Learned something new about leaders

[senkosam]

I'm not into using wire leaders with finesse lures just like a fly fisherman wouldn't with trout flies. But a few days ago after getting bit off again by a pickerel, I figured, what the hey, why not use a thin, 3" stainless-steel wire leader on jigs less than 1/8 oz? I've caught a variety of fish on a Beetle Spin, so why not on a leader?


The duo-lock clip is small and takes any size jighead (my forte for all species). As soon as I hit the lake I caught fish, and I'm talking the smallest white perch I ever caught! After that, small sunnies and bass along with decent size crappie, yellow perch and a catfish no less!


48 fish was proof enough that the clip on a thin stainless steele wire did no harm and in fact may have added to the lure's appeal.

I used to mostly target bass, but at 75 I'm happy to feel the stike and anticipation of finding out what's hooked and fighting to get free. You never know before the fish starts fighting what and how big. Using finesse lures on light action rods to catch fish is challenging and now pickerel can not rob me of my lures. (Few pickerel swallow lures like bass and are hooked just inside the lip.)

Large numbers don't mean much in that small fish are counted, but numbers equate to the success of finding fish in a variety of places and then catching them. It gives me an idea of how active fish were in general on that day - photo examples stored in folders on my home pc. Lure design changes are also documented -remaking those that do well - an activity related to fishing when I can't fish.

To me learning and relearning on the water is a big part of fishing and sure as hell beats fishing the same way with the same lures for the same fish year after year.