I was out tonight, trolling the connecticut river in Vermont. I started with two polls dragging a texas tie on config with two very large looking plastic worms. I was dropping them deep with, hell, had to be an ounce and some change head. Anyways, I was getting no hits so I switched to a couple of spinners I was dropping with makeshift down riggers. After a bit I seen my pole bend over, so I real it in, than bam! I was fighting something fierce! However,it slacked, and I reeled in a freshwater clam, must have hooked a branch on the bottom or something.

Keeping to the spinners I got another hit, reeled it in, and found a micro rock bass, reeled in the second rod and had the same outcome. I tossed both spinners back in, and in a few minutes, had a hit similar to how the rockie hit it, then complete slack. Brought the line in to see what was up, but my spinner was completely gone. For curiosities sake, I brought in the other rod, and sure as snitzle, that spinner was gone also. Being the fisher I am, I assumed I was trolling into fish with teeth, so I said hell, how about 10" of 30 lb steel leader. Rigged it up, with a weighted spinner, 4 minutes later, gone, bit right through the leader.

Keep in mind I'm trolling, I have had a similar situation a few years back, only to find it was a snapping turtle, that wasn't the case this afternoon.

1. I have no Idea what was destroying my light tackle.

2. How do I catch it.

I have never heard of any muskie or pike biting through a steel leader. Did you get part of the leader back or was the whole thing gone? I'd probably try a longer and heavier pound titanium leader and try trolling whatever muskie lures are popular in your area. If it bites through that leader, I'd get off the water before it decides it wants a bigger meal

Cut through a 30 lb. leader ? Try about a 1/4 piece a dynamite.

You are gonna need a bigger boat...

100# flouro leaders are the most popular option for leaders any more. I've heard of guys loosing fish not because the fish bit through the steel, but it gets a small kink and snaps on the hit. Granted, that is with short line speed trolling where there is little shock absorption, so may not apply here.