LURE RIG FOR ... PIKE

WITH silver fish activity on the up on many waters, this rig lends itself to an active approach for pike, and for this there’s nothing better than a lure.

Lures can be worked at a variety of speeds and depths until you locate where the pike are laid up.

Lures also allow you to cover most of the swim and be up and on the move if your first spot hasn’t produced.

THE RIGHT RETRIEVE

Vary every retrieve by giving the reel handle a few quick turns every now and then to speed things up. It can also pay to occasionally let the lure sink slowly to the bottom before giving it a sharp pull, mimicking the movements of a dying fish.

WHERE TO CAST

As the water warms, pike will not be holed up in deep water and are instead more likely to be in the shallows, especially near cover where they can hide and wait to ambush small fish.

Take a look at your river or lake and pinpoint reed, weed and lily beds or moored boats. Concentrate your efforts here, casting into the shallower water. The odd cast to the point where the depth drops off can also nab a few fish.

GO TOOLED UP

Plenty of care needs to be lavished on a landed pike. A large unhooking mat and a pair of long-nosed forceps will make hook removal easier. Visit the Pike Anglers Club website to see how it’s done: https://pacgb.com/fishingfor-pike/

A WIRE TRACE IS A MUST! 1

Never fish for pike without a wire trace or you’ll be bitten off and leave hooks in the fish. Fix the trace between mainline and lure and make it around 16ins long.

You can make your own traces, but shop-brought versions are just as good. Go for a multi-strand wire.

WHICH LURE? 2

There are hundreds of types of lure on the market, so which one do you pick?

As a rule, plugs are used to send the lure diving deeply, depending on the size and angle of the lip on the front of the lure. Spoons are slender patterns that vibrate and rotate as they are wound in, and spinners incorporate a free-moving metal disc that rotates at high speed on the retrieve.

All will give off vibration and plenty of movement. Spoons or spinners are best for shallow water.

You can also buy surface lures that float and can be twitched across the water.

Some lures even have rattles inside them to emit more vibration.