best leaders for pike fishing

[Spoons]

What's everyone's preference on steel leaders for pike fishing? I usually just go with the eagle claws but after noticing how many I have with kinks I was wondering if there are better ones out there I can spend more money on. 

[sideways2]

I'm looking at Finn-tastic titanium leaders... you can get single or 7 strand...

 

Good topic... let's  see what comes back!! 

[jimmyjoe]

    Try this:

 

  

[Dwight Hottle]

1 hour ago, sideways2 said:

I'm looking at Finn-tastic titanium leaders... you can get single or 7 strand...

 

Good topic... let's  see what comes back!! 

Very good choice. I used them exclusively after I discovered them. 

[sideways2]

Good to know.. thanks!!

 

I looked at that AFW stuff but I'm not about to go making my own... those days are past for me lol!!

[A-Jay]

4 minutes ago, sideways2 said:

Good to know.. thanks!!

 

I looked at that AFW stuff but I'm not about to go making my own... those days are past for me lol!!

The AFW product pictured is knot-able. 

Meaning you just tie the desired length of it to your line and your bait.

A-Jay

[sideways2]

Seriously??  

 

So my knot is a Palomar...  I can do that with this?? 

[BassinCNY]

I use the eagle claw leaders too, 12 lb test, 6" long. I seldom target pike though. For me it's to protect my lure investment. I haven't tried many other options so there's probably something better out there. They do get mangled in the net but I thought any other metal leader would too.

[Way north bass guy]

2 hours ago, sideways2 said:

Seriously??  

 

So my knot is a Palomar...  I can do that with this?? 

I use this stuff all the time now for pike. Alberto knot to attach it to my main line, and usually a clinch knot to the lure. I’ve caught lots of fish up to and over 40”, and never once had a knot at either end come open. 

[sideways2]

Very interesting!! 

 

So how often does this have to be changed?? 

 

Now we are talking about the  1x19 and not the 7x7 correct?? 

[A-Jay]

14 minutes ago, Way north bass guy said:

I use this stuff all the time now for pike. Alberto knot to attach it to my main line, and usually a clinch knot to the lure. I’ve caught lots of fish up to and over 40”, and never once had a knot at either end come open. 

Me too ~ 

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

9 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Me too ~ 

A-Jay

Holy dinosaurs 

[roadwarrior]

Now that's a fish!

 

 

 

 

 

[Way north bass guy]

2 hours ago, sideways2 said:

Very interesting!! 

 

So how often does this have to be changed?? 

 

Now we are talking about the  1x19 and not the 7x7 correct?? 

7x7 in black is what I use. How often it needs changed depends on how many and what size fish your catching, and what baits. Jerkbaits seem to get hit from the side a lot for me so they’ll get kinked up a bit more than a swimbait , but only in smaller pike, or if they hit like the swimbait fish in pic #2. A big one will often inhale a swimbait and often a jerkbait as well, quite often you’ll need to retie after catching a real big one, but that’s a small price to pay for landing these guys. 

[Spoons]

38 minutes ago, Way north bass guy said:

7x7 in black is what I use. How often it needs changed depends on how many and what size fish your catching, and what baits. Jerkbaits seem to get hit from the side a lot for me so they’ll get kinked up a bit more than a swimbait , but only in smaller pike, or if they hit like the swimbait fish in pic #2. A big one will often inhale a swimbait and often a jerkbait as well, quite often you’ll need to retie after catching a real big one, but that’s a small price to pay for landing these guys. 

Nice, I will have to work on my alberto knot skills but will use a swivel in the meantime. Thanks for the tip! 

[Further North]

I tie about a foot of tieable wire directly to the main line with either Alberto knot (for single strand like Knot-2-Kinky) or the FG knot for tieable wire like the AFW @A-Jay mentioned.

I use a perfection loop to tie in either a Mustad Fastach clip, or a a Fastach on a swivel, depending on what I'll be fishing on that rod.

The benefit to this is that I can reel the line all the way to the swivel, and not have to worry about banging the top swivel of a manufactured leader into the tip guide. 

I have Knot-2-Kiny leaders that have lasted two seasons, with dozens of pike and musky caught on them, and I' had great luck with Tyger Leader, which is no longer available.  The AFW is a decent choice.

 

[gim]

I don't use leaders when targeting pike because I don't target them.  However, I still catch them when I'm bass and muskie fishing.  A lot of them sometimes.  Most of them are not of the desirable variety either as they are quite small and always slimy.  On occasion I tied into a larger one which is slightly more tolerable.

 

I have found that using a standard steel or titanium leader inhibits the action of some of my lures.  So I use about a 8 to 12 inch length of flurocarbon leader material on some of my lures that pike love to attack.  Seaguar is the best one I've found and 20 pound is the max test weight I can use while still tying knots.  This past season I found out that they love chatterbaits...and I don't particularly like losing them so now I'm always using leader material fluro with them.

[Spoons]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I don't use leaders when targeting pike because I don't target them.  However, I still catch them when I'm bass and muskie fishing.  A lot of them sometimes.  Most of them are not of the desirable variety either as they are quite small and always slimy.  On occasion I tied into a larger one which is slightly more tolerable.

 

I have found that using a standard steel or titanium leader inhibits the action of some of my lures.  So I use about a 8 to 12 inch length of flurocarbon leader material on some of my lures that pike love to attack.  Seaguar is the best one I've found and 20 pound is the max test weight I can use while still tying knots.  This past season I found out that they love chatterbaits...and I don't particularly like losing them so now I'm always using leader material fluro with them.

I haven't tried flouro leader yet, but i will give it a shot. if a steel leader doesn't throw pike off I am sure a swivel won't lol. At least until i can perfect alberto knot. 

[throttleplate]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I don't use leaders when targeting pike because I don't target them.  However, I still catch them when I'm bass and muskie fishing.  A lot of them sometimes.  Most of them are not of the desirable variety either as they are quite small and always slimy.  On occasion I tied into a larger one which is slightly more tolerable.

 

I have found that using a standard steel or titanium leader inhibits the action of some of my lures.  So I use about a 8 to 12 inch length of flurocarbon leader material on some of my lures that pike love to attack.  Seaguar is the best one I've found and 20 pound is the max test weight I can use while still tying knots.  This past season I found out that they love chatterbaits...and I don't particularly like losing them so now I'm always using leader material fluro with them.

i use 80 LB floru for a leader in minnesota on my cranks, jerks, top waters,chatters, frogs, poppers, spinners  because they  became a big problem and every other fish was a pike. 

 

I actually like catching them for the fight and i am now not sure if i will stop using the 80 lb next year.

[gim]

46 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

use 80 LB floru for a leader in minnesota

Are you actually tying these as leader material above your lures or are you buying a pre made muskie leader and using that?
 

I can’t even fathom trying to tie a knot with 80 pound Fluoro. Even the 20 pound stuff is thick and stiff.

[MickD]

On 11/30/2020 at 4:39 PM, sideways2 said:

Seriously??  

 

So my knot is a Palomar...  I can do that with this?? 

You don't need a Palomar with this stuff, a simple 4 or 5 twists and the tag through the loop will do.   With that it won't slip. 

 

My preference is with titanium leaders with heavy duty components, like solid rings, cross lock snaps.  About 12 inches.  Shorter is too short, longer makes it cumbersome for casting as you always seem to be worrying about reeling it in too far.

[Further North]

My problem with fluoro leaders...that re heavy enough to do any real good...is that they are stiffer than the tieable wire I use.

...and in my experience, they don't last as long.  Catch a big musky, or even a decent sized pike, and it's likely they'll get nicked.

[throttleplate]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

Are you actually tying these as leader material above your lures or are you buying a pre made muskie leader and using that?
 

I can’t even fathom trying to tie a knot with 80 pound Fluoro. Even the 20 pound stuff is thick and stiff.

i make my own out of 80 lb seaguer, I tie a clip on one end and a swivel on the other using a simple 2 wrap clinch knot and then use a soldering gun to melt the tag end to leave a small nub in case of slip that has never happeped.

 

You can use the 2 wrap clinch on line that is 60 lb or more and i pre make a bunch of these leaders by putting a big hook in a vise and using it as a tool jig to draw down the line while wearing a glove as i pull it tight.

 

My main line is braid and i have a snap on it because i change out lures quite often during the day and of course the leader gets nicked to bad i toss it aside and clip on another one no muss no fuss.

 

 There are 2 lakes that are just swamped with good sized bass and i got bit off on a new square bill crank bait and finally had enough and made all these leaders. I throw big top waters and jerks and the 80 lb doesnt bother my retrieve at all.

The 1.5 square bills no problem also my pad crasher frogs get the leader as the pike chew on them like bubblegum.

 

watch this guy make a leader.

 

[Spoons]

14 hours ago, throttleplate said:

i make my own out of 80 lb seaguer, I tie a clip on one end and a swivel on the other using a simple 2 wrap clinch knot and then use a soldering gun to melt the tag end to leave a small nub in case of slip that has never happeped.

 

You can use the 2 wrap clinch on line that is 60 lb or more and i pre make a bunch of these leaders by putting a big hook in a vise and using it as a tool jig to draw down the line while wearing a glove as i pull it tight.

 

My main line is braid and i have a snap on it because i change out lures quite often during the day and of course the leader gets nicked to bad i toss it aside and clip on another one no muss no fuss.

 

 There are 2 lakes that are just swamped with good sized bass and i got bit off on a new square bill crank bait and finally had enough and made all these leaders. I throw big top waters and jerks and the 80 lb doesnt bother my retrieve at all.

The 1.5 square bills no problem also my pad crasher frogs get the leader as the pike chew on them like bubblegum.

 

watch this guy make a leader.

 

Curious, have you guys ever used 40 or 50 lb mono for a leader?

[Further North]

On 12/3/2020 at 1:20 PM, Spoons said:

Curious, have you guys ever used 40 or 50 lb mono for a leader?

It's not going to help you much, but I use 50# Maxima almost exclusively for my heavy fly leaders.

About 4 ft. of that. and 18" of wire, to a Mustad Fastach clip.