Leader advice?

[Backlasher]

One more question is why the preference for florocarbon. It seems fewer people are using wire. Thanks for all the info.

[BBushy]

Hey Guys,
I think one reason more people are using Flouro is because they don't kink. I think Flouro will last longer. I myself have just started using Flouro and
I went with Stealth last summer and was really impressed with them. This year I'm going to use the 150# Stealth. I still use some wire leaders and that
is mainly for like gliders and walk the dog topwaters.
Hey Paul it was nice to meet you at the Minnesota Muskie Expo and good luck in 2009.

[Paul Schlagel]

Good to meet you too, BBushy. Good luck and have a good season - I hope you get to use your net a lot.

BBushy made a very good point, I'll add a couple more.

Reasons for using fluoro:

Better lure action is the biggest advantage for me. I fish with soft plastics a lot and they have much better action on a more supple leader. A stiff, solid wire leader kills some of the action from some types of baits. A stiff wire leader is like clipping your leader onto the end of a welding rod, and it can show in the action of the lure.

Clarity (invisibility) of the leader might make a difference. This one is subject to debate. When you come across a hot fish it doesn't matter at all what kind of leader material you use. On neutral or negative fish it might make a difference, especially in clear water and bright conditions. Like I said, it's debatable. But an invisible leader sure can't hurt, right?

Like BBushy mentioned, it doesn't kink. That makes a pretty big difference, especially if you're fishing a lot. Some wires are more "springy" and resist kinking, but they'll still kink some of the time. Fluoro won't kink. For this reason, I think fluoro leaders last much longer. That's surpising to a lot of folks who think a steel leader lasts forever. They don't.

I'll also add that I rarely fish gliders and don't fish much shield water. I'd probably use more wire if I fished more shield water with sharp, jagged rocks.