popped up or wafted deadbaits are very effective. They will not only see you get more runs but will increase the number of pike that you land too as the hooking tends to be truer.
Pike do take fish off the bottom but it’s a lot easier for them to pick a bait that flutters down invitingly and sits slightly up in the water away from the weed, imitating an injured fish and hanging in front of their faces.
Paul recommends using deadbait sticks matched to the size of bait and balancing the rig out with split shot.Some anglers swear by using huge baits for big pike, but these baits can be unwieldy to cast and for the fish to pick up, causing more dropped runs.
Read more on dailyrecord.co.uk