Michigan Muskie Alliance

For those who cast what type of leaders are you using? Fluorcarbon,tytanium,wire? And do you tie them yourself or buy them already made?

I use wire lwaders and get them from Chad Sandy. He makes the best and never had a problem with them.

with flouro and single strand you do go thru a few a season... or more... so it is much more economical to make your own. You also get to use components you trust on them. I am going to double up my flouro this year and crimp them along with knotting them, because I had a knot come out last year. thankfully it was trying to get off a log, not on a fish, but its not worth having a weak spot in your gear.

don't use Titanium leaders as musky baits are to big for weak titanium. They will just break eventually. Wire leaders shouldn't be anything less than 110 or 120 lb i don't think

I use single strand for all my Jerkbaits. I have high quality components that I use to replace old ones if something wears out and I'll replace the single strand if it gets too bent or kinked.

I also tie my own flouro using the Lee Tauchen Knot, but this year I'm switching over to Crimping since flouro is a pain in the ass to tie. (also making your own is a high start up cost since a spool of high quality flouro is pretty costly). The nice thing is if your flouro gets a nick you can just swap components.

Stealth Leaders are the way to go if you just want to buy outright. Single strand is really nice for jerkbaits and flouro for everything else...

For casting I will use 150# flouro for bucktails and sometimes I'll use it on crankbaits because it happens to be on the same rod. I never and will never use flouro on swimbaits and bulldawg type lures. There's simply too great a chance for bite off, I'm OK loosing a $15 to $30 lure but I'm not OK killing a muskie because I used the wrong leader.

I know a couple people that use flouro all the time but they don't use anything under 180#.

I do tie all my own wire and flouro leaders because I go through so many in a year (sometimes even a day). If I fished 20 days a year I would probably buy all my leaders from Stealth Tackle instead of making them.

stealth leaders for me.

I use nothing but stainless steel and make all of our leaders. Mike

Used to make my own, but now have John at Stealth make mine...even my fly leaders. He can make them faster and cheaper than I can do them myself and mostly, I trust him to make my leaders. I use 100 and 130 for fly, and 230 for every bait when I casted gear.

Never used one of Chad's, but knowing Chad, I can only imagine his leaders are more stringently put together than the space shuttle.

Yup, wire for most of anything I throw. I've seen first hand twice Muskie inhale a 10" tube and bite right through 150# and 180# Flouro leader on the strike. Simply too dangerous on baits they inhale!

I've used Chads exclusively for several years I have gone through maybe 30 total with zero failure, as long as I can get them I will own nothing else.
Kevin