Just curious

[joedog]

I was fishing the river today. Water down more so working the banks was challenging at best. Caught a couple of two foot Northerns though in about 10-12 inches on a self painted fluke. Ok I took a blue sharpie and put a line down a white fluke's back. To US artists though that's self painted. Anyways I decide to work one of the pilings cause there was maybe five foot depth around them. I'm tossing the fluke on a Mustad 1/8 oz wieghted hook. I'm working it 'kinda fast' so it's staying around 6 inches below surface with surface breaking if and when I want to. I let the current drift it at times after a few pops.
Now the fluke is right at surface right at the front of a piling and a MASSIVE swirl and the fluke gets popped air born by a good 7+ lb Northern. WOW I'm very impressed and alittle excited. The Northern literally came 3/4 of it's body above the water line.
Now the decision time.....
It's 7:45 getting dusk working on dark. I have no leaders tied on any of the half a dozen rods in the car or along and do I really have time to walk to shore and mess with tieable leader which I did have along. The big pike working the piling pretty much rules out any smallmouths hanging out and probably the walleye too. So what the heck $1 hook and a $.50 fluke...I'm into this game. Three casts later right at the piling again the Pike swirls and chomps and.....I'm out a $1.50. Not EVEN A TUG!
Now times a wasting so I hurriedly get out of the river to the car make the same fatal decision (no time to mess with wire) plus that pikes got a hook and plastic in it. It probably left. Take another hand painted fluke (this one I blued the tail instead of back) and 10-15 minutes I'm back at the piling. Believe it or not my very first cast, right in front of the piling and a big swirl and this time a massive drag pulling strike and run. Now all I'm thinking is that I need to make sure the pikes head is coming towards me before I do a hard set or else the line WILL cross teeth and who can afford to lose two flukes to one fish? Well it did turn and decided to spit at me at the same time....well I got my fluke back!
I didn't see this fish but I definitly felt it and my monies on it was the same pike.

Now for the question. Ya I know, finally!
Would you have done the same knowing that even if you get a BIG pike bite with no leader and 10lb. test line the chances of landing it are slim.

Would you have tied a leader or always have a leader with. I'm not in a boat so supplies aren't within arms reach. I'm wading in the river a good 30 yards from shore.

Would you have casted elsewhere avoiding a bite off.

And lastly, should I or would you have set the second bite sooner. Remember with the pull after the bite it should have at least slightly self set itself and I kept the line with NO slack at all, again if a pike turns it's head and slashes your probably going to get a bite off.

So anglers what do you think?