i'm planning to go pike fishing for the first time inspired by this thread and a burning desire to be outdoors next week. i've got a 2.75lb carp rod for a ledger dead bait and a 10ft lure rod for some artificial bait action. will use braid main line, got forceps and a glove and a landing mat and net. kebab rig thingy and some fox double traces. a zepelin float. dont let them get deep hooked. anything else i should know??!
Waiting to see the first few reports of the cod in and then I'm going on the boat..
In reply to Post #14
Wont be any lids on lakes for a while yet...
48 hours for me from tomorrow, air temp might be cold but it will take a few weeks of that to get the water temp really dropping....fishing on those first few frosty days can be really productive, can spur the Carp into action.....especially if your lake has some really deep parts...
Wont be any lids on lakes for a while yet...
48 hours for me from tomorrow, air temp might be cold but it will take a few weeks of that to get the water temp really dropping....fishing on those first few frosty days can be really productive, can spur the Carp into action.....especially if your lake has some really deep parts...
In reply to Post #16
i'm planning to go pike fishing for the first time inspired by this thread and a burning desire to be outdoors next week. i've got a 2.75lb carp rod for a ledger dead bait and a 10ft lure rod for some artificial bait action. will use braid main line, got forceps and a glove and a landing mat and net. kebab rig thingy and some fox double traces. a zepelin float. dont let them get deep hooked. anything else i should know??!
If you've never unhooked a pike before, I would suggest going with an experienced pike angler.
If you can't, then to unhook pike, lay them down on the mat, on their side,or back and straddle it between your legs. Hand in under the chin, and into the gill, minding your hand on the rakers, then with the other hand, unhook with your forceps.
At some point, no matter what, you will get a deep hooked fish. Don't panic, DON'T just cut the trace, same rules, take your time with the forceps to get the hook out.
I would forget about kebabs, simple deadbaits, mackerel, herring, smelt or whatever dead fish, or livies if your rules allow.
I would also suggest an uptrace. It means you can unclip the hook trace as you unhook, with no rods in the way.
i'm planning to go pike fishing for the first time inspired by this thread and a burning desire to be outdoors next week. i've got a 2.75lb carp rod for a ledger dead bait and a 10ft lure rod for some artificial bait action. will use braid main line, got forceps and a glove and a landing mat and net. kebab rig thingy and some fox double traces. a zepelin float. dont let them get deep hooked. anything else i should know??!
If you've never unhooked a pike before, I would suggest going with an experienced pike angler.
If you can't, then to unhook pike, lay them down on the mat, on their side,or back and straddle it between your legs. Hand in under the chin, and into the gill, minding your hand on the rakers, then with the other hand, unhook with your forceps.
At some point, no matter what, you will get a deep hooked fish. Don't panic, DON'T just cut the trace, same rules, take your time with the forceps to get the hook out.
I would forget about kebabs, simple deadbaits, mackerel, herring, smelt or whatever dead fish, or livies if your rules allow.
I would also suggest an uptrace. It means you can unclip the hook trace as you unhook, with no rods in the way.
In reply to Post #19
thanks very much - thats helpful - can i use a regular delkim plus bobbin arrangement for the deadbait ?
thanks very much - thats helpful - can i use a regular delkim plus bobbin arrangement for the deadbait ?
In reply to Post #20
Most Pike anglers use drop off indicators which clip on your rear bankstick via a jubilee clip, and you fish open bail arm. My son is coming with me over Christmas and he only has carp bobbins, so he'll be using them. The key is, as it is with any predator, they don't like resistance, so fish open bail arm if you can.
Have a look on youtube for unhooking tips, I'm sure there will be loads on there. You have to go prepared, no use going with 6" forceps. I have 12" forceps, 12" angled plier things and 12" cutters for cutting thru hooks if you can't get them out. Fortunately, I've never had to use these, but better to have them and not need them than the other way round. Good luck.
Most Pike anglers use drop off indicators which clip on your rear bankstick via a jubilee clip, and you fish open bail arm. My son is coming with me over Christmas and he only has carp bobbins, so he'll be using them. The key is, as it is with any predator, they don't like resistance, so fish open bail arm if you can.
Have a look on youtube for unhooking tips, I'm sure there will be loads on there. You have to go prepared, no use going with 6" forceps. I have 12" forceps, 12" angled plier things and 12" cutters for cutting thru hooks if you can't get them out. Fortunately, I've never had to use these, but better to have them and not need them than the other way round. Good luck.
In reply to Post #20
I much prefer to use a Delkim with a really heavy bobbin, had a low double the other week that gave me two beeps on full sensitivity using braid straight through, no way would this have registered on a drop off. The pike in the river are very often like that where I am, they just shake the rod.
I much prefer to use a Delkim with a really heavy bobbin, had a low double the other week that gave me two beeps on full sensitivity using braid straight through, no way would this have registered on a drop off. The pike in the river are very often like that where I am, they just shake the rod.
In reply to Post #20
I use Delkims set to as sensitive as possible with drop-off indicators, even with a paternostered float setup and a ledgered bait.
You can still get some fish that the indicator twitches up or down but with the Delkim you get a bleep.
The float will often rock before going under or sliding across the surface.
I use Delkims set to as sensitive as possible with drop-off indicators, even with a paternostered float setup and a ledgered bait.
You can still get some fish that the indicator twitches up or down but with the Delkim you get a bleep.
The float will often rock before going under or sliding across the surface.
Well, it's definitely arrived today, absolutely freezing in Stoke. Was going to venture onto the river with a lure rod, might go on the canal instead if it aint got a lid on it.
In reply to Post #24
Yeah definitely arrived today I'm going to get myself over the North Met Pit on Monday for 72 hours going to keep feeding the snags throughout the winter and hopefully 1 of the big old girls makes a appearance
Yeah definitely arrived today I'm going to get myself over the North Met Pit on Monday for 72 hours going to keep feeding the snags throughout the winter and hopefully 1 of the big old girls makes a appearance
thanks for the pike info fellas - i'm feeling good about this trip
In reply to Post #26
Hi mate,
Make sure you look on youtube before you go, regarding the unhooking.
As you no doubt know there is a technique to get them to open their mouths.
This is on of the better ones. (alot don't point out the area you need to hold) :-
https://youtu.be/sS7XBbF4Cf8
Hi mate,
Make sure you look on youtube before you go, regarding the unhooking.
As you no doubt know there is a technique to get them to open their mouths.
This is on of the better ones. (alot don't point out the area you need to hold) :-
https://youtu.be/sS7XBbF4Cf8
In reply to Post #27
ty
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In reply to Post #25
Too right it's arrived, just got back from a couple of hours on the canal, it was really cold. After about an hour, the guides on my light lure rod froze, it has really small guides at the tip. Thought I'd go back to the car and swap it for my medium setup, medium duty rod with bigger guides. That froze up within half an hour, decided to pack up, go home and google "how to stop rod guides from freezing". And I blanked.....
Too right it's arrived, just got back from a couple of hours on the canal, it was really cold. After about an hour, the guides on my light lure rod froze, it has really small guides at the tip. Thought I'd go back to the car and swap it for my medium setup, medium duty rod with bigger guides. That froze up within half an hour, decided to pack up, go home and google "how to stop rod guides from freezing". And I blanked.....
In reply to Post #29
That froze up within half an hour, decided to pack up, go home and google "how to stop rod guides from freezing
Spray the rod guides with glycerine before use...
That froze up within half an hour, decided to pack up, go home and google "how to stop rod guides from freezing
Spray the rod guides with glycerine before use...