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Author	Message Text
AmarilloJim	06/25/2025 03:48PM   What pound test do most of you find sufficient to prevent bite offs? I make my own leaders.
sns	06/25/2025 06:00PM   AmarilloJim: "What lb test do most of you find sufficient to prevent bite offs? I make my own leaders." Whatever an expert is...I am the opposite. However over the last ~10 trips (Quetico or further north) I have had what I think are excellent results with my setup. One-Rod-To-Catch-Them-All: 15# braid and 20# Fluoro leader. 14 days last month, many many fish, 5 species, and only one lost jig due to deep lumber...not a single biteoff. ~3 trips per season, and I lose about one or two lures per year.
DJtheAngler	06/25/2025 04:45PM   I think it kind of depends what kind of baits you're going to throw. I like heavier leaders for crankbaits, bucktails, and spinnerbaits that don't have need much action to get to perform. While I prefer lighter ones for glide baits, jerk baits, and large tubes which I like to have more "give" in the line. I think it also depends on how big of pike you're planning on landing. Are you trying to get a trophy and throwing 2 oz muskie lures all day? Then maybe go with 45+. If you are going to throw average sized lures then probably no need to go much more than 30.
Onthefly6	06/26/2025 07:15AM   I like the 13 lb AFW tieable wire. I fish flies for pike and muskies and have had great results.
DrFishDaddy	06/30/2025 01:27PM   Have had plenty 50+ northern days running 20# fluoro, no bite offs, but if I suspect the line is knicked up I’ll retie one or two times. I would love to use heavier, but it ruins the action and running depth of my favorite pike lures. I would absolutely go 50lbs+ if live bait fishing.
Savage Voyageur	06/27/2025 10:29PM   I’m headed for central Ontario the target big pike. I use 100-120 pound fluorocarbon leaders for musky and have lots of them. Pike are smaller but sometimes you tie into a giant pike. You want your equipment to reflect the biggest potential fish you might encounter so for musky, I use 80 pound braid with 120 fluorocarbon leaders. With pike, I use 50 pound braid with 100 pound fluorocarbon leaders. It really doesn’t matter much with fluorocarbon leader size because it becomes invisible underwater. The faster you can boat a fish, the faster you can release it with less stress on the fish. When I’m walleye fishing, I sometimes hook a big pike on 8 pound mono with no leader. I need to play that fish gently and they make many runs. If I manage to boat the fish, it’s tuckered out to the point of exhaustion that generates bad toxins in the blood that leads to the fish dying. I know people here are going to say I’m nuts with using such big leaders. Another reason I use that size line and leaders is I tend to toss 1-3 oz baits for pike and 4-8 oz baits for musky. You match your line and leaders to the equipment and baits you are tossing. Just head to any musky shop in Minnesota or Wisconsin and they will sell you the same size leaders.
Jamuudsen	07/07/2025 09:19AM   On my last trip using 20 lb fluoro leaders I had three biteoffs. Pike were biting aggressively and taking small walleye/bass lures quite deep. In two cases I think the fish should have been able to throw the lures (Quetico/barbless hooks) and in the third I was fortunate enough to have the line bitten when the fish was already in the net. Fluoro brand/type may make a difference. I've never had a biteoff using Seaguar Tatsu. I was experimenting with Shimano Mastiff on this trip, which I find to be more flexible but also more susceptible to being bitten through. Next time I may up things to 30 lb Tatsu.
Moonman	07/08/2025 08:40AM   If I was specifically targeting pike I would use 80lb hard fluoro leader material OR solid wire OR Knot Too Kinky titanium wire….choosing which material would depend on lure type and size/weight. I make all my own leaders. If I wanted a leader for pike bite offs but was primarily fishing bass/walleyes I would use 25-40lb fluoro or 18lb Knot Too Kinky Wire. Moonman.
mvillasuso	07/08/2025 11:20AM   I’ve brought in A LOT of pike while largemouth fishing Texas rigged worms or jigs on various sizes of Seaguar Invizx (yellow label) line. The Seaguar ‘Abraz-X’ (red label) is harder and doesn’t cast quite as well, so I use it primarily as a leader material. I have found that 20# adequate to prevent bite-offs, AND have only very rarely had to retie due to abrasion. Walleye and smallmouth don’t flinch at the 20# fluoro, either. The 30# would be my choice if I was specifically fishing for pike. Tough stuff.
WesternHills	07/04/2025 11:10AM   I make my own leaders too. After doing quite a bit of research, I settled on 20# and 30# line. I feel more confident with 30#, but 20# is definitely easier to work with. I've never had a bite-off using either. That said, I know a pike could still break me off at those strengths—I'm just reducing the chances, not eliminating them. The only way to be fully "pike-proof" is with metal leaders. I've experimented with making my own using Knot 2 Kinky titanium wire, but I found the knots pretty tricky to tie. I also carry a few premade steel leaders, but honestly, I never end up using them.
timatkn	06/30/2025 01:15PM   Making your own leader, I'd use at least 80# test Flouro. For sure, nothing less than 50# minimum. T
lundojam	07/02/2025 07:14AM   I made some leaders the other day with #40 flouro and our generic scissors from the junk drawer wouldn't cut it. Seemed like a vote of confidence.