leader for bass, walleye, pike

The single most important aspect of your tackle providing that vital link between yourself and your catch. What's everyone's favorites and why? Come on in and find out!
Post Reply
108642
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:34 pm

leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by 108642 » Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:08 pm

Will be fishing in Ontario, for smallmouth, walleye, and pike. Will lighter fluorocarbon (8-15 lb. test) leader such as Seaguar Blue Label Fluorocarbon leader lesson the bite offs from pike. Would trilene XT in the same lb. tests be just as good? Any reccomendations are apreciated.

johnmyers
Angler
Angler
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 12:34 am

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by johnmyers » Thu Feb 09, 2023 4:02 pm

No, last year I was bit off several times using 8 and 10 lb Seaguar Gold leader fishing Vision 110s and top water. Maybe a short piece of 25 lb floro and I am going to try some light coated wire

User avatar
Randingo
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 346
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:31 am
Location: Central New Jersey

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by Randingo » Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:09 pm

A pike can slice just about anything that would make a reasonable leader for bass and walleye. They usually don’t, but they certainly can. If you’re targeting the bass and walleye, I’d stick with your usual line and leader and just accept that a pike might snip your leader. If you go to a heavier leader, you won’t get as many bites, especially from walleye. If you’re targeting pike, use a serious bite leader, such as 80# fluoro or better still, get a roll of wire — single strand, not braided — in approximately 30# give or take a few pounds. Make a bunch of leaders using a haywire twist at both ends. You don’t really need the swivel, so you can keep the leader lightweight. Attach a snap at the lure end (unless you get comfortable enough making the haywire twist that you can make it on the water and attach it directly to your hook or lure). That wire is very thin and isn’t nearly as visible as the typical braided leaders you buy in a tackle shop. If you know that you’ll be throwing jigs and spinnerbaits, for example, when fishing for pike, I’d suggest you attach steel leaders directly to a couple of each, maybe the same with a couple of jerkbaits, although they’ll work fine with a snap. With spinnerbaits, if the ones you’re using don’t have a closed loop, put a piece of surgical tubing over the R-bend, or better still, make several wraps with light braid at the back of the R-bend and after you’ve tied it off, secure it with glue. That way you’ll have baits that the snap or loop of the leader won’t be able to slide away from the eye on.

dragon1
Pro Angler
Pro Angler
Posts: 10513
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:23 am
Location: Murfreesboro TN

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by dragon1 » Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:04 pm

Randingo wrote:
Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:09 pm
A pike can slice just about anything that would make a reasonable leader for bass and walleye. They usually don’t, but they certainly can. If you’re targeting the bass and walleye, I’d stick with your usual line and leader and just accept that a pike might snip your leader. If you go to a heavier leader, you won’t get as many bites, especially from walleye. If you’re targeting pike, use a serious bite leader, such as 80# fluoro or better still, get a roll of wire — single strand, not braided — in approximately 30# give or take a few pounds. Make a bunch of leaders using a haywire twist at both ends. You don’t really need the swivel, so you can keep the leader lightweight. Attach a snap at the lure end (unless you get comfortable enough making the haywire twist that you can make it on the water and attach it directly to your hook or lure). That wire is very thin and isn’t nearly as visible as the typical braided leaders you buy in a tackle shop. If you know that you’ll be throwing jigs and spinnerbaits, for example, when fishing for pike, I’d suggest you attach steel leaders directly to a couple of each, maybe the same with a couple of jerkbaits, although they’ll work fine with a snap. With spinnerbaits, if the ones you’re using don’t have a closed loop, put a piece of surgical tubing over the R-bend, or better still, make several wraps with light braid at the back of the R-bend and after you’ve tied it off, secure it with glue. That way you’ll have baits that the snap or loop of the leader won’t be able to slide away from the eye on.
Good stuff, agreed with the spinnerbait mods, I already do this for bass fishing...thanks for sharing.
"It is like a finger pointing away to the Moon...don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all of that heavenly glory."

User avatar
Randingo
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 346
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 5:31 am
Location: Central New Jersey

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by Randingo » Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:55 pm

Should have mentioned that you may want to put a solid ring on the end of the steel leader you’re attaching to the line. 30# wire is really thin compared to even the thinnest wire hook you would normally tie to.

SSS
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 1379
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2017 5:38 pm

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by SSS » Sun May 07, 2023 6:31 am

Sometimes a 16lb that i usually use as leader will survive a pike, even when the line is clearly rubbing against the teeths, but other times my 30lb fluo gets sliced the second pike touches it. Best thing to do is to use a short 20-30lb titanium leader if your water is full of pike, or you'll be losing a bunch of 110's.

Bronzeye
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 1115
Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:12 pm

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by Bronzeye » Mon May 08, 2023 3:31 pm

I heartily endorse both posts from Randingo. It was very nice of him to put in all that effort to his clear explanation and its supplement.

Real
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2016 8:32 pm

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by Real » Tue May 09, 2023 3:57 am

I also agree with Randingo. Good suggestions. Also a bigger mono or fluoro leader is not necessarely the solution. Most of the time smaller diameter line will lodge between pike's teeth and not get cut as often. Smaller pike with smaller teeth will cut you of most time. They are the worst.

Dan B
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:48 am

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by Dan B » Sun Aug 27, 2023 2:55 pm

Not even joking here, but somehow my wife is able to catch everything on a 7lb Sunline Sniper leader every trip we take. Tons of walleye, 38" muskie, 27" Pike, and a bunch of smallies. She never breaks off and I have zero clue how shes that lucky

108642
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 64
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:34 pm

Re: leader for bass, walleye, pike

Post by 108642 » Thu Sep 07, 2023 5:06 pm

Do you think the line diameter 7 lb. (.0086) has anything to do with it? I used to catch pike while fishing for smallmouth in creeks. I used 4 lb. (.008) at that time and do not recall being bitt off.

Post Reply