There’s little to beat landing a pristine pike in the swirling mist of an early-morning session, and now that we’re in the midst of the time for the species, why don’t you cash in and start
pike fishing?
Starting piking is easier than you think, and for a minimal outlay on bait
and
terminal tackle, plus a rod and reel borrowed from carp fishing, you’ll
have all you need for a day’s battle with this most ferocious of UK fish.
Almost every water holds pike, from tiny jacks to fat-bellied beasts, and by
investing in
pike fishing tackle to fish static and moving baits, you’ll have every option covered for reservoirs, rivers, canals, lochs or lakes.
To begin with, you need to track down the fish. Great running-water
hotspots are town centres, where prey fish like roach gather for the winter. While in deep lakes or lochs, where silvers will shoal up, these are great spots to fish for pike, but don’t ignore shallower swims on mild days.
Concerning tactics, lure fishing is the simplest form of piking, requiring only a conventional
lure rod or light
carp rod, heavy-duty spinning reel loaded with 15lb line and a strong wire trace of around 30lb. For lures, invest in patterns that move slowly. Popular and productive lures include Shad Raps, spoons and shallow diving patterns.
If a more static approach is needed, dead baits can score heavily. It’s more of a sit-and-wait job but catches bigger fish. The same lines and
deadbait traces will do, so you can get away with using just the one
spinning reel, but you’ll need a
more powerful
deadbait rod for casting.
You’ll also need to buy
treble hooks ranging from sizes 4 to 6 semi-barbless. Some tackle companies and brands like
Daiwa Prorex,
Savage Gear, and
Fox Rage make high-quality ready-made traces.
On shallow waters, a slim
pike float with the bait fished a little over depth
offers maximum sensitivity, while for more substantial, deeper lakes a simple running leger using
lead weights from 1oz to 3oz will do nicely.
Coarse dead baits such as
roach and
skimmer bream are unbeatable for the hook, followed by sea fish such as
smelt,
lamprey sections,
herrings,
mackerel and
sardines. All of these
frozen baits can be purchased in store at
fishingmegastore.
Regarding bite detection, a standard carp
bite alarm with a
bobbin will be suitable, and the best bit of advice is to strike as soon as the fish runs and starts taking the
fishing line off the reel – don’t wait any longer!
So that’s tackle and bait sorted, but what about handling a pike? They can
be frightening to a beginner and need a lot of care to avoid damage. Essential kit for a piker includes
forceps of various lengths and sizes to remove trebles,
long nose pliers for unhooking lures, a good-quality
unhooking mat, and
wire cutters for the odd occasion when hooks might need cutting.
Another essential piece of pike kit is a good quality
42" landing net, which will make retrieving a lot safer for you, and the fish.
If you are starting out pike fishing, the best advice is to talk to, or at least go out with, an experienced piker to learn how to treat your quarry. An experience pike angler can show you all the necessary skills far better than a book ever can and demonstrate how to return a fish safely. Don’t just throw them back – pike needs nursing in the water, being kept upright before swimming off actively.
This article was brought to you in association with
Angling Times.
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