Rods
An ideal all-round dead bait or live bait rod suitable for pike fishing ought to be 12ft in length and at least 23/4lb test curve. It will be powerful enough to launch a bait a long way on a loch, but subtle enough in the tip section to fish a bait close in on the margins.
Reels
Power and reliability are the prime factors when choosing a reel for pike fishing. It will be put under a lot of stress when cranking back big pike or heavy baits, plus it needs to be capable of holding a good amount of strong line. As pike fishing involves using the reel with the bale arm open, a free spool facility isn't a prime concern when selecting a suitable reel.