Losing tackle to pickerel/pike

[TriStateBassin106]

Recently I've been losing a bunch of finesse gear to these toothy critters. Specifically 14 to 16inch chain pickerel on my home lake, sometimes but rarely they'll break off a texas rig on 15lb Flourocarbon bottom contact combo but most of the time it's my 8lb Flourocarbon setup that I throw wacky rigs/ned rigs and dropshots that recieve the most break offs. This past weekend I lost 4 ned rig jigheads to these guys in an hour timespan.. Usually what will happen is i'll feel a very hard thump and then immediately breakoff without doing anything. Do any of you guys have this issue with fish belonging to the pike family? Do you guys up your leaders to deal with it better? 

 

Thanks. 

[PaulVE64]

Hahaha

Last year I lost 4 or 5 Booyah frogs in just a dozen casts. 

But what can you do when trophy pike are hitting topwater?

#50 mono leader was my answer.

[padlin]

I use 15lb FC leader in pickerel ponds, pretty much took care of the bite offs.

[A-Jay]

I use this but not on finesse gear ~

A-Jay

[gim]

I’ve lost too many lures to even count anymore primarily to northern pike.

 

I don’t usually get snipped off very often using finesse plastics, but I can tolerate losing a few plastics, wacky hooks, or jig heads.

 

I had to do something about the lost spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, and crank baits. They’re expensive lures. I use Seaguar blue label on these now, in 20 or 30 pound test. It holds up pretty well.

 

The small pike usually just shred plastics and skirts, but the bigger ones sheer me completely off. As the OP stated, there is a “tick” or “thud” and then the entire setup is completely gone. And then I usually let out a 4 letter swear word.

[torm]

I've had them break me off on 20lb fluro leaders. Sadly thats just how it is if you got pike or pickerel in your waters. On the positive side though, they do provide some action if bass ain't biting. Pikes to me have the best topwater explosions. I've actually started keeping them and eating them out of spite now as long as their legal size due to all the megabass lures I've lost. 

[ironbjorn]

7 minutes ago, torm said:

I've had them break me off on 20lb fluro leaders. Sadly thats just how it is if you got pike or pickerel in your waters. On the positive side though, they do provide some action if bass ain't biting. Pikes to me have the best topwater explosions. I've actually started keeping them and eating them out of spite now as long as their legal size due to all the megabass lures I've lost. 

Lol that's savage 

[Mbirdsley]

Only time I get bit off from pike is when fishing drop offs when I’m using plastics.  Usually it’s when I’m using a  t-rig, wacky worm , or a tube.

 

 It’s always on the initial fall when I have slack in the line.  I feel a bump go to set the hook and nothing but, air on the hookset.  Unfortunately it’s just the cost of doing business up here.  
 

I havnt lost a moving bait IE crank, spinner bait, chatter bait etc etc in a long time. 

[KYKBassing]

I haven’t lost much finesse gear to them, but it’s painful losing a Vision 110 or a Jackhammer to them. After going through a bunch last year ( some of them on the first cast with a new one), I bought some titanium leader material that you can tie. So far, so good.  Bottom contact finesse gear I consider to be somewhat disposable. Eventually I’ll lose it to a snag.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I have the same issue in the southern part of the state.  The worst time of year fall, it seems like every pickerel in the lake is chasing my bait.  

The vast majority of bite offs occur when the fish turns and the line drags across the teeth, you can feel it.  Other times the fish takes the bait deep enough to damage the line above the knot and as soon as you put some pressure on the line breaks.

I used to use high quality leader material, like Blue Label, Shinsei, Yo Zuri HD and so on, all the time when I was using shorter leaders.  When I started DSing more and going to leaders over 12' I began to use Red Label.  In just a few months I had more bite offs with Red Label than I had in years of using leader material.  

I dont mind losing a few jigheads, its the more premium hardbaits or baits that I have few of that really hurt to lose.  The only thing I can recommend is to get a couple spools of Blue Label.  The ycan still bite through it, but its not going to happen as often.

 

[Fishin Dad]

Pike are horrible around here.  There are a few lakes that are just nasty with them.  On those few lakes, I lower my tackle quality, especially when fun fishing.  Original Zman chatters, cheaper crank baits, lead weights, etc.   Most of the other lakes, I just accept the losses and move on.  Lost a mini max and crankbait last time out.  I stock up while on sale for this reason.  Thankfully, my wife fishes with me once in a while and sees this happen.   That makes the packages arriving less painful!!!   Remember when those pike bit us off!?!?   ??

[gim]

10 hours ago, KYKBassing said:

but it’s painful losing a Vision 110 or a Jackhammer to them

I have lost a couple chatterbaits to them, but never a vision jerk bait. I’d have a stroke if that happened.

[JediAmoeba]

I fish in the Poconos, also known as land of the Pickerel. I lose a lot of baits to them - just the nature of the business.

 

I have found if I change out my gear to guard against them, I decrease my bites significantly. 

[softwateronly]

If you're fishing reaction, follow @A-Jay's advice.  Learning to tie that leader can save you hundreds of dollars.  Worst one for me was a full size gantarel completely engulfed in a very healthy pike.  Just as I was trying to get the net under her she came up mouth open enough for me to see my $30 glide bait and half tail walked flopped over and tink goes my line.  Terrible feeling on all accounts.  If I lose another I'm going full @torm

 

Finesse is tough, the only thing I know is straight braid is worse than braid to leader.  

 

scott

[ironbjorn]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I have lost a couple chatterbaits to them, but never a vision jerk bait. I’d have a stroke if that happened.

A couple years ago I fished a 110 near a known submerged log. Naturally I got hung up and lost it. Well that was stupid, I thought. Why did I do that? I tied on another 110 and immediately did it again because I'm not smart. Hung up again and lost another. Seriously thought about taking an IQ test after that.

[JediAmoeba]

I recently lost an irreplaceable $300 custom glider to a Muskie. It sucks really bad but I wouldn't change anything...

[TriStateBassin106]

4 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

I recently lost an irreplaceable $300 custom glider to a Muskie. It sucks really bad but I wouldn't change anything...

d**n that really sucks, 300 dollars though? 

[JediAmoeba]

19 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

d**n that really sucks, 300 dollars though? 

The custom swimbait market is a fickle *****. It's amazing what they go for... but I fish them and usually don't pay over retail. This one was a custom one with a paint job I paid nearly $100 for...

[ironbjorn]

53 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

d**n that really sucks, 300 dollars though? 

Milliken fishes $1,000 Hinkle swimbaits. It's real, and it's ridiculous.

[TriStateBassin106]

A long pickerel I caught today, on a ned rig with light line, this guy should've broke me off. 

[JediAmoeba]

58 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

Milliken fishes $1,000 Hinkle swimbaits. It's real, and it's ridiculous.

I only paid 275 or something for my hinkle and honestly it isn't one of my favorite gliders.

[ironbjorn]

2 minutes ago, JediAmoeba said:

I only paid 275 or something for my hinkle and honestly it isn't one of my favorite gliders.

That the shad bait?

 

I like Milliken, but he stans the expensive baits so hard. He's got a video from about a year ago showing why you want the high dollar swimbaits. He would work those slow and proper to get the best action in his pool demonstration. The less expensive baits he would work fast and ridiculous to make them roll over and breach the surface.

[JediAmoeba]

44 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

That the shad bait?

Yes. Hinkle also has others, including a Trout.