Grandma

You can hold small pike by gripping them over the shoulders, just behind the head. But as Chris says, you can chin virtually any size pike, certainly once they get bigger than 8" or so.

Tigger, 20lb braid is a bit light for general pike fishing. It's ok for ultralight lures and might have a place when boat fishing with jigs, but I wouldn't recommend it for dead baiting, live baiting or lures over an ounce.

Power Pro seems to be the bench mark for a lot of uk lure anglers and with good reason; it's consistently reliable unlike some brands which have a reputation for snapping. I'd suggest basing your choice of diameter / strength on the weight of lures you'll be using, as braid is prone to snapping on the cast, if it's too light for the lures being used. I doubt you'll be chucking ultralights on a multiplier set up, so I'd suggest 50 or 65lb braid for lures up to 2oz / 60 grams (or thereabouts) and 80 or 100lb braid for the big stuff.

Thanks SM, that's very helpful.

Thanks Mike, that looks pretty good. How manageable is it if you're on your own?

Are there any 2 seater kayaks designed for fishing that are any good? I think there used to be a 2 seater version of the prowler that's been discontinued? Thanks.

To be fair, he did say 'a few seconds of anticipation' it's hardly advocating smoking a cigarette or waiting for the second run. My favourite moment is when deadbaiting and the optonic goes. I also love it when carp or chub are feeding on the surface and heading towards your bait.

Plenty of small boats change hands on Ebay... How big is it and does it come with a trailer?

Haven't used them for years, but I remember they are great if you want to cast a long way.

I believe it was a 30+.

I don't rate bright conditions for pike unless there is a bit of wind or some cloud to break up the bright periods. I'm not saying you won't catch in these conditions, just that they can be tough going IMO.

It looks like a leach. Assuming that's what it is, then no they're not dangerous. Pike get lots of them if they've been lying dormant for a prolonged period, such as during a cold snap or whilst rivers are in flood.

Presumably you're ok with unhooking them if deep hooked? Handling them: Large landing net 12" long nosed pliers (£10 ish) Unhooking mat if banks aren't soft Large weigh sling Rod / Line: Rod - Dave Lumb P1 if you want the best (£140) or something by Fox if you want economic but practical. Reel - Something with a baitrunner is useful - Shimanno are the bench mark, okuma are a budget version that do the job Line - 50lb powerprobraid Terminal Tackle: Trace material - 45lb masons multi strand by veals - cheap and reliable, discard when kinks occur. Hooks - vb doubles or owner trebles Swivels / links Floats - sea fishing ones are cheap and do the job Leads - 1,2 & 3 oz required Bite indication If you're ledgering, fish a tight line and use a good drop off indicator - the new fox weighted ones are supposed to be half decent. Check out the PAC website for rigs, handling advice etc. http://www.pacgb.co.uk/index.html

I believe that weils disease usually enters the body through cuts or through the mouth. I should think those wipes are to clean your fingers so you don't transfer the infection to your mouth when you eat your sandwiches, rather than to clean cuts.

You can feel what you're doing with the gloves mentioned above. Scabby fingers aren't cool and neither is weils disease.

The point is to raise funds for the SAA, the ACA was subsequently mentioned, i.e. organisations that are dedicated to the interests of angler's.

These will do precisely what you are looking for: http://chicoslures.blogspot.com/ I've got a Lindy too, but I haven't used it since getting the musky gloves. IMO they are more fish friendly than bare fingers because the material dosen't snag as much as human skin.

I believe the best reason for using tandem hooks is not to secure the bait, but rather because it's the simplest way to ensure that at least one hook will be in the pike's mouth the moment it picks up the bait, therefore you can strike immediately. If you're keen to use one hook, then hair rigs with smaller bait are one way to go. A casting clip is another, with the hook nicked into the flank of the bait. For anything up to average sized live baits, a single treble in the dorsal root is perfectly adequate - i.e. the hook is in the middle of the bait and therefore likely to be in the pikes mouth the moment it takes. For deads, doubles are good.

I read your letter and agreed with what you said. However the same principle can be applied to pike matches; i.e. either practice will attract both experienced and incompetent anglers. Incompetent summer lure anglers fumbling about, trying to unhook pike that are tangled up in micromesh landing nets are every bit as bad as the stereotype match angler that waits a bit longer before striking. In some ways matches are likely to have a lesser effect on pike stocks than summer lure fishing: The pressure is limited to one area - I'd rather have 20 incompetent anglers fishing a match on a small stretch of one of 'my' waters than have 10 pairs of incompetent anglers chucking lures all over 10 of 'my' waters. Also there is more potential for willing beginners to learn how to handle pike from experienced anglers. The PAC code of conduct can only enhance the situation and is therefore a good thing. It's worth remembering your average novice piker may be forgiven for not approaching experienced pikers for lessons / advice. Your average experienced piker makes a habit out of not being approachable, because he dosen't want anyone else to know what he's catching.

I think Peter will need a good spin doctor to consult before answering that one!

I don't mind trebles, but I prefer VB doubles for bait fishing. I think they're more efficient. Ratty - You'll have Mark Barrett after you for using big singles for zeds.

Surely it would have been cheaper to mount Clarissa?

It often happens on some waters when you're pike fishing. You have to make sure both fish are hooked rather than swallowing the bait - so strike both - then you wind in the one that feels biggest, leaving the other rod on the rests with the bail arm open. The one you leave often ends up sitting patiently on the bottom until you're ready to deal with it.

Excellent - hook line and sinker. Where do I send the money?

Poor old Bob. I bet he needs that quote being published as much as the last one.