What is the ideal pike fishing rod for the Norfolk Broads?

There are loads of different pike fishing rods available, and choosing the ‘perfect one’ can be a mind field. Choosing the wrong fishing rod is not only costly, but also very frustrating. A few years back I bought a new rod specifically for a fishing holiday and I got it totally wrong. The rod that I thought was best when I ordered it ended up being too long, too stiff and too powerful. The fish I caught using that rod barely put a bend in it, and getting the fish to the bank was dull, boring and mundane.
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If you are visiting the Norfolk Broads to do a spot of pike fishing you need to make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did, and buy the wrong rod. When choosing the ideal pike rod for your Norfolk Broads vacation you need to consider the following:-

​Length

The majority of the river bank around the Norfolk Broads is open and clear, however there are several banks that are a little wild, i.e. there is a lot of bankside vegetation and overhanging trees. Where the foliage is an issue space can be tight and fishing with a long rod pike rod difficult at best, and impossible at worst. This would not be a problem if wild banks of the Broads were on stretches of water where there are no pike, but some of the best pike rivers in the entire Norfolk Broads network are overgrown.

If you want access, and have the option of pike fishing on all rivers, Broads and dykes you need a short rod. I personally use a 7ft rod when I go pike fishing on the Broads, and whilst some areas are a little tight the overhanging trees have not yet prevented me from fishing. It would have been a different story had I been using a longer rod.
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The ideal pike rod for fishing the Norfolk Broads, and I mean the whole of the Norfolk Broads, is short and I wouldn’t go for anything longer than 7ft.

​Test curve

There are some large pike in the Norfolk Broads, however the majority of them are less than 10lbs in weight. If you catch a pike in the Broads nine times out of ten it will be a small jack. Consequently, a 3lb test curve heavy duty “broomstick” pike rod is not suitable. Sure, you can use one but most of the pike you catch on the Broads will barely make it bend.
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If you want to enjoy the battle with the pike, and want the pike to put a bend in the rod you need a rod with a test curve of no more than 1.75lbs, which is the same as the Avon style heavy duty feeder rods. 

​Action

The ideal pike rod for the Norfolk Broads should have nice through action that will bend when fighting the jack pike, hence resulting in an enjoyable battle, but also have some power in reserve for when you hook in to a larger pike.

I see many pike anglers using fast and ‘tippy’ rods, and whilst these are fine for small jack pike they are terrible when it comes to larger pike, and could end up breaking.

Medium/heavy spinning rods are short, have a 1.75lb test curve (or thereabouts) and a through action and, therefore, are the ideal pike fishing rod for the Norfolk Broads.
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Many people would argue you can’t use a spinning rod for dead baiting or live baiting, and I would say I partially agree with this. Arguably, you can use any fishing rod for dead baiting and/or live baiting, provided it has the backbone to cast the bait of course, but I would agree spinning rods are not suited to these fishing methods. Personally, I don’t think it matters that much because dead baiting is a waste of time during the summer months (check out this article) and if you want to catch pike in the summer lure fishing is by far the best method, and this is what spinning rods are designed (and best used) for. 

​7ft medium/heavy spinning rods for catching pike on the Norfolk Broads

The selection of 7ft medium/heavy spinning rods is vast and there are a lot to choose from. The quality, and hence price of these rods varies greatly and I would advise getting the best you can afford. I have been down the cheap route before, and in the long run it actually cost me more because I ended up spending extra on a decent spinning rod. There is a saying “Buy cheap buy twice” and this applies when buying spinning rods.
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There are a handful of 7ft medium/heavy spinning rods that consistently get good reviews and write ups, and these include:-

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Lure fishing videos

Below are some lure fishing videos, courtesy of Youtube, you may find interesting.

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​Related reading

Below are some more pike fishing related articles and posts you may want to check out:-

• Spinning for summer pike on the Norfolk Broads. Some hints and tips that will help increase your catch rate when spinning for pike on the Norfolk Broads during the summer months.
• Don’t waste your time dead baiting for summer pike on the Norfolk Broads. Dead baiting is a great method for catching pike on the Norfolk Broads, but not during the summer months, as explored in this article.
• Locating pike on the Norfolk Broads. If you want to maximise your chances of catching pike on the Norfolk Broads you have to find them first, and this article will demonstrate how to go about doing this.
• Look after your catch. It is important you return any pike you catch from the Norfolk Broads totally unharmed and in the state you landed it, and the number one priority should be the pike’s welfare. This article looks at caring for pike and making sure they are not damaged during capture.
• Summer pike fishing. Some hints, tips and tricks to improve your catch rate when fishing for pike on the Norfolk Broads during the summer months.
• Make sure you use the right tackle. The Norfolk Broads holds a good head of pike, many of which are small jacks. The jack pike offer great sport, and even though they aren’t huge you should always make sure you use tackle that is sufficiently strong enough to get them in. Never fish light for pike is a post that explores this.
• Small Lures are a waste of time. If you want to catch pike from the Norfolk Broads you need to use big lures. The small Mepps type spinner baits are a total waste of time, even for the smaller pike. If you want to catch pike, either big or small, you need to use big lures. Using big lures to catch pike on the Norfolk Broads is a post that explores this. 
  
  

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