A Saskatchewan pike guide’s 5 essential gear tips for battling big northerns

#2  ROPE UP YOUR REEL
We’ve all heard stories of anglers landing monster fish on light line. While I admire the legend who can pull that off, one of my goals as a guide is to keep your line intact and in the water. I have found two sweet spots for line strength: 40-pound braid for lighter set-ups, and 65-pound for heavier rods and lures. While such heavy braid may feel like rope compared to bass and walleye line, both provide an excellent balance of castability, durability and strength. Pike can get very heavy, but that’s not the main reason I recommend heavy line. These are ambush predators that like to live in and around structure, so strong line also lets you pull both the fish and the lure out of heavy cover.

#3  FISH SINGLE HOOKS
Single-hook, jig-style swimbaits are my all-time favourite lures for big pike. They can be fished at various depths and speeds, and for summer weeds, a weedless swimbait is unbeatable. Just as importantly, they unhook easily, especially if the hook is barbless. Otherwise, fighting snags and unhooking uncooperative fish can cost valuable minutes that stack up throughout the day—time your line isn’t in the water.

Durable soft-plastics, such as Z-Man baits and Rapala CrushCity (Heavy Hitter shown above) are key, especially when paired with Gamakatsu or VMC hooks—I’ve had guests fish a single plastic for an entire eight-day trip. The four- and 5½-inch sizes have the perfect thickness and balance for fishing at any depth. For a general pike rig, pair them with a 4/0 or 5/0 hook in a 3/8- to half-ounce weight. To get down deep, upsize to a ¾- or one-ounce weight.