Probably the simplest way to fish for pike is by float legering with small to medium sized dead baits, these may be small dead coarse fish or for those not able to acquire such baits then sea baits such as smelts, sardines, sprats, herring and small ‘joey’ mackerel will suffice and are readily available today pre-packed and frozen and kept in tackle shops all over the country.

Using the typical rig shown in diagram below, will allow you to cast a bait and fish at a  reasonable distance, with bite indication being via the plain unloaded pencil float.

Typical items used in the rig discussd above (click image to see price and details)

This rig uses a long ‘unloaded pencil’ a commercially available one or one you may make yourself. Its critical to this style of fishing to have a buoyant float that will provide positive bite indication, one that is very visible and shows what is happening at the bait end when there is a pike on the feed. We’ll cover more detail as we proceed.

This floats position is a reflection of what you may have gleaned from plumbing the swim as its laying flat on the surface as the depth is set around 1 to 2 ft over depth so that you will know it is sitting on the bottom and not holding the bait off bottom. The depth is set using the ‘Powergum’ stop knot and bead or a silicone braid stop and bead. Use a link swivel to attach the float to the reel line so that you can change the float if you need to compensate for conditions such as wind, when you might use a semi-loaded pencil float.

A return to this position will be one of the bite indications you will likely receive when your bait is taken.

This is the position you will set the float after casting and how the float settles as in (1). After casting you need to tighten the reel line after placing the rod in a rest and tighten until the float is cocked upright and the white portion is underwater with perhaps 1/2 the red section only showing. This will be only possible if you match the weight to the float size (see 3), otherwise you will just pull the rig away from where you cast and have to recast again, and again!!

This also becomes important when there is a breeze on the water and an undertow builds, these to can easily dislodge an under loaded float with the need to continually retrieve and recast, with a correctly loaded float you can sink the line and adjust the tension to keep the float in view. If the wind becomes a problem you can switch to using a 'loade pencil float' that will help improve bite indication when the water is choppy, see the loaded pencil float rig.

The weight you use is pretty much dictated by the float in use, how long and thick it is, most commercial ‘pencil’ floats are around 1/2 inch in diameter and approximately 7 inches long with a mid point marker. Some are just 2 colour red and white others red topped with a mid point white band. The weight can be a number of larger swan shots, 2, 3 or more 2SSG or 3SSG shots locked onto the trace or as in this rig a ‘quick change sinker’ locked onto the hooktrace swivel or onto the bottom swivel if you use an uptrace.

If you choose to use an uptrace, and we always recommend you do, it should be a minimum twice the length of the hook trace and be of 30lb BS multistrand (7) strand wire. The length should prevent the hook trace tangling with the reel line during casting.

Either way the load should be slightly greater that would sink the float. Why you might ask? Two reasons, if you depth setting is too shallow or the area you place the bait is deeper than expected you will know immediately, the float will sink out of sight! Secondly as discussed above in (2) you can tighten the reel line to cock the float and it will not pull the rig away from where you cast! You will need to test your floats loading in a bucket with a set of SSG or a quick change sinker attached to the bottom, chose a set that is not excessively overweight.

Too much weight will possibly affect how you get bites and thereafter runs, too much weight may spook the pike as it feels the weight of the lead, you may see the float jump but no more, you may even miss this! With the weight only slightly over loading the float you are more likely to see bites develop properly. For some part of what happens when the weight is lifted, the float takes the weight, so the pike feels very little, this changes as the float rises, get the weight ratio right and everything works in your favour and you will get more runs with baits staying where you put them!

This rig shows a half section deadbait, it could be a small to medium sized whole bait, a sea bait like a smelt or sardine or a dead roach or rudd or similar. The important point is how it is hooked. The trace you use will ensure everything is balanced, you should match the trace to the baits you have to use, choosing one with the hooks spaced suitably with hook sizes to suit the bait. These maybe in the range from sizes 4, 6, 8 or 10 spaced between 1 1/2 inches to perhaps 3 inches apart, the larger spacing for larger baits and hooks. The hook trace should be ideally around 15 to 18 inches long, of minimum 20lb BS multi strand (7) wire with the hooks secured, as you will see in ‘trace making’ to ensure the upper hook is locked and cannot slip or be moved up or down.

Set the hooks in the bait so that they do not extend further than 2/3 of the length of the bait, be it a whole or half bait to prevent the risk of the hooks getting too deep in the pikes throat if it swallows the bait quickly. Perhaps something you may get with smaller baits. See mounting baits page.

Bite indication using this rig will vary with definite signs of a bite developing, so you do need to keep an eye on your float(s) at all times. As the float is tensioned as in (2) it can do two things, firstly it may rise up to show the white band or bottom half as the pike picks up the bait and weight, lying flat on the surface, followed by the float disappearing as a run develops. It may be that the pike picks up the bait gently and simply swims off, in which case the float will slowly sink and disappear.

In either case if you are alert and watching the float you should pick up your rod and strike as the float disappears, or very shortly after, don’t delay it may do more harm than good!

Any way hopefully that explains how to set up and use a simple, effective float leger, go and enjoy using it!