Pike angling is becoming an increasingly popular pastime in the UK and Europe. Effective methods for catching this hard fighting fish include dead baits, lure fishing, and jerk baiting. They are prized as game fish for their determined fighting and have been food fish since ancient times.

Lake fishing for pike from the shore is especially effective during springtime, at which stage the big pike move into the shallows to spawn in weedy areas, and later many remain there to feed on other spawning coarse fish species to regain their condition after spawning. Smaller jack pike often remain in the shallows for their own protection, and for the small fish food available there. For the hot summer period and during non-active phases the larger female pike tend to retire to deeper water and/or places of better cover. This gives the boat angler good fishing during the summer and winter seasons. Trolling (towing a lure or bait behind a moving boat) is a popular technique.

The use of float tubes have become a very popular way of fishing for pike on small to medium size stillwaters.[3] Fly fishing for pike is another recently developing way of catching these fish, and the float tube is now recognised as an especially suitable water craft for pike flyfishing. Pike tend to follow the streamer often and best thing to do then is stop the retrieve and let the streamer suspend or sink to the bottom slowly. For practical purposes very slow sinking fly lines and streamers with neutral buoyancy which remain horizontal in the water when stopped are very effective. The use of rabbit fur for a tail makes the streamer look lively even when it is not moving.

In recent decades more and more pike are released back to the water after catching (catch and release). But they can easily be damaged when handled. Handling those fish with dry hands can easily damage their mucous covered skin and possibly lead to their death from infections.

Since they have very sharp and numerous teeth, care is required in unhooking a pike. It is recommended that barbless trebles are used when angling for this species as it simplifies dehooking. This is undertaken using long forceps, with 30 cm artery clamps the ideal tool. When holding the pike from below on the lower jaw, it will open it's mouth. The pike should be kept out of the water for the minimum amount of time possible, and should be given extra time to recover if being weighed and photographed before release.

In Finland, catching a kymppihauki, a pike weighing at least 10 kilograms, is considered the qualification as a master fisherman.

Many countries have banned the use of live fish for bait, but it is also possible to catch the pike with dead fish which they locate for smell often fat see fish like herring, sardines and mackerel are used. This is a particularly good method for catching really big and well fed pike in the colder season. Compared to other fish like the eel the pike does not have a good sense of smell, but still it is more then adequate to find the baitfish. Baitfish can be used as ground bait, but also below a float carried by the wind. This method is often used in wintertime and best done in lakes near schools of preyfish or at the deeper parts of shallow water bodies, where pike and preyfish tend to gather in great numbers.

The most effective lure for catching pike is probably the spinner especialy big spinners with added bucktail, but pike can get used to it quickly. Pike make use of the lateral line system to follow the vortexes produced by the perceived prey, and the whirling movement of the spinner is a good way thing to create these. Jerkbaits are also really effective also and can produce spectacular bites with pike attacking these erratic moving lures at full speed. For trolling big plugs or softbaits can be used. Most fishermen tend to use small lures but in the case of pike that is not advisable because they have a preference for large prey. When fishing in shallow water for smaller pike lighter and smaller lures have to be used of course.

Northern Pike Etymology

The northern pike gets its name from its resemblance to the pole-weapon known as the pike (from the Middle English for pointed). The genus name, Esox, comes from the Greek and Celtic for "big fish" and "salmon" (see Esox: Name). Various other unofficial trivial names are: American pike, common pike, great northern pike, Great Lakes pike, grass pike, slough shark, snake, northern, and jackfish. Numerous other names can be found in Field Museum Zool.