I don't fish for pike very much but we spend a ton of time fishing for lake trout. They are notorious for taking a ton of line. What we have been doing recently is rubber banding the line at a certain distance. Fish takes the bait, runs to the band and..yo yo, hook is normally set right in the corner of the jaw. If the fish breaks the band, it is usually over 10 pounds. Saves a ton of time reeling line back on the spool. Especially at -0s.
I don't know if it would work for pike or not.
