Leaders!!

[basst_]

10lbs power pro works well. i used extra stuff i had. i also got 65 PP as a main line on one trap! kicked ass all season!!!  but i still love floro as a main line! MONO SUCKS!!! 

[Papa Sly]

I used power Pro ice (blue) all last year with no problems but everyone here seems to think you will get more flags with the lower visibility flouro. Like I said I used it 2 years ago and the picks sliced it like a hot knife through butter but never through the power pro. I even caught a few smaller pike on power pro with no problem and it was only 10 lb! I am however all about more flags.

[PeterSaloom]

Are you sure they were break offs due to a tooth vs. due to anything else like a knick in the line or a weak knot? is it breaking off at the hook or higher up?

[Papa Sly]

higher up and it was all pick's. As soon as I switched to power pro no more problems, same knots. I was only using 8 lb so I am going to try 30 lb flouro as recommended here.

[PeterSaloom]

Oh. well for all around bass/pickerel leader you don't want to use 8lb. Any little sharp corner of ice will cut it quickly. I have had great luck with Seaguar 25lb flouro leader and this winter I am actually probably going to try Seaguar Abraisex Flouro as a leader.

[sangell]

I have been using 8 lb floro with a swivel to 50 lb braid. It has worked well for bass, slime darts and all that with not many break offs at all. I will say the number of flags I get is substantially higher than guys around me not using floro. This year I am going to start with 10 lb floro for the black ice and up it to 30 as the ice changes. I am also planning on doing some venturing.

The other change I am probably going to make is jumping from circle hooks to bait hooks. I missed some big ones during the open water months, caught a bunch, but the fish I got into the net did increase when I went with bait hooks. With the angled eyelet the fish were getting hooked just like a circle and it is a heck of lot fun setting the hook. Has anyone else had a similar experience with hooks?

Sure hope the weather changes and we can get out soon.

[clopes]

I'm gonna try using pasta this year.  It starts out thin and a little hard but gets thicker and soft towards the end of the day. Angel hair for trout, linguini for pike. I'll keep ya posted.

[stripernut]

I'm gonna try using pasta this year.  It starts out thin and a little hard but gets thicker and soft towards the end of the day. Angel hair for trout, linguini for pike. I'll keep ya posted.

Sounds a lot like mono as it absorbs water...

[BASSQUATCH]

I'm in the process of weaving 6780 strands of thread together, I hope it's strong enough?! Florescent orange should work well :-)

[otzi]

OK, now this is officially off the rails. At least no one seems to have gotten their feelings hurt....yet.

[clopes]

Except when they do care.  It's those " I haven't had a bite in days" "I must be in the wrong spot" "My bait isn't siting right" "I have the wrong bait" "those friggin people keep getting close to my gear" "The pike are starring at my leader" "Shoulda went with the tri colored pasta" I must be doing something wrong" moments that will make you crazy. Even worse is when you set the hook and the line goes limp......

[Yachtzy]

Pike in my sig was landed on bright orange dacron.  They don't care much at all...

Jon do you really use bright orange line on a regular basis or just kidding around?

I remember seeing a Craigslist add for a complete ice fishing setup for sale because the guy said he was changing hobbies. As I was looking at the pics, I noticed all his tip ups had orange mason line on them. So I figured he never caught anything and just gave up on the sport. It was just a guess on my part, I could be wrong.

[BASSQUATCH]

Florescent orange has always been a lucky color, so I've been told lol. Seems that black & grey are also my lucky colors 😎

[Yachtzy]

Chris I am not kidding and I could send you tons of pics with it all over the ice next to large pike.  They don't mind at all.

"At a depth of eight feet, red light starts to fade and it is filtered out of the visible light spectrum by 15 feet. The next diminishing color is orange at 15 feet; by 50 feet, it has disappeared. Next to fade are yellow, green blue, indigo and violet."

That said dark colors are take much more water depth before they dissappear.  That is why I throw all black ron-z's for stripers at night!

Cool info, and the striper tip too!

It might just be the placebo effect with me but there is this light green I feel so comfortable with. I started out with white squidded line and when I switched to the greenish stuff it seemed like things improved. I'm also rarely fishing in depths over 15' most of the time also.

[Papa Sly]

Well I finally got down to Cabellas and got their fluorocarbon leader in 30 #. It's made by Seagar and as soon as I took the tape off the line it unraveled about 10-15 feet all looped up! Looks like it has a big memory, is this normal?

[clopes]

Yeah that can happen. You can stretch it out and Try and leave flat-stretched out when storing but it can happen. Hang a big dead bait and you'll have no worries

[sangell]

Once you get a bait, some a weight on it you'll be fine. It straightens out pretty quick.

Very interesting tip and a good on the line colors. Who knew..... To bad I am committed to black already.

Sure could use some ice about now :-)