Braid mainline for pike.

[rubio]

best wrap it around a bankstick its safer............

Definitely agree with that! A good straight pull like that is capable of straightening a hook and retrieving the whole rig.

I would add that slightly underfilling a spool is good sense when getting used to casting braid. It's advice I was given after a few frustrating attempts on a windy beach.
I've also read that soaking braid before loading onto a spool helps it settle better. Any opinions out there? On one spool of braid I even tried spraying it with silicon based lubricant, as recommended by a source I don't recall. I used pole elastic stuff I already had. Be interested in observations based on this too.

 

[terry m]

I would add that slightly underfilling a spool is good sense when getting used to casting braid. It's advice I was given after a few frustrating attempts on a windy beach.
I've also read that soaking braid before loading onto a spool helps it settle better. Any opinions out there? .

Two good pieces of advice.

Overfilled spools will lead to wind knots which are time consuming hellishly frustrating, and if you cannot pick them apart, costly!

Would also add that when deadbaiting I always cast out a bare lead and leave in the water for a couple of minutes before casting out a proper deadbait. Failure to do that can lead to snaggy casts where the line on the spool has dried, which can in turn lead to deadbaits flying off. Not what you want at the start of a session!

 

[Phil Heaton]

Hi everyone. Before I start I just want to say I'm new to pike fishing. For the last couple of months I've just been fishing canals for them and have caught a few jack pike. Nothing big. Its almost october so im about to hit the lodges. Ive done quite a lot of reading and also watched dvds. It seems that most pike anglers swear by braid these days. I see all the advantages. No stretch so hooks are easier to set at distance (pike have very bony mouths), low diameter for breaking strain (longer casts. Deadbaits aren't exactly aerodynamic), cuts through weed like a knife etc etc. By what I've read as well power pro keeps coming up time and time again. I've looked on eBay and for 275m of the stuff it's a whopping £29.99. That's £60 quid to fill up two spools. I know the stuff is best on the market but is there a cheaper brand that is any good? There a lots of cheaper ones on ebay. I've tried a lot of mono lines and to be honest I find the cheaper ones such as daiwa sensor, big game, sufix tritanium just as good as the expensive ones. Is there a cheap braid that's just as good as more pricey brands?

You certainly don't need that much line on pike rods especially for canals, build up the spool with mono backing and put half a spool (135m) on each.
Keep your eye on the first 10m in particular for scuffs or wear, cut back to better line until you've eventually taken off about 35m, which with luck be around 3 years. Then turn the line around, adding a bit more backing to get back to where you started. After this simply use the line until you are casting and seeing you are close to the backing.

 

[skov]

I got the 6lb Kastking because it was the cheapest, the only problem i have with it is that it gets tight on the spool if i snag up. Which makes the next cast all wafty.

Are you guys saying the posh stuff doesn't do that?

I'm sure, they all do that!
When you're pulling against a snag, don't let the reel take the strain - the top few coils on the spool will tighten up and sink into the rest of the line if you do that.
If you get snagged try letting some line off the spool and using that to pull against the snag.

Incidentally I use kastking braid for my piking (40lb for deadbaiting and 30lb for lures), and I'm very happy with it.

 

[Goldfish]

When using braid as a mainline do any of you use finger protection. Sometimes feel like its going to cut my finger off when deadbait fishing. No problem with lures.

 

[O.C.F.Disorder]

I use a rugby glove when casting braid (lures) to stop it removing a layer of skin. I have never used expensive braid but my cheap **** has never let me down. I use 80lb braid for pike lures and mono for dead baits.

 

[stillwater blue]

When using braid as a mainline do any of you use finger protection. Sometimes feel like its going to cut my finger off when deadbait fishing. No problem with lures.

No but then I'm only fishing rivers and not casting far. If it bothers you buy a golf glove or a finger stall, I used both when carp fishing and prefer a finger stall.