I started using power pro braid about 3-4 years ago (but mono still has it's place). I have #50 on my pike/musky set-ups, which I'm almost always running a leader.

My question is this, one setup I have #15 power pro(very thin Dia.) on a very nice Pflueger smoothest-longest casting set up I've owned. This is mainly a casting rod.

What's your opinion running the straight braid to the lure? No clear leader. Do you feel in the BW and/or city lakes a person will miss some hits-strikes-looks?
You all have a happy opener! Hope you get your dates in. ;)

Edit.
Sorry misread, thought this was a pike/musky question. I know Shock loves fishing those big spoons for big fish.
Agree with theguildedgopher.

I usually use leaders except on the dirty river.

However, two points where I differ from SV:

1) I have used either straight braid, or attached my leaders without a swivel involved (uni-uni) and never had issues with line twist.

2) 50-70lb leader is way overkill for anything but musky or large pike. My opinion. Typically I just try to match the diameter of the braid to the diameter of the leader. For example, 50 pound power pro I'd pair with 12-14 pound mono or flouro. My most common setup is 20-30 lb power pro with 8 pound floro. Sometimes I'll bump that leader size to 12 pound if I'm fishing for big lake trout.

This question seems to get debated every year. I think the general consensus is pike will bite just about anything, while smallies and walleye have a more keen eye. Will you miss a few bites running straight braid due to skittish fish seeing the line? My gut says yes, but I don't think there is a definitive answer. That said, a less visible line isn't the only reason (note: it is the main reason) I run a fluorocarbon leader. A fluorocarbon leader is more abrasion resistant and ties a more reliable knot to your lures.

This is not pike specific so sorry if you don't find this relevant. A few years ago I just started fishing braid. I was not proficient yet at connecting the braid to a flurocarbon leader so after, being bit of a couple times or getting snagged I did not want to miss out on fishing time and tied my braid directly to a 1/4 oz jig. We were fishing a clear lake in the boundary waters targeting walleye and my braid was what I would call high-vis (not sure if it officially was) chartreuse in color. Long story short I caught a ton of walleye and outfished my brother who was running mono or braid with a fluro leader. I caught quite a few more than him which was very surprising to me. Would I have caught more with a fluro leader? Possibly, but it was pretty fast and furious either way.

I do not pike fish much but my understanding and what I have heard is that you should not tie braid directly to pike lures/ gear. Braid has no stretch so if pike engulf the bait it actually slices easier than flurocarbon (supposedly). A couple sepetembers ago my brother and I were fishing around a big school of bait fish targeting what we hoped were Walleyes. I was fishing a rippin rap and lost 3 lures in like 5 casts due to big pike engulfing them. I did not want to tie on a leader in case we had a chance at a walleye and I was wrong thinking that Pike could not bite off braid.

However, I was also only using 8 or 10 # braid so maybe it is different with thicker stuff. just my two cents.

I like leader to everything...if pike or musky are around or it's that shale like rock, I feel as if it's a must.

As far as fish catching is concerned, it's kinda like color...it doesn't matter until it does. We have tried some unscientific experiments on float trips with one guy using leader and one not. We have come to the conclusion that on smaller/younger fish, it just didn't seem to matter. However, we felt like the leader guys did catch bigger fish. Pure coincidence maybe...but this was concluded over a few trips.

Straight braid to lure (or to snap swivel to lure) - Pike and Bass don't seem to care. Pike will bite on anything. But they'll easily slice the braid. You can pretty much run a steel leader to the lure for pike and most bass.

Walleye and Trout? Fluoro leader. They seem to be the most finicky fish. Now snap swivels are even more debatable than a leader. LOL

In SE Wisconsin, the brownies and steelies are wickedly smart. They see everything, but fluoro.