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Predator tackle · Pike hooklinks · Our take
Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire
Pikeflex Wire hooklink material
A tidy, flexible wire hooklink for lure and deadbait pike anglers who want reliable bite protection without turning a rig into a stiff old clothes line.
- Flexible wire material for making pike-resistant hooklinks and traces.
- Suited to lure, deadbait and general pike fishing.
- Useful when you want a supple presentation rather than a very stiff trace.
- Inspect the wire regularly and replace it if it kinks, frays or gets damaged.
Make sure it’s the right one. This review covers Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire, the flexible wire trace material sold for making pike-resistant hooklinks and traces. Exact breaking strains and spool lengths vary by version, so check the label before buying.
Tackle Index Score
Tackle Index score
A dependable, flexible wire material that earns its place in a pike angler’s box, especially if you like making your own traces.
- Product Quality8.8/10
- Performance8.8/10
- Impact on Fish Catching8.8/10
- Ease of Use8.3/10
- Value for Money8.8/10
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Who it suits
Is it right for you?
Great for
- Lure anglers. It offers a neat, flexible connection between the lure and your main line without making the front end feel needlessly clumsy.
- Deadbait pike anglers. It’s handy for building custom traces around treble hooks, swivels and bait rigs.
Maybe skip if
- Anglers wanting a ready-made trace. This is hooklink material, so you’ll need to make the trace yourself and use suitable terminal components.
- Anyone who ignores damaged wire. No wire hooklink should be fished once it’s kinked, chewed up or showing damage. Pike safety depends on regular checks.
The lowdown
Introducing the Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire
A tidy, flexible wire hooklink for lure and deadbait pike anglers who want reliable bite protection without turning a rig into a stiff old clothes line.
- Flexible wire material for making pike-resistant hooklinks and traces.
- Suited to lure, deadbait and general pike fishing.
- Useful when you want a supple presentation rather than a very stiff trace.
- Inspect the wire regularly and replace it if it kinks, frays or gets damaged.
Quick verdict
A proper handy bit of pike wire
E-Sox Pikeflex Wire is a sensible choice when you want a supple, neat hooklink that still gives you the essential protection against pike teeth.
It’s not fancy, and it won’t remove the need for careful trace building and bite checks. But for lure, deadbait and general pike work, it’s a cracking bit of terminal tackle.
A dependable, flexible wire material that earns its place in a pike angler’s box, especially if you like making your own traces.
- Product Quality
- 8.8/10
- Performance
- 8.8/10
- Impact on Fish Catching
- 8.8/10
- Ease of Use
- 8.3/10
- Value for Money
- 8.8/10
Drennan offers a purpose-made predator wire designed for neat, practical trace building.
Its flexible design should suit both lure work and deadbait rigs without making the front end needlessly stiff.
Reliable bite protection lets you fish confidently while the supple material helps maintain a tidy presentation.
The wire is manageable, but building a proper finished trace still requires care, suitable crimps and a bit of practice.
It’s a versatile spool material that can produce several custom traces rather than locking you into one fixed layout.
Head to head
How it stacks up
Side by side with the closest kit we've reviewed. This updates as we add more reviews.
Drennan
Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire (this one)
Top scorer
Top scorer
Scores are our own, out of 10. Best in each row is in green. Prices change, so check the latest before you buy.
The full rundown
Everything you'll want to know about the Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire
Pike fishing is one game where the hooklink isn’t the place to get a bit penny-pinching. You can have the best braid, the fanciest lure and a proper savage spot, but if a pike’s teeth get through the business end, it’s game over. Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire is made for that job: giving you a flexible, bite-resistant material for building your own pike traces.
The name tells you the main selling point. This is Pikeflex, not some stiff old length of wire that makes your lure behave like it’s towing a shopping trolley. It’s designed to be supple enough for practical rig making and a more natural presentation, while still doing the important work of putting something tougher than nylon or fluorocarbon between the fish and your main line.
That makes it a useful option for lure anglers. Whether you’re twitching a small soft plastic, working a shallow hardbait or banging a spinner over weed, a bulky trace can sometimes get in the way. A flexible wire hooklink keeps the front end relatively tidy and lets the lure move properly. You still need a suitable clip and swivel, mind. Don’t bodge the business end and blame the wire.
It also fits nicely into deadbait fishing. You can build a trace around your chosen treble hooks, add a swivel at the main-line end and tailor the length to the bait and the swim. Fishing a float in the margins? Make it neat and unobtrusive. Ledgering a smelly roach into deeper water? Use a layout that keeps everything sitting properly and gives you a clean take.
The DIY angle is a big part of the appeal. Ready-made traces are convenient, but making your own means you can alter hook spacing, trace length and the position of your swivels. That’s dead handy when you’re switching between a small bait and a bigger mouthful. It also means you can rebuild a damaged trace rather than chucking the whole lot in the tackle bag.
There is a little faff involved, though. Wire hooklinks need proper components and clean construction. Use crimps suited to the wire, don’t absolutely muller them with pliers, and leave no sharp tag ends sticking out. A purpose-made crimping tool is the sensible route. Give each finished trace a careful pull before it goes anywhere near a pike. Better to find a duff connection at home than after a screaming take.
Like all wire, Pikeflex needs looking after. A trace can be perfectly sound at breakfast and suspect by tea if it’s been wrapped around weed, dragged through snags or chewed during a lively unhooking. Check the section nearest the hooks and any points where the wire bends around a crimp. If it’s kinked, flattened, frayed or looking a bit ropey, bin it. Wire is cheap compared with losing a fish or compromising its welfare.
The flexibility is particularly useful when your fishing needs a less obvious front end. Clear water, pressured fish and small lures can all benefit from avoiding unnecessary bulk. That doesn’t mean pike suddenly become rig-shy magicians, but a tidy trace is rarely a bad thing. Pike are predators, not fools, and clean presentation helps when the conditions are tough.
So, who should buy it? Anglers who enjoy building their own traces and want a versatile, manageable wire material will get the most from it. It’s a straightforward bit of kit rather than a miracle upgrade, but it covers the fundamentals properly. Pair it with quality swivels, reliable clips and sharp hooks, and you’ve got a cracking starting point for safe, effective pike rigs.
Specifications
The nuts and bolts
- Product type
- Flexible wire hooklink material
- Main use
- Pike traces for lure and deadbait fishing
- Construction
- Supple wire designed for predator hooklinks
- Rig building
- Typically used with suitable crimps, swivels and clips
- Available versions
- Breaking strain and spool length vary by pack
Specs checked with Drennan, Oct 2026.
Spot a model or spec change?
Our take
Flexible enough for natural presentation
The big appeal is that Pikeflex Wire doesn’t feel like a rigid bit of fencing wire. That makes it easier to build tidy traces and lets baits and lures work without the hooklink dominating the presentation.
For pike fishing, bite protection comes first. A soft wire hooklink gives you that vital barrier between sharp teeth and your main line, while staying manageable when you’re tying or crimping rigs on the bank.
What you’re buying
A flexible base for custom pike traces
E-Sox Pikeflex Wire is sold as hooklink material rather than a finished trace. That means you can choose the length, hook arrangement and end tackle to suit the job. It’s a good fit for anglers who like their lure or deadbait rigs set up exactly how they want them.
The wire is intended to be used with proper predator-fishing components. Build it with suitable crimps, swivels, clips and hooks, then check every connection carefully. The material may be supple, but the finished rig is only as dependable as the weakest bit of your build.
Worth knowing. Don’t judge a used trace by appearance alone. Run your fingers along it and inspect every bend, especially near the hook end. One nasty kink is enough reason to start again.
On the bank
Ideal for anglers who like a tidy, adaptable rig
Lure anglers get a flexible connection that shouldn’t overpower the action of smaller and medium-sized lures. It’s also useful when you’re changing styles through the day, from steady retrieves over weed to sharper twitches around cover.
Deadbait anglers can use it to make traces matched to the bait size and hook placement. That’s especially useful when you’re moving between float fishing, legering and margin work, where one fixed shop-bought trace may not quite fit.
Worth knowing. Keep a few pre-made traces in a wallet or small rig box. When the rods are off and a trace gets damaged, a fresh one saves loads of faff and keeps you fishing.
Quick answers
The bits anglers usually want to know
The wire is for pike hooklinks, not a general-purpose substitute for carp or coarse-fishing rig material. Pike teeth are the reason it’s there, so use it whenever your setup could be picked up by a pike and bite protection is needed.
There’s no magic replacement schedule. A trace used around snags may need changing quickly, while a clean trace can last longer. The rule is simple: inspect it after each fish and replace anything damaged, kinked or suspect.
Worth knowing. Always follow local pike-handling rules and use proper unhooking gear. A safe trace is only one part of responsible predator fishing.
On paper
Pros & cons
What we like
- Supple and easy to handle when making traces.
- Gives proper bite protection for pike fishing.
- Works across lure and deadbait setups.
- Makes tidy, compact hooklinks without loads of faff.
Worth knowing
- Wire can suffer if badly kinked or repeatedly bent in the same place.
- You’ll need the right crimps, swivels and tools to build the finished trace neatly.
- The exact breaking strain and spool format depend on the version you buy.
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Your questions answered
What anglers want to know
The stuff you’d ask your mate on the next peg. Straight answers, no waffle.
01What is Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire used for?
What is Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire used for?
It’s used to make pike-resistant hooklinks and traces for lure fishing, deadbaiting and other pike setups. You build the finished trace using suitable swivels, clips, hooks and crimps.
02Can Pikeflex Wire be tied?
Can Pikeflex Wire be tied?
Wire can be awkward to tie reliably, so many anglers build traces with purpose-made crimps and the correct crimping tool. Follow the tackle maker’s guidance and make sure every connection is properly closed.
03How often should a wire trace be replaced?
How often should a wire trace be replaced?
Check it after every fish and after any snag or rough contact. Replace it straight away if it has a sharp kink, damaged coating, fraying or any other sign it could fail.
What anglers say
The word from the bank
Our read: a proper handy bit of pike wire. The strongest reasons to choose it are supple and easy to handle when making traces. and gives proper bite protection for pike fishing.; the main trade-off is wire can suffer if badly kinked or repeatedly bent in the same place..
Our take on the feedback
Why it appeals
Checked Sept '26 — “Supple and easy to handle when making traces.”
Best fit
Checked Sept '26 — “Lure anglers: It offers a neat, flexible connection between the lure and your main line without making the front end feel needlessly clumsy.”
Worth knowing
Checked Sept '26 — “Wire can suffer if badly kinked or repeatedly bent in the same place.”
Tackle Index’s take from the product details and fishing fit we checked. We haven’t found enough independent public feedback to call this an angler consensus yet.
Angler score
What our readers rate Drennan E-Sox Pikeflex Wire
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Owner reports
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