"Ranger" said:
No, I really mean 80#. Climax with Stringease snaps and decent swivels, the knots are painted with a light touch of superglue. I've been advised to use heavier by others, too, but so far so good.

I would be concerned that the super heavy leader would retard the action of lures like Suicks and twitch baits. No so?

I just read the thread about the failed flouro leader. Wow, never saw the like.

If you're going to use 80# why even use a leader? 80# flouro cuts as easily in a muskies mouth as 80# braid.

About five springs ago I was in Indiana the day before the Ice Out Challunge. I have a special crankbait that has placed me in the top three a few times over the years. Well… I was trying out some lighter 80# flouro leaders to use w/ my flippin stick and watched a mid-30" fish inhale the 6" crankbait and as I tightened up on that fish to set the hook the leader cut like it was 10lb mono. I freaked out! I had just lost a lure that was worth more to me than an equall amount of gold and probably just killed that fish. I tie on the wire leader I should have been using in the first place and as I'm digging through my box of deep divers, trying to find a similar color of the same bait, the fish jumps and throws the bait. Thank god – no dead fish and now I've got my crankbait back!

To answer your question, no I don't see a difference in the action of baits at all. I use only 150# flouro (when I use flouro) and will be changing to 180# once the 150# runs out. If you want a lighter leader that is super thin diameter you won't find anything better than 105# straight wire.

Don't get me started on snaps…

A musky or Pikes mouth is full of thousands of razor sharp teeth. The debate over floro vs. wire will rage on until the end of time. I have used both and like Will have had failures using 80 pound floro (Triplefish Saltwater). Its the best 80 there is in my opinion and it will get cut off by the teeth of even a smaller mid 30's musky. I almost lost a 205 Crane to a fish about 7 years ago using some 80 Triple fish leader. I was lucky I got the fish in the net just as the leader got cut. It was a winter fish on Webster and it rolled up in the line. Michelle got the net under it just in time. I have never looked back from that day on. I use wire only. Will also Proved to me that snaps can open on many of the Lures we cast with. So no matter what I hook on the end of my leader it is always a wire leader. I cant bring myself to trust single strand yet but 7 strand works great as does my 49 strand shark braid. That stuff is overkill but why not? Muskies dont care. I had one try to eat a Pike off of a 1/4 inch anchor rope. I dont think leaders make much difference as far as whether or not a Musky sees it. Mike

I dont know, at the time I used it (5 years ago) it was the best you could get. That may have changed and there may be a Floro capable of holding up to the teeth but am not taking the chance. Mike

"edalz" said:
So does everyone just use split rings in lieu of snaps?

I do. I use the Joe Bucher size 7, on advice from Will. I've never had one fail, or pull open even a little from fighting a fish or even pulling on a snag. They do get stretched out after some time by being forced over the large tow-eyes many muskie lures have on them, so I keep a close look-out for looseness, and replace them when the two halves are no longer touching tightly when the split ring is relaxed.

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