Best Pike leader suggestions?

[TIBS]

I'm looking for some suggestions on Pike leaders for tip-ups.  I'd like to not use steel if possible.  What are you guys using for line & hook combos?

[ejdelvo28]

I use 30lb fluorocarbon leader line on a quickstrike rig.  I've never had a gator bite me off.

[DR.SPECKLER]

I use 20# mono that I have leftover spools of from catfishing.play them right and rarely have a bite off.i use  circle hooks and it gets them right in the corner of the mouth.if not circles I use trebles in size 4 or 6.

[WolfPack1]

When I use em I like Seaguar Blue label leader specific line. 25lb, great stuff and not one breakoff!

[bootstrap]

^^^YUP^^^^

[TIBS]

I use 20# mono that I have leftover spools of from catfishing.play them right and rarely have a bite off.i use  circle hooks and it gets them right in the corner of the mouth.if not circles I use trebles in size 4 or 6.

What size circle hooks?

[DR.SPECKLER]

What size circle hooks?

1/0 to 3/0 offset circles.i like gamas or diachii.i don't like trebles unless I plan on keeping a few pike.no hooks in gullets with circle hooks.i walk to the tipup and if its spinning I just pinch and put pressure on the line and start hauling the fish in.no hookset or it wont work.if the tipup is not spinning I slowly grab the line till I feel weight of fish and start bringing the fish in.ive not lost 1 fish yet.

[Bigassbassman]

50# fluoro, use a crimper for hooks and a swivel to attach to mainline.

[zip7111]

Check out zleaders.com.  He has a nice selection of leaders.

[BaitBucket]

After losing a nice fish to a fluoro leader, i use 25# Knot 2 Kinky Titanium Single Strand Wire

[stinkyfingers]

Amen on the Knot2Kinky for quickstrike rigs. I will also use 40# Seaguar Fluoro. Get the right sized crimps and a real crimper/swager, don't just mash 'em with pliers. I prefer the "wye" style quickstrikes. Hooks for me are always #6 Owner trebles. Those things can hurt you just walking past them in the store.

[aquarium234]

I use 30lb fluorocarbon, have them pretied on a spool of old line, any time i get a nick of any kind I change them out. if you dont' replace them after a nick is when you can have them break. That and you have to play the fish......... Have fun what ever way you go.

[ran7ger]

50-60lb fluoro and crimps, the odd bite off but it's worth it compared to steel.

[Light liner]

15-20 lb mono

[Papa Sly]

30# Seaguar Flouro crimped with #4 or #5 octopus hooks...not circle. We tried circle but lost so many pike and bass never again. Love them in current for stripers or cats though. Always use colored glo-hooks with beads and blades. Also like knot 2 kinky but last year in upstate NY we used both and had 3x as many hits on the flouro leaders over the knot 2 kinky leaders proving my theory that they are a line shy fish in the winter. 

[WYIfish]

When I think of grandpa and fishing, wool, and tipups comes to mind. He used a small #8 treble hook with a #30 12" braided wire leader. He also used the black braided dacron of the day.   He rarely caught any pike under 22 inches so hardly ever released any with 9 grandkids around.  He used some long needle nosed pliers to cut the leader and what ever part of the hook he couldn't remove. Spuding only, when a good hole was found, it was reused all winter if it kept producing.  And I digress as usual.
The thin wire leaders were hand made and worked very well.

[BaitBucket]

Also like knot 2 kinky but last year in upstate NY we used both and had 3x as many hits on the flouro leaders over the knot 2 kinky leaders proving my theory that they are a line shy fish in the winter.

I dont doubt they are line shy in high pressure areas. Ive watched some underwater footage of them checking out baits. They arent dumb, thats for sure.

That being said, ive seen plenty caught on steel leaders. One of which was set up in the middle of a minefield of tip ups using fluoro. I lost a nice one on 50# fluoro and decided then and there steel was the way to go. I landed the Walleye in my avatar on a steel leader.

[Sandcountrylivin]

Just saw these the other day. VMC floro leaders in 80#,100# and 150#.

https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/vmc-fluorocarbon-leader/0000000062506;jsessionid=sixDTyIjWNKG0yEjOOr4gBEC5mbNAdxysBcouMlkG4o8LuhHVYyT!340531376?bc=10417|10492|10497

[Papa Sly]

they can be caught on all types, I like to run for flags so if I can get more chances with one type then I will try that. I have earned more about pike since fishing upstate NY. That was a beautiful walleye , I believe that was at night before tournament right?

[cold nose]

Knot to Kinky

[thomasthepikehunter]

I've run 50# seaguar blue label for a few years. You will get bitten off on fluorocarbon eventually. I lost 2 in one day last year. I made the big switch to almost all fluoro about 2 years ago, got bit off. then last year went about half and half, still lost too many for my liking. This year I went back to nearly all steel during the summer, and caught just as many pike. I never once noticed an increase in flags with fluoro leaders. I always keep a tip up rigged with fluoro and a circle hook for finicky pike and walleye though. For steel I've always liked cortland toothy critter 20#, but I'm sure there is better out there. I've never once been bitten off on a steel leader.

[river_scum]

been using 25 pound mono for years.  just watch the condition of your line after each catch.