Leaders

[calvin21]

This year is the first year I am going to try for pike through the ice.  In summer I use a wire leader, but in the winter with the shiner just sitting there will the pike notice a wire leader.  Or should i just use dacron straight to the hooks.

[Bartman44]

It depends where you fish. We fish heavily fished waters here in NY so I usually use florocarbon leaders (50lb when target big pike, 25Lb when targeting smaller pike and pickerel).

If you go with metal, you can make your own leaders with some silverstrand.

Many guys use steel leaders and are successful so you'll probably get a number of opinions. Metal will definetely reduce your cutoffs to near zero. 

Good Luck
Bart

 

[hardwaterhound]

With Pike I prefer Berkely fireline, 8lb. I feel steel leaders are bulky and spook pike to some degree in clear water.

[Icer for life]

Going to run a test this year.  I have one tip up set w/ a 20lb floro (3 feet) leader.........I've never tried it, so I'll be excited to see if there is a marked increase in flags vs the wire leader.

Also going to try some "red" trebles this year.

First outing is this weekend.....wow, sure has been a long wait.

I will let you know of my results,

Icer

[IceTroll]

The best stuff I have ever used for toothy critters. Thin, strong, can be tied and virtually unkinkable. I have NEVER had a fish break me off using this stuff The 30lb test is .011 which is about the diameter of 6lb test mono. The coffee color disappears in water, especially under the ice and will not spook fish. I catch Walleyes time and time again while fishing for Pike and Walleye tend to be more line shy than Pike do.

http://www.malinco.com/fishing/boa.html

[hardwaterhound]

Going to run a test this year.  I have one tip up set w/ a 20lb floro (3 feet) leader.........I've never tried it, so I'll be excited to see if there is a marked increase in flags vs the wire leader.

Also going to try some "red" trebles this year.

First outing is this weekend.....wow, sure has been a long wait.

I will let you know of my results,

Icer

Hey Icer, Let me know the results of your test. I believe in red trebles too.

[deadbait dave]

in the past two days i have landed 17 pike all on 80 lb floro.4 fish 40"and better. lost one fish that lazered right through the stuff as soon as it came tight to it's weight. not a bad ratio. i outfished three other guys with wire 5 to 1 and none of them caught a 40" fish thier largest was a 35.5" fish that weighed 12lbs. two years r & d would not recomend anything lighter in mono for fish in the 40" class. hope this helps.

[upstate bass]

Does the heavy 80lb floro tend to coil in the cold? I am thinking about trying it.

[deadbait dave]

the nice thing about floro you just give it a nice tug from end to end and it straightens right out. the large size bait i use keeps it nice and straight.

[Smeltecca]

Terminator titanium leader material is great.  No kinks, no bite offs, and thin diameter.

[deadsmelthead]

I use 30lb mono, and have never ben snapped or bit off , I used steel up until 4 years ago mono or fluro whatever you go with it's better for presentation, I can honestly say I catch more fish overall and more impressive fish without steel.

[deadbait dave]

you got it! i catch fish 5 to 1 over the other guys out there.

[meatman]

24# spiderwire fusion

[deadbait dave]

tried that stuff also, had big fish cut right through 50lb spiderwire! d b d.   

[deadsmelthead]

24# spiderwire fusion

Spider wire fusion, thats the stuf thats along the same line as fireline wax coated braid right?When I first used I thought it was great it doesn't coil, real sensative, my clippers had a hard time cutting it.
Heres the problem I have found with this stuff since, ZERO knot strength, they all recomend a palmer knot with the literature that comes in the package, I took the fireline back to Gander and told them it was deffective, they offered a new spool I took it and the same problem persited, took that back and they figgured it must be the lot of it was bad. Went to another retailer, same problem 6lb lake trout breaking the knot on 20lb fireline upon hookset, Tried all sorts of different knots and nothing worked. So in my attempt to find a better line I found nothing but faith in mono and fluro. You have to stretch it on cold days, I can deal with that.Snapping knots I can't

[dabluz]

Spider wire fusion, thats the stuf thats along the same line as fireline wax coated braid right?When I first used I thought it was great it doesn't coil, real sensative, my clippers had a hard time cutting it.
Heres the problem I have found with this stuff since, ZERO knot strength, they all recomend a palmer knot with the literature that comes in the package, I took the fireline back to Gander and told them it was deffective, they offered a new spool I took it and the same problem persited, took that back and they figgured it must be the lot of it was bad. Went to another retailer, same problem 6lb lake trout breaking the knot on 20lb fireline upon hookset, Tried all sorts of different knots and nothing worked. So in my attempt to find a better line I found nothing but faith in mono and fluro. You have to stretch it on cold days, I can deal with that.Snapping knots I can't

I had the same problem with fine Fireline.  I now use the "double palomar" when I use fireline or very fine braid.  This has resolved the problem for me.  However, I do not strike the fish like we often see largemouth bass fishermen do in the fishing programs.  I usually fish brook trout with 2 to 4 lb test line and walleye with 4 to 6 lb test line.  Have been fishing this way for close to 40 years.  Over the years, my stike has mellowed...lol.  I also wait to feel weight on my line before striking.  Another trait that I learned from doing so much fly fishing.  I'm sure that the sudden snap of the line during the strike has turned off a lot of fishermen from using braid or fusion lines.  However, I still use mono when finesse fishing fishing clear shallow water for trout or walleye on short casts.

[calvin21]

Spider wire fusion, thats the stuf thats along the same line as fireline wax coated braid right?When I first used I thought it was great it doesn't coil, real sensative, my clippers had a hard time cutting it.
Heres the problem I have found with this stuff since, ZERO knot strength, they all recomend a palmer knot with the literature that comes in the package, I took the fireline back to Gander and told them it was deffective, they offered a new spool I took it and the same problem persited, took that back and they figgured it must be the lot of it was bad. Went to another retailer, same problem 6lb lake trout breaking the knot on 20lb fireline upon hookset, Tried all sorts of different knots and nothing worked. So in my attempt to find a better line I found nothing but faith in mono and fluro. You have to stretch it on cold days, I can deal with that.Snapping knots I can't

I use fireline all the time in the summer for pike and bass and have had no problems with it.  I have never had a trophy on but plenty of fish around the 30" size.  The only problem I have is that the top layer of line seems to bury itself under the other line on the spool if you are using heavy lures

[Master Angler]

Spider wire fusion, thats the stuf thats along the same line as fireline wax coated braid right?When I first used I thought it was great it doesn't coil, real sensative, my clippers had a hard time cutting it.
Heres the problem I have found with this stuff since, ZERO knot strength, they all recomend a palmer knot with the literature that comes in the package, I took the fireline back to Gander and told them it was deffective, they offered a new spool I took it and the same problem persited, took that back and they figgured it must be the lot of it was bad. Went to another retailer, same problem 6lb lake trout breaking the knot on 20lb fireline upon hookset, Tried all sorts of different knots and nothing worked. So in my attempt to find a better line I found nothing but faith in mono and fluro. You have to stretch it on cold days, I can deal with that.Snapping knots I can't

I've used fireline too, have landed many big pike up to 40 plus inches, and big lakers, never ever had a knot come undone using a palamar, even when snagged on rocks I can grab on and pull till I bend the hooks staight before the line breaks.  As for leader material for pike, any kind of braid such as fireline or spiderwire is junk, any little dinky hammerhandle can snip through it like butter, not saying it happens all the time, but its almost as easy for them to cut through it as mono.  Wire leader, steel or titanium or flourocarbon is the only way to go.

[Neptune]

Any of you guys use those titanium leaders?  My buddy uses them and he swears by them.  He has caught some big (20+ lb) pike on them and he can use them over and over....

[dabluz]

To get rid of the problem of the line digging into the spool, you have to pump your rod when recuperating line.  But you don't want to have your line too slack.  I've never even had the least bit of problem with line digging in.  It's something I would most certainly notice since I do a lot of casting with my baitcasters.  I use 20 lb test braid on 6 of my baitcasters.  1 baitcaster has 14 lb test Gorilla braid.  It was the first braid I bought about 12 years ago.

Yes, the smaller pike are harder on the line than the bigger pike.  Probably due to the fact that the teeth are sharper and much more tightly packed in the small pike's jaw.

When using cheap lures (jigs, hooks etc), I don't use a metal leader.  I will try out some 15 lb test fluorocarbon leader material next summer but will reserve my wire leaders for my expensive lures.  So far, I haven't seen any difference in my catches when using metal leaders.  However, my metal leaders are extremely fine.  I got them from a friend in Europe.  The 12 lb test metal leader material has 54 strands and is really about the size of 4 lb test mono.  I put them both up side by side against the light and I would even say that the metal leader is a tad finer.  It's very flexible and I can tie knots in it.  However, when I am snagged on bottom and when I finally recuperate my lure, the leader is shot.  It turns into a springy corkscrew patter due to the stress.  It's very expensive too.  18 Euros for 5 yards.  I've got some in 10 lb test, 12 lb test and 20 lb test (the latter is only 49 strands).  I've even got some 6 lbs test that is covered with spectra braid but haven't used it yet.

The ideal line or leader material is yet to be invented.

[calvin21]

The problem i have with the line digging is on a spinning reel not a baitcaster

[dabluz]

The problem i have with the line digging is on a spinning reel not a baitcaster

I use 6 lb test Fireline and 2 lb test mono on some of my spinning reels and have never had line digging into the spool.  I also use 8 and 14 lb test Fireline on another spinning reels for very long casts when bottom fishing in a fast flowing river with a rocky bottom....and no problems with line digging in either.  Usually, line digging into the spool is more common with baitcasters and always a problem with "spincast" reels.  However, I do admit to having 4 lb test mono digging into my spool after a fight with a 30 lb sturgeon that I accidentally hooked in the side one day but I was too happy about the fish to really care and there wasn't much line dug in anyway. 

Maybe your spinning reels reciprocal action (back and forth action of spool) is not working properly.  Or try a spinning reel with a long spool and exagerated reciprocal action.

You did mention "heavy lures".  You should pump the rod when using heavy lures.  Pumping the rod will give you more action on the lure too.

I have noticed that after a bunch of casts with a baitcaster, I do have to make a long cast to tighten the line on the spool but that's due to the fact that the line is not always coming off the spool right behind the line guide when I cast the line.  After a while the line the non stretch lines can get a bit loose.

[Master Angler]

Any of you guys use those titanium leaders?  My buddy uses them and he swears by them.  He has caught some big (20+ lb) pike on them and he can use them over and over....

Use them all the time for northerns.  I have one which I have landed likely a thousand or more pike on and many big ones too up to 25lbs, and its still fine, no kinks.  I think its the best leader to use.

[Neptune]

Use them all the time for northerns.  I have one which I have landed likely a thousand or more pike on and many big ones too up to 25lbs, and its still fine, no kinks.  I think its the best leader to use.

Do you buy them or do you make your own?  I haven't seen bulk titanium leader anywhere just the premade ones...  Are any brands better than others or would you recommend one over another?

[Master Angler]

I've only used the Terminator titanium leaders, they are built very well.  A buddy I work with in the summer (we work at a fly-in pike fishing lodge) tried south bend titaniums and said they were garbage.  I am not familiar with any other brands in terms of quality, I do know you can't go wrong with Terminators.

 I also want to get some in bulk too.  A local fly shop here carries it, but everytime I think about buying some the guy is sold out.

[Neptune]

Thanks master Angler, I'm going to try one of those Ti leaders tomorrow!!!

Good Fishing