Top water enthusiasts should try Rapalas Fat Traps or Bagley's Bang-O lure. Spinner baits are also very effective if you rip them right across the top of the water. When fly fishing, I normally rig up with a six pound test tippet at the end of an eight to ten foot long leader. The pike sometimes break my line right at the strike, cutting it with those big teeth. Still, I don't advise using a shock leader or a length of steel wire to guard your leader against this eventuality.
Leaders can act as an early warning to a fish in the event that water conditions are clear.
Even an aggressive pike will refuse to hit what it knows is not natural. If you prefer to fish for pike with spinning gear, this same rule applies. Diawa Triforce-X rod, I tie my lures directly to the line, without adding a steel leader or a snap swivel. Again, I run the risk of losing those fish that bite through my line, but leaders and swivels do alert the pike that something isn't all it should be. If you absolutely must put something on your line before the lure, try an all black, flat finish swivel.