Bait Elastic – Best Pike Fishing Deadbait Tactics
This bait elastic guide is for all you pike fishing enthusiasts out-there! One of the most effective pike bait rigs is fishing a twin set treble hook trace with a dead bait. Traditionally you hook one of the trebles in to the deadbaits head and tail, but the hook presentation can get messed up while casting or getting nibbles from other species like carp. Wrapping a little bait elastic around the deadbait and hook shanks secures everything in place, and keeps hook presentation on point. A cheap and effective way to catch more fish when using dead baits for pike fishing. We’re going to dig deeper in to why bait elastic works, how to use bait elastic and what type of elastic professional pike anglers swear by. So, let’s begin…
What is the best bait elastic?
Top quality bait elastic needs to be strong, yet super fine and be housed in a dispenser to keep it dry! With a good bait elastic you should only require a few turns around the deadbait and hook (or dead bait clip) to firmly fix in place. This will prevent a treble detaching during casting, the take or snagging on weeds. There are some DIY bait elastic alternatives you can make at home, but nothing compares to using a purpose built for the job product. Here are the best 5 bait elastics on the market today…
How do you use bait for elastic fishing?
Start off by pulling a length of elastic from the dispenser (don’t cut), laying it on an unhooking mat or table and while lining up one of the trebles hook shank, place your deadbait on top. Overlap the end of the elastic with the other still attached to the dispenser, then gently lift the tail or head depending on which side you started, and wind around the fish and hook 2 or 3 times by de-spooling the thread from the dispenser. Snip the bait elastic and tie a know to secure in place. Repeat the process for the second treble.
What is the best bait for pike fishing?
Pike fishing has more bait option than you can shake a stick at, techniques which include crankbaits, soft plastic lures, spinners, jerkbaits, swimbait lures, but in this article I’m going to focus on deadbaits, because that’s what anglers associate with bait elastics. The best dead baits for pike fishing need to be fresh, affordable, oily, flavourful, buoyant and readily available. A good rule of thumb is opting for fish 6 inch in length, any larger and pike may struggle to take the bait.
Here are my top 10 deadbait recommendations:
- Lamprey
- Mackerel
- Pollan
- Roach
- Sardine
- Herring
- Smelt
- Trout
- Launce
- Anchovy
What gear do I need for pike fishing?
You may be surprised to hear that you’ll only need a few extra bits of inexpensive gear to go pike fishing. A good fishing starter kit has all the basics covered, and the bulk of the kit isn’t dissimilar to carp of coarse fishing rod setups. These specialized extras include wire traces to prevent pike biting through leaders… Jig heads, rubber lures, plugs, spinners or spoons as artificial baits, plus treble hooks and deadbaits for the fishing technique outlined above.
What’s the best time to fish for pike?
The cooler months of October through to March is usually the best period to catch monster pike, because they tend to be in spawning during spring and summer, and not on the feed as hard. Also pike become less stressed while fighting in colder water, as oxygen levels are reduced is warmer waters. A good rule of thumb is lure fishing during warm weather, and simple low resistance rigs during colder months. Check out this great video, packed with hints and tips by Graeme and Mike Pullen on how to catch pike on canals…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=buzaQXabNUw%3Fautohide%3D1%26autoplay%3D0%26mute%3D0%26controls%3D0%26fs%3D1%26loop%3D0%26modestbranding%3D0%26playlist%3D%26rel%3D1%26showinfo%3D1%26theme%3Ddark%26wmode%3D%26playsinline%3D0
Conclusion
All in all, using bait elastic is great little pike fishing hack, that will increase successful catch rates and saves you money on lost deadbaits. Bait elastics are also popular when sea fishing or shore rigs, and I’ll do a write up of the slight tactical variations soon. You can buy top quality bait elastic for under £10 at your nearby tackle shop or online retailers like Amazon and eBay. The best reason to use bait elastic is that extra peace of mind while casting, and recommend you give it a whirl next time your on a deadbait predator mission. Happy Fishing!
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