Bite Offs

[Hardwater75]

I was sight-fishing through my shanty at a lake in NEPA this past weekend. I had caught one big perch and a couple small slime rockets when the biggest pickerel I have ever seen came under my shack. I dropped down a live shiner and he crunched it. He made a solid run then bit me off leaving me heart broken. About an hour later I hooked another giant pickerel, but he also bit me off. I was using 4lb mono (my panfish rod) to a circle hook. How do you guys prevent biteoffs? I was thinking about using thin wire or heavy mono the next time I go out, but I'm worried the fish will see the line and turn away. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks and tight lines.

[butcher]

In my experience, members of the esox family (Muskies, pike & pickerel) are not very line shy.  You could go with a heavier monofilament line specifically for pickerel or you could simply add a fluorocarbon leader.  Fluoro is very tough and super clear.

Even with a leader, you should really consider using a heavier main line if you are targeting pickerel.  4 lb line is very thin and will take a terrible beating from even a small pickerel. Further, you’ll need to play a big fish a long time with light line which really stresses them badly.  Keep in mind, big fish = old fish so the stress alone from a lengthy fight can kill them. If you intend to release the fish, you need to keep the fight as short as possible. Land the fish quickly and release it quickly while it’s still angry. To do this, you need heavier line.

[Chris338378]

If you're after toothy fish you could have a spare rod set with heavier leader to drop down for them to chomp on.  On my tip-ups I use 20 pound Spider Wire EZBraid because it has 6 pound diameter for a leader and have yet to have a pickerel bite through it and that's what I'd use for leader on the spare rod. 

[metalsled1]

Obviously if you have pike, pickerel or muskies in the area where you jig then there is no sense trying to figure out how to land one on 4# test mono on a panfish jig rod. Either have another rod ready that is equipped for toothy critters or just laugh at the experience and tie on another jig. When I open water fish Ontario every year I lose 10-15 jigs with plastics in a week to pike bite offs. I don't like steel leaders as I'm primarily fishing for smallmouth so I just take it with  grain of salt, jigs are cheap. I fish 8# mono on a 7' spinning rod and sometimes it's really funny - you're jigging and without even a hit felt you raise your rod to lift the jig and, gonzo.............no weight on the other end, pike literally bit it off clean without any feel of a strike. If you've never been around the toothy critter fish family it's a new experience. If you're reeling lures you may experience a bite off without a steel leader now and then but if you're fishing a slower approach with plastic worms, jig w/twister tail, etc. they are going to bite off their fair share!

[delawareriver]

If you're after toothy fish you could have a spare rod set with heavier leader to drop down for them to chomp on.  On my tip-ups I use 20 pound Spider Wire EZBraid because it has 6 pound diameter for a leader and have yet to have a pickerel bite through it and that's what I'd use for leader on the spare rod.

braid is the worse thing to use for toothy fish. plus its visible. If you dont care about the visibility than go with wire, if visibility is a concern go with heavier flouro leader.

[delawareriver]

I was sight-fishing through my shanty at a lake in NEPA this past weekend. I had caught one big perch and a couple small slime rockets when the biggest pickerel I have ever seen came under my shack. I dropped down a live shiner and he crunched it. He made a solid run then bit me off leaving me heart broken. About an hour later I hooked another giant pickerel, but he also bit me off. I was using 4lb mono (my panfish rod) to a circle hook. How do you guys prevent biteoffs? I was thinking about using thin wire or heavy mono the next time I go out, but I'm worried the fish will see the line and turn away. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks and tight lines.

I always liked 10-15lb flouro leaders while targeting pickerel.

[Chris338378]

braid is the worse thing to use for toothy fish. plus its visible. If you dont care about the visibility than go with wire, if visibility is a concern go with heavier flouro leader.

That's funny considering I've been using this set up for the past fifteen years and have caught God only knows how many pickerel on it without any bite offs.  I've also caught bass and perch on it also.  As for the issue of it being visible yeah it is but so is steel leaders and over the years millions of toothy fish have been caught on them so I don't see where leaders being visible is such a major issue for toothy fish.

[Snitch#8]

Good luck!  You either fish light line so the perch, gills and specks don't get line shy, or you fish a heavier line for the toothy varieties.  I fish with 1 and 2lb test and have landed some pretty nice pike and large mouth bass, you just play them a lot and pray a lot!

[EssoxHunter]

If yer setting up a jigging rod for toothy critters, to fish without worry, you need at least a medium power jigging rod.  Atleast 8lb mono ice or flouro ice, but most importantly a light wire leader, like Toothy Critter, or any light wire leaders you can find in 6" pr 12"....they don't care about seeing the line or leader. Good luck

[Snitch#8]

If yer setting up a jigging rod for toothy critters, to fish without worry, you need at least a medium power jigging rod.  Atleast 8lb mono ice or flouro ice, but most importantly a light wire leader, like Toothy Critter, or any light wire leaders you can find in 6" pr 12"....they don't care about seeing the line or leader. Good luck

And, if you are setting up like this, I wouldn't expect to catch too many gills or crappies!  The key is to set up for what you are targeting and it is a bonus if you catch something else.  LIke when I catch a 26 inch northern or 5lb bass, on 2lb test!  Yes, it can be done, although it does take some; skill, time, finess, and a whole lot of luck.

[Spider1]

yeeah... it happens. I lost a couple of my favorite jigs yesterday to pickerel. I found that you get far less bite offs with pickerel if you use "longer" jigs and don't try to horse them around. I got a couple 23" pickerel the other day on 3# mono. Tons of fun. When I say longer I mean like spoons, maybe with a chain and hook or a chandelier jig. Something that will let them get hooked but still keep the line from getting to close to them chompers. I also have some 6" wire leaders for my tip ups when I target pickerel and honestly it doesn't seem to put off the perch and bass either.

[honesdaletom]

I use the hooks they sell for blue fish. A big baitholder hook with 8" steel leader attached o a barrel swivel. Pickerel dont seem to be afraid of it, they just see the struggling bait and eat it. I also land the occasional pickerel on a little jig with a waxie.  And I get my share of bite offs as well.

[HeclaHardWater]

I been using 2 lb Fluoro and have landed quite a few decent size pickerel while fishing for panfish. A good gaff and proper drag is just as important as the line. Definitely don’t horse them when you feel em thrashing their heads. Let them tire themselves out. Granted I have lost a few jigs, but I have also saved my fair share of $5 jigs. Also after having a pickerel fight, I rip off 2 feet of line and re-tie.

[Snitch#8]

Totally agree! 

[sloughdog]

I use fluro anywhere from 10lb and up. You can turn your hooks out (offset from the hook shank) even on circle hooks to make the hook turn on a strike and hook the fish in the lip, outside of the teeth, or corner of the mouth.  I do this with my jigs even when targeting panfish. Works great.

[HeclaHardWater]

Good thought about the hooks and line being outside the fishes mouth. I use the Hali drop chains when jigging for panfish so that also gives me an advantage keeping the line outside the fishes mouth.