Leaders for tip ups

So I’ve been using 20lb fluorocarbon on my tipups with moderate success. I have had a ton of bites but have had a few bite offs. Wondering what everyone uses on their tip ups for leaders. Plus I don’t like steel because I feel i get less bites with them in my experience. Thanks

Try using some heavier flouro. I use 40lb and have yet to get bit off. I feel like ive had better success with flouro than steel leaders.

Where do you buy that heavy of line at. I can’t find any place that sells that heavy of a line at a store.

Fleet farm or cabelas should have some. The stuff I used is called berkley vanish

What do you guys hook under the fluorocarbon, one of those pre-made, wire-leader, double-treble-hook rigs? Or you you make your own rig with flourocarbon line?

I’m new to tip-ups.

10lb extra tough mono! landed multiple pike over 30in. Just have to play them out. I use it for walleye but of course pike have to come along too. If your fishing just pike I would go to a 30lb braided. When you notice it fraying just retie. If you want to stay away from the braided use a heavy fluorocarbon.

Seaguar is a great flouro. Theyll have what you need.

I use 14# fireline clear and catch plenty of eyes and up to 30″ pike with no breaks. Like with all leaders, check for fraying after each fish and if any doubts, swap it out! Hate to lose a trophy on something you had your doubts on before putting resetting.

I have been planning to use 20# fluoro this winter after reading about it over the last few years from Doug Stange. I chose to go with fluoro leader material rather than line because it is formulated and processed differently resulting in more abrasion resistance (the drawback being that it also stiffer and more expensive). Maybe the leader material would help your, or you could consider 25# or 30#. Also, Stange probably changes his leaders frequently after inspecting for nicks. Here are some relevant quotes from Doug Stange that I have referenced:

“Quick Strike Rig Pike” (2015) – “Stranded wire is still a great choice, particularly on lightly fished lakes, though Stange ties rigs on 25-pound fluorocarbon when targeting jaded gators in heavily fished waters. “Twenty-five pounds is just right for deadbait,” Doug Stange says. “Fishing livebait is a different story. I drop to 20-pound fluorocarbon for livebait, especially when walleyes enter the mix along with pike; but at that point I’m usually fishing a single hook and not quick-strike rigging. Again, livebait’s a different subject. And for giant pike at late ice, I always fish wire, because there’s a chance to get bitten off with fluorocarbon. But it doesn’t happen often. Indeed, in more than 8 years of fishing it I’ve never been bitten off. But it could happen.”

“Factoring Pike at First Ice” (2014) – “It’s worth noting that I now have many seasons under my belt fishing with fluorocarbon as a leader below most of my tip-ups without ever being bitten off. I began fishing with 30-pound, quickly dropped to 25-pound, and switched three years ago to 20-pound. Fishing the 20-pound I’ve landed fish as large as 18 pounds and probably iced over 100 pike. I still use 27-pound Sevenstrand wire as leader when fishing for big fish at last ice. There’s still always a chance for being bitten off when using lighter fluorocarbon.

The relatively light 20-pound fluoro is particularly important at first ice, because livebait is the standard at this time, as opposed to deadbait sets which predominate during midwinter and at late ice. Rigged on a single hook, a medium-sized livebait can swim actively to attract the attention of pike. The 20-pound is significantly more supple than 25-pound.”

Sorry, ended up with a double post after an earlier one was flagged then released.

The only problem I have been having is that the 20lb tends to break. But according to Stange the 25lb is a lot stiffer so probably will stick with 20lb then.

What are your thoughts on braided line for a leader? I’ve used braid (15lb) for walleye setups and have had limited issues with it.

Never really took braided line into consideration. Might have to give that a go

I probably need to knock on wood here, but I haven’t been bitten off yet with using the 15lb braid by pike or musky. I mainly fish stained water so that too favors a braid instead of fluorocarbon as well due to poor visability. It’s a nice thin diameter and the minnnow can do it’s thing pretty easily with it on there. People do make the argument that braid freezes quickly after you pull a fish out, but to me it’s no different than the rest of the heavier braid (main tip-up line) freezing as well. Once it’s back in the water everything goes slack again and you’re back fishing.

Good luck to all of you!! Stay Safe

You could switch to 30 pound test fluorocarbon and see where that gets you. If you still have bite offs then just keep going higher. Line is so much thinner then it was just a couple years ago so you have the options of going bigger. Even a braid leader might work. I’ve tried that and it works great. I haven’t noticed any differences in the amount that hit my bait. Just keep on experimenting. Not just with this, but everything. Maybe you’ll find some methods that work and catch more fish.