Ajerv

I've had my share of cut offs from toothy critters(kings, jack crevelle, etc), and am frequently tempted to just tie on one of those ready to use wire leaders you can buy ready made, some with plastic coating or red in color. They are heavy and have heard they are too visible to the fish and should be avoided. Your opinions please!!!



Tight lines...................

Magic236

I think "ready made" is junk and tie my own stuff. For kings use 40-60# wire either sevenstrand or single strand.

GONU

Go down to your local tackle store and buy the wire hooks and swivels and make your own. It's better, faster and cheaper. Try to stick with a twist and avoid the crimps you'll get more strikes, at least that's what I have noticed.

Framerguy

Question from a salt water greenhorn, how is a piece of 40 - 60# wire with a swivel and hook added to each end by the fisherman so much better than a store bought steel leader built the same way??

And why would that store bought leader be "junk" and the hand built one of any better quality??

I am not trying to diss you or take issue, I am just trying to understand the difference. I have been using store bought wire leaders all my life for toothy fish like Northern and Walleye pike and Muskies and I have never lost a fish to a break off or any other failure of the leader, hook, or swivel. My personal records are a 49" Northern pike, a 57" Muskie, and a 9# 4 oz. Walleye all caught on artificials fished on the ends of store bought wire leaders. I caught all these fish up in Canada throughout my life and I have caught literally thousands of smaller keepers from all 3 species and I have yet to have a leader failure from the wire breaking. I have lost them from the line breaking on a hangup or a large fish hitting on one of my light rigs but I can't honestly say that I have ever had a problem with store bought wire leaders regarding quality or breaking strength of the wire or other parts of the leader.

captken

Omit the swivel and use #4 or 5 brown single strand wire. Learn to break the wire with your fingers rather than using cutters. Directions for twisting and breaking are on the package. I prefer Malin wire beause you get a lot more per package and the packages are re-closable.

I suggested 4 or 5 above. If you are fishing with 20#, you can drop to #3 but the lighter wire is harder to learn to twist. For Kingfish trolling, go with #7. White marlin, Sailfish, Dolphin and Wahoo, #9. Blue marlin #12-#18 or braided wire with lures.

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lobsterman

Buy the stuff and learn how to do the haywire twist and finish it off with 5 regular wraps and you have a way better leader than those store bought.

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true-king

It depends where you buy them. The pre-madeleaders from GBB&T are good quality. Some of the ones from walmart are bad, especially the ones with all the snapswivels, crimps, and cheap wire. As for making them yourself, it isinexpensive and not all that difficult.

The coated wire is more visible in the water. For kings, tryusing some uncoated sevenstrand 30 or 60# with a swivel on one end and a treble hook on the other, no crimps.

Magic236

Framerguy - to clarify, the wire on the made up junk is not the issue, it is the way they are tied.I've seen single stand with only 3 haywires, I use 5. I was given a Wahoo lure this year that already had the leader on it. The leader is probably 400-500 cable with about an 80 lbs welded swivel. I don't think the swivel made sense so it came off.

amarcafina

If you use the store bought, remove the snap part of the swivel! I've losted a few good fish by them straighten the snap out!

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barefootin

I have started using the titanium wire (toothproof, boa etc.) I use 40 or 50# crimped with #0 or #1 afw sleeves and I have found that if crimped properly (I use afw's micro crimper) that the connection rarely fails as compared to any knots and looks much cleaner.

I use those tiny #8 spro power swivelsfor connectionsand end up with what I beleive to be the least visibleand most durable leader when fishing where the toothy critters roam.

Ikeep a few 30" leaders on the boat and have caught manyspanish, blues and kingson these and they show no signs ofwear or damage like other wires that may fray or kink;so over time they have proven to be more economical.

Enjoy!