Northern attacks

[cruiseforever]

I can put up with losing a lure or two on a trip to northerns. But I am now up to 5 a trip. Been using lipless crankbaits without a leader. But I think it time for a leader or diffrent line or lake. What do you do to reduce the risk of bite offs. Also plan on using more crankbaits this fall. Thanks for any guidance.

[TruthWalleyes]

10-14# Flouro. No reason to get bite offs with the flouro if you don't have your drag set too tight.

[bassfshin24]

I had three swim jigs bit off in 20 minutes last weekend...i stopped throwing them haha. Also a couple of summers ago I had 3 sprofrogs bit off in 20-30 minutes...$30 down the tube to those toothy pieces of cr@p. You know I don't mind catching pike when I am actually fishing for them but man I hate them when I'm not.

[RK]

Have to disagree with not getting bit off with fluoro, especially 10-14#. I get bit off using 16# fluoro all the time fishing jigs - and 65# braid with frogs and flipping sometimes too for that matter. Sometimes you don't even feel a hit - your jig is just gone all of a sudden. Fluoro abrades differently than mono, but it's just as easily cut.

For lipless cranks, which pike love and are usually small enough for them to completely engulf, I add a short 3-4" leader of knotable wire like Cortland Toothy Critter. Attach it to the main line with either a small swivel or an Albright knot, and to the lure with a small crosslock snap, which I use on crankbaits either way. Doesn't affect either the action or the fish response. Use 'em almost all the time with lipless cranks. I figure jigs getting bit off is the price of doing business and buy more jigs, but losing $10 One Knockers starts to hurt in a hurry.

[eyeguy 54]

I just use a 6 inch steel leader out in ND on Devils lake. No problem with bite offs. Guide wasn't so lucky...

[thatoneguy]

Have to disagree with not getting bit off with fluoro, especially 10-14#. I get bit off using 16# fluoro all the time fishing jigs - and 65# braid with frogs and flipping sometimes too for that matter. Sometimes you don't even feel a hit - your jig is just gone all of a sudden. Fluoro abrades differently than mono, but it's just as easily .

Agree 100%. I use 20lb fluoro fishing bass in heavy stuff, and pike have no trouble snipping it.

[RumRiverRat]

Tieable titanium wire is what I use.

6" length of wire tied direct to crankbait.

Connect my braid or fluoro to wire with an albright knot.

[TruthWalleyes]

I use 14# flouro leaders on all my spinners, lindy's, and as leaders for crankbaits. I haven't had a bite off yet this year....

[Nhamm]

I use 14# flouro leaders on all my spinners, lindy's, and as leaders for crankbaits. I haven't had a bite off yet this year....

x2 14# Vanish and been 4 years with mine not one bite off. Awesome stuff. Although there have been a few close calls with bite offs in the net or while in boat. My father use to have issues with bite offs on flouro until it was determined that it was just his knot breaking.

[RK]

I use 14# flouro leaders on all my spinners, lindy's, and as leaders for crankbaits. I haven't had a bite off yet this year....

Oddly enough, I use either 14 or 17 fluoro for spinner rigs for walleyes all the time and don't get bit off much on them either. I never use a wire leader for diving cranks like DTs or Series 5s or squarebills, and I get bit off maybe once every couple years, usually when a fish rolls.

But jigs for bass, and lipless cranks it's a different story. Some lakes, even with 16 or 20 FC, I get bit off a couple times a trip on jigs, and lipless baits get bit off once in a while too - often enough to use a short wire leader when I'm in snake country.

I think it's all what the bait is doing and how they hit it. If it's a straight line bait like a spinner or trolled or straight retrieved crank they swim up and overtake it from behind. With jigs, or a rattle bait that's dropping, they head hunt them and get the line. Like I said, with jigs sometimes you barely feel a twitch and the jig is history.

[cjac]

Like I said, with jigs sometimes you barely feel a twitch and the jig is history.

I had that play out quite a few times the last couple days using 16#FC. I almost fell off my pedestal on when when I went to set the hook and had zero resistance. I think I got bit off more the last two days after the cold front came thru than I did all of August combined.

[mainbutter]

Have to disagree with not getting bit off with fluoro, especially 10-14#. I get bit off using 16# fluoro all the time fishing jigs - and 65# braid with frogs and flipping sometimes too for that matter

It's weird how we all have different experiences.

I've NEVER been cut with 20, 25, or 65lb fluoro. Can I? Yes. Will I? I'm sure it will happen eventually. My experience with <20lb fluoro is nil. For the record all the spools in my bag are "triple fish" brand 100% fluorocarbon.

With exclusively using fluorocarbon leaders for all my fishing since 2008, I've had better success at boating northerns than with steel leaders (which I've had fail on me before).

I'll argue that fluorocarbon leaders are great bite protection, but will not make you bite "proof".

The only "trick" with fluorocarbon is to replace your 6-12'' diligently. Especially after an esox engulfs your lure or hook, check your leader for damage and trim/retie or replace.

[cruiseforever]

After my post of being bit of often, I stopped by Fleet Farm and purchased some light leaders. I have yet to lose a lure to them yet and the action of the lures has not suffered. As much as I prefer not to use them the pike are just crazy this year.

[ssaamm]

They love drop shot rigs,too. If you get em to the boat, they have the rig wrapped around every gill and corner of the jaw that's possible. I think they could bite through a ski rope.

[delmuts]

Many times I used a wire leader too, but plan to get some of the wire leader that you can tie to eliminate the snaps.

[BTL]

I always find is strange the that bite offs seem to happen in bunches. You can fish 5 straight days without losing a lure, then on day 6 you get bit off 4 times.

I've been bitten off with every kind of line imaginable. I don't think there's really a cure. If I think the northerns will be a pain, I try to use cheap lures!

[jjz]

I use fluro that is meant to be leader material. it has much tougher than the stuff you can use on reels. only comes in small 30 yard or less spools. I have found 20lbs to be nearly bite proof, but u got to retie often.