Do You Need a Wire Leader for Bass?

Conventionally, most bass leaders will be made of fluorocarbon, which is the material that many anglers are using nowadays.

And while such leaders will work most of the time, there can be situations in which you could end up needing a wire leader for bass instead.

For bass fishing per se, you don’t need to use a wire leader, as their teeth do not manage to cut through fluorocarbon line. But in waters that hold a lot of pike or musky, using a thinner wire leader of 10-12lb can reduce the risk of getting bite-offs significantly.

If you want to know what type of wire leader is best suited for bass fishing and exactly when you should use it, all you have to do is continue reading.

When Should You Use a Wire Leader for Bass?

If you are bass fishing in waters that hold northern pike or muskie, using a thin and stealthy wire leader can be a smart move if the toothy predators are attracted to your bass lures or baits and you want to prevent bite-offs.

Pike especially will often be found in areas in which there are bass and as you are using lures that imitate some form of prey, which both pike and bass will go after, getting the occasional pike bite is often unavoidable.

Of course, it’s entirely up to you if you want to take that risk or not. But getting line breaks and losing your precious tackle can be extremely frustrating, especially if you are a beginner.

Not only that, but bass lures and leaders can be quite expensive too, which makes a bite-off hurt even more.

So, if you want to keep both your catches and your tackle, a wire leader with the appropriate pound test is the logical choice for you.

What Pound Test Wire Leader for Bass Fishing?

When it comes to bass and wire leaders, you’ll have to make sure to use a wire that’s as thin, soft, and stealthy as possible!

Bass are line shy fish that will punish you for using a wire leader (or any type of leader, really) that’s too thick and stiff. They’ll take note and avoid your bait, trust me on that!

And so, a wire leader of a maximum of 12lb test is definitely recommended for bass fishing.

Will it withstand all of the brutal pike bites you’re gonna get? Probably not, but compared to a 12lb fluorocarbon leader, it’ll definitely do a much better job and give you decent protection against those sharp teeth.

Pro Tip: Always check your wire leader for weak points and abrasion after a pike bite. If you detect the flaws in time, you can put on a new leader and reduce the risk of bite-offs even more!

How Long Should a Wire Leader for Bass Be?

As the length of the leader doesn’t really have any negative impacts on your catch rate (if you use the right type of wire material), you can safely use a longer leader of at least 10-15 inches.

Such a length will make it harder for the pike or musky to get to your actual mainline, even if you’re fishing with smaller and lighter lures or softbaits that they can, and often will, swallow.

But, once again, in order to get the most out of your wire leader, it will have to be made of a fairly flexible and soft material, especially at such a length.

RELATED ARTICLE: Largemouth Bass in Muddy Water: Best Lures and Colors

If it is too stiff and hard, which is often the case when it comes to ready-rigged wire leaders, it will impact your bait presentation and lure movement quite substantially.

What Is the Best Wire Leader for Bass Fishing?

American Fishing Wire always makes the best leaders. No matter the species, they’ve got your back! And trust me, when it comes to bass wire leaders, it’s not at all easy to find a suitable material.

Luckily though, AFW has got just the right leader! Their Surflon Micro Ultra is probably one of the smoothest and softest wire leaders on the market today.

It is the perfect combination of flexibility, softness, and stealth, which are the 3 main components to look for in a bass wire leader.

Additionally, it is super sensitive, which means that it will let you feel any tiny knock and nibble on your lure.

If connected to your braid mainline with a micro swivel, it will create a direct and perfect link between your hand and rod on the one end, and your lure on the other end, especially as you can actually knot this wire material!

I do not exaggerate when I claim that it’ll almost feel like a conventional mono or fluoro leader. It’s really that soft and bendable.

I know that you might have reservations concerning using wire for bass, but if you have pike problems in your waters, just try it out, you won’t regret it! If you do, just make sure

You can find the AFW Surflon Micro Ultra on Amazon here

When Not to Use Wire Leaders for Bass?

If you are fishing for bass in lakes that do not hold any pike or musky, there is really no need for a wire leader at all. Also, clear water conditions are not really optimal for wire leaders when targeting bass.

In both cases, you should instead go for a fluorocarbon leader option. In waters where the threat of bite-offs is nonexistent, fluorocarbon is simply the very best choice for bass.

It’s a material that is very durable and abrasion-resistant, even at a lower pound test. Additionally, fluorocarbon is the perfect stealth leader, which is a definite advantage when it comes to bass fishing.

And that brings us to fishing in clear water. No matter how stealthy and coated your wire leader may be, it’s still gonna be visible in clear water conditions. This can most certainly have a negative effect, as bass actually can actually see darker colors quite well underwater.

And so, a nearly invisible, light fluorocarbon leader that the bass won’t be able to spot is a much better choice in such conditions.

RELATED ARTICLE: Largemouth Bass in Clear Water: Best Lures and Colors

Can Bass Bite Through Fluorocarbon?

Even though bass have teeth, they generally do not manage to cut through fluorocarbon leaders, which is why it is pretty safe to use such a leader when targeting bass (if the bigger predators are not a threat that is).

However, your fluoro leader should have a certain minimal strength and diameter, as linebreaks do occasionally occur, even when fishing for bass.

So, in order to be safe, rather than sorry, make sure you are using a fluorocarbon leader of at least 12lb. Depending on the material you are using, the optimal strength would probably be a 15lb test!

Unless you are fishing over or near heavy weeds or other dangerous snags, which will demand a fluorocarbon leader strength of around 20lb instead.

You can find the perfect fluorocarbon leader for bass on Amazon here

Such diameter is still very stealthy and if you are using a softer material, the bass won’t get spooked by your leader at all.

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Featured image courtesy of Andre Charron