Northern Pike gear

Quick setup

Rod	Reel	Line	Leader
About 7 feet, moderate to medium-heavy action. A sturdy rod handles big lures and lively fish.	Spinning, spincast or baitcasting.	Braid of at least 15 lb, or medium-weight mono.	Always add about a foot of steel or heavy fluorocarbon (40 lb+) leader. Pike teeth cut line.

Leader

Northern pike have sharp teeth that cut fishing line. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommends a leader about a foot long, made of steel or fluorocarbon, tied on before the lure.

Rod, reel and line

Rod: About 7 feet, moderate to medium-heavy action. A sturdy rod handles big lures and lively fish.
Reel: Spinning, spincast or baitcasting.
Line: Braid of at least 15 lb, or medium-weight mono.
Leader: Always add about a foot of steel or heavy fluorocarbon (40 lb+) leader. Pike teeth cut line.

Baits

large minnows
suckers or chubs up to about 8 inches

Lures

spoons
large crankbaits and topwater plugs
spinners
jerkbaits

Rigs

Cast spoons, spinners or jerkbaits along weed edges and bulrush beds and keep the bait moving.
Live sucker or chub under a sturdy bobber, or on a tip-up through the ice.

Tips

Pike hold in about 2 to 15 feet around weeds, rocky points and cover, and bite best in daylight. When the water is warm, try cooler, deeper water. Bring a net and long pliers.

Starter setup

A 5.5 to 7 foot light to medium-light spinning or spincast rod and matching reel, spooled with 6 lb monofilament. Spincast is easiest for beginners, and a 4 to 5 foot rod suits small kids. Carry size 6 to 10 hooks, a few split shot (pinched on 4 to 8 inches above the hook), small bobbers, a couple of small spinners and jigs, and worms. Learn the improved clinch knot and the palomar knot.

Light line casts farther and draws more strikes. Heavier line and stiffer rods are for bigger fish, heavy cover or sharp teeth, not for everyday fishing.

When to size up

Fish	Gear
Walleye, bass, saugeye, hybrid striped bass	medium rod, 8 to 12 lb line, 6 to 7.5 feet
Channel catfish	medium-heavy rod, 10 to 20 lb line
Northern pike	medium-heavy rod, 15 lb or heavier braid, steel or heavy fluorocarbon (40 lb+) leader
Muskellunge	heavy 7 to 9 foot rod, 50 to 80 lb braid, heavy leader
Trolling for lake trout and salmon	8.5 to 10.5 foot trolling rods, 15 lb mono or 30 lb braid, level-wind reels
Steelhead	8 to 10 foot or longer rods, 6 to 10 lb line
Lake sturgeon	heavy rod, 50 to 100 lb braid