Cooler weather and a strong wind have turned my attention back to pike fishing. I had my first of the new season, this morning, fishing a small smelt with a large single hook through the tail root. The pike, a mere three pounder, had swallowed the bait but, with the hook in the tail, the eye and shank were still visible and unhooking was easy. I'm pleased to say that I was able to take the hook out and leave the smelt in! If I'd gone pike fishing this time last year, I'd have mounted the smelt on a twin-treble snap-tackle and I'd have really struggled to unhook the fish. I can't recommend the switch to a single hook strongly enough: I'll probably never fish smelt on a snap-tackle again, and I'm going to try and work out whether single hooks are suitable for whole herring.

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Can you give us some more info on the rig you use ? very interested in the idea of using single hooks for pike.

What sort of hooks and trace wire do you use ?

Very simple, Matt:


A size 2/0 barbed hook (barb slightly flattened), with barbed shank. A two-foot ready-made Drennan trace with two SSG shot to cock the Fox 'ball-bob' float. Bait rests on the bottom, but the shot tells me I'm not too much over depth.

Hey A Pike rig I can understand! Thanks for that

Mat

I like the idea of simplicity too Pangolin but you have what seems to be a stainless steel 'baitholder' hook with the clip mounted directly to the hook and this will eventually be a problem for a fish. I've never liked that style of clip, they open too easily and if this clip opens either by accident or via pike biting down on it, you'll probably leave a very big non-rotting stainless hook with small barbs on the shank, stuck in a fishes mouth. Even if it doesnt stick its going to make unneccesarily large holes in a pikes mouth. IMHO you need something like a VB double with a homemade wire trace tied, crimped, twisted directly to the hook with a swivel at the other end. That gives you a simple hook rig using a hook custom made for the job and very much sharper than the one that you are using. I have some here, you're welcome to try one if you pm me your address. Have a look at the Archie Braddock setup at http://www.braddocksbaits.co.uk. I think its under 'the way forward' The big livebait float also looks like a real monster for deadbaits. I would imagine the resistance that a fish feels when mouthing your bait might lose you a few big fish. Best go for a pencil style float and adjust the size to the strength of flow. If you're fishing stillwaters then a small poly ball is really all you need. All of that will give you an even simpler (and much safer)single hook rig.

Would I be OK substituting the snap-lok clip with a small split-ring ?(I have a few of those in my tacklebox)The float isn't as big as it looks:I make the diameter just 3cm. Pike interest is usually registered by the float rolling onto its side, before moving off along the surface. As the bait is already on the bottom, the pike don't tend to pull it under. Thanks for the advice, by the way. I ougt to add that I'm catching these pike on a canal, so I don't have the problem of trying to keep the bait on the hook for a long cast: I'd have thought that I might need a tie round the tail if I needed to really launch the bait.

ditch the readymade trace, its easier than you think to make your own, then you can affix the hook in many ways

It's one of my 'things to do', for this Autumn (making my own traces). I made a last-minute decision to put out a pike line, this morning, and it was lucky I still had some smelt in the freezer. I relied on the traces I used last spring, which I had been very happy with: I'm going to make my own because they will be cheaper and I can make exactly the length I need...

I sat down at the kitchen table on Saturday and made some traces for the next few months, and I must say how calming and satisfying it is to sit there getting them done and feeling like a true craftsman at work!

If any of you don't make your own, give it a go! The kit doesn't cost a fortune and it's very satisfying.

Simon

Pang when ever I do Pike Teach Ins I always do a bit on trace making.It never fails to amaze me how suprised a lot of relatively experienced guys are at how easy (and much better it is) to make your own.

As for the single hook thing,I like many ,many others have in the past experimented with single hooks and the likes.I like the many others returned to trebles! However you wont do them any harm so give it a try and find out for your self too.

I have always thought that most experimentation with singles is due to a lack of confidence in unhooking ability along with the well founded fear of causing damage by deep hooking (mine certainly was!)Far better to sort these things out in my opinion but as I said no harm in comming to your own conclusions,One word of caution though is to bear in mind the depth that a large single can penetrate.It is often the case that large (1/0 and above) singles are substituted for the trebles.Good luck with your Piking though.Gerrys cxomments on stainless hooks.clips etc are well founded.