It is no secret that pike is a tough fish; like a badass. If you know these fish species pretty well, then that shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. I mean, what were you expecting from one of the best predator fish in the aquatic world? A fish that hunts like a professional and swallows unfortunate preys whole. If you are someone who cherishes the thrills and spills that comes with fishing, or probably you love going after hard catches, then the pike is your kind of fish. However, you’ll struggle to capture this fish if you don’t use the appropriate reel.
Below are some effective reels for catching pike:
- Lew’s HyperMag Speed Spool
- Shimano Curado K
- Shimano Stradic FL
- Abu Garcia Revo IKE
For optimum result when fishing, you need to complement your fishing techniques and hacks with the best tackle. There are lots of fishing tackle out there. We have the fishing rods, the baits, sinkers, floats, waders, nets, spears, traps, and reels. Among the mentioned tackle, the reel remains one of the most important. Why? Because if your reel is terrible, there is a huge chance that you won’t catch any pike.
Remember, pikes are aggressive and won’t go down without a fight. This means that you need to arm yourself with the right reel and tackle in general to ensure that you have the upper hand during the scuffle. As we progress, we’ll be telling you more about the reels mentioned above.
Learn more about the best pike fishing rods for the money.
Best Reels For Pike Fishing – Baitcasting vs Spinning
Just as the best Military in the world owns the best Arsenal; anyone who wants to be a successful pike fisherman needs to own the best tackle. Good fishing skills complemented with the right tackle will definitely give you an edge over other anglers out there. If you lack the fishing skills but own cutting-edge tackle, you’ll be staring at an empty hook whenever you pull your line out of the water. Also, if you are an expert angler and you adopt the wrong tackle, you’ll end up being frustrated. So, in a nutshell, the tackle you use and your fishing skills are essential to your success when you hit the water.
Regarding tackles. When it comes to pike fishing, the tackle you use matters a lot as you would be up against one of the most vicious and aggressive predator fish in the aquatic realm. You wouldn’t want to go after this fish with a feeble reel; it’ll be as useless as attacking a lion with a water gun. A good reel for this fish would be one with good drag power. Such reels can help you restrain the fish and reel it in with ease.
Of course, there are several reels out there. There are reels from Brands like Shimano, Penn, Daiwa, Pflueger, Abu Garcia, KastKing, Piscifun, Okuma, and the likes. However, to catch pike, that is a good number of them, without any challenge whatsoever, you need to adopt the best and nothing less.
For pikes, you should consider gears from Lew’s, Shimano, Abu Garcia, KastKing… Always remember to match the reel you use with the appropriate rod. Failing to match your reel with the right rod is like affixing a run-flat tire to a construction vehicle.
Learn more about the best lures for pike fishing.
To make sure that you make the correct choice when you visit that tackle shop, we’ve invested a huge amount of our time researching some of the best pike fishing reels. Below is a list of the gears, including a brief and valuable description:
Lew’s HyperMag Speed Spool (Baitcasting)
You can check the price on Amazon by clicking on This Link.
The Lew’s Hypermag Speed Spool Baitcast Reel is regarded as the smallest and lightest casting reel in the Lews collection. Weighing just 5.1 ounces, this gear comes with a super-slim skeleton and is quite durable. Its exceptional strength and longevity are as a result of the aircraft-grade duralumin it was made from.
This fantastic gear is low-weight thanks to the components it was made from and its new spool design. It is quite easy to use, and it matches a variety of fishing rod. The Lew’s reel is also equipped with a strong, one-piece magnesium frame including a C45 carbon sides plates that makes it hard for you to experience any flex when subjected to heavy load.
When it comes to casting, this is a gear you can trust. The Lew’s Speed Spool boast of an exceptional casting distance. With this gear, you are confident of out-casting your colleagues. Its casting distance is impressive regardless of the type of bait you use. If you love to make those quick lure changes, this gear comes with a 4-pin, 27-position speedcast adjustable centrifugal braking system that makes it very possible. This gear also has an excellent handle and knob combination and an amazing drag system for various situations. It is ideal for catching pike, bass, and a host of other sport fish.
Pros:
- It has a reasonable casting distance
- It is lightweight and rigid
- It boasts of a super-smooth retrieve
Cons:
- Some users state it’s for left-handed people
Learn more about tips and techniques while pike fishing with lures.
Shimano Curado K (Baitcasting)
You can check the price on Amazon by clicking on This Link.
Shimano has dominated the fishing industry for several years. This famous brand is well known for manufacturing impressive fishing tackle, and the Shimano Curado K Baitcasting reel is not an exception. This reel comes with several remarkable features. It boasts of larger handles, smaller body, enhanced braking, and larger spool opening.
This gear offers anglers the opportunity to adopt several types of fishing. It comes with multiple gear ratios, making it your go-to gear to capture a fish as aggressive as the pike. These gear ratios which are namely 6.2:1, 7.4:1, and 8.5:1 will cover lots of situations ranging from flipping and pitching lightweight lures and jigs to obtaining that high speed retrieve with any crankbait of your choice.
The Curado K also has sturdy handles which provide anglers with the upper hand when reeling in aggressive fishes like pike, drum, and trout. If you are among those anglers who crave for reels with attractive design, then you need to consider this piece. It has a user-friendly design you would like coupled with a compact body design. It is lightweight and strong, thus making it one of the best gears for fishes that put up a fight to evade capture.
One of the worse enemies of this gear is corrosion. Once this equipment gets corroded, it becomes less effective. However, with this reel, you wouldn’t have to worry about corrosion.
Pros:
- Has a longer and stronger handle design
- Improved, wide-ranging SVS infinity brake system
- Super free spool
- Comes with quality parts that makes it very durable
- Its compact and lightweight construction makes it very easy to handle and operate
- It also boasts of a smooth and strong retrieve which are features of expensive Shimano models
Cons:
- Its casting control is a little bit stiff
- This model doesn’t have the 5.5:1 power retrieve
Shimano Stradic FL (Spinning)
You can check the price on Amazon by clicking on This Link.
When it comes to catching pikes and other aggressive fishes like bass, you need to use something that can withstand their aggressiveness without failing. The Shimano Stradic FL Spinning Fishing Reel is an excellent gear for pike fishermen, and the fantastic features it boasts of is a clear testament of the fact.
This impressive gear comes with a taller spool which enables it to cast faster. It is smooth and lighter than other gear in its category. The Stradic FL reel was enhanced with the latest MicroModule II Gearing. The result of this fantastic addition is a super-smooth performance that makes retrieve as easy and comfortable as opening your fridge.
As you probably know, the drag of a reel is significant, especially when battling aggressive and robust species of fish like bass, pike, stonefish and the likes. This means that to have any chances of having the upper hand when struggling with a pike, you need a reel that has optimum drag; the Shimano FL is one of those reels.
This gear comes with a drag stack that features dual carbon matrix washers common in casting reels. This is perfect proof that this gear was designed to provide anglers with a huge drag.
Pros:
- It is very durable
- It has a very smooth operation
Cons:
- It is expensive
Abu Garcia Revo IKE (Spinning)
You can check the price on Amazon by clicking on This Link.
Abu Garcia Revo IKE Spinning Fishing reel is a state-of-the-art spinning reel that boasts of some features that would delight you. This gear, which was the creation of Mike Laconelli, comes with power, comfort, action, speed, including other things anglers expect from a quality reel.
One unique thing about this gear is its impressive design. Of course, this feature may be less critical, but, trust me, when you get this gear, you’ll see why aesthetics remains an essential feature in all equipment.
The Revo IKE reel has 10 ball bearings which make it operate smoothly. It also has the common matrix drag system, making it the ideal gear for fishes like pike. Unlike most reels that come with rough body designs, the Abu Garcia was designed with an IM-C6 body design and C6 carbon rotor; thus making your fishing adventure enjoyable.
Pros:
- It comes with a comfortable EVA knob
- It has a drop shot keeper
Cons:
- It doesn’t lock after a cast
