pike leaders

[Striperking91]

hey yall heading up to champlain in february, what do you recommend for leaders to use there?

[flagfishon]

I was using steel leader-quick strike rigs.  They were a pain in the *** to set up, break down and store, and I was worried that all that hardware was costing me strikes.  This last Saturday I switched to only circle hooks on 30# braided Suffix leader.  Sunday I was the only one to get strikes and caught an awesome Pike and a trophy Burbot.  I'm thinking about also switching to Florocarbon leaders. 

[Striperking91]

I was using steel leader-quick strike rigs.  They were a pain in the *** to set up, break down and store, and I was worried that all that hardware was costing me strikes.  This last Saturday I switched to only circle hooks on 30# braided Suffix leader.  Sunday I was the only one to get strikes and caught an awesome Pike and a trophy Burbot.  I'm thinking about also switching to Florocarbon leaders.

I use flouro leaders down here, i was just curious about quick strike Vs just a single treble hooks or Octopus hooks

[_Icecold_]

60 pound mono (fluorocarbon is fine also) and a size 2-3 circle hook

[flagfishon]

I made my own.  Two treble hooks.  The bottom one was fixed and the top treble hook was free to slide up and down the leader.

[CJiceaddict]

Wheres that dead horse picture??

[fishermarsh]

8 lb test mono.  Yes, you heard right.  Where I fish I get about half perch and half northerns and it is for the most part pretty weed free.  If it were weedy I would go with something heavier but it's not.  I caught probably 40 northerns last season and never lost one of them.  Most were 18-20 inches but I got one that was 5 or 6 pounds and another fattie that was 34 inches.  So far this year I've caught 6.  4 were the small cookie cutters, one was 30 inches and one was 37 inches.  The later 2 were caught within an hour of each other on the same day and all were caught on the same set up.  I think the key to my madness is I get to the flag as soon as possible and I set the hook when they are still running with it.  95% of the time they get hooked in the corner of the jaw.  I did hook one last week that inhaled the bait but I was still able to land it.  I think I got lucky with that one, but like I said I haven't lost a single one in the past 2 years, plus I get some nice perch too!!

[wilec]

fishermarsh what were you using for hooks

[Troutmagnet]

I made my own.  Two treble hooks.  The bottom one was fixed and the top treble hook was free to slide up and down the leader.

Nice, I bought some a couple years ago and after seeing how they were made I figured when I started running low I would start making my own. Did you use Fluoro or steel???

[fishinaround]

Haven't hooked one on a tip up using a new leader yet (this year) but, I have been using the tie-able wire on my fly rod and that stuff is just great. Put some on my tip ups, time will tell but I have no doubts it will work great.

[Troutmagnet]

Haven't hooked one on a tip up using a new leader yet (this year) but, I have been using the tie-able wire on my fly rod and that stuff is just great. Put some on my tip ups, time will tell but I have no doubts it will work great.

Does that tie-able wire have any pound rating?

[flagfishon]

Nice, I bought some a couple years ago and after seeing how they were made I figured when I started running low I would start making my own. Did you use Fluoro or steel???

I bought a spool of nylon coated steel. 

[fishinaround]

it does have a rating, I think I bought the 25lb, but I can say without question it is way stronger than 25# mono

[pikeslayer50-05]

25 lb. fluorocarbon

[lakerman]

here we go again, GO STEL OR GO HOME !

[Troutmagnet]

I bought a spool of nylon coated steel.

Thanks!

[Troutmagnet]

it does have a rating, I think I bought the 25lb, but I can say without question it is way stronger than 25# mono

Thanks!

[Temp430]

For pike leaders for tip-ups with big minnows I use a high quality swivel followed by 36" of titanium wire and one or two treble hooks.  The tip ups are spooled with heavy dacron line and the overall breaking weight is around 50 lbs.