Two favourite Pike dead bait rigs I use on my local rivers, are as simple as possible and offer little resistance to the taking Pike.
Shallow water dead bait rigs
This first rig is a standard running ledger. I like to use this in shallow water or when casting out more than about ten yards. Fished downstream of my position, using the flow to pull everything neatly in line. I use weak mono for the bomb link in case of snags, but that’s about it, a very simple and effective rig.
Deep water dead bait rigs
One of the rivers I fish was dredged back in the seventies, result being, the water can be up to twelve feet deep close in to the bank. The Pike are often found hugging the bank in this deep water, especially if the tide is on the move. A normal running ledger holds the line at such an acute angle, I feel it offers too much resistance. So instead, I use this very simple running trace rig, which has proven to be quite successful. I have included a float stop on the line to stop the trace running too far up.
Originally I used to just drop the rig in the margin and backed away to my seat. But I found the dead bait (being light and bouyant) trailed behind the rig, twisting and turning as the weight pulled down throught the water. Needless to say, the bait would wrap it self around the main line. So I now cast out into the river, trapping the line as the rig hits the water, then allowing the rig to arc down towards the bottom of the bank without tangles. I also often use a float paternoster rig that is very similar which you may find interesting.
Just hold bottom
I used to think a heavy bomb weight would act as an anchor, fixing the bottom end of the rig to the river bed. But now I believe that Pike can often feel a heavy weight and drop the bait. I have changed to using a much lighter weight, one that only just holds bottom in the flow. This may mean a little trial and error on the day, but fewer Pike that drop the bait, means more Pike landed.
Related
Pike fishing – How to catch Pike
My pike fishing setup for deadbaiting
Which dead baits for Pike fishing
Float paternoster dead bait rig
Simple pike rig for river deadbaiting
Pike Wobbling Rig
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