# Pike as live bait.



## Thegaff (Apr 19, 2011)

Im curious to see if any one uses pike for livies, yesterday I was catching a few so I decided to to put one of the smaller ones on the end of my jig head and not to long after that i pulled up a 30 cm cod. I do remember someone a wile ago saying they had a go using pike and they got smashed by something rather big.

So any one use them for livies?


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

They're hard to keep alive, avoid handling them so their scales don't rub off. The only thing I've ever caught on a live pike was a massive squid. Oh, and nearly caught a sea eagle on one too.
Pike stink.


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## Plasman (Aug 27, 2008)

Pike make good strip baits for bream.


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

bunsen said:


> They're hard to keep alive, avoid handling them so their scales don't rub off. The only thing I've ever caught on a live pike was a massive squid. Oh, and nearly caught a sea eagle on one too.
> Pike stink.


Best to have your livie rod, rubber bands and needles all ready to go so as soon as you catch one put it out straight away. I had one out yesterday for a few hours and released it still alive. Kings will take them. I had one hit so hard it almost rolled the yak. An easy way to pick up a livie on the way out to your favourite mark. Hard to handle the stink first thing in the morning though.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

I find they stay alive for a couple of hours.
I run a stinger hook to the anal fin with a wire trace to catch Tailor here.


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## Thegaff (Apr 19, 2011)

Ive never done much live baiting but I think im gona have to take a bit more of a look in to this whole thing. 
Im glad to see that they prove to be good baits as there seemed to be a rather large amount of them at scarby yesterday.


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## nanook (Aug 8, 2011)

Fished with a guide on a recent trip to the Goldie,we spent an our chasing pike on poppers over the weed beds then out to the Seaway where every drop of the pike resulted in a jewy, one at 75 one at 81 and the best going 87, also had a few yellowtail that were not touched,dropped a smallish tailor and he didnt even make the bottom .
Pike are now my sought after Jew bait!!!!


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## intrepid (Oct 23, 2012)

hey nanook/anyone - how did you put them on the hook/s

was it a double snelled rig - mouth/dorsal?

or a single hook?


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## imtheman (Aug 24, 2012)

yep kingys love em


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## nanook (Aug 8, 2011)

single 5/0 through mouth ;-)


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## Thegaff (Apr 19, 2011)

I went for back of the head, I might head out tomorrow arv after work to try it out again.


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

A rubber band through the eye socket takes the shock and keeps them alive for ages.
Heres a link courtesy of the Downrigger Shop.
http://www.downriggershop.com.au/how-to-rig-bait.html


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## Thegaff (Apr 19, 2011)

avayak said:


> A rubber band through the eye socket takes the shock and keeps them alive for ages.
> Heres a link courtesy of the Downrigger Shop.
> http://www.downriggershop.com.au/how-to-rig-bait.html


Will this method work for for fish other then pelagics say snapper and jew?
The needle is it just a sewing needle or is it something different?



salticrak said:


> I caught my biggest snpper on the sunnycoast with the head and shoulders of a pike, I think they have a smell that turns predators on.


They are starting to turn me on. :lol:


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

I rate live pike as highly as live squid for chasing kings (probably jews as well, but have yet to catch one). I think its just that they are a bit harder to keep alive so don't get used as much. have used quite a few over the years and most have been eaten before they died.
Bait rigging needles are bigger/stronger than sewing needles and have an open eye to you can unhook the loop once through the fish and put it over the hook a few times to hold in place. You can also cut a slot in one side of the eye of a large sewing needle.
I prefer to just put a non offset 5/0 to 8/0 hook in the mouth and out between the nostrils of the bait.
Rob


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## Thegaff (Apr 19, 2011)

Ive been catching pike for years and just tossing them back in to the water...starting to kick my self now.


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