In the following article, I am going to run you through the best pike fishing tips for beginners.
You could even land yourself a monster over the magical number of 40lbs which until you witness in person is very hard to imagine and understand how incredible a pike of this size actually looks.
Location, location, location - the key to pike fishing
Pike are predators and you need to go to them and not try and bring them into your swim. Coming from a carp fishing background I would regularly put out a series of spod mix in an attempt to bring fish to me. This will not work for pike due to their predatory nature. The pike will be where their prey is located and you must go to them, it is as simple as that.
You will not catch any pike if you are in the wrong spot.
Pike feed on small silver fish and so if you can locate the likes of roach and bream, the pike will not be too far away.
More specifically the pike will be waiting for the likes of roach and rudd to move around the lake in order to launch an attack. Silverfish, like roach and rudd, will often move into areas of water where the temperature is more constant, for example moving from shallow into deeper water. Based on this your best bet is to find features in the lake or river such as ledges, bars and weedy areas.
During the autumn the pike will be nestled amongst the weed which is perfect camouflage ready to attack. During the winter the pike will be in the much deeper water, around say 10 to 15 feet and so you will need to adjust your tactics accordingly based on the time of the year and the conditions.
When fishing on rivers look for alcoves and inlays where the pike will be sitting and waiting for passing prey. I have caught a number of decent size pike by placing a dead bait a few yards down the river from when I am fishing in one of these hotspots. More often than not you will find pike in these areas an in actual fact any sort of feature you can find is worth sticking a bait on.
If you are still struggling to locate the pike, have a look at the surface of the water and try to spot any signs of bream or roach. If you can find these silver fish jumping and rolling you will be close to the pike. Also, keep an eye out for birds that feed on small fish, they are effectively hunting for the same food as the pike and again if you can find signs of this the pike will be present nearby.
Pre-baiting for pike for that extra edge
If you can invest the time, pre-baiting is a simple and highly effective method to get the pike into an area you plan on fishing and also getting a taste for the type of bait you are planning on attracting the pike with. Head down to your fishing spot a couple of time before you actually go fishing and place a few deadbeats in some interesting spots, ideally you will have found some useful features where you think the pike could be held up.
If you put together all of these location tips I have given you, you will increase your chances of fishing where the pike are located and will give yourself the best possible chances of landing a fish or two.
The best bait for pike fishing
There are a number of different baits to use when fishing for pike.
- Dead baits
- Live baits
- Lures
I started with dead baits and on the day trying to catch live baits with a simple floater rod and reel that I could attach to my rig. I would always check the rules of the venue you are fishing that they allow for this and if you are in any doubt, avoid catching live baits to use for pike fishing.
You should also familiarise yourself with the rules from the Environment Agency website which is all geared around fish safety and protecting the rivers and lakes we fish - https://www.gov.uk/freshwater-rod-fishing-rules/tackle-you-can-use
Dead baits such as frozen mackerel and herring work very well in the winter with mackerel being my choice of best bait for pike fishing. These baits have great attractors that the pike go crazy for, such as their high oil content and smell.
Fish, in general, are more lethargic due to the water temperatures and the pike are far less likely to want to exert their energy to chase a lure during the colder months. I have caught many pike in the coldest of conditions and have quite often gone out when it is snowing and have more often than not landed several decent size pike.
You can pick up frozen pike bait from your local tackle shop or online. I would always suggest you support your local tackle shop if you can as their knowledge of all things fishing related in invaluable. If you do any questions, the guys down your local tackle shop are more than willing to help out.
Lure fishing lets you search different areas rather than waiting over one bait. Choose suitable water temperatures, though: the Pike Anglers' Club beginner leaflet advises against targeting pike at water temperatures of 18°C or above. Follow venue restrictions and leave pike alone when conditions put their welfare at risk.
Live baits are very similar to a dead bait in that the bait is in a fixed position but has that extra attraction of movement and distress that the pike is naturally drawn to. Catching live baits and attaching them to a rig is not for everyone but is a great method that can grab you a bite or two if dead baits and lures are not working on that particular day.
I will say this again, please always check where you are fishing allows for live baits to be caught and taken from the water.
Pike fishing tackle you must carry
For bait fishing, use a wire trace of at least 30lb breaking strain and 18 inches in length. Ask a pike specialist about a suitable uptrace too. The trace protects against the teeth; ordinary carp hooklinks are not a substitute.
Line types such as monofilament, fluorocarbon or braid are not going to work for the end tackle. You can and should still use these types for your mainline. For bait fishing, the Pike Anglers' Club recommends at least 18lb mono as an all-round starting point, matched to the venue and conditions.
As for hooks, you will need to use trebles. Trebles, as the name suggests, have three hook points which allow you to hook on a dead bait and still have a couple of hook points to grab onto the pike's mouth. I suggest you use semi barbless where only one of the three hook points is barbed.
I would use this barbed hook point for the deadbeat and the remaining two for the pike. It can be tricky to unhook a treble from a pikes mouth and this approach will make things easier.
There are a couple of simple pike rigs that I use that I do think are the best pike fishing rigs.
The first is a basic floater setup. This consists of a float fixed into position using a bead, this position will depend on the depth you are fishing at. You will then attach the wire-trace and bait to the end of the mainline. Cast the rig into the water and see how the float sits and adjust the position on the line until the float sits just upright in the water.
This works well if you are fishing with live baits as this rig allows for some movement which is one of the main reasons to use live baits, giving that extra attraction to lure a pike.
For a bottom bait, a free-running leger needs dependable bite indication, including when a fish moves towards you. Use a properly set pike drop-off indicator and suitable alarm, or a watched float. Test the setup before fishing and stay beside your rods. Do not rely on occasionally feeling the line for resistance.
If you are a carp angler you will be able to use your carp fishing rod, reel and mainline for pike fishing. All you need to do is swap over your carp rig for the more beefed up pike rig. These carp setups will allow you to cast and land pike in the majority of scenarios. You do not need to purchase dedicated pike tackle if you have carp fishing equipment.
If you do not have carp fishing equipment I would suggest a rod of around 3lbs test curve which will give you enough power in the rod to cast and land pike. The Daiwa Black Widow is perfect for Pike and Carp fishing offering value for money and superb quality/features.
For a reel, I would look at a free spools type of reel from Shimano who make excellent high-quality products. I would suggest a spool size of 6000 - 10000 the larger size allowing for more line to be fed onto the reel.
If you are planning on doing some carp fishing in the summer months I would suggest you buy some equipment that can cover both types of fishing. My recommendations would be as follows.
Daiwa Black Widow XT 12ft 3lb rod (paid link)
Shimano Baitrunner ST 10000 RB (10000) (paid link)
How to strike when fishing for pike
Respond promptly to a take: pick up the rod, wind down to contact and make a firm, controlled strike. Do not wait for the pike to swallow the bait.
Some pike anglers like to wait and let the pike swallow the bait which I am totally against, this can be dangerous for the fish and make removing the rig very difficult. I have seen first hand this happen and the angler spent far too long removing the rig. I would try to avoid this and as I said previously strike as soon as you see any signs of a bite and strike hard.
Unhooking the delicate pike
Pike need careful handling. Have a large wetted mat, suitable landing net, long-reach forceps or pliers and strong hook cutters ready before you cast. Short general-purpose forceps are not enough for every pike.
Keep the pike supported on the wetted mat and locate every hook before handling it. A jaw hold beneath the gill cover must avoid both the delicate gills and the hooks; it is not a grip on the gills themselves. Have an experienced pike angler demonstrate this before your first trip. Remove accessible hooks with the long tools, without wrenching them out.
Pike have very sharp teeth and so you must always be alert when handling the fish and remember to keep your fingers well clear.
If you can go pike fishing with an experienced angler they can guide you through this process which I think is very important to ensure you are doing this correctly. It can be notoriously difficult to remove the hooks from a pikes mouth.
If unhooking becomes difficult, stop pulling, keep the fish safely supported in the water and get experienced help. Return it promptly once unhooked, support it upright and wait until it can swim away unaided. See the Pike Anglers' Club handling guidance.
Where to go pike fishing
Check out this great list put together by the Angling Times of Pike Fishing Near Me - https://www.anglingtimes.co.uk/fishing-lakes-near-me/fishing-near-me-best-pike-fishing-lakes
