Wadefishing, particularly walk-in wadefishing, has a unique dilemma, in that you must carry all of your gear on your body, since there is no kayak, truck, or backpack to store your extra stuff. Your tackle box is usually your only storage space, and space is at a premium.
With that being said, not packing extra leader material would be a huge mistake. Imagine wading off into the distance, casting as you walk. All of a sudden, you realize you’re snagged on something underwater but you can’t quite tell what it is. You whip your rod a couple of times to try to free the snag, but your lure is still stuck. Before you can say “what the hell”, you line goes limp, and you realize you’ve lost your lure and leader to the snag. Your line was likely severed by a barnicle-encrused pipe or an oyster reef.
The above scenario has happened to me. If you don’t have the extra leader material, you either have to end your wade and head back to shore, or you continue fishing with just your main line. Neither of these situations are ideal, but luckily, there a couple of easy ways to carry spare leaders.
#1. Use an old-school film canister. You can store spare leaders inside the film canister, and it will handily fit inside your tackle box. The only downside to this is that film canisters are fairly rare these days, and you may only have the option of ordering them online in bulk.
#2. Use a plastic coin canister. Use the coin container the same way you would use the film canister above. I recommend getting the “Quarter” size coin canister if you can, because it will be easier to fit you finger tips inside to access the leaders. You can usually find coin canisters at Hobby Lobby.
Usually I try to carry two (2) spare leaders, each 2-3 ft long. Just coil the leaders around your fingers, secure them with blue painter’s tape (if desired) and stuff them inside the canister.
Like this:
Now you’ll never be without a a spare leader! Although this method has been a necessity for me on walk-in wadefishing trips, this is a great way to carry spare leaders on shore fishing and kayak fishing trips as well.
Have a reel good day,
– The Simple Fisherman