The Teeth! While Bass fishing

[Bartableman7]

I fish lakes with plenty of musky and northerns that grab bass lures all the time.  They are fun to catch as well.  What do you think is better as a leader for sharp teeth: 100lb braid or 100lb fluoro?  (I don't want to keep a steel leader on everything.  I do that for my top waters now.)

[MN Fisher]

Those teeth can shred braid too easily - go with the FC.

 

Dunno if I'd use 100# though - 50# should be more than sufficient...though if you're targeting bass and getting the pike and musky as 'side catches', I'd go even lighter.

[Dwight Hottle]

Definitely mono over braid. I have had 60lb fluoro leaders cut through by pike. So go with the highest poundage you can deal with. The best solution might be light wire with a simple snap for changing out baits. 

[Further North]

Braid can't take teeth without a leader.

Any fluoro strong enough to resist esox teeth will absolutely impact the action of the lure more than the 30# or so wire you'd need to deter esox bite-offs.  You need 80#  - 100# minimum, IMO.  I've seen anything less get sliced off.

All my rods except a couple (cheap soft plastics like Senkos and Ned Rigs) are rigged with wire:  30# tieable wire FG knoted directly to the braid (this avoids the upper connection on commercial leaders that stops you from reeling all the way in, and can wreck your tip guide), then a perfection loop with a Mustad Fastach clip (swivel or not, depends what I'm running) for rigs I need to change lures on frequently, on the rest, I tie the wire directly to the hook.

Many of the rods rigged like that last more than one season without changing anything.

[Fallser]

I actually don't use a leader, even with braid when I'm fishing for bass.  I tie my line directly to the lure or jig.  Most of the lakes I fish have chain pickerel, some have musky.  The only time I use a leader is when I'm fly fishing, and part connected to the fly is called a tippet.  I usually use a 25# fluorocarbon  tippet when I'm fishing for bass, chain pickerel and pike.

[gim]

I am using hand-tied leaders of Seaguar Blue Label on my bass lures that tend to attract pike and muskies.  Last season I used 20 pound, this year I bumped it up to 30 pound.  30 pound test is very stiff and difficult to tie knots with, but it has worked so far.  I may give 25 pound test a try if they make it.

 

On my actual muskie gear, I use 80 pound pre-tied fluoro or steel leaders, depending on the lure.

 

I've seen relatively small pike slice right through 40 pound braided line.  Honestly didn't think they could do that, until it happened.

 

A leader of some kind isn't going to stop them from biting.  It will help prevent bite offs though.  Some of your lures are going to get beat up and ripped up regardless.  Just part of doing business in toothy country.

[Further North]

44 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I've seen relatively small pike slice right through 40 pound braided line.  Honestly didn't think they could do that, until it happened.

Braid has excellent strength along the line...but very little resistance to abrasion from the side.

Even 80#, or 100# braid under any tension at all, slices like cheap thread from an esox tooth.

I've seen mono and fluoro to 60# get cut as well.

Tieable wire does a great job, and is more flexible (retaining more of a lure's action) than any heavy mono or fluoro...and resists abuse much better.

[gim]

45 minutes ago, Further North said:

Tieable wire does a great job, and is more flexible (retaining more of a lure's action) than any heavy mono or fluoro...and resists abuse much better.

 

I won't argue that.  The issue is that I do some fishing in clear water and I need the reduced visibility of fluoro sometimes, especially when I'm targeting smallmouth.  Wire would no doubt reduce the number of bites I get in some cases.

[Further North]

9 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

I won't argue that.  The issue is that I do some fishing in clear water and I need the reduced visibility of fluoro sometimes, especially when I'm targeting smallmouth.  Wire would no doubt reduce the number of bites I get in some cases.

I absolutely trust that you know your home waters better than I do.

90-ish miles east of you...I can't find any water that they won't eat whatever I throw at them with wire leaders attached.

[bulldog1935]

For toothy fish (and snook gill plates) in salt XUL, I fish titanium-wire bite traces (5 kg test) from eastern Europe - these are sold as Pike Leaders.  Mako from Ukraine is shut down, but last time I needed these, I ordered Dragon brand from Poland.