Many sports fishermen choose to make use of leaders as their tool of preference. There is a unique reason to use every type of leader, depending on what you are fishing for. Whether you are a novice or a experienced veteran, acknowledging that leaders (the line attaching bait and mainline) are a valuable implement under certain circumstances will help you be better prepared to find out what leader is best suited to benefit your fishing trip.

Do I really need a leader?

You might be wondering if a leader is necessary. While it’s not necessary in all cases, a leader can help keep your main line intact. Not using a leader can result in your line being completely sheared after a fight with an unusually aggressive fish.

Utilizing Leaders

If you are dealing with a species that is a bit line shy, a leader can be invaluable. Because leaders can be made from any type of line, for line-shy fish you’d be best served with a fluorocarbon leader. The reason for fluorocarbon leaders is two fold – fish such as false albacore, bonito and mackerel have extremely good sight and they tend to also have great visual acuity. If for any reason your bait looks at all out of the ordinary, these fish are simply going to by-pass it and move on to other areas.

The principle behind fluorocarbon is clear-cut. Fluorocarbon offers a very tiny amount of light refraction, a clever way of hiding the line from the fish. A twenty-pound fluorocarbon leader is perfect, since the fish that you’d fish for using this kind of leader for have a tendency to average less than ten pounds. Seeing as these fish have a propensity for going after baitfish as a primary food source, a fluorocarbon leader can be the best tool to maximize your catch. For optimal results, make certain that you use a lead no smaller than three feet but no larger than four.

The primary motivation for using fluorocarbon is clear: Fluorocarbon offers a minuscule amount of light refraction, a clever way of hiding the line from the fish. A twenty-pound fluorocarbon leader is perfect, since the fish that you’d fish for using this kind of leader for have a tendency to average less than ten pounds. Seeing as these fish have a propensity for going after baitfish as their most important food source, a fluorocarbon leader can be the top tool to get the most out of your day’s haul. For most favorable results, make certain that you use a lead between three and four feet in length.

Sports fishermen, specifically those hunting pike, barracuda, bluefish and muskellunge, are all-too-familiar with the mega teeth these breeds bring to the table. If you add the nightmarish addition of their enjoyment of wreaking havoc with a fishing line, chances are great that your affection would be for a steel leader. Steel leaders are usually constructed from twenty or thirty pound weight and are especially conspicuous. For more violent fish, like bluefish, you should use forty to sixty pound weight. Alternatively, if barracuda hits your soft spot, you’re at an advantage with something heavier, as they are break a lone strand of eighty-pound leader with little to no effort. A lighter weight is best suited to pike and muskies with their sharp teeth, and the heavier is perfect for fighters resembling bluefish and barracuda.

Do not make a common sense slip-up and use the wrong kind of leader for the fish you are eager to catch. The right leader will pretty much always make the difference between a triumphant fishing outing and a wasted trip. In reality, many veteran fishermen have discovered that it makes sense to take a mixture of leaders in case the chance comes up to take advantage of them. Remember: the wrong leader can mean the difference between a fish-that-got-away story and bragging rights.

Fishing can be a very exciting and relaxing sport. Making sure you have proper equipment such as Penn Reels Fishing, Daiwa Fishing Reels, and Shimano Fishing Reels can be extremely helpful.