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Best fishing reels for catching pike

Grab some extra line for your pike fishing trips

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Pike fishing gear on the Fishbrain Shop

Northern Pike and Muskellunge are the apex predators of the bodies of eater they reside in. They can be fished for using similar lures, however, while in the same family, it should be noted that northern pike are more willing to chase your lure than a muskellunge will be.Pike and musky love to be around cover and especially grasses and weeds. There long slender bodies are perfectly designed for hunting down fish in these environments. They are predominantly sight feeders and should be approached as such. A good Pike or Musky tackle box should have lures that are big, flashy, quick to retrieve, and create vibrations while in the water. While they will absolutely go after more finesse, smaller presentations, they are known to have eyes bigger than their stomachs, and being sight feeders, bigger, flashier baits will entice them more and bring them in from longer distances. Large crank baits, inline spinners, glide baits, <a href="https://fishbrain.com/shop/s?keywordQuery=swimbait" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">swim baits</a>, <a href="https://fishbrain.com/shop/c/topwater-baits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">top water baits</a> and other cast and retrieve methods that mimic large bait fish are your go to for these ferocious feeders. Since they love to be around grass you should have baits with controllable depths to avoid snag ups, and also have methods that can be fished weedless such as swim baits. Send it out, bring it back erratically and quickly, and be sure to watch behind your lure for them to be following. Once you’ve found where one or two are, replicate those positions on that body of water.Since these fish are so large and have teeth as sharp and large to match, a heavy 30-50 pound braided main line is recommended while also using either a wire, or fluorocarbon leader with even higher break strength. A medium heavy to heavy fast action rod is a must for launching those big baits far, while a large reel capable of handling this kind of pressure, while also boasting a quicker retrieval rate, will help reduce fatigue as you fish these heavy methods. Live bait like suckers, perch, bluegill chubs and trout on a large circle or bait hook is also an enticing presentation for any apex predator.

Learn more about what gear you need to catch pike, and see what other anglers are using.