Leaders vs. no leaders?

[Slyster]

I am going out for some PIKE this week! Do all of you experienced pike anglers use leaders? Or are there other options? Like high test lines or braids?

[MuskyBrian]

you can get away without using them if you use a heavy braid...but why risk it?? One leader should be able to get you through the day and Pike are hardly picky when you are casting

[Slyster]

Tx.. and so true! Here's the question of the hour.. if I have a leader on... will this spook the fish?... or doesn't it matter so much with Pike?

[porterhouse]

Use a leader. Fish don't care!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brian

[crazyice]

If you are concerned about spooking them, just go with a flurocarbon leader. Them come in test weights ranging from 10 all the way up to 150 pound strength. I make my own with flurocarbon. I use 80 lb line and haven't had a bite off yet. The nice thing with flurocarbon leaders is they don't get kinked up like some of the wire leaders do.

[Doctordente]

Quote:

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Use a leader. Fish don't care!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I agree, when it comes to pike, if they're in a predatory mood, a little thing like a leader wouldn't bother them. I have lost numerous pike when I was fishing for other species and wasn't using a leader.

[beatuplund]

No leader: lost fish from cut-offs, potentially dead fish from lure blockage in mouth/throat area, polluting the lake/river with lead from your lure, and losing your expensive lure.

Leader: From my experience, no lost action from pike OR bass. Both are predators and react to motion. They also have tiny brains that don't know what leaders are, even if they can see them (my guess is most of the time they don't).

I'd use a leader.

[SledNeck]

In the last 10 year of not using a leader for pike. (I use 30lb fireline on a med action casting rod). Ive lost 1 pike due to a bite off above the lure...and it was a buzzbait with 2 trailer hooks. So thats one out of probably 10,000+ pike. Also in that time of the people that have fished with me Ive never seen an incident where a leader would have saved the lure or fish.

[terrible_fisherman]

Use a leader. Pike do not care. You could probably put 20 gauge electrical wire on your line and they wouldn't care.

[RK]

Hiya -

I've never found pike to be especially leader or line shy. I'd definitley use a leader all the time. You can use a fairly light (60#-90#) singlestrand wire, or a knotable stranded wire like Cortland Toothy Critter if you're concerned about a heavy leader spookign fish in clear water. The Cortland wire is really great stuff. I use it fishing plastics for walleyes in the weeds on lakes with a lot of pike and even the walleyes don't seem to be put off by it.

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Spork]

I always had the assumption that using a leader would lessen the attrativeness of the lure towards the fish. Meaning if I'm using a leader, then only fish I'm hooking up are the ones that would bite on anything which is why I've tried to stay more leader free.

But if that's not the case, then I'll probably start using them more often.

[Slyster]

Thanks for the feedback. Last night I tried fishing for some pike with a large pink spinnerbait (with a steel leader thanks to some posts here!) and caught an accidental 42" Muskie! 5th one now in 3 years and I have never targeted them! Was quite a rush! Amazing fish!

(BTW... he never left the water.. hook fell out after he tired)

[SledNeck]

I just dont like using leaders cause they mess up the action of lighter top water lures that I use for pike.