Lure thieves

[NELS-BELLS]

I am getting so frustrated by the amount of expensive bass lures I lose to those *@#%ing little northerns. What makes matters worse is that my son fishes with me so its double the trouble to my wallet. ...and we don't buy the top of the line stuff either.

We have resorted to using those invisa leaders most of the time, but of course you don't get the same lure action and I'm sure we get less bass bites as a result.

We started using drop shot rigs this year and I can't tell you how many times we have to re-rig per outing, because we are constantly getting bit off. I'm thinking of rigging up a steel leader to a drop spin hook.

Any of you have any other tricks to minimize Northern bite offs?

Sorry for my venting!

Nels

[nofishfisherman]

Best way I've found to keep the pike off my lure is to actually target pike. When I do that it seems like I catch far fewer. If I target anything else they are on me like the plague.

[JP Z]

You can upgrade your line to a higher # test Fluoro that will help with abrasion then you just need to retie often whenever you catch one of those slimers. I've found that to help me, but yeah sometimes it just seems they are out to get me.

[FshBloodRiverMud]

Uni-Uni knot to a Flouro leader, 14# seems to work well for me.

Don't horse, or excessive hook-set. With proper hookset and drag, a northern shouldn't cut the line just like a walleye shouldn't. But, put enough tension on the line and their teeth sure will cut through.

From lindy rigs to plain jigs, 14# flouro and non-hero hooksets keeps the line intact.

stiff rods vs XF tips also make a huge difference in cutting your line during head shakes and runs.

[Hawg]

Toothy Critter works very well.

[RumRiverRat]

Tieable Titanium Wire.

[mainbutter]

Uni-Uni knot to a Flouro leader, 14# seems to work well for me.

Don't horse, or excessive hook-set. With proper hookset and drag, a northern shouldn't cut the line just like a walleye shouldn't. But, put enough tension on the line and their teeth sure will cut through.

From lindy rigs to plain jigs, 14# flouro and non-hero hooksets keeps the line intact.

stiff rods vs XF tips also make a huge difference in cutting your line during head shakes and runs.

This. I use 20lb, because that's what I bought and it worked well.

Bite protection is not bite prevention, but it sure as heck helps a ton. The 12-25lb fluoro doesn't hurt lure action like a steel leader does.

[NELS-BELLS]

Thanks for the tips guys. I do use 14 lb flouro leaders and they bite thru it like a spaghetti noodle. So now I basically have 20 lb braid with a 14 lb flouro leader and an invisa leader tied to that. I will admit that I usually do set the hook with some gusto. I'll try the using just the #20 lb flouro leader and see how that goes.

Nels

[eyeguy 54]

trilene xt.

[dan z]

I have caught plenty of toothy critters while trolling for eyes. I'm using 6' of 12# floro with great success.

[PurpleFloyd]

I was fishing a small private lake in northern Wisconsin that has a supply of bass and northern with my son over the 4th.

We had landed several of each when I hooked about a 14 inch bucketmouth and reeled it up to the row boat we were fishing out of I worked the fish over by him so he could bring it in and as it broke the surface of the water a big northern came up from below and grabbed the bass and took I'd down. The bass let go of my lure in the process so I said I was going to try to get the pike to bite. I cast one time and it came up and did a drive by so I tried once more. The big pike came to the surface right off the side of the boat like a submarine when I was reeling the paddletail in so I slowed it down and he slowly inhaled the bait. Not wanting to set the hook that close to the boat I tripped the bail and let him take line for a while. I then told him to get ready because the fish might take that little boat for a ride and set the hook. One strong surge by the pike and he broke it clean off. In the end I know we had more fun watching that pike take the bass and watching it surface right by the boat than we would have catching it.

Btw.

Prior to that we caught a bass that was about the same size that had bite marks on its belly and we were wondering what would have done that. Now we know.

[RumRiverRat]

Video explains a technique to protect swimbaits. Applies to all other lures as well. Adjusting the lb test of the leader for different lures is recommended.

[NELS-BELLS]

RumRiverRat - good informative video. I'm going to try this. Thanks

Nels

[RumRiverRat]

Disclaimer that is not me.