Leaders and Snaps

It’s time again for the annual “replace terminal tackle” post. You may be wondering why this post is an annual tradition. Well, year after year, it never ceases to amaze me the number of people I see using very bad leaders. I’m no longer surprised me to see someone with St. Croix Legend or custom rods, top-of-the-line Shimano reels, Lakewoods and Lakewoods stuffed with lures, and a really nice boat – but they’re using a Fleet Farm or Wal Mart leader that’s been through about four fishing seasons. It’s crazy. I’ve seen stranded leaders that were curled up and gnarled from years of use, and heard the explanation, “it’ll straighten out in the water when I’m pulling a lure.” I wish I was making this up, but I’m not. I’ve seen snaps that were polished and shiny from years of use and fluorocarbon that was severely scuffed and solid wire leaders kinked or bent like a banana.

The season hasn’t begun, which makes this the perfect time to change bad habits. Replace all your leaders before the opener, and change them often throughout the season. Don’t forget to change the snaps as needed, too. Your terminal tackle is the most important and most failure-prone connection between you and a fish, so use good leaders and replace them often, even more often than you think necessary.

I use 130# or 150# (mostly 150#) Stealth fluorocarbon leaders for casting most normal-sized musky lures. I switch to 200# Stealth fluoro for throwing Pounders and other over-sized lures in the fall. I use Stealth 130# trolling leaders that are 3 or 4 feet long for most trolling lures, and switch to #200 for pulling giant crankbaits in the fall. Stealth leaders are very well tied and glued, with the tag end of the knot secured with a crimp – they’re the best leaders you can buy. I carry extra packs of #5 Stay-loc snaps to replace snaps when needed. I replace a snap whenever the black anodized finish starts to wear off. When I see the finish wearing, I assume the snap has been opened and closed enough times that the wire is weakened and needs replacing. I inspect the fluoro leaders before the first cast of the day and often thereafter. Fluoro is easy to inspect for damage, unlike wire which can become fatigued without any visible evidence of weakness.

I won't use any fluorocarbon leader under 130#. Some people mistakenly think it’s overkill to use a leader that’s stronger than their main line. That’s flawed thinking because sufficient diameter is necessary for abrasion resistance. I’d never trust 80# or 100# fluorocarbon.

I won’t use any fluorocarbon leader that is secured only with crimps. Over the years I’ve twice had a leader fail because the crimp broke. Both times it happened, the leader was almost brand-new. Neither failure cost me a fish, but it sure p!*#ed me off and got me to change the brand of leader I was using. Even one leader failure is too many.

I don’t use solid wire, except for walk-the-dog gliders. Solid wire is reliable, but it often gets bent and its stiffness will absolutely kill the action on many lures. Solid wire is just too stiff. Most lures simply don’t look their best when their action is hindered by a stiff leader.

I don’t use stranded wire. I'd never use Sevenstrand or other stranded wire for casting. Twice I've seen a Sevenstrand leader break in half on a backlash. I've never seen one break while fighting a fish, thankfully. Both times, I believe the leader was old and should have been retired sooner, they likely had a kink or fatigued spot that was weak and vulnerable. A long Sevenstrand is still a good choice for trolling in areas where you know the leader will be running over rocks, as long as they're monitored for nicks or kinks The leaders made with nylon coated wire is claimed to be easier on the fish if they get rolled up on the leader, and the nylon makes it easy to inspect for worn, damaged areas. That said, the 130# or 200# fluorocarbon I use for trolling are also easy to inspect and easy on the fish.

I don’t make my own leaders. You may be one of those people who make their own leaders, and you probably think your homemades are pretty good. Well, I hate to break it to you, you’re almost certainly wrong. Sorry. I see a lot of homemade leaders in a year and they're almost all crap I wouldn’t trust. Usually, the do-it-yourselfers use fluoro that’s way too thin (like 100# or 80#, or worse) because the fluorocarbon they should be using is harder to tie. Most of the knots I see on homemade leaders aren’t very good and show signs of improper or insufficient tightening. I also see a lot of people that tie their leader directly to the line rather than use a swivel. That's fine if you like that system, but not surprisingly, that knot usually isn’t tied correctly either. It’s either weak or so bulky that it doesn’t pass smoothly through the guides, which completely defeats the purpose of that type of leader system. If you make your own leaders you're probably thinking, "He's not talking to me, my leaders are good." Uh, sorry to be blunt, but I probably am talking to you, your leaders are not good.

Making your own leaders, or failing to replace them when needed, is the most foolish way to try to save money. Most people would be a lot better off buying a couple less lures every year and spending that money on leaders. Generally speaking, most people have more than enough lures but should be buying and using a lot more leaders.

Make 2011 the season to start good habits – buy good leaders and replace them frequently.