Line for pike

I plan to target pike this winter, but I can’t find much info on rod and reel setups. I bought a 13 Wicked 31″ MH rod and paired it with a Pflueger 25 series reel. Now I need to pick out line. I was thinking a 20 lb braid with a flouro leader, but I haven’t heard anything positive about braid. Any suggestions?

Nothing positive about braid? LOL

For big fish, braid plus leader.

I have used anything from 10-20# Fireline,10-50# Sufix Performance Braid, 50# 832 braid. Mostly depends on what lure is on the end.

My spinning reels are typically Stradic 1000 spinning. For baitcasting, Citica and Curado baitcasting reels.

It’s nice to see another pike fisherman who doesn’t rely on a spear! PowerPro has been my briad of choice for the pasr decade and a half and they make an ice-braid so I’d suggest that with a wire leader. If you’re looking for stealth mode the “tieable” wire leaders are pretty nice and aren’t as clunky because they don’t have the big snap on the end.

I use braid and a wire leader or quick strike rigs.

You are right on I use a Frabill MH rod combo with 20 pound braid and most of the time I don’t use a leader. Pike are a fish that I feel the more they see the more excited they get. When I go to a leader its 40-50 pound floural. The best jig is a Northland Airplane bucktail Tip it with a sucker minnow and watch it work. With this lure it pays to have a swivel either a snap swivel going to the lure or a swivel connecting the braid and leader.

Now I have fished pike a lot but most people don’t jig them. I think they are missing out. Jigging for pike is so much fun. Other good jigs are clackin rap, Jigging rap and tube jigs. Have fun and keep your line tight.

I went ahead and bought some 20 lb Suffix ice 832. So far I like it. We’ll see how it works on ice. The way this winter is going I don’t think I’ll have to many issues with the line freezing up.

Thats one thing I should have said they make ice braid that sheds water. It might have freeze up issues. Suffix and power pro have very good ice braid.