Wire Leaders for Pike and Pickerel

[perchy]

All,

Do you guys recommend using wire leaders for toothy critters under 10 lbs? I currently run 20 lbs braid and have not had any issues with biteoffs from Pickerel. However, I'm planning to target some N. Pike at the WSSC Reservoirs later on this year, and I'm wondering if I should pick some up. From what I have heard, most caught there are under 10 lbs.
Thanks,
Perchy

[BassMoore]

I used to tie 10lb mono on 6lb mono and never had a break off.

20lb straight will not break, But it will limit the amount of fish you catch, clear water, with anything but a flouro or mono leader and you bet u decrease your chances of fish by atleast 40-60%

I notice in dirty salt water i out catch braid by prolly a 10-1 amount.

[imagine29028]

Never had an issue with Braid or Mono....

Think lines have become so advanced that a lot of old techniques are no longer needed. The technology in fishing lines is tremendous.

[chimo]

Haven't had much experience with Northerns here in MD but I've been bitten off countless times while perch and bass fishing in Vermont. No clue how many times I've set the hook and nothing.... The hooks just gone without ever feeling anything more than the tap tap of the fish biting. Usually isn't as much of a problem with cranks and spinnerbaits but soft plastics and live bait it can be pretty tough.

In my experience flouro willl hold up better than either mono or braid since it is more abrasion resistant but nothing beats wire. There are a couple brands of tieable stainless leader out there (Tyger, Toothy critter) that work pretty good and are pretty thin. Thats how i would go if I was planning on targetting northerns or musky. Otherwise, a heavier flouro leader.

[Runnin]

Never used them. 20lb Flouro can hold almost any Pickerel and most small Pike , Musky. I fish mostly with braid and usually have about an 18" flouro leader tied on.

[HJS]

Haven't had much experience with Northerns here in MD but I've been bitten off countless times while perch and bass fishing in Vermont. No clue how many times I've set the hook and nothing.... The hooks just gone without ever feeling anything more than the tap tap of the fish biting. Usually isn't as much of a problem with cranks and spinnerbaits but soft plastics and live bait it can be pretty tough.

That happened to me several times too when I was new to pickerel fishing. Many years ago, while fishing Loch Raven in shallow for spawning panfish using 6# test mono, my line would suddenly go limp and my small 1.5" pearl twistertail would just be mysteriously gone without even a tap or a run. I learned to paddle over to where I knew it was on last and there it would be lying on the bottom. Soooo, pickerel can even bite though slack line.

Now I do a lot of pickerel fishing using 4" soft plastics paddletails. To avoid bite-offs I tie several feet 20# floro to my 10# Fireline. Works great, but I do check the leader for nicks after ever couple of picks and retie if needed..

Northern pike are a different story. They can get really big. When targeting pike I usually add a short, black wire leader. Wire leaders are a PITA and quickly get kinked up after just a few big pike. I've also used 30# floro for pike and that seems to work OK.