FLUOROCARBON OR STEEL LEADER FOR PIKE AND WALLEYE

[icefisherman73]

IM JUST WONDERING WHAT EVERYONE USES FOR A LEADER ON TIP UPS AND FOR JIGGING? WHERE I FISH, YOU HAVE JUST AS GOOD A CHANCE TO HOOK A PIKE AS YOU DO A WALLEYE. I USED STEEL LEADERS LAST WINTER FOR BOTH AND HAD OK SUCCESS. IF YOU USE FLUORO WHAT LB TEST DO YOU USE?

[Matt Johnson]

When jigging I typically go without any leader at all. I'll rig with P-Line Floroice and just run that straight. I've used that for both pike and walleye.

Some people like to add a wire leader, but I've never done so. If you're only going to target pike, then a wire leader of some sort might not be a bad idea. There are options out there for thin-wire leaders that you tie yourself. That's the route I'd take...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[ivegottabite]

Matt, how well do you like P-Line? I have been thinking of putting that on a few reels this year as well. Still have to spool up a few with Micro Ice but would like to try something like P-Line. Just wondering what your experiences have been. Also what tests do you use?

[Bob_D]

I have been using floro leaders for pike on tip-ups for the last 3 years. I will NOT switch back to wire. I tried a 50/50 mix of wire and floro for a full season and over the season floro produced more fish. Some days it did not matter, but others it made a huge difference. I've settled on 50# Floro (Seaguar) because I take a lot of newbies fishing and they thend to horse the fish. You can probably get away with 30# if you play the fish and check your leader well after each fish.

I target pike about 70%+ of the time and catch ~150-200 a season. I almost never have a break off. And when I do it's because I got lazy and did not re-tie a nicked leader.

[Matt Johnson]

I like P-Line a lot. I used it on most of my outtings last winter, for everything ranging from pannies to perch, catfish, smallies, walleye and pike. I also have a few other rods rigged up with Berkley Micro Ice as well...

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson