These pike fishing tips are guaranteed to catch bigger and better pike. But you’ve got to take it seriously. Pike fishing is a notoriously tricky pastime. Particularly for beginners. It’s not something we’d recommend just starting by yourself because pike can be quite fragile, dangerous and hard to find. An almost insurmountable trio.
However, the pike fishing season is almost unlike any other in UK waters. Arguably the most spectacular form of freshwater fishing. Pike are exciting, ferocious fish that need to be handled with due care and attention. So go with somebody more experienced so you can learn how to find, catch and handle pike effectively.
Table of contents
Weather conditions
Fish in low pressureBuild complex layouts easily
Understanding how the weather will affect your fishing is fundamental for any fisherman. The theory goes that high-pressure fronts – that typically bring very bright sunny days and sharp, biting frosts – are unsuitable for pike fishing. Pike feed best in sustained fronts of low pressure, as the overcast, slightly choppy water and milder temperatures are best suited to feeding. You can find the prevailing pressure for the next 10 days here.
Interestingly this also applies to any change in pressure conditions. If it’s sunny and sharp, this isn’t necessarily a no-go if the front is about to change and there’s a steady fall of pressure. In fact, it’s common for pike to feed at their most intense and aggressive over these periods.
This is particularly relevant when targeting stillwater pike, which are much more significantly impacted by low-pressure systems. If you’re on a river or canal the pike are much less impacted by weather.
Water temperature mattersBuild complex layouts easily
In the late summer and autumn months when the pike season begins and the air and water temperature tends to be warmer, pike tend to live in shallower waters of around 3 – 6 feet deep. When the water temperature drops as winter and early spring come pike tend to descend to deeper pools of around 10 – 15 feet where the water temperature stays more consistent year-round to preserve energy.
Fish deeper in the winter (and shallower in the autumn)Build complex layouts easily
As the air temperature cools the water temperature in rivers tends to correspond. In the winter months when the air temperature is cooler and the surface water has cooled pike move to deeper, warmer pockets of water. Typically from December to March fishing in deeper waters yields better results. Particularly when bait fishing.
With the earth’s global temperatures rising it is estimated that by 2070 the UK’s average winter temperature will be between 1 – 4.5°c warmer, whilst the summer temperature could be up to 6°c higher. This will drastically change the pike’s ecosystem and behaviour.
Topography
Look for structure Build complex layouts easily
Pike tend to hang around in areas rich in structure as it provides them with cover to attack their prey from. This can be manmade objects that have been purposely positioned like docks or natural structures like weeds, tree roots and overhanging branches.
Fish pools of slack waterBuild complex layouts easily
When fishing in moving bodies of water for pike pools of slack water are your best friend. Pike are not fish that will spend the majority of their time swimming against the current. They seek out deeper, slow-moving pools of slack water (that tend to be rich in structure) running concurrently to faster currents.
The inner section of meanders, weirs, locks and overflow channels are all well worth investigating. Particularly in areas of or near heavily oxygenated water.
Cover groundBuild complex layouts easily
Covering ground with a spinning rod, a lure box and a backpack makes lure fishing for pike our favourite method. It resembles bass fishing from the shore or LRF and means you’re never standing still. Given pike’s general aggression they don’t only feed when they’re hungry. So once you’ve found a spot that looks good try a few lures for 15 minutes and move on. Simple, straightforward fishing.
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Behaviour
Little pike avoid larger pikeBuild complex layouts easily
This is important to know if you’re targeting larger pike. If you’re fishing an area and begin pulling in multiple low single-digit jack pike, then it’s very unlikely there are any larger females around for two reasons.
Firstly larger pike are highly territorial and will steal prey from smaller pike or attack them should they come too close. Secondly – and infinitely more terrifyingly – pike are cannibals, so it behoves the smaller jack pikes to avoid the larger ones.
Fish around dawn and duskBuild complex layouts easily
Whilst this does vary depending on location, season, pressure and water temperature, fishing around dawn and dusk tends to be best when fishing for pike. As with most predatory fish. First and last light provide enough visibility to hunt, but also enough darkness to hide.
Pike are primarily sight-hunting predators and in one particular study were found to have visual sensitivity second only to perch, which have high visual sensitivity thanks to the large relative size of the pupil.
Strike powerfullyBuild complex layouts easily
A pike’s mouth is incredibly tricky to hook properly as it’s almost entirely smooth and gun-barrel straight. They are notoriously delicate and challenging to hook effectively. Wait a little too long to strike when fishing with bait and the pike can swallow the bait. So striking powerfully and at the right time is key. Wait a few seconds and then strike.
Tackle
Use a wire traceBuild complex layouts easily
Pike have incredibly sharp teeth and will bite through even the best braid and even strong fluorocarbon / mono leader material without hesitation. As such a wire trace is essential when pike fishing. You can find the rest of the pike fishing tackle essentials here.
These wire traces come in multiple sizes and colours, but the best practice is to use wire traces around 12 inches long in darker shades of blue, green or grey depending on the water you’re fishing.
Choose semi-barbed hooksBuild complex layouts easily
Thanks to the pike’s brittle, bony mouth they are one of the few fish where fishing with treble hooks is almost essential. Particularly when fishing for pike with deadbaits. In this scenario, the treble hooks should be semi-barbed. This means that each treble has two barbless hooks and one barbed and the barbed hook is used to hook the bait.
When lure fishing you can fish for pike with single hooks. You will lose a higher percentage of pike than almost any other fish whilst doing this, but they are much easier to unhook.
Vary your luresBuild complex layouts easily
Like with any form of lure fishing, it’s important to have a variety of lures for pike fishing. Soft plastics, hard lures spinners, surface lures and diving lures can all be highly effective when targeting pike. Once you’ve found a spot rich in structure or a pool of slack water try a number of different lures before moving on.
Lure fishing for pike tends to be most effective in the autumnal months when water temperatures are warmer and the pike are more aggressive. When their core temperature drops they become more lethargic and less likely to attack out of aggression.
Choose your bait carefullyBuild complex layouts easily
Whilst pike are largely unfussy, aggressive predators your choice of bait can make or break your session. Particularly when targeting stillwater pike. Typically pike anglers fish with oily saltwater fish like mackerel, sardine or herring thanks to their potency. Whilst this seems like a sensible option, if every angler on the lake thinks in the same way, you have no point of differentiation.
Pike, like any fish, will become wary of the particularly oily, non-native baits. In this scenario its wise to have some lighter-smelling backup bait like smelt or trout.
Think about where you’re fishing and the prevalence of bait in the surrounding water. For example, if you’re fishing at Bewl Water where there are trout farms present, trout would seem like an ultra-realistic choice of bait.
Use strong lineBuild complex layouts easily
Pike are powerful fish and using strong, good quality braid is essential. Typically a darker colour line of around 25 – 30lb should cover almost any pike you can catch in UK waters.
Use a moderate-fast action rodBuild complex layouts easily
Moderate to fast-action rods are particularly relevant when lure fishing for pike because you need more initial power when striking to hook a pike. The faster the rod action the higher up the rod the pressure is applied and the bend in the rod is minimised. So a fast action rod is stiff – perfect for power output – with a more sensitive tip. Ideal for lure fishing for pike.
Look for the casting weight on the side of the rod and couple this with the size of lure you want to use. Typically for pike lure fishing a 50 – 100g casting weight is about right. But if you’re targeting jacks, then go for a lighter, more sensitive option for superb sport fishing.
Take a landing net and unhooking matBuild complex layouts easily
Whilst pike are hardy fish it’s still important you minimise contact with the fish and get them back in the water as quickly as possible. When you have caught the fish letting it recover in the net reduces the lactate buildup. When you’re ready to unhook it, lying the fish on a landing mat minimises the risk of abrasion from the ground and your own contact with the fish.
The 8 Best Fishing Nets in 2023 Editor’s choice
Use a fluorocarbon leaderBuild complex layouts easily
Fluorocarbon leader is our preferred choice when it comes to pike fishing leader material. Whilst it isn’t essential to use fluoro or mono if you’re using a wire trace, fluorocarbon is generally less likely to glint in the water and is touted as being invisible. It’s not of course, but it is much harder to see than traditional line.
Use long-nose pliersBuild complex layouts easily
The type of pliers that resemble a pistol are a personal preference because you avoid putting your hands into the pike’s mouth and crucially can unhook even the deepest hooked lures or trebles safely and quickly.
Bring fishing glovesBuild complex layouts easily
Unfortunately, there will be a time when you need to handle the pike safely. A hook may be caught, it could be stuck in the net or have someone elses line wrapped around it. It happens. So it’s best practice to purchase a pair of thick fishing gloves to avoid being bitten, cutting yourself and over-handling the fish. Particularly pike which are relatively slimy.
Fish care
Fish care(fully)Build complex layouts easily
Although pike are tough-looking, resilient fish, they’re surprisingly brittle and you must treat them with care. As a newbie going with somebody more experienced is essential as you need to hold the pike with one hand under their gill cavity flap and the other cradling the fish. This minimises pressure on the pike’s spine and supports its organs.
Ensure you also have with you all the essential fish care equipment too. A landing net, mat, long-nose pliers, forceps, scissors and wire cutters are all necessary.
Don’t handle the pike for too longBuild complex layouts easily
This is sage advice for any type of fishing and pike are no different. Pike are solitary ambush predators and whilst they handle being out of the water fine, unhooking the pike quickly, letting it recover in your net and minimising the handling time will help its organ function, behaviours and lactate levels return to normal quickly.
Minimise the pike’s time out of the waterBuild complex layouts easily
Catch and release fishing can have serious consequences for certain species of fish as mouth damage, time out of the water or bleeding impact fish slightly differently. Fortunately, pike are highly tolerant fish when it comes to catch-and-release fishing. In this study, pike were subjected to exhaustive exercise for 60 seconds to increase muscle lactate and decrease energy stores and taken out of water for 300 seconds to simulate being caught.
Recovery from this physiological disturbance was rapid with all variables except plasma glucose – lactate level, exhaustion and tissue energy stores – returning to baseline levels after 6 hours. Whilst the 300 seconds of air exposure had minimal impact on the fish, the first hour afterwards led to behavioural impairments and organismal performance.
Hi, I'm Harry. A keen, albeit exceedingly average fisherman. I've spent the last few years trawling London's waterways with - if I'm being kind - varied success and would love to help you avoid the mistakes I have made.
Thanks for the pike tips really interesting to read
Very kind Robert thank you! Something different about pike. Almost prehistoric!