Pike are very strong fish and need to be treated with the up most respect, therefore its recommended you have the right equipment when fishing for them. You will need...
- A 2.5 test curve rod (At least)
- 15 or 20lb mono/braided main line
- A good reel (I use shimano 5010s)
- A 36" landing net
- A pair of pliers ( Incase you have to snip the hook inside the pikes mouth)
- Some long forceps ( The ones I use are 12" long)
- A quality unhooking mat
- Pike don't have eyelids. So its important that you protect their eyes and keep them away from sharp grass and straw/ bramble objects otherwise you could blind them unintentionally.
- Never use a gag tool which forces the pikes mouth "wide open"
- Pike glove. (To stop you cutting your hand on the gill rackers)
Pike gloves are very important, especially if you
are a novice pike angler. Pike gloves are used to
help when unhooking pike. Most advanced pike
fishermen know exactly what to do when handling pike
and therefore avoid "Racker Rash". Racker rash
is caused by getting your hands caught on a pikes
gill rackers when attempting to remove the hooks
from its mouth, the rackers are sharp and tend to
catch on your hand when unhooking pike, this happens
especially with young jack pike. Below is a picture
of a friend of mine who caught his hand on a pikes
gill racker. (Click the image to see the full
picture)
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Pike traces:
Pike traces can be purchased from your local tackle shop for just less than a few pounds however, if you decide you wanted to make your own pike fishing traces, it works out a lot cheaper in the long run and gives you a sense of pride if you catch one on your home made pike rig. Have a look at this page, it will tell you what you need and how to make a pike fishing trace. Please note that an average pike trace should be between 18 and 22" in length, failure to follow this practice could amount to the pike snapping your main line snapping on the pikes teeth. (Have a look at this video)
Pike baits & lures:
What is the best bait for pike fishing? As with carp fishing there are many different types of baits you could buy either from your local tackle shop or local market to tempt pike into your swim. Not forgetting the hand made lures/machined lures which you can purchase. I have only been pike fishing for two years, so I guess you could class me as a bit of a novice but I do have one or two 20+s under my belt and yes I have had racker rash. As I have said earlier the main dead baits I use are... Note the frogs, trout and leaches, they too are excellent pike baits
-
Lamprey
-
Roach
-
Sardine
-
Smelt
-
Bream
-
Trout or Mackerel tail
-
Frogs (Frogs are probably their most natural bait)
-
Leaches. (Mainly for jack pike)
The above baits are the ones which I have caught on and which I would recommend to you, I have landed pike over 20lb including a lake record using some of the above baits. If you was to ask me which is my favourite, I would say... It all depends on location. I will talk more about location in the pages that follow.
Catching pike:
Once you have caught your pike you will need to unhook it! Unhooking a pike is a skill and varies from one angler to another. If you have never handled a pike before, it can be a very scary experience. I have therefore presented a guide below to help you with unhooking your first pike. Coming soon!
Unhooking pike:
- The best way to unhook a pike is to turn it
on its back and sit astride the fish taking care
not to allow any sharp objects like grass or
straw near its eyes, remember pike have no eye
lids and can easily be blinded. Holding the fish
firmly between your knees to keep it secure,
slide your gloved hand under the gill cover
towards its chin (Try avoiding racker rash).
Feel for the chin bone and grip it firmly. Once
you have your gripped it, gently lift the pike’s
head upwards ready for the hook extraction. (Click
here for a video)
- Don’t be scared of the pike, be sure and dominate the fish "and show the pike who is the boss or so to "speak!!!".
- If the hook hold is deep or awkwardly hooked, you can put your hand through the gill-racker with the forceps you have purchased. However you have to be careful and keep your hands away from the gill-rackers which are vital organs and can be damaged easily. Pike need the gill rackers to protect its self when feeding, gill rackers stop other fish from swimming in the pikes mouth when feeding.
Deep hooking a pike:
Sometimes when you hook a pike, the fish swallows the bait and the treble hooks, they lodge themselves deep in the pikes belly causing discomfort for the pike and panic amongst the angler. (Horrific) When this happens you need an experienced angler with you. (DO NOT TRY THIS if you are inexperienced.) If the fish is really deeply hooked, you can pull the pikes belly into the mouth. By applying steady pulling pressure to your trace wire, the gut will pop out into the mouth. If at all possible ask other anglers to help you, once the hooks have been removed the belly will fall back into place. Below left is a pike gut with 6 treble hooks inside, pictured right are the removed traces. The pike was not harmed in anyway and was released back to the water. Click the pics below for a bigger image.
Returning a pike to the water:
Once you have caught your pike its very important to return the fish back to the water as soon as possible, especially in the warmer months. If for any reason you need to keep the pike out of the water, try to ensure you keep it moist at all times with a towel.




















