will a 9ft tapered mono leader in a 2x size be sufficient for landing a Jack with an 8wt rod? i have no choice in the rod/line weight, but can change my selection of leader if it’s not decent enough. i haven’t read if Jacks have sharp teeth or anything so advice is welcome. thanks.
Perfectloop,
I may be totally wrong, but 2x equates to 9lb test by my chart. I have had some Jacks on 15lb test that I didn’t think I would get in and they weren’t all that big. If it were me, I would beef it up a bit. Again it probably depends on the size of the Jacks.
They sure are a ball to catch.
oops. i have a mess of leaders here and my redfish leaders are actually 9-10ft 12lb. i think i’ll stock up on some 15-20lbs leaders too.
Tie on an 18" bite tippet of 25lb fluoro with a double surgeons knot to the end of the tapered leader & don’t worry about a 9 lb crevalle stealing the fly ! 8)
These fish are not at all leader shy so I’d go bigger if I were you. I’ve spent more than my fair share of time catching Jack Crevalle from the TX right around to the Carolina’s and south to Belize. They pull VERY HARD and are probably one of the strogest fighting fish that swims. When I’m targetitng them I simply tie a leader (36" of 40lb, 30" of 30lb 18" of 22lb (10kg) and 12" of 40lb as shock tippet. I use Seaguar Fluorocarbon as leader material. Yes, I said they are not leader shy but I like the increased abrasion resistance and faster sink rate. Plus you never knwo what else might be looking at your fly that is leader shy.
A 10 pounder can wear you out and a real big one can make you rethink your life choices :lol:
Have fun and don’t forget the Advil! :shock:
PS - No they do not have sharp teeth but they are rough like a bass and can abraid through a leader during a long fight. The sharpness comes in as you move back on the fish. The caudal peduncle (narrow area just forward of the tail) is armed with specialized scales that are sharp as a knife. They will cut your leader easily and you hands even easier. Use a glove if you plan to grab them in that spot.
i just landed my first ever Jack BUT, it was on a trout rod (light baitcaster setup) with a Super Spook plug so to me, it doesn’t count hehe. it fought like a dickens and took me a while to bring in, but my gear held up well except for the lure which lost two of the three trebles. i was using 12# mono with a 20# floro leader tied uni-to-uni. lure was tied with a non-slip mono loop.
so what type of material are you using for your leaders? with a single tapered leader costing over $7.00 at some shops, i think i’ll start to tie my own leaders assuming it doesn’t have to be 100% floro. will something like Berkley Big Game suffice? thanks for the info.
Um, I beg to differ on the subject of jack crevalle and teeth.
POMPANO, which resemble jacks, do not have teeth.
JACKS, however, have a pair of sewing needles in their jaw that WILL inflict severe damage upon anyone unwise enough to stick a thumb into their mouth.
And yes, they are my favorite fish to catch on fly because of the incredible fight. Plus the fact that since they run in schools you might catch 10 of them. Great fun.
BTW–the tarpon that ran away when the last cold front hit the Gulf are coming back. Good numbers of fish off the beaches now.
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony