Many of the fairy-tales of great pike are well-founded and far bigger fish swim in the waters than have been caught on rod and line. Sometimes they are seen - by an angler during a brief contact, or while taking wildfowl from the surface, or perhaps in the shallows in spring when the big females spawn. Pike can be difficult to approach from the bank because of marginal reeds growing in deep water, or because the shores may be rocky or boggy. So pike have been able to flourish and many fish will not even have seen an angler's bait.
There are four categories of pike fishing tackle used to catch the pike. Dead baiting, live baiting, lures and fly fishing. Dead and live baiting is the most commonly used pike fishing method were a live or dead fish is used for bait. Dead being preferred as this is more fisherman friendly. Roach, eel section, trout, lamprey, mackerel, sardines and herring make brilliant pike baits. A strong rod is needed between ten and twelve feet in length. This will allow you to cast the heavy baits. Then a quality reel preferably with a bait runner facility, holding good quality line of about 5.5kg braking strain. There are three ways of presenting the bait in pike fishing, float, ledger or free lining. It's better to use a wire trace because the pike have extremely sharp teeth that would easily cut through monofilament line. On the wire trace treble hooks are used, semi barbed being recommended for the health of the fish and the sport.
Then there is lure fishing this is casting an artificial plug or spinner that looks sounds or moves like a bait fish, swimming through the water. A spinning rod of six to ten feet is needed, that will cast lures of about 5 to 40 grams in weight. Then a spinning reel loaded with about 4.5kg breaking strain monofilamenthen. Then a wire trace with a snap link at the end, so you can change your plug or spinner easily. Finally fly fishing. This is becoming more of an increasing method to catch your pike. A fly rod of about ten feet is needed weighted for about an 8 to 9 weighted line, a 4.5 kg leader and wire trace with a small snap link for attaching the fly, of witch a streamer or tube fly is used as a lure to tempt your quarry. Other important items you should have in your pike fishing artillery should be a good sized landing net, gloves and forceps for unhooking, unhooking mat this is to protect the fish when unhooking on the bank, spare hooks, trace wire, floats, ledgers, crimps, swivels and snap links, rod rest and in this day and age a bite detector or alarm. There are traditional pike bungs that are still one of the most popular pike floats available. They can be used in-line or fixed and are available in 3 sizes. Moreover there are pike fishing rigs that are ideally suited for fishing dead baits on the bottom or sink and draw dead baiting.  Highly buoyant foam balls are excellent for popping up both live and dead baits. The red color is an added attraction, provoking pike into attacking, these poppers are however resistant to pike's teeth. Connect them to your trebles. The bait poppers are a very useful presentation over weedy and silty bottoms. Pike are the fishing choice for any 'big fish' angler.