Help with leader Size

[flagup!]

Doing a small tournament on Sunday.  Just largemouth and pickerel.  Split pool largest of both species wins.  Usually the largest pickerel is 5-6 lbs.  Going to use flouro leader and large shiners.  What lb test should I rig my tip ups with?  Would you use circle hooks?

[DowneastPescador]

Doing a small tournament on Sunday.  Just largemouth and pickerel.  Split pool largest of both species wins.  Usually the largest pickerel is 5-6 lbs.  Going to use flouro leader and large shiners.  What lb test should I rig my tip ups with?  Would you use circle hooks?

If you are used to circle hooks use them. I like standard baitholder hooks. I would use 12# flouro because that’s what I have. Could use up to 30lb flouro and still might get bit off on that big of a pickerel. Steel leaders still catch largemouth as many people can attest to. So using heavy flouro or steel shouldn’t matter much.

[adkRoy]

I use steel leaders when fishing for toothy critters like pike and pickerel. Still catch bass on them. I would use steel leaders if I were you.

[ICEHOLE]

Doing a small tournament on Sunday.  Just largemouth and pickerel.  Split pool largest of both species wins.  Usually the largest pickerel is 5-6 lbs.  Going to use flouro leader and large shiners.  What lb test should I rig my tip ups with?  Would you use circle hooks?

I have fished for years with 30 - 40 lb test floro..while i know it is possible i have not been bitten off. an important factor with floro is make sure you are using leader material and not main line. abrasion resistance is much better, but costs more for less line

personally if it was me i would use 30lb floro

[Chris338378]

I run six feet of 20 pound of Spider Wire EZ Braid on my tip-ups and never had a bite off and it's pretty thin.

[river_scum]

heavy mono leaders for large bass n pike here for 30 years.  still using it.

[flagup!]

There's no pike in this lake.   I left 4' to 5' piece of 10lb  floro and tied in a length of 1'-2'of 25lb seaguar for a bite leader with a blood knot. like fly fishing...….  I'm getting tired of restringing my tipups every time I change species.  I'm liking this idea of leaving the 10lb and just changing the last 2 feet.   4lb for trout 10 lb for bass 0r 25 -30lb for pickerel.   Figured I can finesse anything from this lake with 10lb test to the hole and I don't think a pickerel will get through the 25 lb before I get him up. ….I hope.  It's a just for fun tournament with a bunch friends.   I'll let you know how I make out.  Thanks for the tips everyone.   

[Knife2sharp]

Don't forget to check the tip-up line.  I was at a friends and family contest last weekend, and setup prior to the start of the tourney.  Watched a nice pike come in and grab my shiner, I was using Sureset hook on 2' of 30 lb Flouro leader material.  I set the hook, then snap, thought he bit off the leader, dropped the bait, or the hook broke.  Nope, the 80lb tip-up line broke, and no, the knot didn't come untied, there was a slight curl to it.  I may have nicked the tip-up line at some point. 

[Kevin23]

I would probably use a steal leader, I target pike of the same size (eaters) and rest assured those annoying log carp (bass) have no issues with eating a shiner on a steel leader. Plus the thinner wire lets your bait have more lifelike action than with a stiff fluoro leader. You dont need a big one for those fish, I actually prefer the eagle claw micro series in 12 or 18lb. I like to remove the snap from the end that would normally connect to your bait, and instead put a heavy split ring on it and attach my hook with that. Less bulk at the hook, pike dont care but I think it looks better. I've also caught a lot of perch on this rig accidentally, they dont seem to care either.

lia_pla-989201976917&segment=&gclid=CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W8YZ6MYkoovJ--Oizx5j8htT56T73B6OuDfna_EFONYgpXZgwtP1YRoCeCQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" class="bbc_link" target="_blank">https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/eagle-claw-wire-micro-leader-18eclumcrldrs812lter/18eclumcrldrs812lter?sku=11143373&camp=CSE:DSG_92700055661911949_ lia_pla-989201976917&segment=&gclid=CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W8YZ6MYkoovJ--Oizx5j8htT56T73B6OuDfna_EFONYgpXZgwtP1YRoCeCQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[ICEHOLE]

I would probably use a steal leader, I target pike of the same size (eaters) and rest assured those annoying log carp (bass) have no issues with eating a shiner on a steel leader. Plus the thinner wire lets your bait have more lifelike action than with a stiff fluoro leader. You dont need a big one for those fish, I actually prefer the eagle claw micro series in 12 or 18lb. I like to remove the snap from the end that would normally connect to your bait, and instead put a heavy split ring on it and attach my hook with that. Less bulk at the hook, pike dont care but I think it looks better. I've also caught a lot of perch on this rig accidentally, they dont seem to care either.

lia_pla-989201976917&segment=&gclid=CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W8YZ6MYkoovJ--Oizx5j8htT56T73B6OuDfna_EFONYgpXZgwtP1YRoCeCQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" class="bbc_link" target="_blank">https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/eagle-claw-wire-micro-leader-18eclumcrldrs812lter/18eclumcrldrs812lter?sku=11143373&camp=CSE:DSG_92700055661911949_ lia_pla-989201976917&segment=&gclid=CjwKCAiA65iBBhB-EiwAW253W8YZ6MYkoovJ--Oizx5j8htT56T73B6OuDfna_EFONYgpXZgwtP1YRoCeCQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Crimping with a loop big enough for hook to swing fixes the "stiff floro" issue...i use bait big enough to take curls out of 50lb floro when hanging...if you are catching perch on your rig im certain you are not using big baits...

[Kevin23]

Crimping with a loop big enough for hook to swing fixes the "stiff floro" issue...i use bait big enough to take curls out of 50lb floro when hanging...if you are catching perch on your rig im certain you are not using big baits...

This thread is about targeting sub 6lb pickeral and bass with shiners.

When i am targeting big pike, i use a much different rig with 6-7" bluegills or 8-10" suckers

[ICEHOLE]

This thread is about targeting sub 6lb pickeral and bass with shiners.

Yes and that's why earlier I suggested using 30lb..crimp and loop will still apply to this and will still help the bait swim freely and not be affected by the floro stiffness
I use 30lb for bass and pickerel (6lb pick is a monster where I live) and 50 for for pike.  Both crimped. Only saying what I do. No wrong answers here.