If you’re a bass fisherman and you don’t have at least one reel spooled with Seaguar Smackdown Braid, you’re missing the boat … and the bass! Braided line is full of attributes that will help you catch more bass. ScoutLook Pro Contributor Glenn Walker explains more in this video.
ScoutLook Pro Contributor Glenn Walker talks about three popular bass fishing presentations that are perfectly matched with braided line.
ScoutLook Pro Contributor Glenn Walker reviews Seaguar TATSU fluorocarbon fishing line, and explains its applications for bass fishermen.
When your favorite stretch of bass water gets pounded by fellow anglers, all hope is not lost.
Whether it’s a certain lake or river, or maybe it’s just a key weedline or backwater lake on a river system, fishing pressure takes its toll on fish and makes it frustrating for the anglers pursuing them. If you’ve identified or know that an area holds good fish, the chances of them moving are slim unless there has been a drastic change. However, angling pressure will make fish tougher to catch. There’s no need to pull your boat from the water or abandon known hotspots, but it’s time to slow down, fish smarter and focus on getting those fish to bite again.
Sometimes getting heavily pressured fish to bite can be accomplished by making one change: decrease your line size. By decreasing your line size, it’s less visible in the water and it imparts a more natural action to your lure. Other line changes that can aid in getting pressured fish to bite include switching from braided to fluorocarbon line.
A great approach to targeting bass that are hanging around shallow-water cover is to flip a Texas rig. But after those bass have seen a Texas rig repeatedly from other anglers, they might become conditioned to them. This is when I’ll scale down to the smallest weight I can get away with; many times, this has me going down to a 3/16- or 1/4-ounce Lazer Sharp Tungsten weight. Behind that weight I’ll switch to a smaller plastic bait, often going from a Zoom Z-Hog to its smaller cousin, the Z-Hog Jr. By doing this, I can still present the same bulk and appearance to the bass, but just in a compact, tasty morsel. I will also go from a heavy wire flipping hook to an Extra Wide Gap Lazer TroKar, again giving the bait a more natural fall and appearance in the water.
React to pressured bass the right way and the rewards can be great.
One of my favorite ways to target pressured bass along weedlines is to a drop-shot. Because I’m fishing this around heavy cover, I’ll use Seaguar Smackdown braided line as my main line, but then use an 8- or 10-pound-test Seaguar Fluorocarbon line as a leader. This combination gives me the strength and confidence to fish around heavy cover, while still keeping a stealthy approach.
Cast and cast and cast to the key areas of structure several times, as heavily pressured fish might need to see your bait a few times before they’ll bite. As I’m fishing a boat dock, laydown or a section of vegetation, I’ll approach the cover quietly and under control using my Minn Kota Fortrex. Once I get near that cover, I’ll drop my Talons to minimize disturbance and noise in the area.
When you’re making multiple casts to a target, sometimes those casts need to come from different angles. The angle at which a bass sees your bait as it relates to the cover, current and shade, will influence when they’ll bite.
Beware of pressured fish. It might take extra work to put them in the boat, but it’s definitely not impossible.
Regardless of where your next fishing trip is, more than likely that body of water has a hot bass bite going on. It might be the deep crankbait or magnum spoon bite on Kentucky Lake, or perhaps smallmouths hitting a drop-shot on Lake Erie. Once summer hits, I will always have these three lures rigged up and ready to go, as they allow me to just go fishing and target any form of cover I come across.
SWIM JIG
The swim jig was developed by anglers who were catching bass by swimming a flipping jig back to the boat. It’s very effective because you can fish it shallow or deep.
When I’m fishing shallow, I’ll use a 1/4-ounce jig around inside weedlines, boat docks or through lily pad fields. When my graph gets beyond the 5- or 6-foot mark, I’ll switch over to the 3/8-ounce size and fish this along outside weedlines, crawl it over sand flats or work it up the backside of an underwater point.
By changing up your retrieve, color and trailer, the swim jig can easily mimic whatever bass are feeding on. If they’re feeding on shad, then a white jig, retrieved with a rod twitch every so often with a small swimbait as a trailer, is a good choice. If bass are feeding along the bottom on crawdads, try a brown-colored jig. Reel it slowly and bounce it along the bottom with a craw or double-tail grub trailer.
TEXAS RIG
With a Texas-rigged plastic, I’m able to change up the bait, weight size and line type based on the type of cover I’m fishing, thus making it extremely versatile. The cover you’re flipping around will dictate what type of plastic bait to select. If you’re flipping your bait into heavy vegetation, you’ll want to use a bait that’s compact and has fewer appendages to get hung up on its descent to the bottom. In these situations, I’ll use a Zoom Z-Hog creature bait, whereas if I’m flipping the edge or more around sparse lilypads, I’ll usually rig up a craw.
I like to keep it simple when it comes to color selection for my plastic baits—green pumpkin and black/blue are my top two choices. However, I do keep a select few random-colored baits in the boat at all times for situations where bass need a little something extra to be coaxed into biting. Having some green pumpkin baits with varying color flakes in it will help match the bait to what bass are eating … or just give them something different to look at.
Having the correct gear makes fishing a Texas rig that much easier. I use 20-pound-test Seaguar TATSU fluorocarbon; it resists abrasion and it’s super sensitive, meaning I’ll be able to feel light bites. I’ve become acclimated to a longer rod, so I use the 7-foot, 6-inch Wright & McGill Victory Pro Carbon Jig/Big Worm Rod. This rod has micro guides, which allow me to get a better feel for my lure and make longer flips than with standard rod guides.
As the summer sun beats down on the water, you and the bass will seek cover from direct sunlight. You’ll find bass under matted vegetation such as lily pads, duck wart or matted up grass.
TOPWATER FROG
One of the best ways to efficiently cover water and coax bass into biting is to use a topwater frog. The days of having only one or two options of topwater frogs is long gone. There are now numerous brands, sizes and styles of topwater frogs to choose from.
My go-to frog that I’ll rig at the beginning of each day is a Snag Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog; this frog has the needed weight for me to make long casts, while still having a compact profile, allowing bass to engulf the bait with ease. I’ll use a white frog if it’s sunny or a black one if it’s cloudy. From there, I’ll switch to a natural-colored frog if the water is clear.
An angler’s tackle selection is crucial when fishing frogs. You’ll often throw your frog into thick, nasty cover. Your rod, reel and line all need to work together to aid you in getting bass from the bush to the boat.
Spooling your reel with braided line is a must because it has no stretch. When you set the hook with braided line, it drives into the bass’ mouth immediately and gives you the necessary control to keep it from getting buried in vegetation. I spool my high-speed Wright & McGill Victory Pro Carbon reel with 65-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown braid, and I put it on a Tessera Series Frog rod. This rod, like other good frog rods, has a soft tip that helps you impart action on the bait, while still maintaining a solid backbone to keep control of bass when they try to take charge of the situation.
Like the jig and buzzbait, the swimbait is considered a “big fish” bait by experienced anglers. However, the swimbait has been put on the back burner by many fishermen because of the high cost of some models—namely, hard-bodied swimbaits. But with the evolution of the soft-plastic swimbait, anglers now have a very versatile and cost-effective option to present bass with a natural presentation in variable situations.
TEXAS-RIGGED SWIMBAIT
One of the ways that soft plastic swimbaits (both solid and hollow-bodied) can be rigged is on a Texas rig. With this rig, you’re able to fish your bait through heavy cover, thus presenting a very natural-looking presentation in the thick stuff that bass live in. This presentation shines in shallow vegetation, such as eel grass flats and lily pad fields. You can fish this bait along the edge and let it just tick the vegetation, or cast it into the grass and bring it through the cover; this will look like a baitfish or bluegill fleeing a predator.
The two other areas of shallow-water cover where a Texas-rigged swimbait is a good choice are laydowns and boat docks. The bass that inhabit these areas see countless jigs, spinnerbaits and even shallow-running crankbaits. So if you can present something different to those fish, you’re likely to have some great days on the water. Docks tend to attract baitfish and bluegills, so a swimbait mimicking that forage will tempt bass to come out from underneath the dock to hit your presentation.
This shallow vegetation is a great area to throw a Texas-rigged swimbait or a swim jig with a swimbait trailer. (Photo: Greg Walker)
You’ll need the right hook to make the most of this presentation. The two options you have include a standard extra-wide-gap hook with a small tungsten weight in front of it, or a specialty swimbait hook that has a corkscrew on the hook eye and a weight on the shaft or bend of the hook. My two choices would be a Lazer TroKar Magworm (TK120) 4/0 or 5/0 hook, depending on the size of the swimbait, with a 1/16- or 1/8-ounce Lazer Sharp Tungsten weight pegged in front of the hook. I’ll use this setup when fishing in and around vegetation because it comes through the cover with ease. When fishing around docks or laydowns, I’ll opt for a swimbait hook such as the TroKar Magnum Weight Swimbait (TK170) hook.
Regardless of the rigging option I choose, I’ll use a long 7-foot, 6-inch Wright & McGill Victory Pro Carbon “SKT” Swimbait rod, as I can make long casts, feel exactly what my bait is doing, and then have the power to get that bass out of the heavy cover. For line, I’ll either use 15- or 17-pound-test Seaguar Inviz X Fluorocarbon line, as it’s very abrasion-resistant and I can make long casts with it.
SWIMBAIT ON A JIG
When fishing a swimbait in open water situations, such as underwater points, humps, flats and sand drops, rigging a swimbait on a jighead is a good choice. This is because you make long casts with a compact presentation and you’ll get a better hookup ratio in open water. Fishing a swimbait on a lead-head jig in open water does a great job of replicating shad, which is why using it during the summer and fall, as bass are feeding heavily baitfish in open water, is a great option.
The size of your jighead will depend on the depth of water you’re fishing, and what depth the bass are sitting at. If they’re sitting close to the bottom and the bait is down there as well, you’ll want to use a heavy enough jighead that puts your bait at that same depth. Likewise, if the baitfish and bass are suspended, using a lighter jig allows you to target that depth with ease.
I’ll primarily start out with 3/8-ounce jighead for most of my applications, but will go down to a 1/4- or 5/16-ounce head if I need to keep my bait higher in the water column, or up to a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce head if the bass are holding in deeper water. Whatever size jig and brand you go with, be sure the jig has a strong, wide-gap hook in it—this will help increase your hookup and landing ratio.
The same rod and reel setup I use when fishing a Texas-rigged swimbait will work in this situation as well. It’s unlikely, however, that I would go up to 17-pound test, as I’ll be using the jighead presentation more in open-water situations.
MORE SWIMBAIT TIPS
Swimbaits can also make great trailers for several lures. Using a swimbait as a trailer on a swim jig, vibrating jig or spinnerbait is something different than a standard grub. This gives your bait a bigger profile and delivers something unique to bass, vs. the same presentation they’ve already seen from countless anglers.
The lures I mentioned above are used to replicate baitfish or bluegills, so the majority of the time, adding a swimbait as a trailer makes a lot of sense because it completes the lure package and makes it look very natural in the water.
This Kentucky Lake largemouth engulfed a swimbait on a main river ledge. (Photo: Greg Walker)
Selecting colors for swimbaits as a jig trailer can go in two different directions, the first being “match the hatch.” In other words, if you’re fishing in clear water and the bass want a natural presentation, then go with a swimbait that looks like what the bass are eating. If they’re eating shad, go with a shad-colored swimbait, and if they are eating bluegills, go with bait that has more of a brown, green and blue color pattern to it.
If you’re fishing in stained water, consider going with a swimbait that stands out and brings attention to your lure. For example, when fishing a white swim jig or spinnerbait during the springtime on a stained river, use a chartreuse swimbait to really make your bait pop and catch the attention of bass.
Looking for some hot cool-weather action? It’s tough to beat the rush of cranking for aggressive, hungry, shad-focused bass.
A great way to boat more fall bass and cover lots of water quickly is with shallow-running crankbaits—lures that mimic the high-protein shad that bass are targeting now as they fatten up for the long winter ahead.
Many anglers will shy away from using lures with two treble hooks in snag-filled shallow waters, but those fishermen are missing out. The path to success lies in using the correct baits and proper gear; once you do your chances of getting hung up decrease dramatically, while your hookup rate can soar.
CRANK VS SPINNERBAIT: WHO WINS?
Some of my best shallow-water cranking areas are the same spots many anglers will choose to run spinnerbaits. By changing things up, you’ll not only be giving those bass a look at something new, there is also another big benefit. Compared to a spinnerbait, shallow-running crankbaits offer bass a more-appealing meal—these lures simply look more like the shad the bass are now targeting. By choosing the correct color combination, size, and style of your crankbait, you can effectively “match the hatch,” allowing you to trigger more strikes.
What type of shallow water cover areas should you be cranking? Here are a few favorites:
Rip rap: As the water temps begin to dip, baitfish and bass will congregate around rock, as these areas will be slightly warmer than other structure. Rocky points or other, similar areas that have a current break will often hold massive schools of bass.
Submerged laydowns and stumps: Bumping your bait off of these types of hard structure can provoke post-cold-front bass into striking.
Submerged Vegetation: Running your crankbait over dying lily pads is a great way to cover these vast areas.
Boat Docks: Locating docks that have other forms adjacent to them will likely yield the most bass.
Flats: Bass often school together and work in unison to push schools of shad up onto a shallow flat, resulting in an easier meal.
MATCH THE CRANK TO THE COVER
The key when fishing any of these areas is to use a shallow-running bait that dives just deep enough to make contact with the cover. This allows you the option to pause once you feel that contact, and let your bait float slowly to the surface, which can be an effective strike trigger. Another great trigger can come as your lure deflects off wood. When it does, be ready.
Each shallow running crankbait has its own unique action and can shine in a specific scenario, which is why it’s important to experiment and check each lure’s performance around each form of cover outlined above. The more you know about your lure arsenal, the more effective your presentations become. You’ll find that certain baits perform better around vegetation, while others shine around rocks, or wood.
Keeping a wide variety of crankbaits in your arsenal allows you to match the bait to the bite.
Some of my favorite shallow running crankbaits include Mann’s Baby 1-Minus, the Rapala DT Fat 1 & 3 and DT3 Flat, the Spro Fat John, the Storm Arashi, and Strike King’s KVD 1.5.
To help make precision casts in tight quarters (i.e., place your bait near the cover, not in it), I use the 7-foot, Wright & McGill S-Glass Cranking Rod. It is important when selecting a cranking rod that it has a nice soft tip, which helps keep the hooks from ripping out of a bass’s mouth. This is where the aforementioned S-Glass model excels.
CHOOSE A GOOD LINE
When it comes to spooling your reel for shallow cranking, I feel there are two smart options: mono and fluorocarbon. Since it floats, mono will help keep your bait from diving as deep. So if you are looking to run your bait over vegetation, or maybe a series of laydowns, mono would be a good choice. I like 15-pound Seaguar Senshi mono.
If you need to get your bait slightly deeper, to, say, run parallel to a boat dock or around rip rap, then using Fluorocarbon is a good choice. The nice thing about Fluorocarbon is that it’s very abrasion-resistant; it won’t get as nicked up when fishing around heavy cover. I’ve been impressed with 15-pound Seaguar Iviz X Fluorocarbon.
SMART BOAT CONTROL
Typically, multiple casts to your shallow water targets will be needed to trigger bass into biting, so maintaining good boat control is critical to success. As I prowl the shallows with my Minn Kota Fortrex Trolling motor, I’ll be firing as many casts as I can; then when I find a key target–a big stump or maybe a laydown that extends all the way from shore to deep water—I’ll deploy my dual 12-foot Minn Kota Talons. This way I’ll remain in one spot and be able to make multiple, precise casts to a given target.
Shallow water cranking can work all year long, but I use this effective technique predominantly in the fall, when bass are up shallow and feeding heavily. As I see it, it’s a perfect match for the conditions. Still worried about losing crankbaits to shallow snags? Hopefully I have put your nerves at ease. Now go grab some of your favorite lures and toss them around some shallow water cover—which can see one of the most-productive bites of the entire year.
Two neat new fluorocarbon and monofilament fishing lines from Seaguar will help you tackle some of angling’s toughest conditions.
In today’s fishing world, the best companies are making the most of break-through technologies and engineering capabilities, and the results have been impressive. Much of the newest innovation is being focused on products that solve very specific angling conundrums, and anglers everywhere are benefitting. Fishing tackle (maybe most notably bass tackle) is becoming a lot like golf; bass anglers now have specific rods for most any popular presentation, a group as functional as the finest set of custom-built irons.
And lucky for us all, the innovation hasn’t stopped with rods. Now available to mesh with “technique-specific” rods is a variety of equally specialized tackle and fishing lines, and it’s no wonder. To achieve optimal lure presentation and performance, and realize consistent success, all of the pieces of your arsenal need to be working in harmony. Now, increasingly, they can. The only downside? We anglers have less excuses. I’ll take that tradeoff.
Line specialist Seaguar first introduced technique-specific lines in the fall of 2015, with the release of its Flippin’ Braid and Fluoro lines, aimed at anglers doing battle with bass with heavy tackle in heavy cover. Now Seaguar has pulled a proverbial 180, developing a line for bass fanatics who regularly rely on light line and finesse presentations to target big finicky bass: Finesse Fluorocarbon. And just as exciting, Seaguar’s new Rippin’ Monofilament has taken mono construction to a whole new level of performance.
New Finesse Fluorocarbon is a double-structured fluorocarbon (much like Seaguar’s proven TATSU) that combines two custom Seaguar fluorocarbon resins to create a line that is available in smaller diameters, while still delivering superb knot and tensile strength. Since the introduction of fluorocarbon, anglers have had issues with it coming off their spinning reels (standard gear for finesse fishing applications) with a lot of unwanted “memory,” but this issue is now a thing of the past. My testing has proven that Finesse Fluorocarbon is extremely soft and supple, producing very low memory. This unique line is different in other ways as well; standard fishing line uses round whole numbers to designate its line sizing: (for example, Six-, eight-, or 10-pound test), but you’ll find more-precise sizing with Finesse (5.2, 6.2, 7.3 and 8.4 pound test).
Most of us know that finesse presentations require light line, the primary reasons being we are typically utilizing them in gin-clear water where bass have become wary of larger-diameter lines, or the fish are looking for a more-naturally presented lure that only a supple, smaller-diameter line can deliver. Yes, most six- to eight-pound fluorocarbon lines can deliver these, but most won’t deliver the strength and castability that you’ll want. This is where Finesse shines.
Being able to make long casts and not having to deal with line memory will aid in your ability to present your lures effectively. This is key when fishing a drop shot rig in deep water to smallmouth that are hunkered tight to large boulders, which happens regularly on Minnesota’s famed Mille Lacs during the summer months and late fall.
Other finesse fishing applications where Finesse Fluorocarbon shines is when fishing wacky- or Texas-rigged soft-plastic stickbaits, such as the Zoom Fluke Stick (see examples above), around shallow-water targets like boat docks, or when sight-fishing for bedded bass in the spring. In these situations you want to have the finesse properties of a lighter, small-diameter line, but the strength of a higher pound test. This is where the specific pound tests offered by Finesse come into play. If I normally run 8-pound test, but am noticing the bass are extremely finicky, or the water is unusually clear, I can go down to the 7.3-pound Finesse Fluorocarbon and still get similar knot and tensile strength to that 8-pound test, while realizing the benefits of a smaller-diameter, even more-invisible line. That’s a big win.
A very popular (and time-honored) technique for bass fishermen in the Midwest that has now spread to the national scene is the Jig Worm or “Ned Rig.” On the many weed-filled lakes in Minnesota, anglers target bass that feed on the weedlines by tossing a jig worm just beyond the weed edge and when it hangs up, swiftly “pop it” free from the vegetation, triggering consistent reaction strikes. Being able to increase your line rating from 8 to 8.4 pounds, delivers more control over your lure, as well as the fish, as you are fighting them to the boat. So why, you ask, couldn’t you simply increase your line size to standard 10-pound fluorocarbon? Well, many of these lakes now have increasing populations of zebra mussels, which make the water extremely, even unnaturally, clear. The implications are obvious: You will benefit from a smaller-diameter line.
Also new-for-2017 from Seaguar is Rippin’ Premium Monofilament, which provides anglers with a small-diameter monofilament (mono) that is both easy to cast and has remarkable strength. Mono was the very first fishing line most anglers can remember using, and even though some companies have made some improvements over the years, mono technology has mostly been left in the dark with the introduction of premium braided and fluorocarbon lines. Seaguar recognized this snub and developed this monofilament upgrade, which not only features smaller diameters compared to other brands on the market, but also less line stretch, which translates into increased hook-setting power. Another upgrade is the built-in UV protection found in Rippin’ mono; most standard monos break down and otherwise deteriorate quite quickly in comparison, after repeated exposure to the sun’s damaging UV rays.
Seaguar Rippin’ Monofilament is available in pound tests ranging from 4 up to 20, allowing for its use in numerous situations. Two of mono’s best properties are that it floats and has forgiving built-in stretch, a unique combo that does not exist in other fishing lines.
The two key presentations where I like to use Rippin’ Premium Monofilament are when using topwaters and crankbaits (see examples above) on my baitcasting combos. If you use a sinking line when fishing topwaters, the extra drag will pull your lures down into the water, affecting their action. Yes, braid does float, but it doesn’t have mono’s forgiving stretch.
Many times when you are casting topwaters like a walk-the-dog plug or chugger, you are targeting schooling bass that are actively feeding on the water’s surface. This means you want to make the longest casts possible, which this new line delivers. When fishing topwaters in open water, I’ll use 15-pound Rippin’ for my normal-size plugs, and I’ll go down to 12-pound-test when fishing smaller-sized Spooks or poppers.
When fishing buzzbaits around cover or a big Spook around boat docks or over rock bars (like I was doing last fall on Kentucky Lake) I’ll bump up to 20-pound Rippin’. The reason? I get more leverage and control over my bait and when fighting big bass to the boat.
As stated, the reasons I like using mono over braid when fishing topwaters is that it floats and has stretch to it. Forgiving stretch is critical, as most topwaters feature multiple treble hooks, and when you are fighting a bass your mono (paired with the right topwater rod) will deliver that extra margin of forgiveness when hard-fighting fish make those final surges by the boat. The result? Much fewer pull-outs.
Fishing crankbaits is the other presentation in which Rippin’ Monofilament gets spooled on my reels. Here again you’re dealing with lures with multiple treble hooks and I want some stretch in my line to aid in the success in landing hooked bass. Selecting the proper line size for crankbaits revolves around how deep I want my bait to run; the shallower I want to fish, the higher the pound test, and vice versa if I want to work deeper.
So if I’m fishing a square-bill shallow running crankbait around laydowns, say on the Mississippi River (a key fall season presentation), I’ll go with 15-pound Rippin’, to keep my crankbait from burying itself in the timber. In the springtime as the grass is emerging on southern lakes and on the Tennessee River, 20-pound Rippin’ is near-ideal for fishing lipless crankbaits or shallow-running crankbaits over the top of that emerging vegetation, while preventing regular hang-ups.
In the summer if you are fishing offshore rock piles on northern lakes, or, say, a ledge on Kentucky Lake with a big 10XD, you want to achieve the most depth possible with your crankbait. This is when the highest pound test I’ll use is 15, but more likely, I’ll scale down to 12-pound test, as this smaller diameter option will produce less resistance and help me get extra diving depth out of my cranks.
As you start to consider your schedule of angling adventures for the coming season, be mindful of some of the scenarios discussed above, and consider expanding your line arsenal. From my on-the-water testing, I know these two new specialized lines from Seaguar can absolutely impact your fishing success; in tough conditions you will be able to present your lures more naturally, and also, more precisely and efficiently. And that almost always results in more bass in the boat!
Huge muskies. Predatory pike. Trigger more arm-jarring strikes from both of them this season with some exciting new “next-gen” leader technology.
Bass. Trout. Walleyes. And now, muskies and pike? Fluorocarbon has rapidly grown into arguably the most-popular fishing line used by today’s anglers. Bass and walleye fishermen, especially, have showcased how effective low-visibility premium fluorocarbon can be for specific techniques and when targeting pressured fish in clear bodies of water. But what about the toothy critters?
The truth is, more and more smart muskie and northern pike fishermen are starting to realize the many benefits of premium fluorocarbon line as well, largely due to the efforts of fluorocarbon innovators such as Seaguar. For decades stiff (and fish-damaging) wire leaders were the only option thought to be strong enough to handle these 20-plus-pound fish and their many rows of razor-sharp teeth. This has changed over the past 8-10 years. Muskie and pike fishermen are recognizing that premium fluorocarbon is the best leader material for the majority of techniques, and for a variety of reasons, but maybe number one is the line’s near-invisibility that consistently helps draw more strikes from these large wary fish, turning many of those sometimes-maddening inquisitive follows—into solid hookups.
And there’s more good news. Seaguar’s new technique-specific AbrazX Musky & Pike Fluorocarbon Leader material sports true “next-generation” construction, and is built specifically to target these toothy fish. The unique formula is not only highly abrasion resistant, but also allows for thin line diameters while delivering incredible knot and tensile strength. All good things when you’re chasing fish that can inhale half-grown ducklings in a single gulp. Made from 100-percent Seaguar fluorocarbon resins, the new line is extremely soft with low memory, and, as stated, is virtually invisible underwater.
The new line also has caught the attention of legendary muskie angler Pete Maina (releasing a muskie above), whose diligent field-testing has found yet another advantage of the new line. “In battle, big fish often roll; wire leader can cut, remove scales and scratch eyes,” Maina said. “AbrazX is a more giving material. It’s strong enough to give me the confidence that I won’t cut off, yet soft enough to handle well and inflict less damage.”
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Maina has spent a lifetime teaching approaches to target, catch and safely release the king of freshwater predators. “Everything we do today puts emphasis on the best possible handling practices to minimize any negative effects on released fish,” says Maina. “Sometimes it’s the little things like leaders that can have a big impact. We’re shifting our approach from using only wire leaders to tying on fluorocarbon leader material because there is less damage done to the fish.”
Across North America, the number of fishermen targeting muskies, in particular, has exploded in recent years, meaning fish are far more pressured than they were 20 years ago. The most obvious advantage of fluorocarbon is that it is nearly invisible. On some of Minnesota’s most-pressured waters such as Lake Mille Lacs, Minnetonka, Leech and Vermilion, there’s no doubt that lures run behind fluorocarbon are getting bit more often. But the rewards of fluorocarbon don’t stop there.
Beyond invisibility and less fish damage, still another advantage of a premium fluorocarbon leader is its low memory. Gone are the days of kinked and crooked wire leaders that can never be returned to their original state. Fluoro has the flexibility to handle the most-violent strikes, and will even hold up when an angry pike or muskie is thrashing in the net. Thanks to these unique properties, premium fluorocarbon leaders often deliver a much-longer lifespan than wire or even titanium materials.
The new line also has caught the attention of Minnesota-based muskie angler Jack Gavin.
“There are several fluorocarbons on the market today that can be used to build leaders, but Seaguar’s new AbrazX Muskie and Pike Fluorocarbon Leader Material has all the features that a serious big game fisherman could ever want,” Gavin (pictured above) said. “Maybe the number-one misconception shared by some muskie and pike anglers is that regular use of fluorocarbon leaders will produce frequent bite-offs; some of these ‘doubters’ feel that fluoro isn’t strong enough to stand up to the sharp teeth of a muskie or pike, and so don’t want to risk a prize fish swimming off, especially with a $30 bait that would not only result in serious disappointment, but potential harm to the fish.
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“In my experience, these concerns are groundless. I can personally say that I’ve fished fluorocarbon leaders almost exclusively for more than 10 muskie seasons now, and have never experienced a bite off. Not one,” Gavin continued. “And this is with fluoro line possessing nowhere near the quality of Seaguar’s new AbrazX.
“I’ve found AbrazX to not only be highly abrasion resistant and with thin line diameters, its knot strength has been off the charts,” Gavin said. “If you’re using crimps to build your leaders, they lock down tighter than anything I’ve seen, due primarily to the soft-but-strong qualities of this new Seaguar fluorocarbon. Since we’ve started using AbrazX to build our muskie leaders we’ve seen zero signs of wear and tear to the leaders, even after several fish catches. As stated, I’ve been a fan of fluorocarbon leaders for muskies for years, but after using Seaguar’s AbrazX material, it’s become obvious this technology has taken a serious leap forward.”
AbrazX Musky & Pike Leader Material is packaged in 25-yard coils in a zippered, reusable bag. It is available in 80 lb., 90 lb., 100 lb. and 130 lb. test sizes.
Bass fishing can be very productive around manmade structures—docks are a prime example. Despite all the disruptive human activity, public and private docks will consistently hold summertime bass. Using the flipping technique, plus some other insider strategies, will help you catch more bass all summer long.