Pike live in stillwaters, canals and rivers wherever there are prey fish. They are not a coarse maggot target. You need a wire trace for toothed fish, an unhooking mat, long forceps, and a plan for a jaw full of teeth.
Livebaiting is banned or tightly restricted on many waters, and moving live fish between waters is illegal. Use deadbaits (smelt, herring, lamprey) or lures unless a fishery explicitly allows livebait caught in that same water. Many clubs close pike in the warmer months for welfare — check the card. There is no nationwide statutory pike close season on stillwaters, but rivers still have the coarse close season (15 March–15 June).
Habitat
Weed edges, drop-offs, bays, the tails of islands, and anywhere prey is funnelled. They ambush more than they cruise in the cold.
Seasonal behaviour
Autumn through early spring is the usual pike season on stillwaters. Summer pike in a heatwave is a welfare problem — don't do it unless you really know the water and the recovery.
On the bank
A drop-back, a run, or a thump on a lure. They will mouth a deadbait before moving off. Give them a moment, then set a sharp hook.
Fish care
Mat, wet hands, no gill-grip for a photo, no hanging a pike by the jaw. Unhook in the net or on a wet mat. Carry wire cutters. In the warm, don't fish them at all.
Feeding approach
You don't feed pike with a catapult. Put a bait where they hunt. A little oil or a popped-up deadbait can help them find it in the cold.
Common mistakes
No wire trace. No forceps. Fishing a heatwave. Moving livebaits between lakes. A treble in the jaw and a panic.
What to change if it isn’t working
No runs: move, or change deadbait. Drops you miss: a little more time, sharper hooks, or a slightly popped-up bait. Never 'try livebait' by nicking a fish from the next lake.