Best leaders for monster pike?

I’m heading to Manitoba next week to fish for Big Pike. Would love opinions on best leaders to use in this quest.
Also, would like to know if my Calcutta 250 reel, couple with a Loomis Med – Hvy/Fast is adequate or if I should go to a Calcutta 400B/ Appreciate all thoughts! Thx!

Get a spool of Tyger Leader. The most useable and Tieable. I cant imagine using anything else.
http://www.tygerleader.com/

Suzuki, re: Tyger – what pound test, color and knot do you use and what waters – clear, stained, etc?

I like to make my own Flouro leaders with the diameter of the line used selected to match the size of the baits being fished. For example, we’ll use 30# flouro for small stickbaits like a #13 floating rap, 60# for big stickbaits and 80# for jumbo pike baits like a #8 Super Bou spinnerbait. The guys and I here have been putting a lot of time in on the pike this summer and we’ve landed some beastly fish of late from shallow, crystal clear water. Every one of them came on a hand-made flouro leader and we haven’t had one bite-off. I personally feel the lower-vis nature of the flouro is a big plus on big, picky fish in clear water. Particularly when they want the baits fished slow and they take the time to inspect them before smacking the baits.

FryDog62 wrote:

Suzuki, re: Tyger – what pound test, color and knot do you use and what waters – clear, stained, etc?

One of the smaller two. The smallest seems pretty thin but I haven’t had it break or get bit off. Anything above your main line strength. I use black and have used silver. I have so much black I haven’t bought any other color.
You can cut to length and tie a clinch knot with just 3 turns or melt it like they show on the website. That looks cool but I have never tried it. I use it whenever fishing pike regardless of the water type. Many times I use it on bass gear if there are a lot of pike around. I hate getting explosively bit off on a topwater when I am bass fishing. I probably wouldn’t use it on topwater lures that sit still. But buzz baits and running frogs, no problem.

I got > 50 pike this year. 6 between 10 and 16 pounds. My point is I’m using 80 pound self tied Fluorocarbon on Jim’s advice and only had to replace 1 leader for bite marks to date. When I fly – in my plan is to continue with the 80 pound home tied leaders ~ 12″ long.
The nice thing is that 80# doesn’t impair the finesse lures action.

Hope that helps.

Thanks guys! I appreciate the ideas, and use them. RR

What type of knots are you using to tie the 80# flouro? Or are you using crimps?

rmartin wrote:

What type of knots are you using to tie the 80# flouro? Or are you using crimps?

I prefer to use crimp sleeves designed for mono/flouro. They’re quick and the failure rate on them is basically zero. I crimp on a #4 or #5 snap on one end and a #80 – #100 barrel swivel on the other. The distance between the two is eyeballed at 18″.

I tie the end that goes to the snap with a simple clinch knot. I just prefer to have less metal at the business end of the rig. Just 3 twists and back thru the loop and your done. That’s all that’s needed, it won’t slip. I’m sure Jim’s method works just as well.

BTW you never mentioned the weight of the intended baits you plan to throw? That is essentially what dictates the rating of the rod. I.e.: if a rod is rated (1/2 to 1+1/2 ) oz, you really don’t want to throw a bait over 2 oz.

One can over rate the rod rating by ~ (33 to 50) % without damage to the rod and still control the bait your throwing. Anything much heavier than 2 oz is to much for this above rod example. I’ve caught Pike up to 20 pounds on a med -heavy fast action rod in the spring when I’m pitching small jerk-baits (7/16 to 5/8) oz.
Hope this helps.

Some guys use big Suicks, big Medussas, big Curly Tails, etc. some of these require an extra heavy rod say (4 to 10) oz, since the bait can weight up to 14 oz. I’ve never had to go that heavy personally for pike.