leader material ??

[vteye2]

We are doing our third fly in into a N Ontario lake with abundant big pike and walleye.
We landed one big pike 2 years on 2nd trip on 1/4 oz jig and as you would expect had a lot of bite offs.
I am looking for suggestions, wire was not liked by the guys who tried it. I hear about
Titanium leader that's tie- able. Comments? What pound break strength 25# ?
Can you tie directly to 1/4 oz jig, suggestions for using? Are you
pre tieing to a swivel to save time? Tips and tricks please. Thanks Charlie

[jmahlum]

I might try tying direct with a braid or fireline. If a leader is needed I would maybe try a 15lb fluorocarbon leader.

[1999Lund]

If you do a search of the Muskie and Pike forums you will find several people using high test floro 50-80lbs and up. Might be worth a look, some tie direct and others use crimps.

[Mojo-NC]

I've read on this forum that some guys have successfully used swivels to reduce the number of bite-offs when fishing with jigs. I've also started using something called AFW Surflon black nylon coated stainless steel leader wire. The 20# test is very thin and you can use very small barrel swivels and snaps with it. You cut it in whatever length you like and simply twist it on to the snap on one end and small barrel swivel on the other. Once twisted, a second or two with a lighter or candle flame and it's done. It will likely take a few attempts to learn just how much flame is required to seal and not burn, but the stuff works well. It seems a lot more pliable than "regular" wire leaders.

[tolsen]

We are fishing up in Minaki area and we use Suffix 832 Braid and for leaders I generally just tie my own 8" long 60lb flouro ones.

[REW]

Some folks around here who fish for northern and musky typically use titanium wire.

Easy to use and pretty immune to bite offs.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...l_5zx6bfwy4q_b

Other folks use 80 lb braid for a leader that typically works well also.

One of the key things when fishing northern or musky filled waters for walleye and you want to use a lighter line - is that you do not be late when setting the hook on a bite.

If you are attentive to your rod and line and set the hook quickly after sensing a bite - you may be able to hook the fish in the lip and keep the line out of the mouth of the fish. If only the hook is in the mouth of the fish - you stand a good chance of landing even a "toothy" fish on light line.

Be safe

p.s.
For myself - when fishing Canadian waters for walleyes, I personally do not use a leader. I typically have no issues with walleye bites and will land a nice northern now and then. Of course I will also get a bite off now and then - but I typically use jigs, so I just grab another jig and tie one back on and go back to fishing.
I just don't like the hassle of using a leader.

I troll musky crank baits for big pike over deep water using #20 sufix fluro leader and never had a bite off, the stuff is tuff, I use #6 or #8 sufix fluro leader for jigs.

[vteye2]

We used 25 pound floro after a series of bite offs. 25# was about as heavy a floro that would thread onto a 1/4 oz jig head. We found the pike would cut right threw the floro. River system we fish is a mix of current and still water. We found the big pike mixed in with eyes in current. I landed one at 45 inches and suspect I had a couple of other big fish bite off.
I appreciate the responses and will try the titanium.

[B-man]

Originally Posted by vteye2

We used 25 pound floro after a series of bite offs. 25# was about as heavy a floro that would thread onto a 1/4 oz jig head. We found the pike would cut right threw the floro. River system we fish is a mix of current and still water. We found the big pike mixed in with eyes in current. I landed one at 45 inches and suspect I had a couple of other big fish bite off.
I appreciate the responses and will try the titanium.

I find that hard to believe.

Were you using 25 lb flourocarbon LINE (as a leader)?

Or were you using 25lb flourocarbon LEADER material?

Big, big difference between the two......Both in cost and construction. Flourocarbon Leader material costs 10-20X as much as flourocarbon line, but you only need a few feet at a time.

We use 30lb Blue Label when casting for shallow walleyes in Pike infested water (SD prairie potholes). I've never been bitten off.....Not once.

But maybe South Dakota pike have different teeth than Ontario pike

If you have been using actual flourocarbon LEADER material, be sure to check it after every gator. You will still need to cut back and re-tie periodically (after several pike). It's incredibly tough, but not invincible.

If you've been using 25lb flourocarbon LINE, well then that's the problem. Get rid of it and get the good stuff.

[vteye2]

Ok, thank you, I appreciate the tips on line vs leader material.
I would not have guessed a difference. Yes we were using
line as we heard pike have a hard time cutting through floro.

Blue label - is that the brand?