Pike OnlineQuestions you have asked!

Q:As a newcomer to pike fishing, what is the best way to find out how deep my chosen swim(s) might be?

A:Plumbing: To achieve this use either the paternoster or float fished dead bait rig shown in the rigs section, but without the hooktrace attached, using say a 2 ounce weight, set the depth from the bomb to the stop knot at say 5 ft, then cast to the area you wish to find the depth of. If the float shows but lays on the surface it is probably less than 5 feet, if you cannot see the float it may be deeper, retrieve you tackle and add or remove 1 foot to the depth by moving the stop knot up or down the line. Recast and adjust by 1 foot each cast until the float appears correctly on the surface, you will then be within 6 to 12 inches of the depth, close enough for most situations. Use this method for each area you need to know the depth.

It is a good idea to log the results of these exercises on a chart of the water you are fishing so that you can then decide how to fish the area and when related to wind direction. Do this for all you fisheries!

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