Care to comments on hooks and line?

[ATrexOnTheIce]

Any suggestions on what test mono leader to use off powerline? And what's an all around good hook size and style to use? I assume you'd need larger size for pike? Thanks

[CT-iceguy.]

In general unless im fishing for pike, I use a size 10 treble, with 2.5ft  of 8# floro leader. For pike, a size 2 treble, and 3ft of 50# floro leader.

[stripernut]

I have been very happy with quick strike rigs for a couple decades and use them when ever its legal. When I get a flag and feel the fish at the end of the line, 90%+ of the time I hook the fish and almost always in the lips for a easy release. No waiting, no guessing, I just set the hook and get the fish. I use double Ryder hooks for my rigs and that is the way they started out in England (for pike), were almost all fishing is catch and release. I have included a pic of a double Ryder hook. Partridge Hooks (now owned by Mustad) make the best, but its not hard to make your own.


Tight Lines!

[bojango]

I use 1/0 or 2/0 octupus hooks with a 15 lb flouro leader for my regular set ups, and 5/0 gamakatsu shiner hooks for pike. I am experimenting this year with a couple wire leaders for pike, and a couple 40 lb flouro leaders to see if there is a difference in action.

[Curley]

Hook size would be dependent on bait size and targeted species. That being said a good over all rig in my experience has been a # 2 Gami octopus hook on a medium shiner with an 8# florocarbon leader. I've gotten everything from trout, panfish, bass and pickerel on this setup. Hope this helps.
Good luck!

[ATrexOnTheIce]

Sounds like good advice.  wanted to see if what I've been doing is similar to others'. I tied on 6 lb. test onto my powerline but I'll move to the 8 floro and try some trebles. Thanks for that pic. too! Looks formitable. If the ice ever gets here! lol

[Matt_Atkins]

Ive been using 15# floro with a drop shot rig for my tip ups.
This year year im going to scale down to 10#, and use more hooks.

I mostly go for perch and walleye on conventry, 15# is heavy for that, but in the back of my head I envision a 12 lb walleye biting me off the minute I change line weight 

[jss111678]

matt i will be out on coventry this year looking for my first eye again this year, hope to meet you out there sometime. last year it eluded me but this year i plan on getting one

[Matt_Atkins]

hey Jss,
Ill be out there, im usally by the south island.
Still looking for my first keeper.
Bunch of shorts last year, hoping they have been getting bigger, and didnt get to pressured in the summer, Though the insane boat traffic there keeps some fisherman away.

[fishingabomb2006]

usually use 6 or 8# flouro leaders up to 6 feet long for everything but pike with a split shot/ drop shot hook size 4or6 works well for trout and calicos

[baitbig]

I ve been using this for at least this six years. Why i like it so much is the when using big bait the the hooks don t get barred in the bait and when fish strike it get all hook. I m using  two 3/0 gamma's and 2/0 in the middle to hold the bait. For leader material Tyger 50lb using .055 crimping sleeve and a slip weight, and 80lb spros swivel. I can t begin to write how proven this rig has been it caught hundreds of fish in the mid teen and at least 15 twenty pound fish, I didn t catch all these fish there about six guys I fish with that have help out.
When I say put time I think 21 days straight one year. plus one big catfish(world record) threw the ice.
 

[Blaine]

Any suggestions on what test mono leader to use off powerline? And what's an all around good hook size and style to use? I assume you'd need larger size for pike? Thanks

Atrex... Maybe I misunderstood your post but are using braid on your tip ups? Bad idea if you are targeting pike. The line is so thin, you will slice the crap out of your hands if you stick even a mid sized fish. It will also be much harder to fight the fish... Trying to slow a freight train run down while the braid runs through your hands is bad news. The suggestions above on leaders are all great but I would use 30lb dacron as my mian line. We spool most of our customers with a simple fly line backing. A small spool like you find on a Polar style will hold almost 75 yards, a Heritage will hold 150 yards

[Blaine]

I forgot... Anyone that is making up rigs for pike, if you are looking for some GOOD quality wire, take a look at the Knot2Kinky leader material. I recently saw it at a show and liked it som much, I decided to stock it. It's less expensive than most I've used, it ties knots well, doesn't kink, but what blew me away was that it stretches! I've lost a few real big fish on the hook set when there was no give in the line, this gives a nice little bit of shock absorbtion in the system...

[ATrexOnTheIce]

Hi Blaine, I only use powerline ( green 30lb.) on my jig poles and I was going to use a mono leader, 8lb. seems to be popular. For my tip-up's I use the orange line you actually put on for me when I got them from you. Which reminds me, you never wrote back last year about how your brother is. I went to school w/ him. Thanks for the info. as Im targeting Winchester this year for Pike if we ever get ice!

[Blaine]

Ahhhh.... Good!

It was a while ago... Which brother? I think you said Colby?

[ATrexOnTheIce]

yeah, Colby? So braid is o.k. on jig pole?

[Blaine]

It will work... The problem is that it doesn't sink like mono does. That really only matters when you are using real small stuff for panfish. Even then, you could put split shot or 2 a foot above the jig to get it down there quicker 

Colby is doing well. Married, lives in Bristol near the Farmington line. Got a 12 year old daughter and a son that's 8.