There's something exciting about fishing for big predatory fish with sharp teeth, which is why so many anglers enjoy 'piking' every year between the months of October and March (the pike season). Pike not only look spectacular, but they can be caught on a variety of methods and venues which keeps the fishing interesting.
When the float starts to move off and disappear, or the indicator drops, you never know what size pike might be on the other end—anything from a small jack to a 40lb crocodile—which makes it all the more appealing!
And the good news is that pike will generally take a bait in all weather, no matter how cold, so there is always an opportunity to get the rods out. Here's our guide to getting started...
What baits catch pike?
There are two baits that will catch pike. The first is live or dead fish, the second is to use lures. Both are as productive as each other, but it depends on any given day whether lures or bait produce the most fish. Generally speaking, fishing with artificial baits produces the greater numbers of pike, while deadbaits produce the larger pike.
Also, lure fishing for pike is often the better method to adopt to locate the pike too because it allows you to cover more water, therefore increasing the chance of your bait passing a hungry pike.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DEADBAITING FOR PIKE, THIS ARTICLE REVEALS ALL...
What essentials do I need?
Forceps/long nose pliers
A must have item of tackle for any predator angler. Those razor sharp teeth will cut your hand if you aren’t careful, and as they are so sharp it will bleed for a long time. A pair of forceps or long nose pliers (generally around 12in long) are perfect for slipping between a pike’s jaws or up through its gill covers to remove hooks from a pike's mouth.
Wire traces
Pike teeth will easily cut through normal monofilament and braided hooklengths, so to stop a fish from biting you off, you must use a wire trace. That applies to both lure fishing and deadbaiting, opting for a minimum 15lb wire for security.
Wire cutters
Another must-have item of tackle that can be used to cut a wire trace cleanly if the need arises. They will come in extremely useful when a pike is hooked awkwardly or when a set of treble hooks become lodged within your landing net and you need to cut the wire to free the hooks.
Large landing net
An ordinary spoon landing net – the sort you’d normally use when fishing for general fishing – isn’t large enough for pike. You’ll need to invest in a large triangular specialist landing net to safely hold and cradle a large pike when lifting it from the water. A net having a strong 6ft handle coupled with folding 36ins arms will be large enough to hold specimen pike with room to spare.
Strong mainline
Both braid and mono are ideal for pike fishing so long as they are up to the job. If you intend fishing with a mono mainline then opt for a line of a minimum 15lb breaking strain, and if you’re intending to use braid, go for a 40lb breaking strain or higher.
WE RECOMMEND BRAID FOR PIKE FISHING, CHECK OUT OUR BUYER'S GUIDE FOR THE BEST VERSIONS TO USE.
Lure fishing tackle for pike
Lure fishing for pike is a very mobile and active technique that requires very little tackle. All you need is a rod, reel, a few trace wires, everything from the list above and a varied selection of lures. And that’s all.
Rods for lure fishing
Often referred to as spinning rods, they are short rods generally between 6ft and 10ft of varying power. The power of a lure rod is indicated by the rod’s casting weight. On the blank of the rod you’ll find some figures such as 5-25g, 15-40g or 30-60g. Those are the optimum weight of lures that the rod will cast.
A great starting point for a beginner to pike lure fishing would be a rod having a length of around 8ft and a casting weight of around 15-40g. This will provide enough power to cast most general purpose lures and also have enough power to stop and control sizeable pike.
THE BEST LURE FISHING RODS WILL HELP YOU CAST AND RETRIEVE LURES WITH EASE...
Reels for lure fishing
Most anglers prefer the simplicity of a reliable fixed spool reel, while some prefer to use multiplier reels. We would strongly suggest steering away from multiplier reels if you are a newcomer to lure fishing as they are complicated to set up correctly and can cause a lot of problems when casting.
By far the best choice would be a small fixed spool reel in the 2500 and 3000 size. A compact front drag model is ideal as they are small and lightweight, but a rear drag reel will definitely suffice.
The right lures
There are literally thousands of different lures on the market – all manner of different shapes, sizes, weights, configurations and patterns. Some are plastic, some are metal, others are rubber while some are wooden. It is best to take a variety with you as there preference of the pike can change with each session.
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A PIKE, IT IS WORTH HEADING TO ONE OF THESE EXCELLENT WATERS.
Bait fishing tackle for pike
Again, strong tackle is key to successful bait fishing for pike, not only because the fish can be enormous and extremely powerful, but also because the baits required to catch the fish are quite large and heavy.
This means that you’ll ideally need much stronger rods to cope with the stresses and strains of casting such baits as a whole roach, half a mackerel or a sardine. Here’s a typical rundown of the tackle ideal for pike fishing with bait…
Rods for bait fishing
If you have a 2.5lb test curve carp rod – or two - you’re well on your way to being able to successfully tackle pike with baits. Carp rods are widely used by pike anglers who fish at close to medium range as a 2.5lb test curve carp rod is more than capable of casting a small fish bait such as a little roach or smelt.
But if you wish to use bigger baits and be able to cast a bait a long way then you’ll need proper pike rods that have test curves of 3lb. These rods will be able to launch baits a long, long way and that will allow you to cover a lot more water and therefore stand a higher chance of catching more pike.
PIKE FISHING DEMANDS STRONGER TACKLE, CHECK OUT THIS GUIDE TO THE BEST PIKE REELS.
Reels for bait fishing
Again, carp reels are okay for pike fishing. It’s the size of the spool that’s all important as it needs to hold at least 100m of 15lb+ mono or 30lb+ braid as the mainline in order to cope with catching these powerful fish, often close to weed and snags. Larger reels also have the power required to reel in big deadbaits and hopefully, big pike!
Float fishing or legering?
To catch pike on deadbaits, you can either float fish or leger. Floatfishing will require specialist, highly buoyant balsa floats while legering requires bite alarms and drop-off indicators to clearly show when you have had a take.
There are two kinds of float used when predator fishing – those for presenting deadbaits on the bottom and those which suspend livebaits off the bottom. You can buy floats with swivels attached to the bottom which are great for deadbaits, however, if you are a beginner, it is much easier to use an inline float with a stop knot as they offer much more versatility.
When legering it’s important to use a bite alarm coupled with a drop-off indicator. The alarm will provide an audible sound when you get a run and the drop-off indicator will tell you whether the pike has picked up the bait and swam away or towards you.
IF YOU AREN'T SURE WHICH DEADBAIT TO CHOOSE, THIS ARTICLE IS PERFECT FOR YOU...
Unhooking pike
To remove the hooks from pike you will definitely need at least the following: a pair of long-nosed pliers/forceps, a pair of short pliers, an unhooking mat and the confidence to place your fingers within the pike’s mouth.
Removing the hooks from the gaping jaws of even the smallest pike can prove awkward, but not if you follow this step-by-step guide...
NOTE: The pike’s gill rakers are extremely delicate, and extremely sharp. Try to avoid touching them with either your hand or your forceps.
When straddling a pike to unhook it pay attention to the fish. If it struggles while your hands are within the gill covers you will cut yourself. By placing your knees alongside the pike’s body you will feel when it is tensing and preparing to thrash. Now’s the time to quickly remove your hand and fingers from the gill covers.
IF YOU ARE PIKE FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME, OUR GUIDE TO HANDLING AND UNHOOKING PIKE IS A MUST READ!
After netting the pike, place it on a cushioned unhooking mat, turn it on its side and straddle it gently. Be careful not to sit on the fish though.
Put your fingers together and your hand flat. Work your hand up through the gill cover, keeping your hand pressed to the inside of the gill cover. Gently prize open the pike’s mouth by pulling the gill cover outwards. This won’t harm the pike, just take your time and be confident.
Now find the hooks and use your forceps to remove them quickly. You may have to pass the closed forceps through the gill rakers to reach the hooks. Once the hooks are removed keep them away from both you and the fish to prevent you or the fish becoming tangled or hooked.
