pike fishing

[kjcarpers]

i was thinking of going pike fishing soon and i was wondering what bait to use aceept from live fish or dead fishing.And i was also wondering is it possible
to catch the pike when some of the lake is iced.

[MRG2000]

Welcome to the forum ..... ,there are some serious Pike anglers on this forum ,who can no doubt give you ,lots of good info ...

[fishypaul]

hello mate welcome to the forum,
pike are a predatory fish , live and dead fish are popular baits for them

however,a very productive method is to use artificials,
plugs,spoons,spinners,jigs etc are all fish catchers on their day and can be a very exciting method of fishing,

i don't know your amount of angling knowledge but don't forget to use a wire trace

[kjcarpers]

does wire trace sit on the bottom of the lake

[fishypaul]

when you are fishing with artificials you are casting a lure out and retrieving it to imitate a small fish,

so the answer to your question is no,the trace doesnt sit on the bottom as it's constantly on the move

[kjcarpers]

oh ok thanks

tight lines

[Baz T]

kjcarpers - unsure how experienced you are regarding pike fishing, I have only been doing it a year myself, but on this forum, select "freshwater fishing", then select "pike fishing" from the main header of the forum, and there are 2 very good articles about pike fishing, and pike traces/rigs.
Most important points to remember is - use a wire trace - use at least 12-14 inches for lure fishing, and a longer 24 inch or more for deadbaiting, as its surprising how much a pike can swallow, and better safe than sorry. Secondly - pike are very delicate, so ensure you have correct unhooking items - large net, unhooking mat, "long" forceps, and/or "long handled" long nose pliers. A rubber glove (gardening type will do) is also good for helping to handle the fish when unhooking as you can hold the pike under the chin with the rubber glove hand and use long handled forceps/pliers to retrieve trace. Wire cutters are also handy, in case youi have to cut the end off a treble in order to get the trace out. A pike can swallow even a large lure down its gob, hence the need for "long handled" forceps or pliers, normal length ones are no good, as you will either not be able to retreive your lure, or trace, and get cut fingers into the bargain.
There are loads of more experienced anglers on here, who may have more time to pass on more advice etc, but look at the pike fishing section for hints and tips.
The Pike Angling Club website also has a good article on unhooking pike, plus the various rigs and traces, have a look at that.
You can catch pike when there is ice on the lake - and if lure fishing, a lot of anglers say to retreive the lure a lot slower in colder conditions.