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Member: bellolake

Last Visit: 05/23/2013 03:12AM
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Moosealicious

05/19/2009 08:31PM

Another newbie question... with the possibility of pike, is it necessary to always fish with a flourocarbon or steel leader?

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stonecutter

05/19/2009 08:36PM

Personally I would not use a steel leader unless I was specifically targeting pike. If you are concerned about catching the incidental pike while targeting other fish and losing your tackle, a flourocarbon leader in combo with a swivel will greatly increase you chances of landing said pike while retaining your tackle.

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knothead180

05/19/2009 08:37PM

I've landed many incidental pike while fishing for walleye without a leader. If I am specifically targeting pike I will use a titanium leader, which I like better than steel because they don't kink and don't rust. They cost a little more, but I've had the same two in my tackle box for years, so no biggie. Usually I'm fishing for walleyes or small mouth, and I don't use a leader. Occasionally I will lose a piece of terminal tackle to a pike bite off, but that's a price I don't mind paying, and it's a kind of an exciting experience in itself.

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Rapid Runner

05/19/2009 09:01PM

i use some type of a leader. i dont mind that the line breaks or i lose a lure. i would rather it come back unusable and i pack it out than to have it sitting on the bottom of one of those beautiful lakes.

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snakecharmer

05/19/2009 09:42PM

I've never used a leader in the BW or Quetico. It's very rare that I've been bit off. I've lost far more tackle to snags than fish.

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after"
~ Henry David Thoreau

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PaddleAway

05/19/2009 09:43PM

I'll second Stonecutter.

I fish pike a lot in & out of the BWCA & almost always use a metal leader of some sort & have only had a handful lost over the years.

On the other hand, I have a friend who uses 20-25 lb. test for a leader on pike, & I've rarely seen that heavy line fail. I've taken to using it for leader material on tip-ups in the winter & haven't had a bite off yet.

So both work, but I started using leaders & it works, so I've stuck with it. Although now that you mention it I might just through some of that heavy fluoro in the tackle box this weekend...

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frogger

05/20/2009 07:37PM

I am by no means an expert and I use flourocarbon leaders in 10# on my level wind reels attached to my braided line but didn't realize that the flourocarbon was that much tougher than regular mono, I have used because it is less visible. If you are using it for pike what pound test and how long a leader?

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lundojam

05/21/2009 07:45AM

When I troll, I use a light, small steel leader. Keeps the pike from eating your eight dollar raps. In my opinion, when a bait is moving along at a pretty good clip, a walleye doesn't have time to reject it because of the leader. Jigging, rigging, and bobbering are another story: never use a leader.

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urbanflyguy

05/21/2009 10:05AM

i make my own leaders and still use the old school 7 strand braided steel covered in plastic. i connect right to the lures and use one larger size barrel swivel up top. but this is also just for targeting pike. other wise i don't bother with leaders, but i use a lot more jigs for eyes and bass which are a little easier to loose than raps

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