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i use a long steel leader on mine with no problem
I use 17lb fluorocarbon., and about 10 feet of it.
malin boa no kink is good stuff thin and 100% bite proof, hell would freeze over before i would switch to fluorocarbon.
I use 20-30 pound wire, black. I would not reccomend using 17 pound flourocarbon, but to each there own.
I've never been bit off yet. Use your wire, and I'll use my mono/flouro, and we'll see who has more hook ups. Ilikepike my buddy has probably landed more pike big pike in a season than most have done in their life, and he uses 15lb maxima, which I just bought, and am switching to.I guess the following pike that were caught on 15lb maxima, and 17lb vanish were mistakes, and not having any biteoffs was also a mistake. These fish range from 14-23.5lbs It doesn't matter what you use, but I can guarrenty that you will have 90% more hookups using mono or flouro compared to steel leaders. You just can't horse the fish in, you have to play them out. I may also add that yesterday ilikepike got a 39.5" 15+ lb northern on 8lb vanish.
you guys aren't dealing with enough big fish to prove anything, posting pictures of 2 fish doesn't really make me believe that 17 lb fluorocarbon is bite proof. Is fluorocarbon tougher than mono, yes. Is it 100% bite proof?? no. One trip to tobin lake and you guys would be scrambling to find some wire.