Float Fishing for Pike

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

Float fishing for pike means suspending or resting a deadbait under a large sliding float on a wire trace. The float shows the take the moment it happens, so you can strike before the pike swallows the bait. It also puts the bait exactly where you want it and lets you move swims, which a static leger cannot.

The method works on lakes, canals, drains and slow rivers, and this guide covers three set-ups: a standard sliding float, float-legering and a wind-driven drifter float. On Windermere I reach for a float whenever I want to see exactly what a bait is doing beside weed or a drop-off.

Seven steps follow, from choosing the set-up to unhooking, with the England rules flagged where they apply. For seasons and other methods, start with our pike fishing guide.

Step 1: Match the Float Set-Up to the Water

Pick the float after you have looked at the water, not before. There is no single pike float rig, so choose for your range, the surface conditions and how you want the bait to behave.

A float beats a leger at close to medium range, over weed or soft silt where a legered bait buries itself, and when you want to stay mobile and follow baitfish. It also shows bites early, which cuts down on deep hooking. A leger is better at long range, or on a known hotspot you plan to sit on for hours. Our guide to pike deadbaiting covers that side.

Set-up	Best for	Conditions	Watch out for
Slim sliding pencil float	Close to medium range	Calm water	Hard to read in a chop
Hi-vis dart or top-heavy float	Medium to long range	A ripple or light wind	Less sensitive than a pencil
Pike bob or bung	Margins, canals, heavy baits	Short range	More resistance to a taking fish
Drifter float (vaned)	Open water on big lakes	Steady wind blowing off or across your bank	Needs constant line control
Float-leger	A static bait with float indication	A breeze or tow	Bait sits on the bottom, so strike promptly

Location still matters more than the float: overcast days, dawn and dusk, baitfish, snags and depth changes. Our page on where to find pike covers each.

By now you should know which float you are rigging. If you are new to pike, start with a slim sliding float at close range on a still day.

Step 2: Tackle Up With Pike-Strength Gear

Light coarse tackle loses pike. These are typical starting specs among experienced pike anglers, not fixed rules.

Rod: 3lb test curve or more, with a firm backbone to cast big deadbaits and set hooks at range.
Reel and line: a reel loaded with about 15lb mono, or braid of at least that strength. Braid gives more direct contact at range and on a drifter. Some anglers prefer mono’s stretch at close range.
Wire trace: about 2ft (60cm) of 24lb to 28lb wire. Pike teeth cut through nylon and fluorocarbon, so never fish for pike without wire. Our pike wire traces explainer covers making your own.
Hooks: trebles in sizes 4 to 8, semi-barbed, with one barbed point and the barbs crushed on the rest to make unhooking easier.
Weights: in England, lead weights on a line must be 0.06g (size 8 shot) or less, or more than 28.35g (1oz). For shot and drilled bullets between those limits, use non-toxic alternatives. See our page on the lead weights law. In Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, check with Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Government or DAERA.

Buy by type and spec, not by brand. Unhooking kit comes in Step 7.

By now your kit should be ready. A trace you trust matters more than any float you buy.

Step 3: Tie the Sliding Float Pike Rig

Get the order of components right once and the same pike float rig converts to float-legering or drifting with a single change. Build it in this order on the mainline:

Tie a stop knot from power gum or line on the mainline, then thread on a small bead.
Thread the sliding float through its eye or tube.
Add a second bead, then the weight (a bullet, egg or shot) that cocks the float.
Tie on a swivel and attach the wire trace to it.
Mount the hooks in the bait, as covered in Step 6.

On the cast, a sliding float rests near the weight. Once the rig settles, the float runs up to the stop knot, so you can fish deeper than your rod is long.

Float legering for pike uses the same rig. Set the stop knot over-depth, swap to a heavier lead that holds the bottom, and tighten down until the float cocks or lies flat. You get a static bait that stays put in a breeze, with the early warning of a float.

Drifting also uses this rig, with a vaned float and a line that floats. Step 5 covers it in full.

Keep your shot within the England lead limits from Step 2.

By now the rig should be tied. Test it in the margin to check the float cocks. A fixed float only makes sense in water shallower than your rod length. Everywhere else, slide.

Step 4: Plumb the Depth and Set the Bait

Pike guides disagree on how deep to set a float bait. Both main approaches work, and the swim decides which one to use.

Start by finding the depth:

Clip on a plumbing weight, or use a heavy lead.
Cast to the spot and let the rig settle.
Move the stop knot until the float just shows at the surface. That is the depth.
Mark the line or count the turns on the reel, so you can return to the same depth after a fish.

Then choose your approach:

Just off the bottom: set the bait 6in to 1ft (15cm to 30cm) above the bottom, and higher over weed so it stays visible and clean. Soft weed, silt and cold, clear water suit this.
Over-depth on the bottom: set the stop knot up to 2ft (60cm) over-depth so the bait rests on the bottom, then tighten until the float just cocks. This suits a breeze or tow that drags a suspended bait, and it works like the float-leger in Step 3. Anglers who use it warn that a deeper bait raises the risk of deep hooking, so strike sooner.

On Windermere I tend to fish a bait just off the bottom along weedy margins and drop-offs, where a pike can see it.

By now the float should sit right and you should know exactly where the bait is.

Best for: off-bottom on weed and silt; over-depth in wind or flow. Skip if: you cannot watch the float closely, because an unwatched bottom bait risks a deep-hooked fish.

Step 5: Use a Drifter Float on Big, Windy Waters

A drifter float carries a bait over far more water than you could ever cast to, letting the wind search a big lake for roaming pike.

Use a drifter float for pike when a steady wind blows off your bank or across it. Rig it as in Step 3 with a vaned float, and keep the line on the surface, either by greasing mono or using a braid that floats, so the wind pulls the float rather than the line.

A bow of slack line delays your strike, so manage it constantly:

Feed line off steadily with the bail open, or pay it out by hand.
Mend the line so no bow forms between you and the float.
When the float vanishes, close the bail and wind down fast, because it may be a long way out.
Retrieve slowly and recast to search a new line.

Set the bait to fish over the weed, and re-plumb if the drift crosses changing depths. On Windermere I drift baits when the wind is right, and the bank matters as much as the float: see pike fishing from the bank for positioning.

On rivers and drains, trot the same rig with the flow and hold back slightly so the bait leads. In England, the coarse close season runs from 15 March to 15 June on rivers, streams, drains, some canals, most SSSI stillwaters and most Norfolk Broads waters, while most stillwaters have none. See fishing seasons.

In England, rods must be within 3m of each other and never left unattended with bait in the water, so stay on the rod for the whole drift. If the wind drops, switch back to a sliding float.

Step 6: Prepare the Bait and Keep It Working

A still, scentless deadbait is easy for a pike to miss, so add scent and movement.

Good float baits include sea baits such as mackerel, herring, sardine and smelt, and freshwater baits such as lamprey, roach, trout and eel sections. Carry several and rotate them; pike deadbaiting covers choosing between them.

Pierce the bait two or three times to release its juices.
Push foam into the body cavity to lift the tail clear of weed.
Inject oil or flavour to lay a scent trail in coloured water.
Every few minutes, wind in a turn or two to move the bait and re-lift it.

Live bait: the rules first

In England, the national byelaws allow live bait only if the bait fish are kept at, and used only in, the water they were taken from. Local byelaws may ban live bait altogether, and many fisheries do. Moving any fish from one water to another needs written agreement from the Environment Agency. Introducing fish to a fishery, or possessing fish intended for introduction, without permission is an offence, and crayfish, dead or alive, must not be used as bait.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, check with the Scottish Government or Fisheries Management Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, or DAERA before using live bait. Check the fishery rules too.

By now your bait should be mounted, working and legal. A well-prepared deadbait beats a live bait you are unsure you can use.

Step 7: Strike Early and Unhook Safely

Early warning is the float’s biggest advantage, and a long run throws it away.

When the float bobs, lies flat or slides away, close the bail, wind down until you feel the fish, then strike firmly to the side. Older advice to let a pike run often ends in a deep-hooked fish, and that risk is higher with the over-depth baits from Step 4. A float that lifts and lies flat can mean the pike has picked up the bait and swum upwards, so wind down quickly.

Have your unhooking kit out before the first cast:

long forceps
wire cutters
a large padded mat
a big landing net

In England, landing nets must not have knotted or metallic mesh, and gaffs and tailers are banned.

Support the fish on the mat and work the hooks out with forceps. Cut a deep treble rather than tear it, then return the pike quickly. See how to unhook a pike for the full method.

Most pike anglers return their fish. In England, one pike of no more than 65cm, measured from snout to tail fork, may be taken a day on the listed waters, which include Windermere, Coniston, Ullswater, Derwentwater, the Norfolk Broads and all rivers, streams and drains. Removing fish from stillwaters and canals also needs the owner’s permission. Foul-hooked fish from rivers, streams, drains and canals must be released immediately.

You also need a rod licence from age 13 in England and Wales; see our fishing licence guide. Strike on the first clear movement and keep the kit within reach.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use live bait for pike in England?

Yes, within limits. The national byelaws allow live bait if the bait fish are kept at, and used only in, the water they came from. Moving fish between waters needs written Environment Agency agreement. Local byelaws and many fisheries ban it, so check both. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, check with NRW, the Scottish Government or DAERA.

Is float fishing or legering better for pike?

A float is better at close to medium range, over weed and when you want to move and see bites early. A leger is better at long range or on one spot over a long session. Float-legering, covered in Step 3, gives you a static bait with float bite indication. Our pike deadbaiting guide covers legered set-ups.

What size float do I need for pike?

Choose a float big enough to support your bait and weight without being dragged under by wind or tow. A slim pencil suits calm water at close range, a top-heavy dart suits range and ripple, and a vaned drifter suits open water in a steady wind. Match the float to the weight you need.