Hi
New member posting for the first time:-

My name is Dave and I live in Cookham which is just outside Maidenhead in Berkshire. I'm 45 and quite new to fishing.
I have a friend who has got me up and runnung with some of his old carp gear and I have enjoyed very much some fantastic sessions (under his guidance + tuition) at Royal Berks Fishery. But my mate will turn his attentions very very soon to piking, and this is where I would appreciate a little help + guidance.

What are your opinions / thoughts on the following as a set up for a beginner and of course, what about the price:-

Rod..Fox Predator Deadbait 12' 2 3/4lb tc £49;99

Reel..Abu Garcia Fr305 £49:99

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Rods fine, don't know the reel (Fr305?) but you'll need a reel with a baitrunner facility. If you have 50 quid to spend check out the Okuma thread earlier today/yesterday. If you can find 58 quid it'll buy you an Okuma Pro Epix EB50. As good as anything else around.

Don't forget an unhooking mat and long nose pliers.

hi dave

i have the abu fr,i use it for pike and zander etc,its a good reel for the money,i have had some very hard fighting fish using it and i cant really fault it.i find the front drag a bit fiddly,but am getting used to it now,i keep it set to give only under alot of pressure,useing braid on the metal spool and mono on the plastic(plastic spools can shatter and explode under pressure with braid).

if you look at the reel and compare it to teh okuma's you will find theer pretty much the same.
i just prefer a make i know.(other reels a shimano baitrunner RE)

i think you got a good match there with your choice of rod and reel.
fill the reels with 15lb mono(big game by berkley,reccommended) or 30-40lb braid(shimano antares).
you will probably find mono easier to get on with at first.

i take it your mate is going to show you safe rigs and handling/unhooking techniques?

[ 25. September 2005, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: Ratty Fitzpatrick46 ]

hi dave and welcome. i too live in cookham but have never fished royal berks. and i am also turning to piking soon and i use a 2 3/4lb t.c rod with a daiwa regal z from argos (£39.99, good value ) loaded with 12lb line

a bait runner isnt totaly necesary as u can put a elastic band round the but in front of the spool and clip up to that! only pull a tiny loop through tho! as u want to keep resistence to a minimum! used this method for years and duz the job fine!

Some reading for those new to pike fishing

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon04.htm


Tight Lines - leon

most important get a good pair of forcepts, unhooking mat and read up about the pike and how to handle one, yes the likes of Matt Hayes and Mick brown make it look easy "chining" out a pike, so a good landing net is a must.

In my brief experience, ordinary woven fabric carp-style landing nets can get into a hideous tangle around a 'loose' treble. Barbed trebles are close to impossible, crushed barbs are bad, and even barbless are difficult.

Good wire cutters can save a lot of sweat and panic here. You can snip the points of that spare treble in a few seconds and get the fish away from the net and unhooked quickly.

Without wirecutters you can have a pike virtually tethered up against the net, and a b#tch to unhook.

Alternatively buy a specialist pred net which won't get tangled with the hooks.

[ 26. September 2005, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: GlennB ]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I have bought 3 rods of the variety mentioned, two at 2 3/4 tc and one at 3 1/4 tc and the three Abu Fr reels.
I have a landing net and an unhooking mat from carping earlier on that me mate Mick has given me. On above advice I also now have cutters and long nose forceps and am on me way round Micks to load up the new reels with braid.

"Ratty"
I agree with you 100% about the front clutch on the reels, they are fiddly and even the guy in the tackle shop agreed but said I would get used to it with experience.
My mate is always banging on at me for adjusting the clutch when playing some of the carp I have caught and says I shouldn't need to but I would rather give a little line rather than have the fish pull the hook out or even worse snap the rig.

Anyone any views or advice as to whether you should set the clutch and leave it or adjust as you play the fish in?

"Fantasticfisherman", let me know where you are in Cookham and maybe we can "hook up" (excuse the pun) sometime.

We will be getting an early start on Saturday for my first piking adventures so watch this space for piccies.

Thanks once again for the advice,all of which is duly noted.

cheers

Dave

dave,

i have it set to give around an inch of line under direct pressure from the reel(pulled by hand),sometimes you do need to give,so yes i do adjust while playing as i do with a rear drag.i only adjust it slightly to much and it will whiz round and tangle so go easy,you could of course backwind i do do thid,but recently had my knuckles wrapped while playing a good pike,bugger took my livebait aimed at zander!lost the fish too,hooks dropped.