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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | FYI - the rich text editor doesn't seem to come up for me in this section of the forum when composing new messages or replying to old ones. Anyone else having this issue or am I the special one...?
I went to the musky show yesterday @ The Sportsman in Appleton and picked up a 2-pack of Stealth Tackle's 130lb. fluorocarbon leaders. Last season, I actually tied every lure directly to my main line and didn't use a leader at all. Didn't have any issues until I realized the amount of line twist I had on my reel halfway through the season was unbearable.
I'm specifically wondering what lures I'll be okay to use with a fluorocarbon leader...? I know I've read that with jerkbaits, twitch baits and glide baits - it's best to tie the lure directly to the line and forego the use of a leader so the action of the bait isn't hindered in anyway. Is this the case? Should everything else I'm throwing be snapped onto the leader?
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| Not sure where you read that you should be tying directly to the lure, but IMO you should be using a leader for everything. Even when using braid the gill plates/teeth of a muskie will eventually snap a line.
There are a few glidebaits that I can work better with a steel leader. I also like to use steel for Weagles for some reason, but I can get the same action with flouro. In 99% of situations you will be fine using flouro. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Really...? So I should use the fluorocarbon leader for everything I'm throwing...? I'll have to find the online article I read but I swear it said that for jerkbaits / glidebaits the action of the lure benefits without the use of the leader...
I noticed at the show yesterday that there were a few packs of leaders specifically labeled as "Jerkbait leaders".
Is this just a gimmick or is there any truth to this...? How exactly does a "jerkbait" leader differ from a standard fluorocarbon leader....? |
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| Jerkbait leader was more than likely a solid steel wire like the shaft of a bucktail. That is what I was talking about when I referred to a steel leader. Not a gimmick at all. That is what I like to use for some gliders, jerk baits and Weagles. I have a buddy that actually uses them for everything. I use flouro on DCG, plastic, cranks, smaller baucktails and most topwaters. Like I said earlier I use it for glide baits most of the time as well. It might take a few casts to figure out the rhythm, but in most cases I can get the same action out of a bait with a flouro leader as I can with the steel jerkbait leader. The one exception is smaller glide baits where the weight of the flouro makes it diffucult to work them, that is when the steel is necessary.
I get annoyed by the muskie police as much as anyone else in certain situations, but I will put money on you losing a fish and bait eventually by not using a leader. There are times when the fish will actually inhale the bait like a bass and your whole lure will be inside the fish's mouth and down toward the back of the throat. In that situation your line is directly in the fish' teeth instead of a thick flouro or a length of steel. Just something to think about......
Edited by muskydeceiver 3/14/2010 12:23 PM
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | "Jerkbait leaders" are not a gimmick. Many people that use fluoro almost exclusively prefer to use wire for specific applications such as jerkbaits or certain walk the dog top water baits like a Weagle. The same baits can be used with fluoro. But some people can get a better action out of the baits when using wire or more specifically, a wire leader like Stealth's Walk the Dog (or jerkbait) leader. The difference between Stealth's WTD leader versus their standard wire leader is the lack of a swivel where you tie to the leader. This will help with baits that are a bit more sensitive due to the fact that you have less weight (no swivel) to inhibit the action.
Aaron |
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Posts: 2037
Location: lansing, il | Scott, Feel free to give me a call during the week, 708-466-5066. it would probably be easier to explain different applications to you over the phone than type it all out here. Basiclly alot of it boils down to personal preferance and using what your comfortable with. A label of "Jerkbait Leader" doesnt mean it has to be used with only a jerkbait, or that you cant use any other type of leader with a jerkbait. I use those fluoro leaders that you bought probably 90% of the time with just about everything. I also know people who use nothing but our fluoro leaders on everything 100% of the time. There are different applications for different leaders and baits that I would be happy to go over with you. I personally would not recommend using no leader at all. Feel free to give me a shout.
Thanks,
John
Edited by muskihntr 3/14/2010 12:32 PM
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Excellent info, you guys... thanks.
That being said, is there any harm in using a wire / jerkbait leader for all instances...? I only have one rod/reel combo right now, anyway. So I don't have a specific jerkbait rod/reel, bucktail rod/reel, etc, etc.
If the main difference that Aaron mentioned is the fact that there's no swivel to tie the leader to your main line... other than that, I don't see what the harm would be in using a wire leader for all applications? |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | muskihntr - 3/14/2010 12:30 PM
Scott, Feel free to give me a call during the week, 708-466-5066. it would probably be easier to explain different applications to you over the phone than type it all out here. Basiclly alot of it boils down to personal preferance and using what your comfortable with. A label of "Jerkbait Leader" doesnt mean it has to be used with only a jerkbait, or that you cant use any other type of leader with a jerkbait. I use those fluoro leaders that you bought probably 90% of the time with just about everything. I also know people who use nothing but our fluoro leaders on everything 100% of the time. There are different applications for different leaders and baits that I would be happy to go over with you. I personally would not recommend using no leader at all. Feel free to give me a shout.
Thanks,
John
Thanks, John... will do! |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Scott,
No harm in using wire for everything. Many people do just that. The stiffness of wire is the main beneficial factor on certain walk the dog baits to get the desired action. Most wire jerkbait leaders do have a swivel. Stealth just takes another step and eliminates the swivel which makes it a better pure jerkbait leader, in my opinion.
Aaron |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Aaron,
I'm on your website now and I think I'm gonna go ahead and place an order for the Stealth Tackle "Walk the Dog" jerkbait leaders...
thanks a lot for the info. |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | Scott,
Keep in mind that you'll want a leader with a good ball bearing swivel like the fluoro ones you bought above for bucktails or anything that spins. Without that, you'll have line twist. Stealth's WTD leaders are great leaders for certain applications. But if you want wire for bucktails, you'll want to pick up their other premium wire leaders with the swivel as well.
Aaron |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | AWH - 3/14/2010 1:19 PM
Scott,
Keep in mind that you'll want a leader with a good ball bearing swivel like the fluoro ones you bought above for bucktails or anything that spins. Without that, you'll have line twist. Stealth's WTD leaders are great leaders for certain applications. But if you want wire for bucktails, you'll want to pick up their other premium wire leaders with the swivel as well.
Aaron
Got'cha... I suppose this is going to be one of those trial & error scenarios...? If I can get away with using their standard wire leader (with swivel) for everything (including my jerkbaits)... I'll do that.
Otherwise, until I get a 2nd rod/reel combo specifically for jerkbaits... I'll essentially have to tie on a "jerkbait leader" everytime I use a jerkbait/glide bait.
For the time being, should I be okay with the fluorocarbon leader I have...? Or should I really be opting for a wire/titanium type leader as my "all-around" scenario?
Sorry for all the newbie questions!
Edited by PSYS 3/14/2010 1:31 PM
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | I would stay away from titanium. Great material. But it's known for breaking without warning. It really comes down to personal preference. I used to use nothing but wire. But I now use Stealth's fluorocarbon 99% of the time. Jerk baits, walk the dog top water, I use fluoro. I know other guys that have used both and prefer wire for almost everything.
If you only have one set up like you mentioned and don't want to retie when you change baits, I would just make sure you have something with a good quality ball bearing swivel. Stealth's premium wire leaders or the fluoro ones you already have will do the job. Different leaders for different applications will just let you fine tune your presentations. Just like different rods and different reels will allow you to do.
Aaron |
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Posts: 899
| Yeah, I would not recommend using titanium leaders. I used to use Terminator Titanium leaders almost exclusively, then a buddy and I broke 4 in two summers without warning. Lost 3 lures and left one in a fish when my leader snapped on the hookset. |
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Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | Thanks for all the replies, you guys.
That's crazy about the titanium leaders! It's such a cool metal to begin with... you'd think the leaders made out of that stuff would be top-notch. Maybe they've not been around long enough...?
OK. I'm going to stick with the fluorocarbon leaders I've got for the time being and wait 'til the season opens... if I need to switch up to a wire leader after that, I'll do so. For now, we'll see how these work... I paid $15 for the pack yesterday so I may as well see what they can do! |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | Just like alot of aspects of musky fishing, don't over think things.
I use Stealth 130 and 150 pound flouro leaders for EVERY bait in my box except Jackpots, Fuzzy's and Rat-L-Traps. All other jerk baits, gliders, rubber, topwater, bucktails, crank baits are thrown with a flouro leader. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | I'm with Mike on this. I use floro with 99.9% of the baits I throw outside of traps (which I don't throw many). They don't seem to change the action of the baits I throw so I don't have any concerns with throwing floro most, if not all of the time.
With that being said, I don't throw many glide baits outside of wabulls, which are big and heavy enough that I don't think the floro really inhibits the actions. I do throw a lot of weagles, rubber, and cranks, and there's really no impact there. |
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