Question – Reducing Cut-offs- fluorocarbon?

I’ve been using Texas Rigged Zipper Grubs to target largemouths. Problem is that where I fish, there are quite a few northerns. I don’t mind catching northerns but more often than not, they bite through my line. I’m using 8# mono. I tried a relatively thin steel leader, and though the grub action looked good to me, it really killed the bite.

So my thought is to use a fluorocarbon leader. I was thinking 14#. Will that reduce the cut-offs but still preserve the lure action? Any recommendation on brand/type of fluoro? What about leader length? 2 ft long enough?

Thanks,
Bob P

Bob, there are certain lures that simply won’t work with a leader. They need to be tied directly to the line. I’ve experienced what you are for almost 20 years here. Those pike are merciless on bass tackle. Other bass anglers on here will likely chime in and state the same issue. Be grateful you’re only losing a grub and not a $20 jerk bait, $12 chatter bait, or $10 spinner bait instead. Fluorocarbon will break too. Perhaps not as much as mono, but I sometimes even get snipped off with 30 pound braid. If they don’t trim your line off completely, they often damage whatever lure you’re using. Its kinda funny when it happens to someone else (like Mahtofire) but it aint funny when it happens to you!

You can do one of two things:
1) Use a leader or some kind of wire and sacrifice bass bites to avoid being bit off by pike.
2) Tolerate it. Be willing to lose lures from pike, but catch more bass too.

I’m in the #2 crowd. There was a time when I was in the #1 crowd but I caught far less bass and I’ve learned to just accept that our abundance of small, aggressive pike can’t be avoided completely.

X2 what Gimruis said. Pike biteoffs goes with bass fishing. A higher lb. test fluorocarbon line may help some but not a ton. I don’t think I like the idea of tying a higher lb. test flure to a lower lb. test mono. I would either go strait Fluro or a Braid to Fluro leader ( This is what I fish 80% or the time ) I like the powerpro slick 8 braid connected to a 12lb Fluro leader. I usually tie my fluro leaders 4-5Ft long – This allows you several re-tie’s before you have to replace the whole leader. My buddy got cut off 6-8 times on Sat. morning. He was fishing in front of me on weedlines and cleared most of the pike for me ( Nice partner ) I didn’t get cut off once. If a pike doesn’t cut you off when you catch one – Make sure to check your lie and retie if needed or you will break off on the next fish you set the hook on.

fishthumper wrote:

My buddy got cut off 6-8 times on Sat. morning. He was fishing in front of me on weedlines and cleared most of the pike for me ( Nice partner ) I didn’t get cut off once.

6-8 times in one outing is brutal. It can get expensive quickly.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
My buddy got cut off 6-8 times on Sat. morning. He was fishing in front of me on weedlines and cleared most of the pike for me ( Nice partner ) I didn’t get cut off once.

6-8 times in one outing is brutal. It can get expensive quickly.

In lakes with lots of small snot rockets – he fishes really cheap jigheads ( He buys them in bulk ) There is a more expensive jighead he’s started to really like because of the good plastic keeper it has. He lost 2 of them before switching to the cheaper ones and was not happy.