How do you know when to use swivels, metal leaders, or nothing at all when attaching your lure?

metal leaders make it so that fish wont bite through.  swivels prevent line twist.  use these on weightless worms, jerkbaits, etc.  

i use snap swivels on crankbaits, topwater, and weightless soft plastics. i just tie directly to t-rigged soft plastics and spinnerbaits. i never use leaders.

I often put a barrel swivel in the line when fishing weightless plastics.  That also gives me a slight leader.  The swivel reduces line twist that is bad with unweighted plastics like flukes, worms and adds a little weight.  

I use duolock snaps all the time. Metal leaders when I feel the chances are high for a toothy fish biteoff, but I must admit, I'm inconsistent with the leaders. Sometimes I use them preventatively, other times only after I've actually experienced biteoffs. No hard and fast rules that I'm aware of. I use swivels only with lures like inline spinners.

only place i use swivels or leaders is salt water, I'm weird :-p

reason is I feel life like action is nessecary in fresh water with no current, so i feel a dangling little brass or black thing a foot away from my lure , or attached right too it distracts the fish, Maybe I just over think.

hey Desslok. I'm not saying that you are right or wrong i just think that how is a little snap on the front of a lure going to distract a fish anymore than a treble hook on a crankbait or the wire shaft on a spinnerbait.

I never use a swivel or a leader except in conjunction with the C-rig. For toothy critters I'm sure you probably need a steel leader, but the only thing around here like that are gar and I don't care if they breakoff!

yeah,what he said!!! ;D

Stainless leaders for toothy swimmers like Northerns.

I like to use swivels only when I'm using spinning tackle...this reduces line twist and will usually keep your line from spooling and twisting off of your spool.

I always tie directly to jigs and plastics with either a Trilene knot(personal favorite), Improved clinch knot or the simple but effective palomar knot.  And with any knot, lube it with some saliva before pulling it tight and it really slides it down and locks in tightly.  Trim your tag end of your line and catch me a monster!

I use spining gear only so i always put a plain barrel swivel on the tag end of my line to prevent twist then I put between 12 to 18 inches of leader If Im using a worm I use a polymar knot right to the hook If a plug I use a plain ol rapala snap(Cabelas work good too) this helps the action of the plugs betterr and makes it easy to change lures Just make sure to check your line and knots frequently

i most always use snaps when attaching my lures.  its easy and quick, but just remember its not a reason to neglect checking your line, you still ahve to check it time to time, or it will break when you least want it too. barrel swivels are used on c-rigs, in line spinners like rooster tails, and weightless soft plastics ( i seem to think they cause the most line twist vs. weighted plastics)  but thats it for me.  as for  steel/wire leaders i dont use them. i will tie on flouro as a leader if i need to, or on c-rigs.  this is just what i do, and everyone has a different approach.  hope this helps.

About Snaps, if using directly to the lure - do we use the standard pointed snap or should we use the rounded ones?  I have tried the pointed style with Lipless Cranks and they affect the retreive so i stopped using them.  If the rounded one will work it would make my limited fishing time a little easier.

I never use a swivel or a leader except in conjunction with the C-rig

Same here with a couple of exceptions-a floating worm and a roller rig, and then it is there to help with line twist.

Before you ask ;D, roller rig:

http://www.***/articles/senko-fishing.shtml

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I only use swivels on a c-rig.  I never use steel leaders mainly because I don't fish for toothy fish.  I am not a big fan of snap swivels.  Yes they are quick and easy to switch lures, but not using one forces you to retie which is always a good thing.  The ones I used in the past didn't seem al that strong either.

Hey Tenka, for crankbaits just use a round snap, not a snap swivel. I like to use the fast-lock styles, not the interlock, but that's just my preferance. I get the black ones in small sizes.