How to Tie Fluorocarbon Musky & Pike Leaders (The Easy Method) 

You can do anything you put your mind to babe! 😊 You already do well with the Palomar and Trilene Knot (the improved clinch knot basically) …….. the Canoe Man knot is much easier! Just gotta synch it down right and tight!

Good luck in Canada and glad to help out! Hope you catch some monsters! 🎣

I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I’ve had bite offs with thinner fluorocarbon but never this heavy. I like fluorocarbon because it also helps to protect the fish from getting cut up when they roll on the surface. I change my leaders out immediately if I see even one teeth mark in them because that will weaken the leader a lot.

Thanks for watching the video and glad you enjoyed it. Can’t wait to get back out Musky fishing this year . Opening day can’t come soon enough! 🎣

Thanks for watching and for your support, I greatly appreciate it. As for leader size, 100lb is standard for fluorocarbon Musky leaders, and when using smaller Musky/Pike baits 80lb Fluorocarbon is sometimes used. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going below 80lb, but some baits run better with a thinner leader. I know one guy using 65lb fluorocarbon on some of the crystal clear lakes around my area, but that’s a little too low for my comfort as far as casting expensive baits and the possible loss of fish is concerned . But 100lb holds up to the abuse of casting heavy lures and the teeth of Muskies and Pike just fine in my personal experience, I never had any issues with 100lb. You just have to check your leaders after catching a fish to make sure they’re not frayed or cut up. But 130lb is a good choice if you’re throwing heavier lures or just want to put your mind at ease overall if you’re worried about lost fish or baits. I throw 100-130lb leaders, usually I bump up to 130lb for my bigger rubber baits like BullDawgs and Medussas. Thanks again for watching and sharing your thoughts . Good luck fishing! 🎣

I use size 5s normally for the snaps and ball bearing swivels. I would probably bump up to a size 6 if trolling or casting really heavy lures. I check my swivels constantly and leaders for wear and tear on the swivels, and scrapes/nicks on the fluorocarbon leader. Abrasive objects like teeth, logs, rocks, zebra muscles, and so on can wear your leaders out eventually. And constantly changing lures, battling fish, and throwing heavy lures can wear your snaps out eventually. But size 5 is what I’ve always used. Hope the information helps!

Glad to help! Also Rush is one of the greatest rock bands ever 😉. I was just listening to hemispheres and permanent waves the other day when tying hair jigs. Good luck fishing!

@@WeckerleOutdoors thanks. Rock on 🤘

Was the line thin? This knot usually works best with 20lb to 130lb line, I usually use 40lb+ when I make leaders though. I’m not sure if using mono would make a difference. Just when you pull the knot down, make sure you wet it and pull on it really hard.

@@WeckerleOutdoors Thanks for your reply. The line was about 50lb, 1.05mm diameter. I think it was mono's fault beacause it is more stretchable and I think it sort of bounced back with the backlash of the casting. I even caught a pike before loosing the lure and didn't have a problem with the knot. So, I'll try it again with fluoro and get back to you. - I'm just happy I didn't leave a pike with a lure in it's mouth.

The stretch of the mono could have been the issue then. Definitely let me know how fluoro works out for you!

@@giorgiotatananni9652 the pike could have gotten teeth on that mono and you didn't notice, especially in the knot area. also, if you didnt wet the knot before you pulled it tight, it could have damaged the line. lastly, backlashes are really hard on your line, they are the reason we all use 80 lb braid for normal lures and 100 lb for BIG rubber. fluorocarbon line is extremely abrasion resistant when compared to mono, thats why we use it for musky fishing. hope this helps.