nickniescior Posted June 19, 2014 Posted June 19, 2014 Im heading up to NY soon to the finger lakes and I am gonna do some pike fishing. I have caught them before and I have seen those monster teeth, so I imagine you would have to use a leader to keep from losing lures, Any recommendations for leaders? I want something that wont break, but Id like to also keep the action of the lures not too impaired.Thanks guys Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted June 19, 2014 Super User Posted June 19, 2014 There are a number of ways to go, all work just fine. Store bought leaders, not a big fan of the snaps that come on them but inexpensive and should pose no problem. "Piano wire", use a haywire twist. Nylon coated surflon, crimp one end with a swivel and the other you can crimp on a duolock. What I use. Tieable wire, never used it, heard it works ok, bit costly but it's only money. Quote
Super User Crestliner2008 Posted June 19, 2014 Super User Posted June 19, 2014 Use at least a 12" leader. I haven't tried it yet, but they make a "ty-able" wire that you can use for this purpose as well. Some folks like the heavy (80# test) fluorocarbon leaders. I don't know. I've caught a lot of pike and those teeth are amazingly sharp. I'd be skeptical of landing a 20 pound pike with fluoro as my only leader. But many musky fishermen use them. Quote
Tim Kelly Posted June 19, 2014 Posted June 19, 2014 I do a lot of pike fishing in England and don't really trust fluorocarbon leaders. You can land a lot of fish on them, but one will bite you off sooner or later for no obvious reason. There are plenty of types of wire that work well. single strand wire leaders are cheap and easy to make up, but don't last many fish before being too bent up. my favorite is American Fishing Wire 1x19 strand camo coloured plastic coated leader. You need to put a swivel at one end and a snap at the other. I tend to tie it with a 2 or 3 turn clinch knot, which you pull the tag end to tighten the knot (or else it goes curly). Something around 30-40lb breaking strength would be about right. Staylok snaps are the best too. 150- 200lb size are easy to use and super reliable. http://www.afwhiseas.com/product-p/dm19-35-a.htm Quote
Super User Scott F Posted June 19, 2014 Super User Posted June 19, 2014 Unless you plan on doing a lot of pike fishing, store bought steel leaders will work fine. Just be sure you buy ones with cross lock snaps. While you are buying leaders, pick up a set of jaw spreaders to hold open the mouth so you can get your lure back and not lose any blood. 1 Quote
Tim Kelly Posted June 19, 2014 Posted June 19, 2014 Those jaw spreaders are really bad for the fish. Much better to put your hand under the gill flap, behind the rakers, and hold the pike like that. It's jaws will open automatically and you can dive in with the long nosed pliers to get your lure back. Hook cutters are handy too so that if the hooks are awkwardly placed you can snip the hooks to get the lure back, then remove the cut pieces. If you're going to be eating the fish, none of this applies! 1 Quote
Super User Dwight Hottle Posted June 19, 2014 Super User Posted June 19, 2014 These are the best leaders I have ever found. We have had one leader last for the week when pike fishing. I do change out the snap daily as that is the weakest link in the system. I use duolock snaps. http://www.finn-tasticcanada.com/leader_store.html Quote
nickniescior Posted June 19, 2014 Author Posted June 19, 2014 Thanks so much guys for all the advice, I had caught one pike there before, and coming back a year later (armed with significantly more experience fishing) I plan on catching another like this. Quote
Tim Kelly Posted June 19, 2014 Posted June 19, 2014 Have fun, and get one like this, on a fly rod sometime. Great fun. Quote
ColdSVT Posted June 19, 2014 Posted June 19, 2014 Knot2kinky titanium leader...stuff is incredible...and it isnt too expensive Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted June 20, 2014 Super User Posted June 20, 2014 IMO the smaller the fish the more chance of being cut off, the teeth are closer together and sharper. Awesome catch on the fly rod, for me that takes center stage over catching them any other way. No pike here but barracuda is hot ticket, my surgical tubes are made with wire. Fishing for them off the beach with a fly rod or spinning with no wire is preference, I don't want to limit my bite for other species that may be coming in. Quote
nickniescior Posted June 20, 2014 Author Posted June 20, 2014 Question though, if I am running a lure that requires some finess such as a Heddon Super spook (walking the dog), will the steel wire effect how the action works Quote
Tim Kelly Posted June 20, 2014 Posted June 20, 2014 Not really. Musky guys fish far heavier tackle and they use spook type baits. As long as you don't have massive swivels and a heavy bent up trace you'll be fine. Quote
nickniescior Posted June 20, 2014 Author Posted June 20, 2014 Also if I have wire, do I have a chance of getting other fish like largemouth, smallies, etc... or will they be spooked by it? Quote
Tim Kelly Posted June 20, 2014 Posted June 20, 2014 I don't think it makes a lot of difference with moving baits. Probably not good on slow moving bottom baits, but they're not good pike presentations usually anyway. 1 Quote
nickniescior Posted June 20, 2014 Author Posted June 20, 2014 I don't think it makes a lot of difference with moving baits. Probably not good on slow moving bottom baits, but they're not good pike presentations usually anyway. Thanks very much for the information, when I go ill be 30 miles away from a Bass Pro shop, so If I wanna try other stuff ill be close Quote
nickniescior Posted June 20, 2014 Author Posted June 20, 2014 I don't think it makes a lot of difference with moving baits. Probably not good on slow moving bottom baits, but they're not good pike presentations usually anyway. Another question, should I use a leader if fishing for bass in Pike waters? because I use 30# braid when bass fishing but I am going to a new spot that is know to have pike. I have been looking at Surflon Micro Supreme and it looks good, but I am not sure if it is necessary. Thanks. Quote
5dollarsplash Posted June 20, 2014 Posted June 20, 2014 Everywhere I fish locally seems to have pike. For me I weigh the risk with reward while bass fishing. I don't fish a ton of baits I'm afraid of losing, but if I did I'd use a leader. Hook, worm, and soft plastic don't warrant a leader. But if I'm throwing a $30 bait you bet I'd use one. Flashy white/chartreuse baits automatically get one as they seem to be pike magnets. 1 Quote
nickniescior Posted June 20, 2014 Author Posted June 20, 2014 Everywhere I fish locally seems to have pike. For me I weigh the risk with reward while bass fishing. I don't fish a ton of baits I'm afraid of losing, but if I did I'd use a leader. Hook, worm, and soft plastic don't warrant a leader. But if I'm throwing a $30 bait you bet I'd use one. Flashy white/chartreuse baits automatically get one as they seem to be pike magnets. Any suggestion on a leader that will keep the pike at bay but not spook the bass, or is that just a fact of life Also thanks for the info! Quote
Tim Kelly Posted June 20, 2014 Posted June 20, 2014 Any bottom contact, slow moving, soft plastic bait will be less attractive to pike than a crank or spinnerbait. Quote
Super User Scott F Posted June 20, 2014 Super User Posted June 20, 2014 There's no way to tell for sure if bass will be spooked by the leader, but I lean to no, they won't be spooked. If you are afraid they will be turned off, it's going to affect your fishing. Either throw lures you aren't afraid to lose without a leader, or use one. I don't like loosing lures, but I also don't like leaving baits in the mouths of fish. It's not good for them. If you think 30 pound braid will take the place of a leader, it won't. They can bite through that as easily as you can cut it. 1 Quote
nickniescior Posted June 20, 2014 Author Posted June 20, 2014 There's no way to tell for sure if bass will be spooked by the leader, but I lean to no, they won't be spooked. If you are afraid they will be turned off, it's going to affect your fishing. Either throw lures you aren't afraid to lose without a leader, or use one. I don't like loosing lures, but I also don't like leaving baits in the mouths of fish. It's not good for them. If you think 30 pound braid will take the place of a leader, it won't. They can bite throughout that as easily as you can cut it. Thats a very good point, so I think ill try the Surflon micro. I am gonna be using moving baits so I think Ill be safe, Thanks for the info! Quote
Super User Jar11591 Posted June 20, 2014 Super User Posted June 20, 2014 In my experience, small pickerel bite me off a lot more than bigger pike. I've been bitten off by pickerel 5 casts in a row, but I never have trouble landing the 30"+ pike with no steel leader. Idk, that's just me. Quote
nickniescior Posted June 20, 2014 Author Posted June 20, 2014 In my experience, small pickerel bite me off a lot more than bigger pike. I've been bitten off by pickerel 5 casts in a row, but I never have trouble landing the 30"+ pike with no steel leader. Idk, that's just me. I have surprisingly never had a bite off from a pickerel, even though I get them in NJ all the time, but rather be safe then out one of my good lures Quote
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