Tell me how stupid this is . . .

[Shadow1]

I fish two lakes in Canada. They both have provided me with many fish over 5lbs. The fish on one lake in particular just love jerkbaits. Caught two last year just over 6lbs both on jerkbaits. THE problem, PIKE . . . I lost 3 jerkbaits last year, and not the cheap kind! So here is my idea, please don't laugh too much, I have found some 6lb single strand titanium leader wire that can be tied.  Would it be feasible to tie a 12 -16" leader with this wire? I've seen people tie this to braid and the lure on YouTube. Tired of losing $20 jerkbaits, but i love catching 5lb smallies. Fire away!!!!

[@reelChris]

Sounds reasonable to me, but I also hate losing lures.

 

If you're really worried about it, tie up two rods as close to identical as possible - similar rod, reel, type and strength of line, and same bait - one with leader, and one without.  Cast and retrieve the rod without the leader a few times, then switch to the rod with the leader.  If you can't feel much of a difference, chances are the fish won't either.  

[gim]

I use Seaguar Blue Label to avoid bite offs from pike.

 

And believe me, we have a lot of aggressive northern pike here. The only difference from here and Canada is the average size of them. 90% of them here are the small annoying slime dart variety and in Canada they are bigger.

[WRB]

Surflon Micro 7 strand tie-able leader.

Tom

[RRocket]

I think this is fantastic idea.

 

Here's why:

 

I use a similar setup to DELIBERATELY catch pike with my UL set up. 4-6lb mono along with one of these ultra thin leaders. They measure .012" (.3 mm) dia. These are rated 12 lbs.

 

I throw (somewhat) expensive Chatterbaits and hideously expensive JDM top water prop baits so if I didn't have some sort of leader on, I'd be bankrupt.

 

And it works. I do not get bit off.

 

So, yes. I think it's a great plan.

 

Would love a link to the leader you'll be using! 

25 minutes ago, gimruis said:

90% of them here are the small annoying slime dart variety

We call those Hammer Handles here.

[RipzLipz]

@Shadow1 A similar idea was brought up in another thread regarding MB Vision 110’s. I’d use what was recommended by @A-Jay, as he has a wealth of experience & success fishing for & consistently catching trophy class SMB. From my understanding, the wire being knottable is key to this tackle.

ETA: the above is the same as recommended by @WRB. Did not realize this prior to posting.

[softwateronly]

2 hours ago, Shadow1 said:

I fish two lakes in Canada. They both have provided me with many fish over 5lbs. The fish on one lake in particular just love jerkbaits. Caught two last year just over 6lbs both on jerkbaits. THE problem, PIKE . . . I lost 3 jerkbaits last year, and not the cheap kind! So here is my idea, please don't laugh too much, I have found some 6lb single strand titanium leader wire that can be tied.  Would it be feasible to tie a 12 -16" leader with this wire? I've seen people tie this to braid and the lure on YouTube. Tired of losing $20 jerkbaits, but i love catching 5lb smallies. Fire away!!!!

 

As a frequent donator to the northern pike "flashy grill" dental plan, @WRB is correct, this is the only one that keeps the jerk bait action that the bass like.  Vision 110 jr's don't qualify though.  They still work but lose some of the magic, my guess is it's a weight issue.  I'm open to learning new, better ways, but my current solution is to tie 7-9" wire with an alberto to my mainline, and a bowline to a small decoy eggsnap and to remove the split ring.  I do this with my deep cranks in cold water as well.  I haven't found a knot for the wire that I like better yet, but I'm weird.

 

scott

[FrnkNsteen]

I have found the Berkley Fire Line is surprisingly resistent to toothy northerns too.

 

I use it up it up in Canada to throw my inline spinners on spinning rigs loaded with 14lb and 20lb Fireline and rarely get bit off. Something about that fused line that holds up better then mono, flouro, or any kind of regular braided line.

 

It's not better than tieable leader material though, and is is flexible enough that it may get tangled in the hooks of a jerkbait, but thought I'd mention.

[gim]

@RRocket I could definitely see those leaders working but the issue is the added weight they add to lures like jerk baits and the action they could reduce on some other lures with how they attach to the lure with those snaps.

 

Tie-able wire would also work as has been posted above.  I used to lose some lures to the pack of teeth until I started using Blue Label on some of my moving lures.  So yes I'd also be bankrupt and out of hard baits if I wasn't doing that by now.  For some reason they really like flashy, vibrating lures here.  Spinner baits and chatter baits come to mind.  The skirts on those take a real beating.

 

Hammer handles is a common term used here too.  Snot rockets is another good one.  Plenty of nicknames out there for those annoying slimy lure wreckers!

[Shadow1]

Thank you so much for the replies and information.  At least I now know I wasn't thinking too crazy, and I have some options.  The leader material is called "Knot 2 Kinky" from Aquateko.  I can get 30' of 6lb test titanium single strand line for $17.00.  I believe it is the diameter of 8lb fluoro.  I am going to look at all my options.  For the $$$ I am going to get some of the material and see what it does to my 110's as far as action.  Again guys, thanks so much for all the help and info.  

[RRocket]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

@RRocket I could definitely see those leaders working but the issue is the added weight they add to lures like jerk baits and the action they could reduce on some other lures with how they attach to the lure with those snaps.

 

 

I agree.

 

My post was more of a confirmation of his idea rather than recommending my exact set-up.

 

The micro thin titanium leader wire sounds much better for his purposes.

[fishingtx]

19 hours ago, Shadow1 said:

Tired of losing $20 jerkbaits

I lost 4 a-rigs last month😭

[detroit1]

Fluke.

[Fishin Dad]

On 1/29/2024 at 9:28 PM, gimruis said:

I use Seaguar Blue Label to avoid bite offs from pike.

 

And believe me, we have a lot of aggressive northern pike here. The only difference from here and Canada is the average size of them. 90% of them here are the small annoying slime dart variety and in Canada they are bigger.

Tell me more about this Blue Label for pike.  I am interested.  They rob me blind on a lot of the lakes down here.  Thanks

[softwateronly]

On 1/30/2024 at 7:35 AM, Shadow1 said:

Thank you so much for the replies and information.  At least I now know I wasn't thinking too crazy, and I have some options.  The leader material is called "Knot 2 Kinky" from Aquateko.  I can get 30' of 6lb test titanium single strand line for $17.00.  I believe it is the diameter of 8lb fluoro.  I am going to look at all my options.  For the $$$ I am going to get some of the material and see what it does to my 110's as far as action.  Again guys, thanks so much for all the help and info.  

 

I think I used that before, does it stretch a little?  I remember it working great, just the local shop stopped carrying it.

 

scott

[Gera]

My first Vision 110 was stolen by a Pike on the second cast about 5ft from the boat, I saw the little piece of.. fish.. take it from my line with absolutely 0 resistance, he cut the line clean and if I didn't actually see  it I would believe I threw it with a faulty knot. I swore vengeance to ease the pain. 

Many of them have been lost after that and still refuse to use steel leader. 

 

 

 

[T-Billy]

AFW stainless wire and a haywire twist leader is how I go about it.

 

[softwateronly]

@T-Billy I lose too much action on a jerkbait, especially MB, with any single wire attempts.  Cranks on the other hand, seem fine.

 

scott

[A-Jay]

When the pike are thick & persistent and I don't want to relocate,

I use this and lose very little if any action on jerkbaits.

I fish clear water mostly for brown bass.

Both these fish came on a Vision 110 bait with this wire.

Jerkbaits will run a little deeper and perhaps even slow sink on the pause if I use more than 12-14 inches. Still get bites.

A-Jay

[RipzLipz]

@A-Jay I smell bacon. 🐷🐷🐷🥓🥓🥓

[gim]

10 hours ago, Fishin Dad said:

Tell me more about this Blue Label for pike.  I am interested.  They rob me blind on a lot of the lakes down here.  Thanks

Well it’s made by Seaguar so it’s a quality product. Someone told me about it when they were using it for their tip ups while ice fishing a few years ago. They were constantly getting bit off. Seaguar Blue Label is a specific fluorocarbon designed to be used as leader material that is resistant to bite offs. I have used it in both 20 and 30 pound test. I prefer the 30. It’s kind of stiff but you can still tie knots with it. I use about 18 inches of it above my spinner baits and chatterbaits, and some crank baits. And since it a fluoro material, it’s not so visible in the water like a steel or wire leader might be. Just like other fluorocarbons, you’ll want to inspect it regularly for kinks and damage and then replace as needed.

 

I haven’t used it with a jerk bait. Luckily I don’t catch many pike on jerk baits. It’s mostly smallmouth and walleye.

[Fishin Dad]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Well it’s made by Seaguar so it’s a quality product. Someone told me about it when they were using it for their tip ups while ice fishing a few years ago. They were constantly getting bit off. Seaguar Blue Label is a specific fluorocarbon designed to be used as leader material that is resistant to bite offs. I have used it in both 20 and 30 pound test. I prefer the 30. It’s kind of stiff but you can still tie knots with it. I use about 18 inches of it above my spinner baits and chatterbaits, and some crank baits. And since it a fluoro material, it’s not so visible in the water like a steel or wire leader might be. Just like other fluorocarbons, you’ll want to inspect it regularly for kinks and damage and then replace as needed.

 

I haven’t used it with a jerk bait. Luckily I don’t catch many pike on jerk baits. It’s mostly smallmouth and walleye.

Interesting.  I do have less problems with fluoro than with braid.  I may have to give that Blue Label in 20-30 a try in the more pike invested lakes I fish.  I will still use a leader when catching giant pike on the Mississippi.   

[gim]

@Fishin Dad I was using straight braid on some presentations.  30 or 40 pound.  Didn't think a pike could slice though that kind of braid.  I was wrong.  They'll cut it off clean.

 

50 pound braid might be enough but the only setup I use for that is a frog (other than my muskie setups which are 65 or 80 pound braid).

[Fishin Dad]

56 minutes ago, gimruis said:

@Fishin Dad I was using straight braid on some presentations.  30 or 40 pound.  Didn't think a pike could slice though that kind of braid.  I was wrong.  They'll cut it off clean.

 

50 pound braid might be enough but the only setup I use for that is a frog (other than my muskie setups which are 65 or 80 pound braid).

I agree.  They have cut through my 50 lb Flippin braid as well.  20 lb fluoro is better, but if they hit that right, it’s gone too.  One of the lakes I fish had the highest pike gain in the State, per DNR, and it wasn’t even close.  I am not sure what happened, but it must have been the perfect storm for spawning.  

[gim]

4 minutes ago, Fishin Dad said:

One of the lakes I fish had the highest pike gain in the State, per DNR, and it wasn’t even close.  I am not sure what happened, but it must have been the perfect storm for spawning.  

Its a Pikenado!

 

@Fishin Dad its kinda funny when someone else gets trimmed off by a pike but there's no laughing when it happens to you.  Usually its just a loud four letter swear word.