# Fluoro vs steel leader for pike



## Spartans8989 (Jan 28, 2009)

I'm sure this topics been beat to death somewhere in the archives but I'm fairly new to tip up fishing and bored waiting for ice to form! Every year I throw my tip ups out with the braided main tip up line stuff and then to a steel leader with single treble hook and every year I seem to get skunked while everyone else around me is getting flags. I think I'm going to try using Flourocarbon 20lb test as my leader this year and see what happens. Any opinions on this and does anyone think it maters if you have a couple little beads on it or the shiny small spoon flashy thing that some quick set steel leaders come with? Also how often do you need to replace the main tip up line? I've had the same stuff on one of mine ever since I've owned it but putting new stuff on a couple new ones I bought this year. thanks for any advice on here. I've been up and down other older threads on this topic on different sites so thought I would try here.


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## Fishsmith85 (Mar 4, 2015)

I have only used fluorocarbon for two winters and I haven't Been bitten off. I usually run multiple tip ups with 20-50# fluoro or 20# coated wire and have never noticed any difference in catch rates no matter the water clarity although everything you read in magazines says otherwise. On the fluoro I run circle hooks and I make my leaders 4' -6' long to try and keep the mainline close to being out of the water. I do have better luck with small blades above the rig or a spinnerbait quick skirt which I usually trim down so the tails are about an 1 1/2" long. Also try glow beads for low light conditions. Good luck this year.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

I have had very good luck using floro leaders for pike on lakes. A few years ago I started fishing a river system and had constant bit offs when fish rolled in the current so I have tipups rigged for river fishing and more tipups for lakes.


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## Spartans8989 (Jan 28, 2009)

Fishsmith85 said:


> I have only used fluorocarbon for two winters and I haven't Been bitten off. I usually run multiple tip ups with 20-50# fluoro or 20# coated wire and have never noticed any difference in catch rates no matter the water clarity although everything you read in magazines says otherwise. On the fluoro I run circle hooks and I make my leaders 4' -6' long to try and keep the mainline close to being out of the water. I do have better luck with small blades above the rig or a spinnerbait quick skirt which I usually trim down so the tails are about an 1 1/2" long. Also try glow beads for low light conditions. Good luck this year.



what size circle hooks? thanks the response!


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

50 # floro is quite hard to bite off I also put a small flasher 6" above the bait .


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## Fishsmith85 (Mar 4, 2015)

Size of the hook depends on the bait but I try and keep it as small as possible. I like the hook's gap to be about the same size width as the back of the bait if that makes sense.


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## Spartans8989 (Jan 28, 2009)

another question I've never really thought about until now, but the eyelet above the spool do you set that higher than the spool itself to act as a sort of drag system? I also saw something about not actually putting your line in the circle but having it pinched just before the circle so that when the fish bites it almost acts as a way to set the hook automatically. There is a spring on that eyelet so I'm assuming thats its intended use. I dunno, I'm probably over thinking this stuff but I just want to catch a damn fish on a tip up this year! hahaha never had luck before!


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## WHITE BEAR (Jan 12, 2005)

I think where you put your tip up is way more important than what kind of leader you use. I'm sure fine tuning your presentation will help but in my experience if you put bait where the pike are you will get bit. Just my experience though. .....


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## johnnie555 (Jan 25, 2005)

Why not run a braid instead of a steel leader?


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## Crayfish Trapper (Dec 19, 2010)

I use 20-30lb. braid... Either Fireline or SpiderWire... about 2 feet attached to the dacron main line.
Small treble hooks, #12 or #10. Usually the small treble will end up in the corner of the pike's mouth.
Bite-offs are rare.


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## MrFysch (Feb 9, 2008)

I have always used Flouro. I think anything that makes your presentation more normal will equal more flags. Rarely have a bite off on flouro but if it happens so what. The 10 extra flags I got from using them over steel was well worth it.


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## toppm (Dec 30, 2010)

I use 20# Fireline and 8# fluorocarbon for a leader.


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

johnnie555 said:


> Why not run a braid instead of a steel leader?


Or even single strand titanium leader?


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## CABELKINS2000 (Nov 8, 2011)

X2 on titanium!


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## river rat78 (Dec 30, 2010)

johnnie555 said:


> Why not run a braid instead of a steel leader?


I've had pike cut through braid like it was nothing.



Spartans8989 said:


> I'm sure this topics been beat to death somewhere in the archives but I'm fairly new to tip up fishing and bored waiting for ice to form! Every year I throw my tip ups out with the braided main tip up line stuff and then to a steel leader with single treble hook and every year I seem to get skunked while everyone else around me is getting flags. I think I'm going to try using Flourocarbon 20lb test as my leader this year and see what happens. Any opinions on this and does anyone think it maters if you have a couple little beads on it or the shiny small spoon flashy thing that some quick set steel leaders come with? Also how often do you need to replace the main tip up line? I've had the same stuff on one of mine ever since I've owned it but putting new stuff on a couple new ones I bought this year. thanks for any advice on here. I've been up and down other older threads on this topic on different sites so thought I would try here.


If there's a bunch of guys catching pike on tip ups around you maybe you should try approaching them an ask a few questions. Like how far off bottom they are setting their bait? What are they using for bait? How big is the bait? What type of leader are they using? When I read people's suggestions I was able to catch my first pike on a tip up. A lot of it had to do with how far off bottom I was setting it.


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## RS1983 (Mar 16, 2009)

I use 70 lb seaguar floro for leaders. Never had a bite off. I target pike through the ice quite a bit. My problem with steel leaders is not so much the visibility but the quality of what you can typically buy. I fish some big pike lakes and believe me a large fish will straighten out the clip on a steel leader. After losing more dandies at the hole than I care to admit I switched to heavy lb floro and have not lost a fish since.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

I only started using tip ups the last few years but have used braided line with a fluoro leader. Only caught a couple of pike no monsters but haven't had any issues with the setup.


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## Corey K (Dec 11, 2009)

RS1983 said:


> I use 70 lb seaguar floro for leaders. Never had a bite off. I target pike through the ice quite a bit. My problem with steel leaders is not so much the visibility but the quality of what you can typically buy. I fish some big pike lakes and believe me a large fish will straighten out the clip on a steel leader. After losing more dandies at the hole than I care to admit I switched to heavy lb floro and have not lost a fish since.


Look at tieable wire like Tyger Leader, I've never had a problem with it. I do re-tie often or just put a new leader on with this stuff. No clips needed, just a swivel up top if you want like a small 30lb or 50lb Spro swivel and tie direct to your treble.


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## Corey K (Dec 11, 2009)

d_rek said:


> I only started using tip ups the last few years but have used braided line with a fluoro leader. Only caught a couple of pike no monsters but haven't had any issues with the setup.


Try some heavier mono for backer instead of braid on a couple tip ups, I really hated braid when we tried them on tip ups! The braid freezes easy and it sucks on your fingers! I really like 17lb Suffix for mono on tip ups, I can switch out leaders to use them for Walleye, Perch, or Pike if needed and still get the cushion of mono. 

If your stuck on braid, make sure you put the tip up spool back into the water as quickly as possible to keep it from freezing.


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## Spacepuppy (Apr 27, 2013)

I have much better luck fishing with no leader, my catch rate is much better than my friends. I would use the floro because its less visible and just risk losing a fish here and there.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Corey K said:


> Try some heavier mono for backer instead of braid on a couple tip ups, I really hated braid when we tried them on tip ups! The braid freezes easy and it sucks on your fingers! I really like 17lb Suffix for mono on tip ups, I can switch out leaders to use them for Walleye, Perch, or Pike if needed and still get the cushion of mono.
> 
> If your stuck on braid, make sure you put the tip up spool back into the water as quickly as possible to keep it from freezing.


Yeah I haven't been fishing tip ups that long the setup was based on info I found on the forums here and I'm not opposed to switching it up. Would love to up my catch rate on tip ups though as pike is some tasty eating!!


-Sent from d_mobile


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## Corey K (Dec 11, 2009)

d_rek said:


> Yeah I haven't been fishing tip ups that long the setup was based on info I found on the forums here and I'm not opposed to switching it up. Would love to up my catch rate on tip ups though as pike is some tasty eating!!
> 
> 
> -Sent from d_mobile


Heck yeah that's the best way to learn, figure out what you like best. I like eating Pike too!

At first ice I like smaller trebles and walleye size minnows, try a good no 4 or no 6 treble. One thing I do that helps is to slide a bobber stop on your mainline, check depth and set the stop so once you get a fish it's faster to reset the tip up. Most of the time at first ice you can just do waist level or chin level though. Good luck


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## Corey K (Dec 11, 2009)

d_rek said:


> Yeah I haven't been fishing tip ups that long the setup was based on info I found on the forums here and I'm not opposed to switching it up. Would love to up my catch rate on tip ups though as pike is some tasty eating!!
> 
> 
> -Sent from d_mobile


Heck yeah that's the best way to learn, figure out what you like best. I like eating Pike too!

At first ice I like smaller trebles and walleye size minnows, try a good no 4 or no 6 treble. One thing I do that helps is to slide a bobber stop on your mainline, check depth and set the stop so once you get a fish it's faster to reset the tip up. Most of the time at first ice you can just do waist level or chin level though. Good luck


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## Corey K (Dec 11, 2009)

Whoops double post


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