60 lb flouro for pike leader

[Largemouth21]

I've read something about using 60 lb flouro as a bite leader for pike because its harder to see than steel (makes sense!) 

Anybody else do this. What is your favorite flourocarbon for heavier leaders (60 lb)? I would be tying the 60 lb flouro to 30 lb PowerPro if that helps. Thanks.

 

[Scott F]

Pike don't care about seeing leaders. They don't even care about seeing a boat. Plus, 60b test FC leaders are not invisible. Guys who are trying to prevent bite offs will use 100lb test FC leaders. 

[Dwight Hottle]

Take a look at 20lb titanium leaders. Very thin & supple enough not to hinder action on jerk & glide baits. I have had pike bite through 60lb flouro leaders. 80lb thru 120lb flouro is better if you insist on flouro.    

 

[J Francho]

60 lb. is not enough, you need to up to 100.  You'll probably want to invest in crimping tool, crimps, and some connecitng hardware.  Or, as Dwight said, get a few pre-rigged titanium leaders.

[everythingthatswims]

I've never even fished in a body of water that has pike but I use 90# fluoro for musky. @A-Jay Likes that knot 2 kinky wire or something like that

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, everythingthatswims said:

I've never even fished in a body of water that has pike but I use 90# fluoro for musky. @A-Jay Likes that knot 2 kinky wire or something like that

 

 Yup ~ that and American Fishing Wire Surflon Supreme knottable wire.

 

btw @everythingthatswims those Muskies you were on are a decent fall back plan  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..

A-Jay

[everythingthatswims]

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

 Yup ~ that and American Fishing Wire Surflon Supreme knottable wire.

 

btw @everythingthatswims those Muskies you were on are a decent fall back plan  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..

A-Jay

Hoping there will be another showing of them this spring!

[soflabasser]

Lots of good advice here. I used flexible wire line for the first big muskie I caught from land a couple months ago on vacation(caught this big Muskie in my first day of fishing for them). Muskie or pike are usually not leader shy and share similar attributes to barracudas, with one of the big differences being the barracuda is much stronger pound for pound than a Muskie or pike.

[RoLo]

On 1/30/2017 at 10:20 AM, Dwight Hottle said:

Take a look at 20lb titanium leaders. Very thin & supple enough not to hinder action on jerk & glide baits. I have had pike bite through 60lb flouro leaders. 80lb thru 120lb flouro is better if you insist on flouro.    

 

^^^

This coming from a gentleman angler who's bested the almighty "30-lb Benchmark".

 

As long as your fluorocarbon leader is nestled between two pike teeth, 

those teeth will serve as ivory line guides. On the other hand, the instant two pike teeth clamp down

on a non-metallic leader, it's goodbye Charlie! (As luck would have it...your PB).

 

Today there are a bunch of pliable, tieable, metallic pike leader materials, but my favorite is:

AFW 26-lb Surfstrand Micro Supreme - Camo  (avoid pre-rigged leaders like the plague)

It's 0.014" stainless steel consisting of 49-strands (7x7), capable of boating the next world record 

 

Roger

[3dees]

I have caught loads of pike over the last 45 years. I use a 6" wire leader, usually about 30 lb. and never had a problem. pike are not afraid of a leader of any size. sometimes we overthink things. the only problem with wire is they tend to kink after some fish are caught. while fishing for pike I also catch smallies, largemouth, and walleye. if fish are active the leader won't bother them. when fishing is slow I will fish without any leader. you just take a chance on bite offs.

[Esoxfreak]

floro all the way. 60# is way too light I think...depending on the size of lure I guess...and how often you fish.I have a friend who has flossed several muskies and lost both lure and fish with 60 floro. A lot of guys out here fly fish for tiger muskies with 80#floro, they may have to re-tie occasionally but no big deal. The reason I mention that is  9 times out of 10,the fly is completely in the fishes mouth, unlike us lure guys sometimes the baits are so big the leader dosent get near the teeth, the fly leader is in constant contact with teeth.some of them are using braided titanium wire but the down side is that the good stuff is really expensive.they all o back to floro at some point.I live a couple hundred feet from bluewater lake in nm and fish tigers almost everyday, it's how I earn a paycheck.ive been through every leader set up you can imagine. I have settled on 120#floro into 80# hollow core braid. Never pinch pennies on the most important part of your setup, get the good stuff, saves money in the long run.

[Crestliner2008]

Using fluorocarbon for your leader, regardless of pound-test, is a crap shoot at best. Go with a steel leader and don't worry about the pike seeing it. They don't care.

[MassBass]

I think the thing they see is a big ugly clip and crimp tubing that is on the business end of the leader. Some presentations and situations I think leader visibility can be a factor. 

[Esoxfreak]

1 hour ago, MassBass said:

I think the thing they see is a big ugly clip and crimp tubing that is on the business end of the leader. Some presentations and situations I think leader visibility can be a factor. 

Totally a factor for any predatory fish that hunts visually. Especially if they are pressured. I know smaller(sub 25s) esox will hit almost anything though, but I feel the floro can make a 1 fish day a 2 fish day. I agree that the big ugly components can turn a fish off. I don't use any metal in my leader. I run a 120# leader into an 80# hollow core mainline, holds it like a Chinese finger trap, and tie my lure on the leader with an appropriate knot depending on what I'm throwing. If I'm gonna change baits a lot then I tie on an afw 150# clasp and cut the swivel off. The less junk on a leader the better.

Edited April 1, 2017 by Esoxfreak
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