Spider Wire

[Rangerclay]

Do any of you use Spider Wire for a leader?  I have never used the stuff but I hear that it is almost impossible to cut.  If I use it for a leader will pike chew through it?

Thanks,  Ranger

[northdease]

i have had a pike cut the line once but he also swallowed the lure as well. i know it is hard to cut for us but after that i started putting leaders back on.

[fishuhalik]

All I ever use is braided line, no leaders.  I still get cut off every once in a while, but I find that I get alot more bites on my leader-less tipups than people using leaders most of the time.  I think it allows for much freer bait movement

[akdg]

yes

[GAMBELL]

I tried super lines and the pikes teeth cut through it.  It also cut through you hands easy.  I use Seagar florocarbon leader material in 30 - 40 lb. 

[iceintheveins]

It's a lot more difficult for a pike to bite through a superline like Spiderwire than through regular mono, but they can do it. And besides, superlines are pretty visable, so you may as well use thin wire because it's visibility is the same and pike can't bite through it.

However I do not use wire. Using wire or other high visible leaders is perhaps the biggest mistake you can make when going for pike, particularly through the ice. Pike can be extremely smart and finicky.

I use fluorocarbon. I don't use as heavy as some guys do, but I employ 12- 20 pound P - Line fluoro leader or stren high impact leader. They can cut through it but its a lot more difficult for them than with regular mono. Plus, its invisible. Your flags will increase dramatically when switching to fluorocarbon.

When you hook a pike on fluoro, make sure not to play it too hard or keep too much tension on it. Be particularly careful around the hole. Once you go to fluoro and see how many more pike you get to strike you won't go back.

[grumpymoe]

take a look at Spider Wire......there's Stealth which is teflon coated and very abrasion resistant......dont confuse it with Fusion, which is not the greatest to grab with bare hands......and abrades very easily.....Grump

[bigredonice]

I dunno about the pike you guys fish, but around here the pike bite through all kinds of braids just as easily as mono.  I can't tell you guys how many times I had a good hit on 50lb test spiderwire stealth, or 50lb power pro (flipping jigs for bass), or fireline and set the hook into nothing - because the pike bit through the braid on the strike.  The pike will bite through the braided stuff with ease.  Either use a wire type leader and completely prevent break offs, or use heavy Flouro to reduce bite offs, or use braid and light mono and take your chances.

there is also lots of times that the pike don't bite through the line at all.  Two of my three biggest (38", 39") open water pike last year were caught on small plastics  on 6lb test mono.

[iceintheveins]

I dunno about the pike you guys fish, but around here the pike bite through all kinds of braids just as easily as mono.  I can't tell you guys how many times I had a good hit on 50lb test spiderwire stealth, or 50lb power pro (flipping jigs for bass), or fireline and set the hook into nothing - because the pike bit through the braid on the strike.  The pike will bite through the braided stuff with ease.  Either use a wire type leader and completely prevent break offs, or use heavy Flouro to reduce bite offs, or use braid and light mono and take your chances.

there is also lots of times that the pike don't bite through the line at all.  Two of my three biggest (38", 39") open water pike last year were caught on small plastics  on 6lb test mono.

I have only had one bite off ever with superline when targeting pike. And I can tell you our pike have hellish teeth and can easily exceed 36- 40".

Still though use the fluorocarbon.

[iceintheveins]

take a look at Spider Wire......there's Stealth which is teflon coated and very abrasion resistant......dont confuse it with Fusion, which is not the greatest to grab with bare hands......and abrades very easily.....Grump

The stealth is much better than the Original Braid or fusion, both of which can unwind and fray up very easily.

Personally if employing superline I use powerpro, which doesn't fray much, is very supple, and lasts a lot longer. I generally only use superlines when I need to cast long distances, get cranks to run deeper, or if working plastics in heavy cover for bass or pike.

[grumpymoe]

Personally if employing superline I use powerpro, which doesn't fray much, is very supple, and lasts a lot longer. I generally only use superlines when I need to cast long distances, get cranks to run deeper, or if working plastics in heavy cover for bass or pike.

....Mack.....we're talking Icefishing here....not long casts on the hardwater...or getting cranks to run deeper.....Grump

[iceintheveins]

....Mack.....we're talking Icefishing here....not long casts on the hardwater...or getting cranks to run deeper.....Grump

I was simply stating I have no use for superlines during ice fishing.

[bluelightguy]

i have grown fond of those lighter wire leaders, not too sure if anyone else has noticed them around ,they are a few $more then those regular heavy leaders but in my mind well worth it .
 great for ice pike , and also great for open water topwater will not sink small floating baits like pop-r-s and chug bugs .
just my .02

[IceTroll]

However I do not use wire. Using wire or other high visible leaders is perhaps the biggest mistake you can make when going for pike, particularly through the ice. Pike can be extremely smart and finicky.

Mackdaddy, how can you make a blanket quote like this and think for one minute its even close to accurate. It may be correct for your body of water, or even your style but that doesnt make it so for all applications. I use nothing but Malin Boa No-Kink Titanium wire leader that is thinner than any flouro you use and just as invisible. I catch walleyes, possible one of the most line shy fish on the planet, like they are going out of style. I catch trophy Northern, Lake Trout and Ling as well, all on the same set up. I challenge you to argue with my success especially at Ft. Peck Reservoir. If you ever do decide to come up to Peck and fish, I will laugh at you when you lose fish after fish on your flouro leader. It wont work, I have tried it. Too many rocks, trees and big, big, big nasty toothies. I know for a fact your method works well on your lakes and mine might or might not on yours. Point is, dont make assumptions or blanket statements. The right wire can be deadly for Pike.

[iceintheveins]

Mackdaddy, how can you make a blanket quote like this and think for one minute its even close to accurate. It may be correct for your body of water, or even your style but that doesnt make it so for all applications. I use nothing but Malin Boa No-Kink Titanium wire leader that is thinner than any flouro you use and just as invisible. I catch walleyes, possible one of the most line shy fish on the planet, like they are going out of style. I catch trophy Northern, Lake Trout and Ling as well, all on the same set up. I challenge you to argue with my success especially at Ft. Peck Reservoir. If you ever do decide to come up to Peck and fish, I will laugh at you when you lose fish after fish on your flouro leader. It wont work, I have tried it. Too many rocks, trees and big, big, big nasty toothies. I know for a fact your method works well on your lakes and mine might or might not on yours. Point is, dont make assumptions or blanket statements. The right wire can be deadly for Pike.

Fort Peck is probably an exception because it is one of the most spectacular fisheries on the planet. Here in Colorado, wire will scare pike away. I rarely caught them when using wire. Now, I catch all sorts of pike.
And I've caught lots of big pike this year. My group has landed a 30 pounder and a 20 plus pounder this year. Big, huge nasty toothies, like you say. Have had one biteoff near the hole by a 12 - 15 pounder, but that was due to operator error. And we have LOTS of nasty snags like rocks and trees in our reservoirs. The average pike we have caught this year is in the 7 - 10 pound range.
I would use wire at Fort Peck after I saw people catching just as many as myself using fluoro. I would probably use some tip ups with fluoro and some with thin wire.

As far as blanket statements? There are several on this website who assume conditions in Colorado are the same as their Canadian hotspots and that I am nuts to claim otherwise. I actually agree conditions and fish behavior vary dramatically.

[esox slayer]

Rangerclay..you know my setup, those 1 foot steel leaders have been used by me for years.  This year though, with the pike bite being "off" shall we say up in the areas that still do have ice, tonight I'm rigging up a couple of 40
# mono leaders about 4 foot long, tying the hook directly to the mono.

I never thought I'd do it like this, but I've gotta believe these guys on here know what they're talking about and even though it goes against what I learned years and years ago, I'll try it once......am going to have 3 steel and two mono the next couple times out...will let you know the results and if it makes any difference in the "bite"..Esox....

[iceintheveins]

Rangerclay..you know my setup, those 1 foot steel leaders have been used by me for years.  This year though, with the pike bite being "off" shall we say up in the areas that still do have ice, tonight I'm rigging up a couple of 40
# mono leaders about 4 foot long, tying the hook directly to the mono.

I never thought I'd do it like this, but I've gotta believe these guys on here know what they're talking about and even though it goes against what I learned years and years ago, I'll try it once......am going to have 3 steel and two mono the next couple times out...will let you know the results and if it makes any difference in the "bite"..Esox....

Thick mono is pretty visible underwater. You should use fluoro because it is way more resistant to bite offs than mono of similiar diameter. The whole point of fluoro is that it is invisible underwater at all but the most outrageously thick diameters. I have checked the visibility of 20 pound fluoro and 12 pound single strand wire at 15 feet deep with an underwater camera. The wire stood out like a sore thumb and I could not see the fluorocarbon at all.

[esox slayer]

Thanks for the tip...I'll have to pick some up next time I'm in Watertown......

[Spindoctor]

How many pound test is the Malin Wire and do you use cripms or can you twist it?
Thanks. Bud

[IceTroll]

I use the 30 pound most of the time but I am trying the 40 this year. Its not crimped or twisted. You tie it just like you would mono or any other line. Its not as easy to tie as mono but you do tie it.

[Spindoctor]

Great! Thanks for your help. Now where can I find it?

[icejunky]

I recently picked up a new open water rod and reel and I spooled er up with Spiderwire Stealth, that stuff is crazy....I kept about 10 feet to use as a leader. should be tuff to cut thru.and much  better then wire

[IceTroll]

Spindoctor.....I get it from this place.......Great bunch of guys and customer service is a priority.

http://tackledirect.com/malinboanokink.html

[meatman]

i have used spiderwire on my tip-ups for a few yrs now... and have had good luck i use the 12# stealth... have had a few bite offs but that what makes it fishing... i think the lighter u can go on anything be it wire, florocarbon or braided lines the better... sure u up ur odds with heavier line but u drop ur odds of # of flags in a day.

[marcus]

I found spiderwire to be tough to work with in the cold I used 8 or 10 # for pickerel fishing It didnt break but it did fray and it seemed like more work in the cold than mono. I have never used fluoro but it sounds to me like it is worth a try.