Wire leaders or no wire leaders?

[Fishingjg]

So what are people using out there with tipups on most eastern Pa. lakes?

Myself I have better action with fluorocarbon tied directly to a treble hook. Pickerel are usually hooked on the jaw, and I don't miss many.

[ice4life]

I usually use silver 6" wire leaders.... What pound test do you use for your florocarbon? Maybe i will get more action doing it that way...

Do you think there is a difference? you think pickerel notice the wire leader more maybe?...

 i think on a day when you get over 60 flags it does not matter, but on slower days it might make a difference...

[delawareriver]

When not musky fishing I use 12# flouro and im believer you get more bites. The big Boys have seen hundreds of baits. They learn. Not to mention you never know when that big crappie or trout will swim past. Love sickle hooks, seem they catch the corner more then anything else. Have caught pickerel up to 26 and pike to 30" not to mention a bonus 22 inch Brown. Works for me.

[Fishingjg]

I use Berkley vanish 14 pound test. I tie up rigs ahead of time, hooks line, split shot and a snap swivel. I wrap everything around a piece of styrofoam and put that in a plastic bag. If the Fluorocarbon gets frayed I just replace the whole thing.

Yes I do see a difference using the fluorocarbon, I swear by it.

[JPascavage52]

Was using steel leaders earlier this winter not having much luck. At the suggestion of some people on here switched to 25 pound or 10 pound fluoro. If there are pike and muskie around i will use the 25. Only had one bite off all year. Im hooked, pun intended

[frozengator]

Well maybe on this post someone can help me on this, I have a wire leader I assume its a walleye rig, treble and little blade on it. The wire is very thin. I would like to get some more. Anyone seen these?  I do mean thin too. I would say its as thin as 2lb test line.

Oh sorry fishinjig for highjacking your post. Hope you don't mind.

[Ironeagle]

I use a mix of steel and 50 lb seguar flouro leader material. It's rough tying. May end going to 30lb

[capnahab]

For toothy critters, I like Berkeley Fireline. Small diameter for the breaking strength, almost impossible to cut through, and in smoke or crystal, less visible than steel. I also use fluorocarbon, paired up with circle hooks, but I had a few fish saw off with this rig.

[anglure]

when the bites on the lighter side, i just use a short length of spooled dacron  as my leader below my spro swivel (35 pd rating). when the toothy critters have the feed bag on, i make my leaders with either 15 lb or 30 lb titanium wire.  same swivel. octopus hooks on either rig.

[Fishin247365]

I just got back from hell creek and was using 6" steel leaders with circle hooks and cought  some nice big northerns and a sauger,  but i ran into a guy up there that uses short crawler harnesses with 20# mono and a minnow and he was killing it so I think I personally am going to abandon steel leaders unless I'm leaving my tip ups in over night

[frost]

Fireline crystal in 25#. I have yet to have a break off in 4-5 years of using it. I have out fished my buddies using steel every trip out. They all have since switched.

[J Miser]

Steel.....Flouro.....T hick, stiff, old technology. 

Wolfram leaders all the way - 4 pound test for picks, perch, crappie, bass.  I bump it up to 6 or 8 if I throw a tip-up in the river.  It just so sucks you can't buy them in this country(except for the few polish fishing shops in NY).  I go to Poland every year and buy 30 packs of them for me and all my icefishing buddies.  If they ever kink, just put a cigarette light to them and they straighten right out.  ou can actually tie your hook directly to it.  As supple and thin as mono, as strong as steel.  I got ski hunter using the 10 pound test ones on his musky rigs, he'll never go back to steel or Flouro.

Dr. JM

[flagup45]

if you like to land the fish (PIKE) it is  must          if its bass i done like wire        Night fishing (no wire )  20lb flourcarbon leader

[poorman]

I use 20 - 30 lb Flouro Carbon (saltwater) leader. They can't see it and they can't bite thru it.

[dkfry]

Usually 8-12 lb flurocarbon leader material about 3 or 4 foot long. I like it fairly long because I fish deep water quite often and if you get a toothy critter that nicks up the leader and you are too lazy to change it you usually can just cut out the bad part and still have enough good leader left.

[ice-phanatic]

I use all Fluerocarbon 10-14LB. as a 2-3 foot leader. Half my tip ups have small tru turns for panfish, half have larger treble hooks for big gamefish. I noticed if you have a 4+pound fish on a small tru-turn hook it will just bend it straight and come off. Also I noticed that there will always be missed fish depending on whatever tackle combo you choose. Its just the probability of where you hook the minnow (mouth or tail), corresponding to where/how the fish bites. Hookset is another big factor. So many variables....but thats the fun of fishing.

[ice4life]

Now do you guys buy them all rigged up already or do it yourself. I went out to Dicks couldnt find any made up so i got 50 yards of 30lb flourocarbon... also got swivels and barrel swivel-locks for the hooks...My question is how to do it? swivel connecting flourocarbon to tip up line and then flourocarbon to swivel-lock to connect the hook? or just flourocarbon to hook? I know its tuff to tie it but its managable... How do you guys get it done??

[Fishingjg]

I tie all my own rigs. First I tie on a hook, myself I use a small treble hook, but my buddy uses a #4 hook. The hook type and size is really up to you. I started using trebles quite a few years ago. I use Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon14 lb. test. Nothing special just the regular fluorocarbon line. I believe that the fluorocarbon is the trick, whether fresh or salt water.

I use about a 18 to 24 inch piece on line which I tie a snap swivel to. About 6 inches up from the hook I put on a good size split shot. Take the leader and wrap it around a piece of Styrofoam. open the snap swivel and stick it in the top of the foam then the hook can be put any where on the Styrofoam. Then put everything in a ziplock bag. When you need a new rig unsnap the old one and get a new one out. This is easier on the fingers on a cold day.

On the tipup line, I tie a barrel swivel, remember to put a button above the barrel swivel. Use the button to mark your depth.

This is what works for us. Hope this helps, good luck

[Grumpier old Man]

I'm with JP. I use 10-12 lb test floro.I've never had a fish bite though,but until then, I'll stick with flo.

[Fishingjg]

We converted many years ago, the stuff works. Remember KISS, Keep It Simple Stu!!!

[subtlehustle76]

Berkeley Fused Crystal

[HUNTnFISHSD]

 As long as you pull them in using not too mug force a fluorocarbon leader will be fine.

[1moslab]

just had a biteoff yesterday on 17ib fluorocarbon not the first they  can absolutely bite right through it.6bass brought in yesterday 4 on 17 pound 7strand 2 on flouro sometimes it seems to get more bights but not all the time gonna try 25lb and 30lb fluora have to try the fireline

[HUNTnFISHSD]

 If you are pike fishing you can use any leader. They don't really care.

[ice4life]

What is the difference between Monofilament and Flourocarbon leader material?....

[HUNTnFISHSD]

 I'm not sure mono just has more stretch.