Do Wire Leaders Scare Fish? As many leaders are coated or come in dark, low visibility colors, they do not seem to scare the fish you target. I have run many experiments where I fished for predators with both thick fluorocarbon leaders and wire leaders, and the results were exactly the same on both materials.
Table of Contents
How do you attach a leader to a fishing line?

Should you use a leader when ice fishing?

Should leaders be stronger than Main Line?
What Weight of Leader Line to use? First and foremost, the rule is to use a leader line weight less than (weaker) the mainline. For example, if your using a 15# monofilament mainline, you’ll likely need a <= 12# leaderline.
How long should an ice fishing leader be?
To get the maximum number of bites, the author recommends using a short fluorocarbon line as a leader at the terminal end. For panfish I recommend a high visibility main line made of monofilament and a zero visibility fluorocarbon leader about 24-inches in length.
How long should your leader be on a tip up?
The ideal leader length for a tip up is 2 to 4 feet. You can use shorter leaders in stained water, while in clear water and during bright light conditions it’s better to choose a longer leader, to avoid finicky fish getting spooked by your thick main line.
Should you use a leader when ice fishing walleye?
For walleye per se, you do not need to use a steel leader at all, as they won’t be able to bite through your mainline. However, if the water you are fishing in contains pike or muskies, you can use a 10-15lb fluorocarbon leader instead of steel, in order to prevent bite-offs.
Can you use main line as leader?

What pound leader should I use?
When deciding what strength of line I should use as a leader line, a personal rule of thumb is 5 lb (~2.2 kg) or the next common line pound test above or below my mainline. Go with a stronger leader line if you’re concerned with abrasion.
How much leader should I use?
In most cases, the length of your fishing leader should be between 24 to 30 inches. Your leader length can be shorter or longer than this, depending on your fishing style, main fishing line, weather, and surrounding underwater features.
Should you always use a leader when fishing?
A leader line for fly fishing is essential because the heavy colored fly line used to cast lightweight flies is too thick for tying on the small flies and is easily detectable by fish.
Why use a swivel on a fishing line?
The main purpose of the swivel is to allow the two line sections to rotate independently of each other, which allows self-unwinding of any twists formed during line casting and retrieval, preventing undesirable tanglings.
How do you tie a monofilament wire to a leader?

How much line should I put on my ice fishing reel?
Ice fishing line is often sold in 50 to 110 yard spools. This means a 50 yard spool can be used on two reels. That’s 25 yards each. Just start spooling with your leftover braided line you used in the summer, then finish it off (with a GOOD knot!) with 25 yards of some decent ice fishing line.
Can you use regular fluorocarbon for ice fishing?
Fluorocarbon ends up being one of the favorites for ice fishing because it is stronger than monofilament and more abrasion-resistant. Fluorocarbon lines also sink faster than mono which makes for a more natural fall for light-weight ice jigs.
How long of a leader for walleye on a tip up?
Being your clarity isnt that great I would run * pound floro carbon leader in about 18 inches to 2ft from the tip up braid.
What is the best tip up for ice fishing?
- Frabill Pro Thermal Tip-Up. BEST OVERALL.
- Frabill Arctic Fire Tip Up.
- Frabill 1674 Blackhawk Assault Tip Up.
- Frabill Freeze Proof Tip Up with Indicator Light.
- Beaver Dam Original Tip Up.
- Celsius SBTU-50 Plastic Tip Up.
- HT Enterprise Polar Tip Up.
- Thermal/Polar.
How does a tip up work for ice fishing?
Tip-up ice fishing is a method of fishing that allows anglers to set multiple baited lines below the ice. Strikes are detected without the need to be in the immediate area of the equipment. A trigger mechanism flips up a flag, indicating a fish has taken the bait. Fish are pulled up by hand through the hole in the ice.
Can I use braid as a leader?

How do you attract walleye to ice fishing?
- Map Out 3-4 Key Locations for Mobility.
- Drill 10-15 Holes Per Location.
- Ice Fishing for Walleye at Night.
- Silver Spoons & Lures in Clear Water.
- Use Bright Colors in Stained Water.
- Two Pole Approach in Shanties.
- On Finicky Bites Default to Live Bait.
What pound test should I use for ice fishing walleye?
For regular sized walleye lures and live bait, 4-6 lb is ideal. For large swimbaits, rattle baits and extra large live bait, you can go up to 8-10 lb. Choosing the right pound test line for walleye can be extremely important, especially if you’re fishing in clear waters that get a lot of fishing pressure.
Should you braid with ice fishing?
Braided lines like Berkleyยฎ FireLineยฎ Ultra 8, Berkleyยฎ FireLineยฎ Micro Iceยฎ and Berkleyยฎ Nanofilยฎ, do many things very well. They are my choice when fishing deep water for species like crappie, walleye or lake trout. Braids have virtually zero stretch so they offer incredible sensitivity and superb hooksets.
Is leader line heavier than Main Line?
A leader is a length of monofilament line tied to the end of the main line that is on your fishing reel. It can be a metre long if you fish for bream and whiting or it can be 6 or 7 metres long if you gamefish. It can be lighter than your main line or it can be much heavier than your main line.
Why is leader line more expensive?
Because the major theme that seemed to be the dominant answer to why fluorocarbon leaders are more expensive (or better) than fluorocarbon main line was because it’s more abrasion-resistant.
Do I need a leader with mono line?
These weaknesses necessitate the use of leaders, as many experienced largemouth anglers can attest. And whether you run braid, fluorocarbon, or nylon monofilament, when you’re after sharp-toothed fish like pike, mackerel, barracuda, wahoo, or shark, a tough leader is essential.