Neil G

Really not sure if makes any difference as to wether a bait is taken or not but definately worth using for situations where only the single barb is put through the bait so you don't lose so many. Good point about finding the hooks in long grass with these Steve....I've stood on lots of rigs with the result of bent hooks as I haven't seen them!

Are they red or orange in colour? These are probably 'bait flags' which you can use to hold bait on with but putting on the end of the point which goes through the bait or to add colour to the bait. The marketing that goes with these says they create a striking target for the pike due to the colour....I'm not too sure that I believe that. They are third down on this page http://www.tackleshop.co.uk/ProductsList/m...c5-1f44269fa008

Thanks for the tips Tim I've dealt with some lively pike in some really c**p situations on rivers where there is barely enough room to stand so most of the time if they aren't big they'll barely leave the water avoiding any hassle. I imagine this is similar in boats where you can unhook the fish in the net avoiding any issues and looking after the pike. I'm afraid it's not just trout waters that attract bad fishermen....I was horrified the other day when I found some kids spinning unsupervised and with no unhooking tools...that's just out of order really and I really hope they didn't have any luck and took our advice to go home and at the very least get some pliers! I have plenty of rods to cope with different piking situations but I think the lure rods will see a fair bit of action when we go out on Chew !

I'm not taking it the wrong way but am pretty much 100% confident in my pike handling and unhooking ability...I think the only thing that would bother me is not dealing with the pike but manoevering the boat etc if you hooked a big one. Usually I fish tight swims on rivers as well where not only do you have to cope with snags aplenty but limited space on the bank to deal with pike so that has further increased the technique to get them back into the water as quick as possible.

I've had similar problems on some lakes....may mackerel baits for the pike have been smashed to pieces by eels. I usually step down the bait size to a small chunk of deadbait on a single hook with a trace. Definately use the heavier rod...eels are very, very powerful fish Good luck!

I would be nice to fish a big reservoir like Chew by boat...it's something I've never done before so it'll be a good day no matter what size fish are caught. Are there any other waters in the UK worth a trip to for say 3/4 days to fish for pike exclusively ?

I've never had much luck on the Kennet & Avon canal for pike but then again I haven't fished it much. I hear from plenty of sources that the K&A near Devizes holds some very big specimens though.

Interesting read Is there still pike culling going on at Grafham in the summer by fly fisherman or is it just the overfishing of the place that makes it bad by October ? I have had some really good sport at Cheddar and am going to be fishing Chew this winter for the first time.....fingers crossed something special might turn up.

How does it compare to say Chew Valley or Cheddar down south?

Just use 'stepped down' carp tactics/tackle...that's all there is to it.

Totally agree I find if you watch the float for a while you get used to it's 'normal' movements (especially on rivers) so any deviation from this no matter how slight is usually an indication of a pike. I too have found that a lot of pike pick up the baits and move off quite slowly so the float may not go straight under but just change position on the surface.

Why is that Budgie? I know Grafham has a good reputation as a pike water but is it overfished/pressured. Also how do you get onto the water...do you have to pay a membership fee etc

Some of the rivers I fish are very, very rocky...bricks etc everywhere so I usually stick to the mono

I usually use a fox micron up the front and a fox dropback indicator TBH I'll always try and use floats where I can i.e when distance and water flow isn't an issue...best indicator so long as you keep a watchful eye !

Wychwood all the way I think their Rogue range of rods are great value for money

Sorry but one thing that leads to disillusionment is blanking. I do however agree on the expectation side of things....if you start catching large amounts of 'pasties' easily then switching to the river is going to be a bit of a shock!

Looks like a great line up of speakers Definately going to try and make it

Lovely eel....great catching big ones like that as they are so, so strong

Welcome to the forum My advice is keep it simple....try not to get confused with all the newfangled gear/rigs etc (especially carp kit).....fish aren't too fussed about what reel your using lol Commercial fisheries are definately a good place to start to get the hang of things.

I'm using 18lb mono on my bait rods mate but am thinking about loading one reel with 50lbs braid which has the same dia. as 12llb mono for some bait fishing...the only thing that concerns me is the abrasion issue.

Agree The amount of litter and line etc I find on some riverbanks is appaling...definately not good advertising for us fishermen. I always try and take home as much of it as I can to get rid of it properly

Definately not dissapointed.....got it the other day and it looks like a real quality rod, not bad for £65

I've gone up to 18lb on my bait rods for piking as the rivers are very, very snaggy. 50-80lb Powerpro on my lure rods.

The commercials I fish ban braided mainline but are happy for you to use braided hair rigs.

I did experiment with singles but with not much luck so have returned to the trusted single treble. As above..if it ain't broke....