All you need in order to tie your own pike or zander trace is a dependable wire material of 15-30lb, size 4-6 treble hooks, crimp sleeves, a crimping tool, shrink tubing, as well as barrel swivels, lock snaps, and a few minutes of your time.
Most zander venues also hold a lot of pike, which is why you should always use a wire trace when fishing for zander. As the zander is a fairly precautious and line-shy hunter, your best choice is a soft 15lb titanium or steel trace, as these materials are very smooth, flexible, and barely noticeable underwater.
If you are using a wire trace when fishing for perch, you have to make sure that it is as subtle, thin, and invisible as …
In waters that do not contain any pike, you do not need to use a wire trace for perch, as their teeth simply won’t be able to bite through your line. However, if the venue you are fishing for perch in also holds pike, you should always use a thin wire trace in order to protect the fish and save your lures.
Wire leaders for pike are needed when fishing with baitfish, smaller lures, such as jigs and spinnerbaits, or softbaits, as these can be swallowed swiftly and easily by the pike. For larger lures and when trolling for pike, one can instead use a thick fluorocarbon leader.