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.
Is 8
lb line good
for pike?
The pike do not get to 60 lbs. 40 lbs is about max. I would use a good 20 or 25 lb braid My go to line on a
medium rod
is 14lb, I usually run 6lb on an ultralight, makes the hammer handles fun.
What is the best bait for pike fishing?
Soft rayed fish that have lots of natural oil in the skin and flesh make the best dead baits for pike fishing. These natural oils leech into the water and help to attract pike that may be cruising in the area. Some of the best dead baits are smelt, alewives, small whitefish, chubs, and the always popular sucker.
Is 10lb line good for 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.
Can pike bite through fluorocarbon?
Fluorocarbon is more abrasion resistant than monofilament and braids, so it has a better chance in contact with razor pike teeth Most scientific sources also consider it much less visible to fish than monofilament and, especially, braid under water.
What line should I use for pike fishing?
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 12lb or even 15lb breaking strain, and if you’re intending to use braid, go for a 30lb breaking strain.
What colors do pike see best?
The ability of slower retrieve along with a softer underwater tone gives you the injured fish action northern pike prey upon. Best pike lure colors: Red/Black or White (
sunny days
), Chartreuse/Blue (cloudy days).
What kind of lures do pike like?
Metal fishing spoons work very well with pike because they are easy to cast and bite onto. For this reason, the Johnson Silver Moon Spoon is found in most anglers’ tackle boxes. This
highly-reviewed spoon
, made of silver or gold, is designed for long casts and works well in fresh or salt water.
Is 15 pound line good for pike?
Line. Pike have extremely sharp teeth that gives them the ability to break through some line with ease. It is important to structure your line with the reel and rod set up you plan to use. 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.
Can I use fluorocarbon line as a leader for pike?
For fishing techniques where the risk of bite-offs is lower, fashioning an 18-inch long leader from 50- to 80-pound a test fluorocarbon line is a good option Fluorocarbon is flexible, holds knots well, and has enough abrasion resistance to turn back the teeth of pike and muskie in most situations.
What is the best braid for pike fishing?
I recommend using a braided main line of at least 30lb and preferably 50lb breaking strain for all of your deadbait pike fishing. Pike are not put off by the thickness of the line, unlike other fish like carp. Braid is also very thin compared to the equivalent diameter of monofilament line.
What time of day do pike eat?
Pike in the morning are more active than usual. Early morning right before the sun rises is an excellent time to target hungry pike. You can either find them in open or shallow water hunting down their first meal of the day.
What time is best for pike fishing?
As another rule of thumb, the best times for pike are usually around sunrise and sunset However, since in spring the weather isn’t as harsh yet and water temperatures allow pike to hunt for longer – you can successfully catch pike throughout the day.
Do pike like Powerbait?
Pike Lures Daredevil and Mepps Cyclops spoons and large Mepps spinners are popular When you can see Pike in the shallows a Gulp plastic Jerkshad fished weightless is a good option.
What size reel is best for pike fishing?
The 4000 size reel is ideal for targeting species such as pike, salmon and even specimen sized trout. Not only does the larger size provide you with increased line capacity for accommodating higher breaking strains and higher diameter lines, but it also provides you with more cranking power.
How deep do pike go in summer?
Geologically young, deep, clear lakes have pike populations that tend to suspend over deep water and cruise deep flats in the 25- to 60-foot range during summer and fall.
How do you attract pike ice fishing?
One of the best ways to attract and catch big pike is to set up a series of tip-ups—sometimes called a trapline—over prime structure I usually go wintertime pike fishing with three other people; since it’s legal for each of us to run two lines, we can have eight holes in our trapline.
What size lures for pike?
Go for lures in the 6-inch / 16cm range as these will be easy to cast and will catch pike of all sizes.
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.
What pound line do you use for ice fishing?
In open water, line of 6- or 8-pound test may qualify as “light,” but ice anglers commonly scale down to 4-, 3-and 2-pound test with 1-pound line a serious option as well.
Are pike hard to catch?
Pike are aggressive apex predators and are usually easy to catch , because they will chase and bite at almost anything smaller than them.
Where do big pike hang out?
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 They like to hang around areas where Walleyes and Bass are migrating through to ambush them.
How do you target a large pike?
If you’re fishing in shallow water (10 feet deep or less), you’ll want to suspend it in the bottom half of the water column If you’re fishing in water deeper than 10 feet, place the bait about three feet off the bottom, always keeping in mind that prowling pike like to silhouette their prey against a light backdrop.
Do wire leaders scare fish?
Do Wire Leaders Scare Fish? As many leaders are coated or come in dark, low visibility colors, they do not seem to scare the fish you target I have run many experiments where I fished for predators with both thick fluorocarbon leaders and wire leaders, and the results were exactly the same on both materials.
Which is stronger mono or fluorocarbon?
In the short term, fluorocarbon is a much harder material than monofilament This results in higher abrasion resistance that is useful in situations such as nymphing or fishing around heavy structure. Also, most fluorocarbon line is thinner in diameter than monofilament line of the same breaking strength.
Why is fluorocarbon better than mono?
Fluorocarbon allows a greater amount of natural light to pass through it whereas monofilament tends to refract light, alerting fish of its presence. This property also makes fluoro the optimal line for fishing all sorts of crankbaits. An anglers’ favorite or best fishing line is subjective.
What test fishing line should I use?
It should roughly match the weight of the species you are fishing for (e.g. use line in the 30-pound test for tuna in the 30-pound range). A typical line to cast for trout would be 4-pound test. Consider braided line of 30-pound test or more if you go after large game fish.
Do I need a leader with braided line?
You need to connect a leader to your braided line if you are fishing rough grounds or super clear waters, or if you are targeting sharp-toothed fish like flounder, bluefish, or the sharks Apart from that, it should be okay to use straight braid without expecting any problems.
What kind of rod do you use for pike fishing?
A great pike fishing rod is usually 8-9 ft long and has a fast action with medium or medium-heavy power This gives you good leverage and hooking ability when the pike strikes. Depending on the size of lures you intend to use, the casting weight of the rod may vary.
What is northern pike favorite food?
It eats mainly fish and frogs, but also small mammals and birds fall prey to pike Young pike have been found dead from choking on a pike of a similar size, an observation referred to by the renowned English poet Ted Hughes in his famous poem “Pike”. Northern pike also feed on insects, crayfish, and leeches.
Do pike like topwater lures?
Many species are a blast to catch using topwater lures, but northern pike frequently charge baits with an unbridled aggression that are fascinating Willing participants, pike are often eager to take a bait off the water’s surface because the presentation appears to them to be an easy meal.
Do spinners work for pike?
In-line Spinners work well for northern pike If you are just looking to catch some pike, the smaller spinners in the 3 to 4 inch range will catch plenty of smaller pike with an occasional big fish, especially during the spring.
Are spoons good for pike?
It’s true that spoons do a fine job of tempting pike into striking , but my experience with spoons suggests that these baits work best when fish are actively feeding. The wobbling and flashing action of a spoon requires a steady and fairly fast retrieve speed.
Citations
https://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/more-freshwater/where-fish/2006/04/basic-guide-catching-northern-pike/
https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/what-line-for-northern-pike/
https://www.northernontario.travel/algoma-country/how-to-use-dead-bait-to-catch-northern-pike