I’ve been using about a 6 ft. leader made out of Fireline when fishing topwater flies for bass. Earlier this year I was using the standard monofilament leaders and getting strike after strike but few hookups. I finally started pointing the rod at the popper, removing all slack and then strip striking. I started getting more bass but still a frustrating number of misses. Then one day I was out trying a new 10 wt. I had just bought and getting many more hookups and that got me to thinking that 10 wt has a much stiffer tip that my 8 wt that I had been using. So I began using my 9 wt and getting still more hookups but still missing and loosing more fish that I liked. Then I noticed all the stretch in mono and thought I’ll try Fireline as that has no stretch but is quite stiff. I made a leader using about 4 ft of 30 lb. test and then, because 30 lb test Fireline so stiff and heavy, added about 2 ft of 15 lb. test crystal Fireline using a double surgeons knot and then tied the bass bug on using a no slip loop knot. Eureka! Sucess.
Now I rarely miss a strike and the fish stay hooked ;also I don’t have to set the hook nearly as hard as when I was using a mono leader. When I get very few strikes a night as I am no it’s nice to know I can hook and land nearly all the fish that bite.
Has anyone else tried this?
Furled leaders made with crystal Fireline have those qualities.
I love fireline.
Don’t like the crystal though. It doesn’t behave like the dark stuff.
I also like to play with trolling wire for deeper presentation leaders too. It also doesn’t stretch.
Sticky sharp hooks are still important for hooking fish though.
A charter capt that fishes for musky uses 50# fireline for leaders with no wire—he says they cant bite it off.
Looks like I need a spool of Fireline 
u make furled leaders with 30# fireline??
Nope …4#
Ducksterman, I had no idea furled leaders were, or could be made of fireline. Are these leaders you made yourself or can you buy them?
Shorthaul, I suspected fireline would make a passable bite leader for pike since it so so tough but muskies? 50 lb test must be really tough. Now I’m wondering if 30 lb test would be heavy enough to use for pike so I could dispense with wire.
I’m so pleased with the results I’m getting with fireline leaders that I may give up mono leaders except when I need a leader that fish can’t see or need the cushioning of mono for one reason or another. And, of course fireline isn’t as flexable as mono either but for bass and bluegills it doesn’t seem to be much of a handicap as a no slip loop knot seems to let the flies work the way they are supposed to. At least the fish are still biting on my flies
My opinion may change as I gain more experince but for now this is what it is.
Couldn’t have said it any better myself:)
Shane
I have used 30# fireline for pike and have had bite-offs - and these were not large fish. Also tried 30# flourocarbon and had the same experience (two in one morning before I switched). I keep defaulting to wire, even in bass/pike situations where I’d really rather leave the wire at home.
Years ago I got some heavy kevlar tippet material, which, unfortunately, I can’t seem to find anymore. It works great for pike - have not had a bite-off yet but it will fray over time…TIM
I haven’t missed/lost many bass with my 5wt or 6wt. Like you, I also like using bass popper flies at dusk and on into the dark. The rods I use are fast -action rods, so may be a little stiffer, and may provide the necessary backbone to offset the affect of leader-stretch?
I’m wondering why you’ve chosen relatively heavy rods for largemouth bass fishing? How big are the flies you’re throwing?
I’ve heard there’s some big smallies over by Sioux City…in the tribs off the Missouri?
You’ve provided some VERY interesting insight, which many of us can apply to our fishing, or at least encourage thoughtful consideration to your solution. Heck, I love using Fireline on my spinning gear!
FishnDave,
Frankly I haven’t used my 5 wt. much for throwing deer hair bass bugs much mostly because my Helios 8 wt is so darned light and easy to cast and because if I want to throw some mega divers or streamers I don’t have to change rods. And the 8 wt seems to be OK most of the time for the smaller stuff. If I want a to fish smaller flies my rod of choice is my Superfine 7-11 4 wt It is so easy and light to cast and occasionally I surprise myself with the distance I can get out of it. I love it for crappies and bluegills.
I might have been missing a lot of topwater strikes because of some flaw in my technique but the fireline provides an easy way out.
I don’t know about the big smallies in the Missouri. I’ve caught a few out of the marina and a few other spots but as I don’t have any boat but my kayak I haven’t explored the river much for them. There is an annual bass tournament here and a few anglers reported catching 50 bass in one day in the Missouri up near Ponca. The river is more natural there and has much better smallie fishing than down here in the channelized river.
Incidentally the winners of that tournament usually have fish that avearge a little over 2.25 lbs.
Ian Colin James has been promoting the Fireline leader for years:
I’ve noticed I miss fewer fish since I went to barbless flies as well.
cycler68,
I hear you about tossing bigger bass flies…I noticed definite limitations with my 5wt when tossing bigger Crease Flies for bass, for instance. Struggled to toss ‘em more than about 30’. The 6wt handled them much better, and they would probably be comparatively effortless with the 8wt.
A buddy of mine that grew up in Sioux City, and moved back there again from Ankeny just a few years ago was pretty disappointed with the fishing opportunities around Sioux City. I kind of spoiled him when I showed him some of the places here in Central Iowa.
He’s since started a family, so he doesn’t get out fishing very often these days. But I tried to research some possibilities for him, and recall reading an article about BIG smallies in the springtime when they move out of the big river into the smaller creeks/streams in/around Sioux City to spawn.
I’m not very familiar with that area, so I can’t tell you where these particular tributaries are. The article did say that they were fairly small waters, and really weren’t accessible by boat from the big river, due to deadfalls. I just wanted to mention it in case you get a chance to give 'em a try this Fall or next Spring. If you get into some big fish, I’d sure like to hear about it/see your fish pictures!
(I know this post is a bit off-topic, but I wasn’t successful in sending you a PM.)
FishnDave,
If you buddy doesn’t mind fishing for big largemouths Browns lake it the place to go. It has the reputation for kicking out a few bucketmouths in the 7 lb. class each year. I fish Snyder’s Bend frequently with my yak and though I haven’t quite figured out how to score on the bass consistently when I get one it’s usually a pretty good one. No monsters yet but I’m working on it. And I have seen a pretty good number of nice bass caught by other anglers at Snyders.