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With a 5" bait, I would try something more in the range of 1/0 or 2/0. Try a kahle hook, or if you are more conservation minded a circle hook. When a pike is running fast it is most likely heading for cover while waiting for the bait to die. It is a poor time to set the hook. I gave much more info in the post you put in the general forum, but you will miss a lot less fish with good technique, and practice. The worst days is when they take the bait just a few yards and stop. I still have not figured out those kinds of days, but if they are running with the bait, they are catchable.
I have had fish swallow treble hooks and these fish are strictly catch and release so I would rather stay away from trebles. I know they would be the way to go for a sure catch but just don't want the risk of the fish dying. I feel like I need to wait for the right moment to hookset, usually after they run , stop for s minute, and start the run again is when I have had success landing fish. Patience is something I definately need to practice.
Im starting to really like the gordy pyzer inline quickstrike rig.
I catch and release also, heres my advice, switch to trebles.. Start hooking your bait in the tail, and by tail i mean the last half inch of the meaty section of the tail.. Pike swallow baitfish head 1st, if the hook is in the tail its that much closer to the corner of the jaw.. I can tell you this, 99.99999999% of my hooksets are corner of the jaw using this method.. It doesnt effect how the bait swims around whatsoever , infact, i think it gives them a little more pep in their step so to speak...
I hook my minnows further back then most people I know between back of dorsal and tail.I don't do it for hook ups or to keep them from swallowing it.I do it because I think it makes it look more like the bait is struggling,set it like this over a good weedbed and it gives the illusion the minnow is trying to swim down toward weeds.just my theory,but with quickstrikes I usually hook pike in corner of mouth and rarely have 1 swallow bait.my