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It doesn't take much for a small pike to cut thru 12 lbs fluo, if the line end up at the wrong spot it's over. Can't stand pikes while I'm chasing walleyes....
Trust me, 12# fluorocarbon is not nearly enough. I actually wouldn't even consider using it on purpose. A hook left in a fish can very easily kill it no matter where it is. You can ice pike with 4# mono because you keep the jig out of their teeth. When you are actually going after them, you won't be as lucky. As far as fluorocarbon 12# is not enough, 20# IMO is not enough, 30# is marginal at best, 40# and 50# is considered ok, but you should really use 60#+. Don't think you can muscle pike in on 50#, you will be cut off more times than not. Any super braid is a waste of time. It may be more abrasion resistant, but it cuts easier than mono. Throw in the fact that it is just as visible as steel, and you might at well use steel. I used to only use steel, these past few years I've been on a fluorocarbon kick, and now I'm going more back to steel when I can. Use fluorocarbon if the water is really clear, or fish just wont bite. In all other situations, I would just go with the lightest steel you can find, which is usually around 20#. Don't tell me you never get bit of with your current set up, nobody can.
Trust me, 12# fluorocarbon is not nearly enough. I actually wouldn't even consider using it on purpose.
After that long of a fight, the fish has absolutely no energy left. It is plain unethical to fish like that on purpose. Sometimes you get them on accident, but to purposely go out unprepared like that would be just as bad as dropping them on the ice. I wouldn't even fish with someone who used 8 pound line as a leader for pike.
I was using steel leader yesterday and had 1 tipup with 8lb fluoro for perch/eyes and a muskie happened to hit the one with fluoro next thing I know I'm stuck in a hour long battle with a 44" 26.5lb muskie.... hooked perfect in the corner of the mouth. Got lucky the hook wasn't swallowed. But like was previously said if you fight the fish correctly you can land just about any fish. Don't know how the rest of my day would have went because I packed up and went to the taxidermist so can't tell you if the fluoro would have had more flags than the steel. But we always use steel leaders when fishing for toothy critters
I happened across another instance of a bite off recently. Not me, but someone I was fishing with used 30# fluorocarbon. It was a brand new leader, with no imperfections. Lighter than anything I would use, but he claimed it works fine. The other thing he did different was use a bead to mark depth on the tip up, where I don't want anything on my line. Long story short, he hooked into a good fish, and at the last minute it made a run. His fingers caught the bead as the fish ripped line, and the leader was instantly bit off. Bite offs happen if you fish enough. If you use flurorocarbon leaders of any weight, you need to be very gentle with fish. I'll take a steel leader any time I can.