Do you want to know what strength braid to load onto your spools when deadbaiting for pike? Here is a question from a reader wanting to know the exactly that.
Hi Andy. I’m new to pike fishing and I’ve just purchased a Drennan E-sox Piker Rod and a Shimano Aero 8000 Baitrunner Reel, mainly for deadbait. I was a bit confused on which size braid to use. I’ll mainly be fishing local lakes in Kent and the River Medway, with the odd trip to the River Wye or Severn. I’m a bit unsure which size braid to use. I was thinking 30lb on the large spool and 15lb on the smaller one. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you. Glen
Hi Glen, thanks for the question. It certainly comes around a lot.
I would stick to one size of braided mainline for use in all of the situations you describe.
I recommend using a braided main line of at least 30lb and preferably 50lb breaking strain for all of your deadbait pike fishing.
Pike are not put off by the thickness of the line, unlike other fish like carp. Braid is also very thin compared to the equivalent diameter of monofilament line. The Power Pro website has a comparison chart where fifty pound (50lb) Power Pro Braid compares to twelve pound (12lb) mono. Thirty pound (30lb) Braid is the equivalent diameter of eight pound (8lb) mono line.
A stronger braided line will help you to land more of the pike that you hook, and be safer for the pike.
One of the main concerns when deciding on your setup is being able to retrieve your bait and rig if it becomes snagged. I wouldn’t recommend fishing in places that are full of snags and therefore dangerous to the pike, but we all get caught up on something from time to time.
A baited trace left in the water after the main line has snapped could be fatal to a pike. The minimum requirement is therefore a braid that is strong enough to straighten a hook without snapping when you are pulling against a snag.
Braided line is more expensive than monofilament, but it represents better value for money because it will last for many years. For even more value you can even turn it around and use the other end without any adverse effects.
A 300 yard spool will load three reels with one hundred yards of braid on each spool, which will be plenty for your deadbaiting.
If you intend fishing any further out then you will need a bait boat or a drifter rig, and the more distance you put between you and the bait, the harder it will be to recognise a bite, which can put the pike at risk. If you do prefer a bit more line on your spools, braided line can be purchased in 500 yard spools, which will give you over 160 yards on each reel.
There are plenty of choices of braided line on the market and if you stick to a reputable brand you should be fine. A few of the popular ones are:
Power Pro Braided Line
Berkley Whiplash Braid
Fox Braided Mainline
Daiwa J-Braid
Best of luck with your fishing.
Products referenced in this article
The products referenced in this article are affiliate Links
Drennan E-Sox Piker Rod
Power Pro Braided Line
Berkley Whiplash Braid
Fox Braided Mainline
Daiwa J-Braid
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