Pike matches, good or bad?

[fenboy]

Just a couple of points:

 

1. Addressing this issue isn'y giving ammunition to you-know-who. It's a case of getting our own house in order, which is a positive thing to do and could in fact be used as ammunition against them.

 

2. Lure-only matches would be an excellent idea. While pike do sometimes take lures deeply, it is comparitively rare. And anglers certainly can't deep-hook fish on lures deliberately.

 

So how about pike matches being made artificial-lures-only? What a lovely idea... I might even have a go myself.

 

Come on, don't let this idea die. Let's hear what everyone has to say...

[Tim Kelly]

And now for the vested interest part....

 

30th May LAS Ardingly lure competition!

 

Ardingly competition

[Nugg]

Fenboy,

Getting our own house in order you say, surely that is expressing to outside influences that there is something wrong, when it's perfectly in order and legal.

 

Ok I would go along with lure matches only, with all the fish friendly scenarios that it suggests.

Whilst some of these anglers would enter into the spirit of this wholeheartedly I feel that the larger majority would feel anger at being dictated to, furiously defend the right to fish how they wanted.

 

I don't know much at all about these contests except that they do happen. I am given to understand that the big matches are sponsored by someone like A.T. If there was some kind of a boycott on the products of these sponsors, it would take a lot more than other Pike anglers to add enough weight to this kind of action to have any kind of effect, and would take time, but time is not the issue here I suppose.

That leaves smaller club contests which are carried out on their own waters, between club members, I don't see that we could have any influence in that direction.

I can see that what I say here looks a little negative, but believe me when I say I would like to be more positive, and if anyone can come up with any suggestions that might have a mutual outcome it will have my 100% support.

[Brian Crawford]

Peter Waller:

Spawned by the devil says Fenboy! Mark Barrett agrees, and so do I!

 

Should caring pikers campaign the ACA to pull out of pike matches? Should the PAC pull out of the Marie Curie pike matches?

 

Personally I am convinced that the PAC is wrong to support a pike match, however well it is run. In supporting its own it is condoning the less well run matches of others.

 

Pike matches, with the temptation to allow deephooking rather than loose the big cash prize, fly against the very concept of pike conservation.

 

Angling Time's involvement with the ACA pike championship is of no great credit to that publication.

 

Both Marie Curie and the ACA need the revenue that these matches generate. But why choose a fragile fish that is unsuited to match fishing? There are other, more hardy species out there, choose one of them.

I doubt very much that pike matches can be stopped as there is too much money/status concerned. The general angling public is too well used to the idea of pike matches now, especially with respect to raising funds for the ACA who may well be bankrupt in a year or two anyway, according to my deepthroat source.

 

I believe in education.

 

I believe the PAC should take more responsiblity and be more proactive with respect to pike matches. All organisers of pike matches should liaise with the PAC to ensure all participants have a brochure/information sheet on basic piking requirements regarding tackle and techniques and any participant not having correct/approved equipment, not be allowed entry. The PAC should have members available in all Regions who would be willing to attend local pike matches to vet tackle etc. and to ensure all pike caught are dealt with appropriately.

 

Brian

 

[ 18. January 2004, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: Brian Crawford ]

[mark barrett]

they are admirable sentiments brian, but with the amount of pike matches that go on in my area these same people would be out at least once a weekend at a match, usually there are more, it just couldnt work.

 

there are so many bad things about Pike matches that there really should be no place for them in modern angling, after all if anglers really need a competitive edge then fish a normal match, or go sea fishing because from what i have seen at most pike matches they already have the gear

[Peter Waller]

Tim Kelly:

And now for the vested interest part....

 

30th May LAS Ardingly lure competition!

 

Ardingly competition

Piking in the hallowed, sacrosanct Close Season :mad: Atghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh .

[Dick Dastardly]

Doesnt matter how you fish for them still puts a lot of pressure on the fish.Lures dont do any damage to Pike then eh? As usual we seem pre ocupied with deep hooking,this is just one of the issues.

[fenboy]

Budgie, why are you apparently defending deep-hooking of pike? It's beyond the pale.

 

Lure fishing does cause damage, too. Occasionally a big pike will actually swallow a lure. I've landed pike over 20 lb with the lure (a sizeable plug) out of sight. But, like I said, That's rare.

 

And, most importantly, it's not DELIBERATE.

 

Deep hooking isn't just another aspect of pike fishing, as you put it. It's the ugly side of pike fishing.

 

Until pike anglers are dragged, moaning, into the 21st century, barbaric practices like deliberate deep hooking will remain rife.

 

Incidentally, damage caused from lure fishing is usually superficial. I've caught thousands of pike on lures and admit that some scissor damage happens and even, occasionally, a pike (usually small) will be foulhooked because its aim has been inaccurate. On very rare occasions such a fish will even be hooked in the eye and I accept that such a fish will possibly be blinded in that eye as a result.

 

But, as I said, this very rare damage is superficial. Blind pike continue to grow, often into 20 lb-plus. SCissor damage looks horrible to us, but I would contend is less likely to kill a pike than a set of hooks in its intestines.

 

Hooking a pike anywhere other than in its mouth is barbaric. If you hook one too deeply, you should making efforts to work out where you went wrong to prevent it happening again.

 

And if you don't accept the argument against deep hooking, you should be fishing for something else. Pike fishing doesn't need complete tw*ts.

[Dick Dastardly]

Your post proves my point Fenboy!Of course I am not defending deep hooking and I am sure that you dont really think I am.It is easy to focus on this aspect of bad piking and totally or should I say convieniently ignore the rest.

[Dick Dastardly]

quote:

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Originally posted by fenboy:

[QB] Budgie, why are you apparently defending deep-hooking of pike? It's beyond the pale.

QB]

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In fact on reflection that is a pretty stupid and some what antagonistic statement to make.I also hope the latter paragraphs are airing your views in general and not aimed in any way at me.