Pike and fishing line

[Esox]

I got about 150 pike this year during ice fishing and had zero break offs. Last year I had two break offs in the same day at the end of the season. I'm not sure if it was line damage due to my failure to cut back and re-tie or if it was due to the large amount of temperature cycling the leaders saw during the season going from the cold to warm to cold again. Either way it was my fault for not being on top of things. After 2 seasons of using the 50# leaders, I have a good feel for when I need to cut back or change the leaders all together. I start with about 5' of leader so I can cut back as needed. Every time you cut back and re-tie you can lose 6" or more, so that is why my leaders are so long to start with. The trick with using the floro is to play the fish to the hole. You can't horse them in like you do with steel leaders. Here is a link to a video from this year, but the fish was a little one and only made one run. Notice the poor line handleing on my part resulting in a knot in the line.  I was under too much pressure with about 20 people watching me. 

Hi-res
http://www.fishingvermont.net/Videos/Scotts_pike_highres.wmv

Dialup
http://www.fishingvermont.net/Videos/scotts_pike_dialup.wmv

[vancouvercanuck]

8lb mono with a steel leader. Never needed anything else. My buddy pulled in a 44" Pike on that setup.

[TroutFishingBear]

I heard about some kid fishing a crappie jig at a lake called harvey gap in colorado and he caught a 20 lb. pike on 2lb. test!

The last pike I got was about 11 or 12 lbs and I caught him on 6lb test while fishing for smallies.

[fishboy899]

I like 8 or 10lb mono with a steel leader.  I think thats all you really need I have pulled in some monster fish with 8 lb mono and a steel leader and a spinnerbait.

[Pasquatch]

I don't use leader, haven't caught too many pike over 30", but I caught about 25 on 8 pound test in a couple days...no breakoffs

[Mackdaddy21]

I have had one pike bite me off, and that was a smaller one while icefishing this year on 12 pound mono. Actually my bro lost him but it was due to a sudden surge at the hole and we made the mistake. Otherwise in most circumstances I would recommend against steel leaders. I think heavy fluoro or fireline works best. Pike don't bite off much anyway if you don't horse them. I let them run. If the pike aren't turned off by wire I will use it though cause they can bite through other things, though if you use a little heavier line and don't horse the fish, it's not common to lose him. In most situations wire will turn off fish, especially in pressured areas like us. Manitoba is different than Colorado.
So it's better to get strikes and lose one than no strikes. I do feel bad about leaving a lure in a pike's jaw, but I haven't ever done it.

Tyler

[arthur]

I tend to use braid--from 15# on spinning to 70# on my heaviest musky rod. I've always used steel or titanium leaders, but I have some 25# flouro leader material that I think I will try, just as an experiment to see if pike are leader shy. I never really thought so until recently. Had too many follows and close calls last time I was out. (Maybe it was just because I upgraded my polarized glasses to Costas!)

[AD]

I usually use 10-12 pound mono, tied to a steel leader, and then hooked to the bait/lure Im using, seems to work pretty well in the clearish waters I fish, never have hooked into anything huge, but have boated, and netted, many fish from the 6-10 + pound range landed this way.   
     

[lilchief]

i use 8 pound line with a steel leader....lilchief