Round here, we have brick pits - very deep, limited margin fishing.
What works is deadbaiting, especially freelined and popped-up with a bit of polystyrene or, if you're eco-friendly, some bits of cork tile.
I also did a bit on the site about deadbait 'lifebelts' - find it somewhere in rigs.
As with all popped-up methods, the key is getting some balance into the rig - stuff your chosen dead, then clip swanshot or lead strip on to the trace wire (less likely to get damaged) until it all sinks quite slowly.
Don't worry about not being able to tighten up - just wind a slowly for a bit until something snags the shot/lead.
With a balanced rig you can present deads on top of weed. And I know pike have a reputation for being a bit thick, but I've had enough dropped runs when using leger rigs to convince me otherwise.
The simplicity of the rig is such that you can cast it well, and accurately. Pumping a bit of fish oil into the bait doesn't do any harm.
As has been said, the fish may stay out in deeper water during the day but at some time, especially dusk and dawn, they'll come right in. Be very stealthy - pike are astonishingly wary when close to the bank.
