Big water pike

[Ken L]

I have the option to fish a large, deep reservoir for pike in the autumn.

This is well outside my comfort zone, but I see two possible approaches.

1. I can drift suspended deadbaits - if so, at what depth?

2. I can pop up large deadbaits on a 4oz lead, walk them around a bay, and twitch them back.

Any thoughts?

[*Ant*]

It's been a long time since i've fished the method, but I used to drift deadbaits for pike and zander using a set up borrowed from sea fishing using a sliding float and a power gum sliding knot. Easy to cover a range of depths just by sliding the knot up and down the mainline. 

[Ken L]

4 hours ago, *Ant* said:

It's been a long time since i've fished the method, but I used to drift deadbaits for pike and zander using a set up borrowed from sea fishing using a sliding float and a power gum sliding knot. Easy to cover a range of depths just by sliding the knot up and down the mainline. 

That's pretty much what I was planning for option one - and of course, these days, floating braid mainlines make such tactics so much easier, and circle hooks will make it safer for the fish.