fishing line

[troutmaster]

just looking to buy new fishing line for pike fishing and wondering what would be a good weight? would 12 lb be to big?

[coyotekiller]

I would say that's a bit small, I usually go with 15 or 20

[schmedlap]

I would say that's a bit small, I usually go with 15 or 20
With 20 lb or higher braid. Equivalent in diameter to 6 lb mono, and not only will it hold a big pike, it will allow you to rip the lure out of weed/branch snags easily, with much less lost end tackle.

[EZM]

I use 30lb Power Pro for pike. Better safe than sorry.

[wildwoods]

Another vote for 20lb plus. I tried 10lb briad just for giggles at lac la nonne and wabasca. Way too many lost fish due to cleaved lines.
Ole toothhead....

[DiabeticKripple]

get 20lb

[Girlsfishtoo]

get fireline tough stuff 20lbs is great stuff

[bloopbloob]

Suffix 832 hands down is the best line i've ever used. I run 20lb on my lighter rods, and 30lb on my heavier pike rods. Tough stuff. Other braids are fine at first, but I find they degrade quickly. The suffix lasts much longer, I get 3 years out of it and it's still in decent shape

[Rafter1]

Hey Bloopbloob what knots do you use with suffix 832

[bloopbloob]

Hey Bloopbloob what knots do you use with suffix 832

I just use a simple clinch knot, except I usually go through the swivel twice rather than just once, i've found it to work great. No real proof that it's any better, just my experience that it seems to work better. Just something I tried and liked

[oilngas]

Rafter; look up Palomar knot, real easy and a recommended brain knot.

[EZM]

For Pike ...

I would run my braid to a swivel snap. A cross lock rated at 100 lb-150 lbs for pike.

Berkley and Matuzo make weight rated and quality cross locks. Stay away from anything and everything Puzo or Danielson - it's aspires to become crap (and is not rated which should tell you something).

I use a double Palomar here.

Then - make a separate and detachable leader .....

Tie up a 24" piece of 80 lb fluorocarbon LEADER material. This leader material is not the same as fluorocarbon line. It comes in 25 - 50 yd rolls and is clearly marked Leader.

Tie one end to a barrel swivel and the other to a swivel snap - again use a quality, weight rated hardware. Tie with Palomar.

The leader material is pretty stiff - so a Palomar is the only knot that makes sense here - use pliers to pull tight the tag ends. Moisten knot. Pull the working ends with your hands (never use pliers on the part of the leader that you won't be trimming off). The knot will cinch down with some persuasion and not come loose.

Your leader will be bite proof, invisible, supple, and won't cut your hand or the fish. Fluorocarbon Leaders are superior to all standard steel leaders.

Attach the barrel side to your snap swivel off your braided line.

The other side will accept all your spoons/cranks or whatever and makes changing lures quick and easy.

Go catch a pike. Run your hand down the leader and feel for knicks every few fish - the leader should last you a few seasons.

I have never had a bite off using a fluorocarbon leader. I have used the same leader on 1000 fish. No issues.

People who have immediate "bite offs" are either using the wrong material or too light of a material. Others have poor knots. I have yet to see a proper fluorocarbon leader fail.

[weedhaul]

Agree with 20 lb braided. I was using 14 lb Trilene and lost a couple pike close to the boat, including my lures. I'm using 20 lb now and no problems.

[Kurt505]

Power Pro, I put that $h!t on everything!

I use 10lb test on my spinning reels, 15lb test on my medium duty baitcast reel that I troll heavy baits with, 40lb test on my level wind river rod that I use for still fishing and casting out 4-6oz weights in hopes of hooking a giant lake sturgeon, and 80lb test on my big game level wind I use for halibut and white sturgeon fishing. Other than that I use 30lb Flourocarbon on my salmon mooching rod, and if I'm targeting perch or pot hole rainbows through the ice I just use 4-6lb test mono or fluorocarbon.

If I'm targeting pike, or think there is a high likelihood of hooking up with a pike, I'll just use a leader, otherwise I just use a quality made swivel.

[Lowrance Fishburn]

20 lb power pro

30 lb is fine, will limit your casting a bit more but the diameter of 30 vs 20 is a pretty minimal difference.

[Lowrance Fishburn]

EZM- you've never had a pike bite through a fluoro leader? Really? I agree on all the points u made and they are superior to wire but i generally run a 60 lb flouro leader and have had many bit clean through on large pike. To me its an assumed risk. I usually need to tie a new leader 2-3 times per fishing trip due to nicks and abrasions up the leader. More expensive, yes. Better fishing, yes

[CK Angler]

I use 14 lbs fire line crystal on my pike rod, and I have not had a break off in years.

Ice fishing I up it to 20lbs fire line

[Kings]

I use 20 lb and 30lb Powerpro. I used many other braid lines and powerpro works best and last longer than others.
For whitefish and Trout use 12lb suffix mono

[Fishslayer99]

Suffix 832 hands down is the best line i've ever used. I run 20lb on my lighter rods, and 30lb on my heavier pike rods. Tough stuff. Other braids are fine at first, but I find they degrade quickly. The suffix lasts much longer, I get 3 years out of it and it's still in decent shape

X2 Suffix is the s**t I run 30lb, good for everything except sturgeon. Use a mono leader for trout. 50lb for the dinos.

[ETOWNCANUCK]

I put 50lb power pro on this year because it was what was available when I spooled

It's awesome

I use 10lb on my walleye rig

[AdverseCity]

EZM's post is spot on, whatever braid you choose definitely use a flurocarbon leader. Not sure if you can buy them but they're easy and cheap to make, especially compared to steel or titanium leaders.

[Isopod]

Wow, all those weights seem crazy-big to me. I usually go with 8 lb test for pike, but sometimes 6 lb or 10 lb. You should have no trouble landing a fish double the pound-test of your line, so if you are regularly fishing for pike bigger than 16 lbs, please tell me where :) Your lures will have much better action on lighter lines, plus your casts will go further, so you will be into more fish.

[vetterm39]

20lb power pro my vote

[Swaintrain21]

On my baitcaster I use 50lb Power Pro. On my spinning I use 30lb Power Pro.

[Game Hunter]

Ezm is spot on. Power pro hands down ( 12-20lb) Fluorocarbon "leader" line 30 inches, I use 40 lb.
Usually just feel for bad Knicks in the line then retie. Never had issues, fluorocarbon is invisible in the water success has gone up alot with rarely a fish lost.

[Rockyman41]

Wow, all those weights seem crazy-big to me. I usually go with 8 lb test for pike, but sometimes 6 lb or 10 lb. You should have no trouble landing a fish double the pound-test of your line, so if you are regularly fishing for pike bigger than 16 lbs, please tell me where :) Your lures will have much better action on lighter lines, plus your casts will go further, so you will be into more fish.

I was thinking the same thing. I've used 8lb mono as long as I can remember and I've never had issues losing fish. It's not like you have to pull the fish out of the water with the line.

[drhu22]

Wow, all those weights seem crazy-big to me. I usually go with 8 lb test for pike, but sometimes 6 lb or 10 lb. You should have no trouble landing a fish double the pound-test of your line, so if you are regularly fishing for pike bigger than 16 lbs, please tell me where :) Your lures will have much better action on lighter lines, plus your casts will go further, so you will be into more fish.

I totally agree... and would add less visibility as being a significant advantage with lighter lines as well. I like 6lb for trout, perch, & whitefish, and 10-12 for pike and walleye.

[tirebob]

Suffix 832 hands down is the best line i've ever used. I run 20lb on my lighter rods, and 30lb on my heavier pike rods. Tough stuff. Other braids are fine at first, but I find they degrade quickly. The suffix lasts much longer, I get 3 years out of it and it's still in decent shape

Absolutely the best line I have ever used! Use a simple palomar knot and suffix lines and you will be able to handle any fish, yard your expensive lures out of weed beds, and rarely lose a thing!!

[tirebob]

I was thinking the same thing. I've used 8lb mono as long as I can remember and I've never had issues losing fish. It's not like you have to pull the fish out of the water with the line. 30lb braid has the same line diameter as 8lb mono... All the action yet almost 4 times the strength! It isn't for the fish fighting for me really. It is because it lets me toss into places I normally wouldn't because I am far less worried about breaking off if a fish gets me wound up in a bit of cabbage...

[EZM]

EZM- you've never had a pike bite through a fluoro leader? Really? I agree on all the points u made and they are superior to wire but i generally run a 60 lb flouro leader and have had many bit clean through on large pike. To me its an assumed risk. I usually need to tie a new leader 2-3 times per fishing trip due to nicks and abrasions up the leader. More expensive, yes. Better fishing, yes

Absolutely True. Not one single bite through. I have never seen a bite through on Fluorocarbon Leader material either.

TrophyPikeHunter fishes with me and used the same leader set up and has caught just as many Pike and he hasn't ever been bit off either.

We are talking literally a few thousand Pike fought and landed and not one bite through. Not one broken off either.

I use 80lb fluorocarbon LEADER material. Not Flurocarbon line - it's two totally different products with different properties all together. I suspect that many people who have "bite throughs" are either using the line not the leader material, or are using too small of a lb test, or have poor knots that are not tightened properly or even cheap swivel/snaps.

One leader is going to cost you $ 8 to make. A buck a foot for the leader and 2-3 bucks for each swivel snap or swivel. But when you can catch a thousand fish with no worries - seems cheap to me.

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley-line-fluorocarbon-berkley-pro-spec/1290572.html#start=5

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley-terminal-tackle-snaps-swivels-berkley-cross-lok/1355978.html#start=5