Fishing for Pike
The pike has made a meteoric rise in Swedish sport fishing. From being considered a "trash fish" by many during the 20th century that only ruined our fishing waters, today it holds the status of true big game within Swedish sportfishing. The dream of a 10-kilo pike is something that follows all sport fishermen throughout their careers. Pike can be found throughout the country in all types of water bodies and rarely says no to a well-presented bait!
Equipment for Pike Fishing
The Swedish record for pike is 21.07 kg, so it is obvious that sturdy equipment is needed when fishing for pike. However, the choice of equipment is governed by the weight of the bait to be used. The heavier the bait to be cast, the more powerful equipment is needed. If you want to start fishing for pike, a spinning rod about 8' long with a casting weight around 20-60g combined with a spinning reel in size 4000 and a braided line in the dimension 0.20-0.25mm is a good choice. A complete spinning set is a great place to start.
If you are targeting big pike and want to fish with baits from 100g and up, often a spin fishing gear with a sturdy baitcasting reel and thick braided line is a good choice.
When fishing for pike, there are two things you must not forget; a leader and a hook remover! Pike's teeth are numerous and sharp, so fishing without a leader will surely break the line, and if you insert a hand without a tool, you will get injured.
All pike Rods found here.
All pike reels found here.
All pike Combos found here.
Lures for Pike
Pike is an omnivore that mainly eats fish but will not say no to waterfowl, frogs, mice, or other small animals that happen to swim by. Pike baits thus come in a myriad of different types, but the most common pike lures are various types of wobblers, spoons, and soft baits. Soft baits for pike are available in thousands of different sizes, colors, and shapes. An advantage of soft baits is that they can be rigged with different hooks and weights to fish in various ways.
All pike baits and lures found here.
For successful pike fishing, one should have various types of baits in different colors and sizes to adapt the fishing to different situations. A key can really be to try different sizes of the bait. Pike is voracious and will gladly take large baits, but sometimes a small spinner might trigger a bite when nothing else works. A pike fisherman's tackle box should contain lures ranging from 5-40cm long.
Three Tips for Better Pike Fishing:
- Pike always seeks out the baitfish. If you find baitfish, you'll likely find pike.
- A rippled water surface and some clouds in the sky are ideal for pike fishing. If it's sunny and the water surface is like a mirror, pike tends to be timid and hard to attract.
- Pike likes to stay near various structures where it can hide and then surprise its prey. Weeds, deep water vegetation, shoals, and steep banks are often good places for big pike!
