Pike leaders - Which leaders should you choose for pike fishing?
Pike fishing is an exciting activity for many anglers. To successfully catch this fearsome predator.., it is essential to understand the importance of leaders. In this article, we will explore in detail the different types of leaders used for pike fishing, their advantages and disadvantagesand the editing techniques you need to maximise your chances of success.
Why adapt your leader to the fishing conditions?
I'm sure you'll agree that each type of lure has its own size, weight and swimming action. Any external element, if badly chosen, could influence the lure's swimming action and the way it interacts with the water. To optimise the presentation of the lure and maximise your chances of catching it, it is therefore essential to It is essential to adapt the leader to the lure so as not to restrict its swimming action.
As a result, the smaller the lure, the finer and more supple the leader you need to make it swim optimally. The bigger and more imposing the lure, the more you can afford to use less flexible leaders.
However, let's not forget that we're talking about pike, a fish with over 700 razor blades in its mouth. Using a fine, supple leader that is resistant to the teeth of a pike means you need to change the type of footer we are going to use.
Which pike leader to use for small lures?
When fishing for pike with small lures such as crankbaits, small soft lures or jerkbaits, we recommend using a steel leaders between 23/100 and 30/100 . A small lure will very often be swallowed up and end up at the bottom of the pike's mouth. As a result, your leader will be highly exposed to its sharp teeth. By opting for a steel leader, you will avoid any cuts during shoeing or sparringof lose your decoy and of risk mortally wounding the pike.
To create this type of leader, we generally opt for steel with a heat-sealable sheath. Here are the main steps:
- Cut a piece of heat-sealable tubing about 30 cm long.
- Pass your heat-sealable sheath through the eye of a rolling swivel to make a loop.
- Make about ten spirals around the main line
- Melt the heat-sealable sheath of the spirals with a lighter to weld everything together and cut off the excess. Your rolling swivel is now locked.
- On the other end, replace the rolling swivel with a staple and apply the same method as described above. Your leader is finished
- Attach the steel leader to your line body or to a fluorocarbon pre-leader.
This assembly will enable you to realize strong, durable leaders for pike fishing with small lures.
Which pike leader should I use for medium-sized lures?
When fishing for pike with medium-sized lures, such as the large jerkbaits, spinnerbaits or small swimbaits from 30 to 60 gr, in which case you should mount a 70/100 fluorocarbon leader . A fluorocarbon leader has the particularity of being almost invisible underwater. This allows you to increase the diameter of your leader without affecting the discreation. What's more, A fluorocarbon leader is also abrasion-resistant and will last over time. You can also use a pure shock leader as a leader. Shock leader is more flexible than fluorocarbon and is better suited to certain wide-swimming lures.
To create an effective fluorocarbon leader for pike, follow these steps:
- Cut a piece of fluorocarbon about 30 to 50 cm long. There is no point in having a longer fluorocarbon leader when fishing for pike. The standard length in our opinion is 30 cm, but adapt this to the clarity of the water and the size of pike you are targeting.
- Tie the fluorocarbon securely to your line body using an appropriate connector knot. We often use the albright knot or the FG node.
- Tie your lure to the fluorocarbon leader using a fishing knot such as the Rapala knot. If you are fishing a spinnerbait, use a classic spoon knot on your leader.
Visit 3 fluorocarbons that we recommend as leaders :
Which pike leader for big lures?
When using larger lures such as shads or large swimbaitsIf you're going to fish, you'll need a leader that's as strong as possible. Tough because, firstly, you need to hold the cast. Secondly, big lures mean big pike. You'll need strength to extract them from obstacles and/or fight them off.
For this, you can use a quality fluorocarbon in 90 to 100/100. This will totally eliminate the risk of cutting and prevent you from losing the fish of a lifetime. Here's how to connect your leader to your braid:
- Connect your braid to the fluorocarbon using a FG node. When done right, this knot is clearly the best option for us.
- Finish your rig by attaching your fluorocarbon to a rolling swivel with a spoon knot, itself accompanied by a broken ring.
- Simply use split ring pliers to attach your lure to your leader.
This will make it impossible for a pike to break or cut your lure. The broken ring will not hinder the lure's swimming action.
For large lures, we advise you to use the Varivas Shock Leader Fluorocarbon. It's never failed us!
By combining this information, you'll be better prepared to deal with different situations and maximise your chances of success. So prepare your leaders according to your equipment and set off in search of those trophy fish!
Useful links to complete this article on socks:
10 soft lures for perch fishing
10 soft lures for pike fishing
Our 10 key soft lures for bass fishing
What size of Texas hook to choose for a soft lure?
Megabass X Layer: A legendary lure that's a must-see
About The Author
Rodmaps
Rodmaps is above all the story of Nicolas and Matthieu, two friends passionate about fishing. Since our childhood, our passion drives us to travel through France and to travel around the world in search of adventure and trophy fish. Through Rodmaps, we want to share our passion for fishing with as many people as possible and make people discover the joys of this sport around us, because yes, fishing is a sport!