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Pike Rigs

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Four pike rigs cover almost every UK pike swim: a sliding float rig, a float paternoster, a running ledger (or float leger) and a simple lure trace. All four are built from the same safe parts: a wire trace, a wire uptrace when bait fishing, semi-barbless trebles and nothing that can leave a pike tethered to a lead.

Most guides to pike fishing rigs miss one detail. England’s national rules set no minimum trace length, so the figures below come from the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain (PAC), and this guide marks which are advice and which are law.

Build the shared parts, pick the rig for the swim, tie it, then hook and strike so the pike is hooked in the mouth. Zander set-ups are covered in Step 7, and the full list of fishing rigs has the rest.

Step 1: Build the Parts Every Pike Rig Shares (Line, Wire Trace, Uptrace, Hooks)

The national GOV.UK tackle rules set no minimum trace length or strength. Every figure quoted on the bank is welfare guidance, most of it from the PAC.

Wire trace. The PAC recommends a hook trace of at least 18in (45cm) of wire. Its 2024 leaflet sets 30lb as the minimum wire for bait fishing, up from the 20lb in its 2004 fact sheet, so use 30lb. The PAC does not endorse mono or fluorocarbon traces, because pike teeth cut through them.

Uptrace. For bait fishing, add a wire uptrace of at least 24in (60cm) above the hook trace, per the PAC’s trace and rig basics sheet. A pike that engulfs a bait can bite through mainline sitting just above a short trace.

Mainline. Sources disagree. The PAC’s 2024 leaflet gives a minimum of 18lb mono or 65lb braid (about 0.41mm), its 2004 sheet 15lb mono or 30lb braid, and Angling Times 45lb braid. Treat the PAC 2024 figures as your floor, because a break-off leaves a pike trailing hooks.

Hooks. Use semi-barbless or crushed-barb trebles. The PAC 2024 leaflet suggests sizes 4 to 6, while its 2004 sheet lists 10, 8 or 6. Go smaller for sprats and larger for half a mackerel, with hooks strong enough to land a big pike but soft enough to bend out of a snag. The PAC is clear that semi-barbless hooks are no excuse for letting a pike swallow the bait.

Avoid stainless steel hooks, twisted-wire-eye swivels and safety-pin or hook-and-eye snap links (PAC Safe Pike Rigs).

Component PAC recommendation Legal position (England)
Hook trace Wire, 18in (45cm) or longer, 30lb minimum for bait No national rule; check fishery or club rules
Uptrace Wire, 24in (60cm) or longer for bait fishing No national rule
Mainline 18lb mono or 65lb braid minimum (2024) No national rule
Hooks Semi-barbless trebles, size 4 to 6 (2024) No national rule; some fisheries set hook types

The build itself is covered in how to make a wire trace. For your first rigs, start with 30lb wire, an 18in trace and size 6 semi-barbless trebles, then adjust to the bait.

Step 2: Choose the Right Pike Rig for the Swim

There is no single best pike rig, and the deciding factor is the bottom of the swim, not the pike. Weed hides a legered bait completely, while a float paternoster holds the same bait in view just above it.

Rig Best for Bite indication Avoid when
Sliding float rig Margins, drop-offs, steady depths The float Strong wind at long range
Float paternoster Weedy or snaggy swims, rivers, canals The float Open, clean bottom at range
Running ledger or float leger Bottom baits at range Drop-off indicator and alarm Thick weed
Lure trace Searching water actively Feel through the rod Static bait fishing

Every one of these pike fishing rigs uses the Step 1 parts, so the choice comes down to where the bait sits. For rod and reel, Angling Direct’s novice guidance says a carp rod of 3lb test curve or more and a free-spool reel are enough for deadbaiting. The wider approach is in these pike deadbaiting tactics.

Fish a float when you can watch it, and a ledger when range or wind beats the float.

Step 3: Tie a Sliding Float Deadbait Rig

One float, one stop knot and the trace from Step 1 give you a rig that shows a take the moment it happens. Seeing the bite early lets you strike before the pike has time to swallow the bait.

On Windermere I lean on a sliding float when fishing deadbaits along the drop-offs. The depth changes quickly there, and the float tells me at once when a pike has picked the bait up.

Diagram, top to bottom: mainline, stop knot, bead, sliding float, bead, float weight, swivel, wire uptrace, wire hook trace with two semi-barbless trebles, deadbait.

Tying order:

  1. Tie a stop knot on the mainline and trim the tags to about 10mm so they pass through the rod rings.
  2. Thread on a bead.
  3. Thread the float on through its bottom eye or centre tube.
  4. Add a second bead, then a float weight or drilled bullet heavy enough to cock the float.
  5. Tie on a swivel with a grinner knot.
  6. Attach the uptrace and hook trace to the swivel with a solid link, never the safety-pin snap the PAC warns against.
  7. Plumb the swim and slide the stop knot until the bait sits on or just off the bottom.

Depth. Angling Direct advises fishing no more than about 2ft over depth, because going further over raises the risk of deep hooking.

Float choice. Match float size to bait weight: Angling Direct suggests a slim pencil float on calm days and a hi-vis dart float in a ripple.

This pike float rig takes most common deadbaits; see which deadbaits to use for the options. Use it on watched margins and drop-offs, and switch to the ledger in Step 5 when strong wind and long range make the float hard to read.

If the lead snags and its link is stronger than your mainline, a pike that breaks you off swims away towing that lead. The PAC’s Safe Pike Rigs sheet is blunt: never use tether or fixed-lead rigs.

Diagram, top to bottom: mainline, stop knot, bead, slider float, bead, swivel at the top of a 24in wire uptrace, weak mono lead link from the uptrace’s bottom eye to the lead, 18in hook trace with two semi-barbless trebles clipped to the top swivel.

Tying order:

  1. Set a stop knot, bead, slider float and second bead on the mainline.
  2. Tie the mainline to the top swivel of a 24in wire uptrace.
  3. Tie about 36in of 6 to 8lb mono to the uptrace’s bottom eye, weakened with overhand knots as the PAC suggests.
  4. Tie a lead just heavy enough to hold the bait in place to the end of that mono link.
  5. Attach an 18in hook trace to the top swivel so the bait hangs above the weed, then cast and keep the line tight to the float.

Never clip a lead straight onto a trace swivel with a snap link. The lead link must be the weakest point, so a snag costs you the lead and not the fish.

Use it in weedy or debris-strewn water, rivers and canals; the paternoster rig guide covers the general version. The weak link is the whole point of this rig. Leave it out and you have built a tether.

Step 5: Rig a Running Ledger or Float Leger With a Drop-Off Indicator

A pike can pick up a bottom bait and swallow it without moving far. On a slack ledger line with only an alarm, the first sign may come after the trebles are already deep. That is why the run ring, weak link and drop-off indicator matter more than the lead.

Diagram, top to bottom: mainline, stop knot and float (float leger only), large-eye run ring with link clip carrying the lead on a weak mono link, bead, swivel, 24in wire uptrace, 18in hook trace with two semi-barbless trebles, deadbait.

Tying order:

  1. For a float leger, set a stop knot, bead and slider float; leave them off for a straight ledger.
  2. Thread on a large-eye run ring and clip on a 1 to 3oz lead via a short weak mono link.
  3. Add a bead, then tie the mainline to the swivel on a 24in wire uptrace.
  4. Attach the 18in hook trace and bait up.

The PAC calls fixed-lead and bolt rigs unnecessary for pike and warns that a lost baited rig is likely to mean a dead pike, which is why this deadbait rig runs freely.

Bite indication. The PAC 2024 leaflet says to use a drop-off indicator whenever you ledger or float leger, with the bale arm open or the reel in free spool so the pike can take line.

Strike at once when a run starts, and never freeline. Step 8 explains why. Against the float rig in Step 3, the ledger wins on range and in wind; the float wins on spotting a bite early.

Step 6: Make a Simple Wire Lure Trace

Three parts and a knot make this the quickest of all the pike rigs to build. It still needs wire every time, because pike teeth cut through mono and fluorocarbon.

When I fish small lures for perch on Windermere, I keep a wire trace on, because pike share the same water.

Diagram, top to bottom: braid mainline, swivel, wire trace, strong solid snap, lure.

The PAC 2024 leaflet says to use a wire trace for all lure fishing, and accepts shorter traces here than for bait. Use a solid snap, not a safety-pin or hook-and-eye design (PAC Safe Pike Rigs).

If pike could be in the water, clip a wire trace on before you make the first cast.

Step 7: Adapt Your Pike Rigs for Zander

Zander rigs are pike rigs with one awkward complication: the water often holds pike as well.

The sliding float, float paternoster and ledger from Steps 3 to 5 all catch zander. Anglers usually scale them down with smaller baits, smaller hooks and a lighter float.

The trace is the one part you should not scale down where pike could take the bait. Keep wire and the Step 1 safety principles, because a pike that bites through a light rig is left with hooks it cannot shed. The welfare rules stay the same too: strike promptly, keep leads on weak links that can break free, and stick to semi-barbless hooks.

Some zander waters set their own tackle rules, so check with the fishery or club before you fish.

Step 8: Hook the Bait, Strike Early and Unhook on a Mat

The rig is only half of safe pike fishing. Where the trebles go and when you strike prevent as much deep hooking as anything you tie.

Hook placement. For a legered deadbait, the PAC code of conduct puts the top treble in the root of the tail and the other no further forward than the dorsal fin. Match treble size to bait size (see the best baits for pike). Live-bait rules differ by nation and area, so check local fishing byelaws first.

Strike as soon as the run develops, and never freeline. The longer a pike holds the bait, the more chance it turns and swallows the trebles.

Unhooking kit. The PAC lists a large unhooking mat or cradle, forceps of at least 10in and long-reach wire cutters. Never use a pike gag or lay a pike on bare hard ground, and note that gaffs and tailers are banned in England and Wales. The method is in how to unhook a pike.

Mats on club waters. No national rule requires one, but a fishery or club can, so check your ticket.

The PAC advises against pike fishing in water at or above 18°C. On English rivers you may keep one pike up to 65cm per day (GOV.UK catch limits), and the England and Wales river close season for coarse fish runs 15 March to 15 June, though local byelaws can differ (see fishing seasons).

I have forceps and cutters out on the mat before I cast. Lay out your kit before the first cast, not after the first run.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best rig for pike fishing?

There is no single best pike rig. Use a sliding float rig when you can watch the take, a float paternoster in weedy or snaggy swims, and a running ledger with a drop-off indicator for bottom baits at range. See Step 2 for the chooser table.

How long should a wire trace be for pike?

The PAC recommends at least 18in (45cm) of wire, with 30lb as the minimum for bait fishing, plus a 24in (60cm) wire uptrace when bait fishing. The national GOV.UK rules set no legal minimum, but fisheries and clubs can set their own.

What size treble hooks for pike deadbaits?

The PAC's 2024 leaflet suggests semi-barbless trebles in sizes 4 to 6, while its older fact sheet lists sizes 6 to 10. Match the treble to the bait: smaller for sprats, larger for half a mackerel. See Step 1.

Do I need an unhooking mat for pike?

The PAC says to lay every pike on an unhooking mat or cradle, never on bare hard ground. No national rule makes a mat mandatory, but a fishery or club can, so check your ticket or club rules before you fish.

Can I use the same rigs for zander?

Yes. The float, paternoster and ledger formats all work for zander, usually scaled down with smaller baits and hooks. Where pike are present, keep a wire trace and the same safety rules. See Step 7.

Sources

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