Leader Rant - Toxic Rainwear - Monster Muskies

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Is Waterproof Rainwear Going Away?

Every year there are more companies popping up that are making what appears to be fairly high end rain gear. Yet strangely, it seems like it’s getting a lot harder than it used to be to find rain gear that is truly waterproof. How can this be?

Many of the guides have a saying . . . “If it’s not Gore-Tex then it’s not waterproof.” However, over the past few years, it seems like there are less and less rain gear manufacturers using Gore-Tex in their gear.

This video by MyLifeOutdoors came up in our feed recently and gave us some insights into why we are seeing this trend.

 

It’s an interesting and well done video that explains among others things that Gore-Tex products contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAs (aka “forever chemicals”).

PFAs are bad for us as humans as well as the environment. But Gore-Tex is so good at repelling water, some companies were afraid not to use it while others started working with alternative options.

So that explains why Gore-Tex has been getting harder to find. The video led us down a rabbit hole to an article in PIQUE NewsMagazine.

Here’s a few excerpts we found interesting . . .

“According to a ruling in California, all products treated with forever chemicals will be completely banned in that state starting in January 2025.

This is part of a domino effect across all of North America, with stores clearing whole sections of rain jackets and Gore-Tex itself pulling its existing products.

Pretty soon, it will be significantly harder to find a jacket with this form of waterproofing. According to Whistler outdoor enthusiast and Pique columnist Vince Shuley, that's actually a good thing.”

"I think it's going to be an interesting time for the outdoor industry sector. The days of unfettered waterproofness at any cost are now behind us," he says.

"My understanding is the more environmentally friendly something gets, the less waterproof it is. That applies for the membrane, the inside fabric, as well as the chemical spray repellant."

"This means the existing Gore-Tex coats may become prized possessions, particularly for those whose job requires staying warm and dry in extreme conditions.”

Before any of you throw away your current Gore-Tex gear or stampede your local retailer for the last remaining garments, the article also shares that Gore-Tex has made some changes . . .

“On its website, the next generation of Gore-Tex products is already on proud display. ‘We believe we have a responsibility to help find solutions that lead to a better tomorrow. The EPE (expanded polyethylene) membrane in next-generation Gore-Tex products is a key milestone in our responsible performance journey,’ it reads.”

“The new material is ‘light and thin, yet strong, and it's PFAS-free.’”

So whether you’re planning to buy or get rid of your Gore-Tex gear, you may want to look into which version of Gore-Tex you’re dealing with.

There’s more to unpack regarding health and environmental concerns than we can squeeze in the newsletter so be sure to check out the vid and article for more deets!

 

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Expo Season Almost Here

Strangely enough, this is a busy time of year in the musky world, despite the fact that most of the "Musky Belt" is iced up.

Show season is just around the corner and everyone's scramblin' to get ready. Lots of new gear will be "unveiled" - bucktails, hard baits, softbaits, leaders, storage systems - it's Christmas round two for us musky heads!

Here's a quick look at some of the upcoming shows.

🔹Chicago Muskie Expo (Jan 17-19) 

🔹Ohio Musky Show (Jan 24-26) 

🔹New York Musky Expo (Feb 1-2) 

🔹Milwaukee Muskie Expo (Feb 14-16)

🔹Muskie Max Expo, Pennsylvania (Mar 1-2)

🔹Minnesota Muskie Show (Mar 7-9) 

🔹Muskie Odyssey (Mar 8) 

🔹Wisconsin Musky Expo (Mar 14-16) 

For those of you who haven’t figured out your 2025 budget yet, it’s time to get on that! 💰

The Chicago Show is less than two weeks away. It should be a fun show to kick things off. Several of our Musky Insider PRO  instructors will be seminar speakers including Spencer Berman, Jason Quintano, and Josh Borovsky. There will be several other instructors in the building as well. Be sure to stop by and say hello to us if you make it to the show! 

 

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Leader Rant

If you spend any time on social media or musky related forums, it seems like whenever someone asks a question about what type of leaders to use, someone will inevitably mention that they use fluorocarbon in their lineup along with someone mentioning they use a snap vs. a split ring. That’s usually all it takes for the “Leader Police” to come out of the wood work in full force.

In almost gang like fashion, hoards of keyboard warriors will jump on anyone who uses fluorocarbon material and/or a snap implying anyone doing so is a “bonehead” and destined to lose a fish because of it.

The mentality seems to be, anything less than the strongest most robust leader with the strongest material, and strongest connections is going to cost you a fish due to a failure.

While there is the possibility you may lose a fish because of a failure, there is a 100% chance you are going to lose fish no matter what type of leader you use.

What if one particular type of leader causes you to lose one fish out of 1,000 due to a failure, and another type of leader causes you to lose (or not catch) 300 fish out of a 1,000 for reasons other than a failure. Which leader are you using?

Musky Insider PRO instructor Josh Borovsky posed that question when he weighed in with his thoughts on the topic.

I think there’s a lot of false assumptions being made in regard to leaders. Everybody errors on the side of heavy duty and 'no weak links'... and that's where their considerations stop.

The action, sound, and performance of the bait matters a LOT when it comes to triggering and catching fish. But all these factors can vary greatly for specific baits depending on leader length, material, thickness, along with whether the connecting ends feature a swivel, welded ring, direct tie, snap, or split ring.

There are layers to each and every one of these variables for each bait and leader combination. Here’s just one example looking at split rings vs snaps:

Action

Some baits have better action with a snap and some have better action with a split ring. I use both depending on the bait and situation.

Efficiency/Boat Control

If the above are equal, I think you’re getting more bites and catches with a snap. Changing split rings costs you time, casts, and hurts your boat control especially if it’s windy and you’re a guide swapping out multiple baits. Those things get amplified when fishing after dark.

Strongest Link?

Some anglers prefer split rings because they want to avoid snap failures, but I've yet to have a Stay-Lok snap fail in my boat.... and I've seen split rings fail more than once.

Why Did the Failure REALLY Happen?

In my opinion, the most important factor, whether you're using snaps or split rings, is occasionally checking them for wear, weakness or partial openings.

That should eliminate 90% of the issues we run into. The other 10% can be attributed to people over-pressuring and horsing fish.

This is just one example looking at a snap vs a split ring on one end of the leader. But there’s plenty of other layers to consider . . . 

More on Action and Depth

It’s the same deal with the other end of the leader. Some baits have better action depending on whether it’s a direct tie, welded ring, or swivel and it can also effect depth.

Noise/Vibration and Bouyancy

Leader material and diameter can dampen or increase the noise and vibration of your bait and there’s a time and place for both depending on the situation, not to mention variances in buoyancy with these materials.

Everything has a trade off. In my opinion, you want to maximize the amount of fish you catch without a catastrophic failure vs. ONLY focusing on avoiding the catastrophic failure.

Regardless, of the type of leader you decide to go with, the folks over at Stealth Tackle have endless options of high quality leaders and components for all your bait slingin’ preferences. Check 'em out or stop by their booth at the upcoming Chicago Muskie Expo.

 

 

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This Week's Mashup:

Mashup time!

#1 – How bout’ this video of swimmin’ with the ‘skie’s by Devin Welch.

#2 – A troll but not for trolling. Greg Nimmer is always cookin’ up creative new entrées for the musky menu like this one of a kind topwater bait.

#3 – Alex Conforte created this 56” musky on 4 sections of canvas. Looks like it’s about ready for a meal! 👀

#4 – Just tweaking some numbers for my 2025 budget after looking at spending for 2024.

 

 

 

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QUICK HITTERS:

– Top 5 MUSKY BAITS of 2024 (video) w/ 54 or Bust

– Reading Muskie Water: How to KNOW Where to GO! | Whiteboard Educational Vlog! (video) w/ Musky Mastery

– Secret Santa Christmas Gift Exchange With THE MUSKIE HUNKS (video) w/ Beyond The 8

– Barometric pressure and shenanigans - Episode 33 - The Spot Burn Podcast (video) w/ Musky Fool Fly Fishing Co.

– December Muskies w/Rowan Stramm + Year In Wrap Up (link) w/ Muskies On Tap

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