I know there's a lot of guys out there that use 20-25lb fluoro as a leader on their braided setups in clearer water and tying with blood knots or uni-uni. I don't care as much about invisibity as I do abraision resistance for pike. There's small tournaments where my buddies and I stopped fishing because even if we won, we lost so much $$$ in jigs and tungsten weights that the winnings weren't worth the gas and entry (getting bit off with 65lb power pro usually). I was thinking about using something like a 2'-4' section of Seaguar blue label in 40lb or 50lb to tie to frogs, tungsten flipping setups, and swim jigs. Does anyone have experience using the real heavy fluorocarbon? Is there a more preferred knot when tying the braid to the much larger diameter (0.016" vs 0.024-0.026") fluorocarbon? I'm thinking I'd probably have to slide a piece of heatshrink over that knot to help it slide through the weeds better anyway.

If you are trying to use 40lb fluoro to keep from getting bit off, you might be surprised when you keep losing lures. Musky guys use 100 to 140lb fluoro leaders and there is still no guarantee cause they can still cut that line. 

If your not worried about invisibility why not just use a steel leader for the toothy critters.

Well, I am worried about visibility, but I know that fluoro won't be any worse (and would likely be better) than the 65lb braid I know they'll hit on. A steel leader could have a little more glint on a sunny day in shallow weeds. The other thing would be trying to snell it onto a straight shank hook for flipping. I realize that fluro won't work 100% of the time, and I'll still get bit off. But if I only lose $15 in tackle over the course of a day vs $30, over the long run that would be a big win.

I have had pike bite thru 60lb floro. Consider using a single strand titanium leader in 10-15lb test instead. Your other choice is to up the size baits you are using. Larger baits will be less likely to get bit off because of their size.

I got a 34" musky bite through my 130# FC one day when it was in the net thrashing around. Just run braid. And heavy FC just isn't easy to manage and just is big and gawdy

Well, I am worried about visibility, but I know that fluoro won't be any worse (and would likely be better) than the 65lb braid I know they'll hit on. A steel leader could have a little more glint on a sunny day in shallow weeds. The other thing would be trying to snell it onto a straight shank hook for flipping. I realize that fluro won't work 100% of the time, and I'll still get bit off. But if I only lose $15 in tackle over the course of a day vs $30, over the long run that would be a big win.

Skip the flouro and go with 40 lb Ande. The modified albright knot works well. 

I have had pike bite thru 60lb floro. Consider using a single strand titanium leader in 10-15lb test instead.

 

I got a 34" musky bite through my 130# FC one day when it was in the net thrashing around.

 

 

All good input. Sticking with the braid is the fall back if I don't find anything better. I have read quite a bit about the titanium leaders. I also found a product called "knot 2 kinky" that's a single strand nickel-titanium alloy which, as the name inplies, resists kinking and can be tied in knots. I might experiment with that as well.

welcome to the forum.  i would  still find some steel leaders of some sort if youre knowingly fishing for pike and musky. where about in MN are you fishing?

Try tuf-line tuf leader. Its is a wire leader, but it has very similar characteristics to braid. Thought it might work.

welcome to the forum.  i would  still find some steel leaders of some sort if youre knowingly fishing for pike and musky. where about in MN are you fishing?

 

Live in the Twin Cities, but do most of my more serious bass fishing up north between Grand Rapids, Duluth, and Ely.

 

Try tuf-line tuf leader. Its is a wire leader, but it has very similar characteristics to braid. Thought it might work.

 

 

I'll look into that too.