give it a try this summer and looking for durability, not really visibility and I fish a few gin clear lakes. |
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| In the old days, before fluoro, I lost two lures due to a stranded wire leader that broke on a bad backlash. In one instance I had checked the leader only about 1/2 hour before the leader broke, I can only guess that there was a slight kink or imperfection that went unnoticed. I never lost a fish to a broken wire leader (thank goodness) but I wasn't sticking with wire long enough to let it happen. I also agree with the fish-friendliness mentioned by another poster, especially for the long trolling leaders. I think fluoro is more reliable and it makes me feel good. |
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Posts: 1453
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Make my own. Build 'em so they don't break---toss 'em when they get nicked up. |
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| I make my own and use 200lb. flouro for everything, too. Went with a high lb. test due to a bite-off on 80lb. test several years ago. Last year, I experienced my first bite-off on 200lb. test flouro. So, it does happen - even on the higher lb. test. Before that, I thought 200lb. was virtually bullet-proof, having caught perhaps a couple hundred muskies on the stuff without a problem, including many that engulfed the bait. Still use the stuff, though realize now that flouro is not 100% perfect and probably never will be.
Guest |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | Never had a bite off with wire, I have with flouro.
Won't use it, one bite off is too many. |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | When people talk about having "bite off's" with flouro they obviously were using to LIGHT of line or to CHEAP of line. Just like if your first experience with a super braid was with 50 pound test and it broke....if you use the proper stuff you won't have issues. I have over 700 fish on Flouro leaders, NO BITE OFFS or BREAKS. Jason Hamernick put about 315 fish in the boat last year on Flouro leaders...NO BITE OFFS OR BREAKS. Now I find it a little funny that people who have caught between 0 and 5 fish on flouro and have had it break or get bit through now think that flouro is not the way to go. USE THE RIGHT STUFF GUYS AND YOU WON'T HAVE PROBLEMS. 80 pound test flouro is NOT a Musky Leader. 100 Pound test is NOT a musky leader. Also cheap China leaders with crap crimps should NOT be used. Use a quality leader with the CORRECT pound test and you won't have any issues. With well over ONE THOUSAND fish on Stealth Flouro leaders and NO bite offs or breaks between Hamernick and myself....I would think that proves itself. DON'T USE CRAP MATERIAL, DON'T USE TO LIGHT OF FLOURO (ANYTHING UNDER 130) DON'T USE CHEAP CHINA CRAP THAT YOU CAN BREAK IN YOUR HANDS. |
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Posts: 26
Location: Chanhassen, MN | I also went to flurocarbon last year. Using stealth 130lbs on bucktails and bulldawgs. My home water is very clear and have noticed a big difference. Have experienced no bite-offs either.
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Posts: 580
| I've got floro leaders (from bn) for all baits and applications except gliders. For whatever reason a solid wire gives me better control on gliders.
I'm using floro because it has superior durability and flexibilty over any type of wire leader. I'm not worried about a bite off whatsoever.
It's all a matter of confidence for folks who think that the transparency of the leader is resulting in more hook-ups. I don't think that's its possible for anyone to prove anything one way or another in that regard. Personally, I agree with reelman that we are giving muskies way too much credit for the ability to think critically. If a muskie can see the leader, wouldn't the muskie be able to see the hooks on your lure? What natural baitfish has hooks hanging off of it? What the does muskie think of your rod when it's in the water frothing around inches from the bait during a figure 8?
Again, its a matter of confidence....which goes a long, long ways in helping folks boat fish.
But overall, floro is a far superior leader IMO.
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Posts: 39
Location: Cedar, MN | I do believe fish can see leaders or line. Last year on winnie when the walleyes were really going I tried very thin braid tied directly to the jig, my buddy had 6 lb mono, 15 minutes later he caught 6 I hadn't had a bite. Switched over and started catching fish. They can see it. |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | Yeah... what Schlagel said. |
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flurocarbon or not?