Can You Use A Baitcaster For Pike?

Can you use a baitcaster for pike? Yes, baitcasters can be used for pike fishing. In fact, baitcasters are often the preferred type of reel for pike lure fishing. They provide good accuracy when casting large lures, and they can handle the high drag forces that are often needed to land big pike.

What fish do you use baitcaster for?

It’s easy to handle, casts well, and its great for light or finesse presentations. But there’s a reason that every bass pro has an arsenal of baitcasters on board on tournament day. For many bass-fishing applications, baitcasters have benefits over spinning reels.

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.

Why do pros use Baitcasters?

A baitcaster reel is best for strategically dropping your line in a more crowded area, or in a hot spot like a riverbed. Depending on the quality, it’s also powerful enough to be used as an offshore fishing reel.

Why is Baitcaster better than spinning?

Baitcast reels can handle heavier line and actually allow for longer casts than spinning gear in the same size range. Bass anglers regularly use line in the 14- to 17-pound-test range. Muskie and catfish anglers use even heavier line.

What reels for pike fishing?

Big Pit Reels
With a rear bite indicator that is set with an open bail arm to minimise all resistance during a run. When looking at big pit reel sizes, we recommend anything from a 5000 – 12000 size reel. A big pit reel provides increased cranking power, ideal for distance fishing.

What gear do you use for pike?

Both braid and monofilament fishing line work well for pike, although Claude recommends braid when spinning as it tends to be stronger and cut through vegetation better. You’ll need something that can handle an aggressive fish. A 25-30 lb (11.3-13.6 kg) test is a solid choice.

What gear do I need for pike fishing?

Specifically, really all you need is a rod, net, some wire traces and a pocketful of lures (and of course all the necessary items that I have listed above to deal with the fish once it’s in the net). It really is the simplest, most straight forward way of fishing for pike and perch.

How far can you cast a baitcaster?

25-30 yards is the norm
Most anglers proficient at casting average 25-30 yards, depending on their tackle and wind conditions.

When should I use a baitcasting reel?

Baitcasting reels are also better equipped to handle heavier lines and lures. A good general rule of thumb to follow is to use a baitcaster fishing rod and reel when fishing with line that is 10-pound test or heavier.

Are Baitcasters hard to use?

Are baitcasters hard to use? Well, it depends. The bottom line is that if you want to master the baitcaster, then you will. The baitcaster takes a little more determination and patience for many anglers to learn, whereas the spin reel can be mastered relatively quickly.

How much drag is needed for pike?

Having a drag system with a maximum drag of at least 15 pounds will help you land just about any pike that comes your way. When trolling for pike, we like to use reels that have a maximum drag of at least 25 pounds.

Is medium/heavy good for pike?

The best northern pike fishing tackle is a medium heavy spinning or baitcasting rod and reel. Pike grow large and are often caught in heavy cover. They also prefer larger baits and lures. These factors combine to require anglers to use stout tackle and large lures when fishing for northern pike.

How heavy is a pike line?

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.

Why are baitcasting reels left-handed?

There is a good argument for the left handed reel position as it does have many advantages. You are not switching hands when you cast thus fewer backlashes. This also allows you to work top-water baits better as the moment the bait hits the water you can start reeling without switching hands.

Can you cast light lures with a baitcaster?

Typically, 8 to 10-inches from lure to the rod tip works well with a baitcaster. However, when casting a really light lure, you can let out 2 to 2-1/2 feet of line, so that you can get more momentum on your cast, resulting in a great cast distance.

Can you troll with a baitcaster?

One of the benifits of a bait cast for trolling is you won’t get the line twist you’d get with a spinning reel. Also, some bait cast reels have a line counter.

Do you need a leader for pike?

When is a pike or muskie leader not necessary? The quick answer is that a leader isn’t necessary for most crankbait trolling situations. Usually, when trolling with crankbaits, pike and muskie are lip hooked.

What weight does a pike float?

You can adjust the float size depending on casting range, but I find a 15 – 20g works best. This size is the perfect float for fishing large dead baits slightly over depth, offering enhanced sensitivity and early bite indication.

What action is best for pike?

A standard pike rod would be a 7-foot medium-heavy action stick. This should cover most of the bases, although if the baits you throw are hefty (and the fish grow big in your waters), you may want to upgrade that stick to a heavy-action model.

What colors do pike see best?

“I find that in the early spring, the pike really prefer the bright orange and chartreuse colours. Yet, come fall, silver, grey, and black combinations that imitate ciscos and other congregating baitfish seem best. So I tend to use bright lures in the spring and flashy baitfish patterns in the fall.”