What type of reel to use is always the most asked question. The article’s subject is northern pike; I will share information about reels that many anglers trust to catch them.
What is the best reel for northern pike fishing? Spinning and baitcasting reels are two popular options for catching northern pike. Anglers tend to use baitcasting reels more. However, there are still many things to consider when choosing an appropriate reel, which I will cover below.
Some things about northern pike
Pike is one of the most common freshwater fish globally; they grow quite large and long, shaped like a colored torpedo that helps to camouflage well in weed areas. The northern pike, the largest fish caught, weighs 25 kg (55 lb). They are aggressive predators in this area, feeding on anything smaller than it, such as suckers, sunfish, yellow perch, shad, duck, and even an eagle were found in its belly.
It will be a tough challenge when you aim for giant pike. However, it is interesting to have challenges, and they become the target of freshwater anglers.
Regardless of spin fishing, float fishing, or bottom fishing, these sizable fish love larger baits and lures, so your setup should be robust, including medium-heavy action rods and reels and high line capacity, and other things.
What is the best reel for northern pike fishing?
As I said, spinning or baitcasting reels are two of the best options for pike fishing. Why are other reels like spin casting or push-button reels not used? The answer is not complicated, as the reels are not strong enough to withstand combat with larger pike.
If you are still hesitant to choose between the two reels, I will point out the pros and cons of each.
Spinning reel
This is perhaps the most popular reel among anglers, it is multi-functional, suitable for most types of fishing, but it is not particularly optimal for any fish. When it comes to spinning reels, one will think of its ease of use; you will quickly master it after just a few castings.
Once you’ve mastered the spinning reel, you’ll be able to use it in all types of fishing in all conditions. And, of course, it’s not likely to be the reel that gives you the best performance. A spinning reel is usually the choice of most new anglers.
One downside to using the spinning reel for northern pike is the limitation of line capacity, which means you can’t have challenges with large northern pikes. Besides, the accuracy in bait placement and hard to cast sustained lures are also factors you should consider when using it to catch northern pike.
Finally, an indispensable disadvantage of the spinning reel is the line twist; looking at the mechanism of dropping the line out of the spool, we can predict it will happen.
Baitcasting reel
In terms of advantages, it is impossible not to mention the possibility of better casting control and higher accuracy. It allows us to participate in big games, fight big monsters, including large northern pike.
A technique that many anglers often use in casting is using the thumb to control the speed of the spool. And this is also the biggest problem of baitcasting reel when you don’t control the speed of the spool so that it still spins when the lure hits the water, it will lead to backlash, also known as bird’s nest.
However, there are still many ways to minimize this problem; the best way is to master it and adjust to create the best performance. You can refer to the article “What Are The Adjustments On A Baitcast Reel?” to understand how to adjust your baitcasting reel.
Besides, mastering your baitcasting reel will be a long learning process. There’s a lot to learn, which is why this reel is the choice of more seasoned anglers.
Which reel should you choose?
Combined with the descriptions of the northern pike characteristics and the pros and cons of both reels, we can see that the baitcasting reel is more suitable for pike fishing.
However, if you still want to use a spinning reel, then nothing is impossible; I always emphasize that fishing is a sport that depends a lot on personal preference.
Conclusion
I have shared what I know on the topic “what is the best reel for northern pike fishing?”. Have you decided on the final choice for yourself yet? If not, you can check out more information on our homepage; there is a lot of helpful information about fishing that you should know.
Do you have another idea?
- Other info about fishing in Fishingandhuntingsports
- Fishing Reels for Northern Pike Fishing