[tal0362]

I always used to use wire leader for pike, I read last year that florocarbon leader was good. Last weekend at Elevenmile I got bit off on 15 lb Florocarbon leader (Pline CFX), obviously that too light, should I be using wire or superline or heavier florocarbon for pike? I like Slayerfish think wire spooks fish.

T

 

[rottal]

I dont like wire....for me 20 or 25 lb hard mono works wonders. its cheap, easier to tie, is less visible (if that matters) and ive never had a bite off with it. ive even used it on toothy saltwater stuff with no problems. they only place ive seen it for sale is fly shops or in catalogs like Cabelas....but perhaps sportsmans warehouse or gander mountain carries it now days....for fly fishing for pike i think its a must.

pre fabricated wire leaders with snap swivels are easy to use though...ive caught a few pike with those on spinning gear, so if you dont like the hard mono option try those. they come in multi packs, and are fairly inexpensive.....

 

[epic]

if you do go with wire leader get the black ones they seem to work better then the silver ones.

 

[tal0362]

Rottal,

When you say hard mono, is there a brand leader that you recommend? I use 25 lb Trilene for leader, trolling for lakers. Is that hard? and I thought Florocarbon was supposed to be hard, that why I was using it...

Thanks

T

 

[Walking Eagle]

If you are trolling you might as well use wire leader because at the speeds you normally have to troll at for big pike, they will never notice it.

If you are casting for pike, that's a different story. They might see the leader, plus for sure a wire leader interferes with the action of the lure. Unless it's a big spoon. I like to make my own leader (24" is enough) out of 30 - 35 lb. mono. The pike's teeth are sharp, pointy piercing teeth and not actually cutting teeth, so usually you will get away with using the heavy mono.

If you are bait fishing for pike, such as a live fish under a big bobber, I think the wire leader is the most likely of all to spook the pike and the heavy mono leader is definitely recommended.

These are my conclusions from spending 10 years of pike fishing in Minnesota. Your mileage may vary.

 

[epic]

I have to disagree with you on not using a wire leader on live bait... I have lost fish on stringers to pike all the time and they didnt seem to mind the big ole wire shaft sticking out of those fishes mouths.

Clear water use mono... stained or murky water use wire leader. Mono may entice not very hungry fish into biting but if the fish is hungry nothing is going to stop them from slamming your lure/bait.

 

[tal0362]

Epic, Walking Eagle,

Thanks, I think! Scratching my head!!!

I usually use that black wire leader, this year I have been trying some different stuff. At Elevenmile I had more hits on the florocarbon leader rod, then the superline only rod. I guess I should have known better because I got bit off last summer in upper michigan too. Maybe hard mono will be the ticket, else heavier mono, or fall back to wire.

T

 

[rottal]

Rottal,

When you say hard mono, is there a brand leader that you recommend?  I use 25 lb Trilene for leader, trolling for lakers.  Is that hard?  and I thought Florocarbon was supposed to be hard, that why I was using it...

Thanks

T

"hard mono" is a type of monifilament, not a brand...its very stiff, much stiffer than regular mono or flouro...you can usually buy it in 25 yard spools.  it doesnt take regular knots (its way too stiff) but i use a "figure 8" knot with it with no problems.   

---if you have ever seen the weed guard on bass flies or something similiar, they are usually make with 40lb hard mono...its that stiff

 

[tal0362]

Rottal

Oh, I think had and used that stuff for leader in saltwater. It was heavier, like 100 - 150 lb. I will get some in the 25 lb range. Thanks

T

 

[scorpion_bsk]

I dont like wire....for me 20 or 25 lb hard mono works wonders.  its cheap, easier to tie, is less visible (if that matters) and ive never had a bite off with it.  ive even used it on toothy saltwater stuff with no problems.  they only place ive seen it for sale is fly shops or in catalogs like Cabelas....but perhaps sportsmans warehouse or gander mountain carries it now days....for fly fishing for pike i think its a must.

pre fabricated wire leaders with snap swivels are easy to use though...ive caught a few pike with those on spinning gear, so if you dont like the hard mono option try those.  they come in multi packs, and are fairly inexpensive.....

Do you think that the 20 to 25 lb. hard mono would handle a large tiger muskie? I have often wondered about that.

 

[rottal]

Im sure the hard mono would handle anything you will catch in fresh water, other than perhaps some of those Nile Perch you see in Africa....

Ive caught pike in the 25 lb range on hard mono...with no issues at all. TALO, if you decide to try some, be sure to look up some knots online so you know how to attach it to your line. for fly fishing its not too hard, but for a regular mono to hard mono connection it might take some practice to make sure its a good strong clean connection. perhaps a nail knot butted up against a demo knot on your hard mono...or a surgeons knot...

 

[roadkill]

singlr strand wire, is way baetter than the coated stuff and almost as good as mono pound for pund it is about the same dia or a little smaller than mono and with the bronze color it doent have the "bad flash"

 

[work2fish]

Terre,

Most of the pike fishing I've done has also been in Minnesota. I've almost always used braided line and I've never had one bite it off (knock on wood). I've also caught muskies on the same stuff. So I guess that would be a compromise between mono/fluorocarbon and wire leader. I was interested to read about your tests with mono leader versus straight superlines (braids?) at Elevenmile, though.

 

[tal0362]

Rottal,

I went shopping yesterday, (wound up buying a few lures that I didn't really need) and I looked a bit on-line today for hard mono(I didn't go fishing, is it snowing yet?). Any way I did not find line or leader that was advertised as "hard mono" (my local fly shop closed last year). I think the stuff I used in the ocean was Ande leader material, does that qualify as hard mono?

Work2fish, just for clarification I haven't been bit off using superline,,, florocarbon leader material was the culprit. I have a very high opinion of the Pline floro leader, it is abrasion resistant, strong and I think the fish don't see it easily... 15 lb does not however hold up to pike teeth.

Ter

 

[rottal]

Yeah, that should work fine....the stuff you are talking about sounds familiar, i think ive fished it before. Another brand was Seagaur, it also comes in big, open loop spools....
look at the 20 and 25 lb stuff...make sure its the stiff kind, though, not regular flourocarbon...

 

[fishinguitars]

I've been bitten off using braided line ...for me it just depends on what bait im using .....big suicks and spinnerbaits I just use braided line .....but with smaller baits I use a florocarbon leader that I attach to my braided line with a double surgeons knot and have never had a problem

 

[McFish]

I used this in Canada and I had no failures. Used it on baitcasters and flyrod. This leader is kinda neat because you can tie nots with it. Surflon-Micro Supreme Wire at Cabelas.

 

[Neal/CO]

Terminator has a new material that you can tie directly to your lure with a simple clinch knot! I saw it in a saltwater catalog, but haven't bought any yet. If you are going to use Floro, use really heavy floro.

 

[Zman]

Here are links to the two the guys talked about above:

http://tinyurl.com/8vljf

http://www.terminatorlures.com/terminator_leaders_wire.html

It doesnt say if you can tie knots with the Terminator product...it does say it is pricey...

 

[Zman]

Wow I didnt even know there was such a site...like anti Viagra for links...kewl!...thanks!!...

I have been publicly admonished...there goes the raise... :'(

Obvoiously some of us have more time to find obscure web sites...

Oh the shame...<looking for a size 8 paper bag to put my melon in>