Pikes are extraordinary fishes. They exhibit sheer aggression, hunt like packs of wolves and feed like gluttons. Catching this fish isn’t quite tricky. However, it requires you to adopt the best and appropriate tackle—for instance, braids. The braid you use in catching this fish is crucial. Thus, it is essential that you go for the best braid of pikes.
The best braids for pikes is a Power Pro of around 30-40lb. However, a 50lb braid is ideal for wobbled dead baits including static bait fishing so far the water you are fishing isn’t too snaggy. When considering the braid to use, you’ll also have to consider the area you are exploring too.
Pike fishing can be made easy when you fish with the right tackle. It is like navigating a dark path with a brightly lit torch; you tend to move without difficulty than when you have no light source. Pike Fishing with braids is a good idea, especially when fishing heavy water vegetation like lily pads, hydrilla, cattails, etc. However, there are lots of braids out there. So how do you choose? Well, that’s one of the puzzles this article aims to address.
What Braid Works Best for Pike Fishing?
When preparing for a hiking trip, what do you do? You carry out research on the terrain, including the weather, and go ahead to stock your bag with the necessary equipment and supplies, right? Of course. Hikers often do this to ensure that the trip turns out as a success. If one crucial equipment, such as your compass, is absent, things could go sideways. The same applies for pike fishing.
When pike fishing, it is paramount that you prepare adequately. And one way to do that is by taking along the necessary tackle and studying the weather. Of course, if you are to rank fishing tackles based on their importance, a reel, rod, and bait will follow in that order. However, let’s not forget that without a quality fishing line, your reel and rod wouldn’t be able to do their jobs.
There are various types of lines. However, the braid fishing line and the monofilament line remains the two most common fishing lines that exist. And based on pro pikers’ recommendations, a braid fishing line is the most effective line for pike fishing, especially when fishing with lures or dead baits. But why is that so? You see, a braid comes with several features that make it ideal for catching pikes.
Braid lines boast of small diameter, they are rigid and can detect the smallest bite. The rigidity of this line makes it ideal for lure fishing. One of the main reasons this line is more effective than the monofilament fishing line in pike lure fishing is its high breaking strain qualities, including lower diameter properties.
Having known how effective braids are for pike fishing, the next question you may want to ask is “What braid works best for pike fishing?” Of course, there are several braids out there. But when it comes to pike fishing, it is vital that you consider a Power pro braid, especially one within the range of 30-40lb. Power pro braids have a high diameter, they are tangle-prone, and boast of brute strength, making them effective for pike fishing.
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What Size Braid Works Best For Pike?
A monofilament line and a braid fishing line are regarded as the two most common fishing lines in the tackle world. These fishing lines boast of distinctive features that make them effective for diverse kinds of fishing. Mono fishing line can be used to catch fishes like Bass, Panfish etc., while braids are used to catch pikes and other fishes. When selecting a braid fishing line for pikes, one crucial thing you should consider is its size. What is braid size is best for pike fishing?
When targeting aggressive fish like pike, it is crucial that you use a line that can match its aggressiveness. The best size braid for pike is between 30lb to 40lb. The minimum braid size to use for this fish is 30lb—anything lower isn’t advisable.
We know pikes to be very aggressive, probably as aggressive as a pitbull. For this cause, you need to make sure that whatever tackle you adopt is strong enough to withstand their ferocious struggle and aggression. Imagine going after a pitbull with a small tree branch or a plank. That’s how it is when you go after this fish with a tackle that can’t match its aggression.
So, what am I trying to paint here? It’s simple. When selecting a braid for these fish species, use one that is strong enough to handle them. Of course, braids are the strongest fishing lines. However, when it comes to pike, your section needs to be based on the braid’s strength, which is why we recommended the range of 30lb to 40lb.
While 40lb may seem too much, especially for experienced pikers, you should note that this braid size comes with a thin diameter which allows you to cast dead baits without difficulty. In addition, with this braid size, you should be able to come out of most snags, thus, not leaving a possible harmful baited rig in the water.
What Color Braid To Use For Pike?
Pikes are aggressive predators equipped with the best sensory mechanisms. Their vision is far better than their hearing ability, making them prone to things that catch their eyes. What does this mean for pikers who use braid fishing lines? It means, if you want to keep track of your lure in the water, your braid will have to come with the right color. What color are we talking about?
The braid colour to use for pike will depend on the color of the water you are exploring. Colors like yellow, red, and pink are quite flashy, thus making them perfect braid colors for pike fishing. The idea of selecting a dazzling color is to enable you to monitor your lure in the water.
The braid colour to use when pike fishing hinges on a few factors like the depth you intend to fish, the color of the water you’ll be fishing, the water body, etc. Sometimes, it is advised that you go with a braid that matches the bottom of the color of the sky. While sometimes, it is recommended that you select the braid’s colour to use by inspecting the surroundings. However, this depends on the depth you plan on fishing.
Sometimes, the color of braid you use doesn’t matter. Provided the fish is active, you use the right lure and fish in the right location, you’ll have no issues. Pikes aren’t all that intelligent, so they may find it hard to recognize the danger even after spotting the line in the water. However, some anglers use colors invisible to the fish but visible to them to be on the safe side. Examples of such colors are dark green and blue.
Colors such as red and yellow are very noticeable to fishes. This equally means that a pike should be able to see such colors clearly. However, based on some anglers, pikes aren’t really smart enough to relate the braid to danger, provided you don’t spook them one way or the other. If you feel color visible to these fishes can spook them, and you want to use something they can’t see, you can go for colors like white, blue or green.
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What Strength Braid To Use For Pike?
Pikes are not like one of those docile fishes often bullied around. They are the perfect definition of a cruel fish, and this can be seen in how they ambush, attack and consume their prey who are most times almost their size. When fishing for pike with a braid, aside from considering the color and size, it is crucial that you consider its strength as well. With that said, what strength of braid is ideal for catching a badass like a pike?
Because of this fish’s hostile nature, you need to select a braid of optimum strength when targeting this fish. The recommended braid strength to use for pike fishing is anything between 30lb or 40lb—anything lower shouldn’t be considered. Also, have it in mind that this is depended on the fishing area.
One of the most important things to consider when selecting your tackle for a fishing trip is the strength of the fish you intend to catch. Is the fish gentle? Does it struggle when it get caught? Is it strong? The answers you provide to those questions will help you determine the type of tackle to use. For instance, if you intend on fishing for rudd or perch, you can go light. In fact, a braid of 1lb should do.
On the flip side, if you are targeting a predatory fish as stubborn and strong as the pike, you will have to go for the tough and strong tackles. A braid with anything between 30lb to 40lb can match the strength of fish. Also, with this braid, casting big dead baits shouldn’t be a problem. Naturally, braid lines are strong, so imagine using a braided length of 40lb. Imagine how effective it’ll be when battling a predator as aggressive as this fish species.
When selecting a braid based on its strength, you should also pay close attention to the area you intend on fishing. As a general rule of thumb, a braid with strength between 30lb and 41lb is effective for pike fishing. But, if you are fishing in an area that boasts of lots of jagged projections, you may want to go higher than 40lb to cope. Also, if you are fishing in open water that lacks snags, you may want to lower the line strength.
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Can You Use Floating Braid For Pike?
The line you use when pike fishing determines if you will be successful or not. The strength of the line you use is also a significant factor to consider. Among the multiple fishing lines that exist, a braid fishing line remains the best for pike fishing. This line can be categorized into a floating braided line and a sinking braided line. A sinking braided isn’t a popular option for pike fishing, and that leaves us with the question “is a floating braid for pikes?”
Floating braids are ideal for pike fishing, especially when fishing in areas with underwater obstacles like weeds, rocks, etc. This type of braid is also effective when drifting for pikes.
To those who aren’t aware, a floating braid is a braid made with a special fiber that gives it the ability to repel water. This unique feature enables the braid to float and not sink as others do. A sinking braid, on the other hand, is simply a braid that sinks. This type of braid is usually effective when fishing deep. Between the two, a floating bait is the most utilized as far as pike fishing is concerned.
Floating braids are used in several fishing techniques, including pike fishing. A floating braid will come in handy in areas that have lots of underwater obstacles. This braid will float on the water surface, giving you the ability to manipulate it accordingly. One of the significant reasons anglers prefer this braid is because it floats and it also helps them maintain a drag-free drift of their offering.
So whenever you are topwater fishing for pikes, you can adopt this braid for easy maneuvering and manipulation. Also, when fishing in areas that contain underwater snags, you’ll have to use this braid to prevent your line from catching any obstacle present down there. On the other hand, if the pikes in the area you’re fishing are holed up somewhere underneath the water, a sinking braid would come in handy. You can control the manner in which the sinking braid sinks by greasing the line.
What Is The Best Braid For Pike Lure Fishing?
Lure fishing for pike has become very popular over the past decade. This unique way of catching pikes, which is similar to hunting, involves using a lure to entice the fish to bite. It may look simple theoretically, but practically, it isn’t. Pike lure fishing involves the use of the appropriate lures and line. Of course, a braided line is the number one choice for this task. However, for guaranteed success, you need to use to the best braid.
The best braid for pike lure fishing is the power pro. A power pro of strength between 30lb to 40lb is recommended for pike lure fishing. This braid is effective for this method of fishing because of its strength and high diameter.
Till date, pike lure fishing remains one of the best ways for catching this fish. It is similar to the typical way of hunting where you set a bait for an animal and wait for it to take it. When fishing for pikes with a lure, the braid you use isn’t the only thing you need to pay attention to. It would be good if you also consider the lure you use. If you present the right lure, in the right way, the fish will bite. However, if you don’t do the needful, you’ll be disappointed.
Using the right braid combined with the right lure should give you an edge when lure fishing. The best lures for pike lure fishing are:
- Software
- Spinnerbaits
- Crankbaits
- Hybrid Lures
- Swim lures
Also, remember that lures the color of lure you use matters. Pikes love flashy colors like light orange and chartreuse. They also love lures that mimic live baits’ movements, so have this in mind when selecting a lure for this fish.
When fishing for pikes with lures, always have it in mind that the braid you’ll use is dependent on the area you are fishing. While a Power pro braid with strength between 30lb and 40lb remains a rule of thumb in this regards, always note that this can change especially when fishing in areas with lots of obstacles. If there are several obstacles in the area, you may have to go for a braid with a higher strength to avoid tangle.
Conclusion:
To be a successful piker, you need to pay close attention to the tackle you use. Sometimes, these tackle play a huge part in your success on the water. As a rule of thumb, always ensure that the tackle you use is suited for the fish you intend to catch. For pikes, it is paramount that you go for strength and durability.
When selecting fishing lines, always go for a braided line. Unlike its counterpart, monofilament fishing line, braided lines don’t have much stretch, and they are the strongest among all the fishing lines. These unique attributes make braided line perfect for long casts even with huge live baits. The best braided line to use for pike fishing is the Power Pro and this is because this line is strong, resistant to tangle, and boast of high diameter.
