A good pike should be 12 to 16 feet long and have a tempered steel point with langets and a grounding spike. Pike drill is a long neglected discipline usually only seen in 15th century reenactors. Get together with yer buddies and form a phalanx today!

When chasing pikes, the equipment one chooses can often be paramount to the success one achieves..Try to choose a rod with a lot of backbone throughout the bottom half, but with some limberness towards the top. This will ensure better casting capabilities, but with the toughness to back up a hard-fighting fish..Baitcast reels should be dependable and tough, with a silky-smooth drag. A gear ratio of 6.3:1 or 7.0:1 is most definitely preferred, as this will allow you to burn bucktails or spinnerbaits back to the boat in an effortless manner..Line choices are simple -- monofilament or braid. If going the route of mono, choose a strength of at least twenty-pound test. For braid, the standard is a minimum of fifty-pound. Regardless of which you prefer, a leader is a must when attaching main line to lure. Wire leaders between a foot and eighteen-inches in length will cover all bases and can be purchased in either wire versions or heavy flourocarbon styles (80lbs +). The length of your leader should be longer when trolling as opposed to casting. By religiously using a leader, the chances of teeth and gill rakers slicing through your line are dramatically reduced, leading to more fish and fewer lost lures!!!