Is Power Pro Braided Line Tough Enough For Leader Material?

[Rockabye]

Is Power Pro Braided Line tough enough to omit leader material? I'm wondering if 100# or 150# would work for toothy critters like muskie or northern pike. It gives me better action with my lures and less hang ups on the hooks then with conventional leaders. I haven't yet taken the chance when actually fishing but use it without leaders when testing out a new creation.

[diemai]

In my opinion you cannot get around steel leaders for pike and musky , no way .

Something I found about different leaders on a short term , ......in German language ,though , ......but maybe you can figure out by the pictures(I could also translate text portions of interest , if desired) ?

http://www.lutz-huelsse.de/themen/angelgeraete/schnur/schnur_text/raubfischvorfaecher.htm

greetz , diemai

[ROWINGADUBAY]

I would say no! power pro is not good enough to omit a leader for musky and northerns I have had them bite through 100# test power pro, but what I do use is 100# or 130# flourocarbon or 65# braided wire with crimps I like using each one in different situations but the nice thing I like about the flourocarbon is being able to tie them on the water I use a 3 or 4 turn uni knot and some superglue on the knot and it is good to go the only problem is making them the same length everytime.

[Braided Line]

"Toothy critters"................. some type of wire leader.

[Rockabye]

Thanks for the responses. I won't take the chance and will stick to my usual steel leaders.

If I ever decide to kill a fish, I may experiment trying to cut Power Pro and flourocarbon line on the teeth. So far I limit my use of flourocarbon leaders to trolling reserving the steel leaders for casting.

[Musky Glenn]

Flourocarbon is a lost musky waiting to happen. Musky Glenn

[Seeking 56]

Why is that Musky Glenn?

[diemai]

Why is that Musky Glenn?

If I may chime in again , ..........fluocarbon is tough , but just not tough enough !

A musky or northern pike might not be able to snap it straight away , .........BUT , ...the problem is that the sharp teeth of those fighting fish would cause rashes and nicks on the leader , which would decrease it's strength , ......so after each fish caught the leader would become weaker and weaker .

The question is , how many fish it would finally hold up to , .......2 , 3 , ....or even 5 , ..........at which stage you would finally have to replace it ?

If you change fluocarbon leaders after EACH fish , you might be relatively safe in terms of loss , ....but how about that deep inhaling trophy 50incher just does not feel like coming closer to the boat for the battle to last a little longer , ..........I won't like to rely on a material that I know to be subject to a certain grade of abrasion , ........ there is no alternative to a wire leader to me , may it be single or multiple strand(depending on what kinda lures are on) .

just my , .......tight lines , diemai

[Seeking 56]

I'm a troller so this is not directed to casting with wire leaders but more towards trolling with wire leaders.

Sure, a musky will not bite through wire but can and will snap a lure off at it's weakest link, the looped part where the snap is attached.

It's a false sense of security when trolling. Single strand wire will fatigue and you have no way of knowing when it's going to fail unless you're using multi strand where you will see the strands coming apart. With fluoro you will be able to see the nicks and even then, on 150lbs test? I wouldn't concern myself...I'm still using some leaders from 3 years ago. The snap is the main concern, to which I change often.

If you're casting with wire, the initial impact of a hit is not as severe like when you're trolling. A big musky will alligator roll on your line and if you're using wire it will seriously injure itself. To my chagrin...I've had to experience this.

There are benefits to trolling wire such as the harmonics it produces. But there is a proper way of rigging something like this and that is to use wire as the main line and use a minimum of a 3' 150 lbs fluoro leader as a shock absorber.

The biggest musky of my life was lost trolling using a single strand wire leader........ But that's another story.

@ Diemai,

Although I disagree with you in this case my friend, you backed it up and that I respect!

s54

Edited May 10, 2012 by seeking 54

[diemai]

@ seeking 54

So I figure out , that everyone has his preferences and experiences , which I surely respect , ........your statements really do sound senseful to me as well .

But I guess , that this leader question is somewhat similar to the attitude of some guys always going after blondes wheras other men have a crush on brunettes only !

tight lines , diemai

[Musky Glenn]

Seeking 54, I was basing my opinion on one single experience, that of a fellow musky club member. He was trolling on Lake Adger here in North Carolina and lost a mid 40 inch musky on Flor. A piece of the flor was brought to the next club meeting. I have nothing else to base my comment on. I always thought that flor. would allow for more strikes. Musky Glenn

[Rockabye]

The Real Story:

I introduced an orange “Slammer” to a rock. I bought another, but it didn’t work as well. So I made one. It didn’t work at all. Back to the scroll saw for plan B and low and behold it worked to well. It was hanging up on the steel leader if I wasn’t careful. Back home I grabbed a bag of gold leaf made for picture frames that I purchased from a craft store for a few bucks. I covered the lure with Enviro–Tex Lite and that gold leaf and put it on the dryer. When it a was done the gold sparkle was real pretty. Back to Big Creek for a test. More hang ups. I usually reserve fluorocarbon leaders for trolling because from my experience the fish is much more likely to hit the tail then the head. To me leader durability is less important trolling then when casting where the fish is much more likely to target the head and bite the leader. The fluorocarbon was better but was still hanging up. I tried the lure with just the 100 lb Pro line I had on the reel and it worked great. Hence the initial question, could I get away without a leader. Pro line is hard to cut with a dull knife, It might work. I’m to cheap to by the 150 lb pro line I saw on line for something that probably wouldn’t work, so I asked here.

I usually don’t bother with forums because unless you write the thesis above you get answers like “ use steel leaders”. What I was hoping for was a bass fisherman that landed (or not) a muskie or pike with just pro line. Or maybe a muskie fisherman that has actually tried heavy pro line sans steel leader on purpose. Instead I got the answer my Dad told on my first pike trip back in the 60’s. No matter, I love to build lures and I’m sure this forum will be an invaluable source of information on doing just that. Thanks again to all who took the time to respond.

Rockabye

[Musky Glenn]

My first 63 muskies were caught using no leader at all. I thought I didn't need it, then I had three muskies cut me off. I started using a steel leader and the strikes didn't drop off. I haven't had a line/leader failure since. Caught my 92 musky today on a Shallow Invader, 36 inches. Lake Rhodhiss in North Carolina.

[BobP]

Braid vs fluorocarbon - Braid is exceptionally strong but not as abrasion resistant or tooth-proof as fluorocarbon leader material. There are many kinds of fluorocarbon but fluoro leader material is harder, stiffer, and stronger than fluoro line. Fluoro leader is typically sold in 30 yard spools in the saltwater department. Companies add softeners, etc to fluoro line to make it castable. That also gives it more stretch but makes it less strong than leader material.

[ROWINGADUBAY]

I should have added that I replace or re-tie the flourocarbon leader when I get any type of nick in the line and there is usually is one or two small nicks after catching a fish I really like using flouro when using jerk bait because you can tie a uni to uni knot to connect the braid to flouro.

I think the 150# braid would be overkill using it a main line and you would lose more than you would gain unless you where just trying it for a leader but that heavy of line would effect your casting distance lure running depth.

I have never lost a fish due to a bite through on flouro carbon or steel leaders but I have lost one (might have been more but I started using leaders all the time) on 100# braid.

I don't know about anyone else but in stained water I use wire and in clear water I go for the flourocarbon

If flouro was bad I don't think most of your musky pro's would use them.

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