The most commonly used bait fishing rig for pike is, without a doubt, the running ledger rig. This bait fishing rig is designed to fish a bait on the bottom of a lake or loch bed. The rig itself compromises of a run ring, buffer bead, quick-change link, a lead and a wire trace.
What pound leader should I use for pike?
60-80lb
For pike, a 60-80lb test fluorocarbon leader should be used.
What size hook should I use for pike?
Pike / Predator Hooks
Treble hooks from size 4 to 10 are commonly used on predator dead bait traces, usually with two hooks per trace. Hooks ranging from size 8 to 3/0 can be used on lures, with the hook size being dictated by the size of the lures.
Is braid or mono better for pike?
Both braid and monofilament are great choices when it comes to picking your mainline for pike. Braid is the perfect choice when spin fishing or fishing with dead baits, while mono is your number one choice for live bait fishing and trolling.
Do pike like deep water?
Deep water is where big northern pike spend most of their time throughout the year. At times, the shallow water bite can be very good for number and big fish, but most of the time, the better big fish bite will be deeper.
Should I use a steel leader for pike?
Both stainless steel and titanium wires are great choices for northern pike, as they will be able to withstand those ultra-sharp pike teeth. Such wire leaders are extremely strong, smooth, and flexible, allowing for an optimal bait and lure presentation.
Can pike bite through braid?
As braid has fairly low abrasion resistance, pike will have an easy time biting through it. And therefore, it is absolutely not suitable as a leader material when the target fish is northern pike. Many people prefer this material over monofilament for their mainline.
Can fish see leaders?
If the fish sees the leader line or mainline it may get spooked, or the lure will not look as natural and the fish will be less inclined to bite it. Leader lines with can also absorb the torque or impact on the mainline or knots by having a little stretch to them.
What hooks do pike like?
The best hook sizes for pike are 1/0 in partridge style hooks and 2/0 or 3/0 in treble hooks. Using larger hooks increases the number of fish that are hooked and landed. Also, larger hooks are less likely to bite pike deeply in the throat making it easier to safely release fish.
How long should a pike trace be?
18 inches long
For the safety of the pike, should it swallow your bait a too deeply, your wire trace should be at least 18 inches long (45 cm) whenever bait or lure fishing.
Can you catch pike on single hook?
Traditionally, anglers only ever used treble hooks for pike, with one hook for bait and a couple of others to hook onto the fishes’ mouths. Semi-barbless is a good idea if you go this route, as three barbed hooks can be tricky to remove.
What fishing line is best for northern pike?
For a reel that has at least a maximum of 15 pounds worth of drag, we like to use 15 to 20-pound braided line. While when using a reel with at least a maximum of 25-pound drag, we typically use a 30 to 40-pound braided line. Attach a 3 to 4-foot length of 20-40 pound fluorocarbon to your mainline as a leader.
What attracts pike most?
Pike are visual feeders, and tend to be attracted to bright colors. Use high-visibility colors like white, chartreuse, and bright orange. They also respond well to baits that put off lots of vibration or sound.
What color lures do pike like?
The very best lures to use for pike in clear water are swimbaits, softbaits, and crankbaits with an authentic pattern and swimming action. Natural lure colors that resemble the pike’s prey, such as white, silver, green, or black, have proven most effective.
Where do big pike hang out?
They will stick to the back of bays where water warms up quickly with the morning sun and they have lots of weeds to hide in. The really large Northern Pike are more likely to hang around points leading into bays, narrows between islands or in river current especially later in the spring.
What temperature is best for pike fishing?
The optimal temperature lies between 8-15 degrees Celsius, but they can survive between 4-23 degrees Celsius.
When should I start pike fishing?
The best time of year for pike is fall, as the water temperature is slowly dropping and the pike feed and hunt very actively and aggressively. More specifically, September and October are, by far, the best months to target pike.
Does pike come to the surface?
Generally warmer weather will mean that pike are more willing to commit to topwater strikes. Although you can never say never in fishing, cold water usually means that fish want to hug the bottom and you might struggle for action on the surface in the depths of winter!
What pound line should I use for northern pike?
You’ll need a stiff rod, 14 to 17 pound test line, and 9 to 12 inch steel leaders. Every pike fisherman has caught his share of northern from 4 to 10 pounds. Most of these fish are caught in shallow water.
Are Northern pike line shy?
In most cases, northern pike are not line shy, so 40 pound test braided line is a good choice. Anglers will need a leader when northern pike fishing as well. Pike have a mouthful of very sharp teeth. For that reason, many anglers use a 12 inch steel leader.
Can you fish for pike without wire trace?
A wire trace is essential when fishing for pike or other toothy fish. A pike’s sharp teeth will easily bite through standard monofilament or braided line so using a wire trace is required to prevent this. Pike fishing wire traces come in two main types, lure fishing traces and bait fishing traces.