Quote:
Originally Posted by EZM
There is only one way to go IMO - heavy fluorocarbon leaders made from fluorocarbon leader material (not line material) - there is a difference in the two types and how they are made.
Of dozens of people who poo-poo the use of fluorocarbon leaders - the vast majority of them where IGNORANT to the fact there is fluorocarbon leader and then there is fluorocarbon line and they are not one and the same. They used the wrong stuff and had failures.
80lb leader will never result in a bite through - I've now been using this for over 10 years, fish far more than 95% of the guys out there and have caught thousands and thousands of pike on the same leader on my favorite rod (yes that leader is 10-12 years old).
Using fluorocarbon leader material heavy enough - you will not have bites off on pike and it offers these advantages ...
- Clear (and far more invisible compared to steel or titanium)
- Far more flexible and supple
- will not cut your hand if you grab it and the pike thrashes
- won't cut the pike up
- you can customize your own length
- it will not kink
- 80-lb fluoro is thinner than 80-lb steel braided leader
- use your own choice of swivels and snap swivels (quality is important here IMO but that's another thread altogether).
- won't rub and saw off your other rods or line from other rods in storage in the locker
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100% agree with this, however I would like to add... 100% of people who poo-poo mono leaders, are ignorant of the fact that there is a huge difference between mono
leaders and mono
line.
50-80 lb mono
leader material will catch pike just as well as fluorocarbon
leader material in the same weights. Have not been able to determine whether walleye can see it any better or worse at this point (going on 3 seasons of experimenting).
I tie mine long and just trim them back a few inches every 10-20 pike.
EZM, I challenge you to try a roll of Berkley Big Game
Leader Material, and tell me if you can see any difference at all in performance. In return I will try a spool of whatever you are using and let you know my findings.