Pike traces

[Peter M]

i have just had made up some traces with a single 1/0 hook, i have not used them yet though.

[poledark]

Seems to be a variety of opyions, all successful I asked because I used to make mine up with No6 trebles, but have changed to No4's for some reason. They certainly don't seem too big when viewed in a pikes mouth, but I have a feeling that I had fewer dropped runs/lost fish when using No6.. The other doubt is because I do wonder if the pike feels the larger hooks more easily.

 

Den

[Andy Macfarlane]

I don't believe pike drop baits because they can feel hooks, as you're suggesting. Take preyfish like perch. Are they not spiny, jaggy and generally unpleasant things for the pike to bite down onto? I think when you compare a size 4 treble to a spiny perch, the treble is minuscule and negligible by comparison and cannot believe pike drop baits because they can feel a size 4 treble. Pike are well used to munching all kinds of jagged objects and a size 4 hook is not something I believe a pike has any concerns about. Even the smallest jacks will happily gorge a pair of size 4s so I don't believe they feel a set of 4s and think 'Danger!!'.

[Dick Dastardly]

I just dont know about this one! Im really torn between Dens concerns and Andy's comments.

 

I dont really think that the pike are that worried by the "feel" of the hook a la Andy's comments but do think I miss more fish/get more dropped runs with bigger hooks.Well when used with baits that dont need them. Im more prone to think that the "mechanics" of a size 6 are better than bigger ones.

[poledark]

Andy, I agree with you up to a point, but I fish waters where most of the pike have been caught before, and if my experiences at Larkfield tell me anything, it is that pike can get VERY wary of hooked baits. I was able to check this out over several weeks fishing the same swims and getting the same fish over and over again.

 

Those fish got VERY wary, and I had to go down to a sliver of herring and No8 hooks in the end....and they even got wary of the float, so I went down to a small 3/4" poly ball.

 

Den

[Andy Macfarlane]

May I add that I used to use 8s and then 6s and finally moved onto 4s which improved my hookup rates no end. In my experience I find my hook-up ratio with 4s far exceeds that of the smaller hooks. I also don't have confidence in using lighter hooks because I've seen decent doubles bend, albeit slightly, size 4 VMCs. Maybe Scottish pike fight harder (this isn't a provocative statement...it's a possible observation someone may be able to clarify) and therefore, I feel nothing less than a 4 will suffice. I have no experience of English pike. It could be that on fishing for English pike, I might find that size 4s are not required. Again, that wasn't to provoke a North/South 'our pike are 'ard' debate. I'm just suggesting a possible scenario.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ive caught both English and Scottish pike and nearly said that Scottish pike fight harder..... but wont as in reflection Im basing this on pike caught much later in the year in Scotland than I would in England so would put the difference down to that more probably.Same with Irish pike.Only thing that makes me still doubt my own belief is that most of the bigger Irish and Scottish pike Ive caught have been a lot leaner than the majority of the ones down here.This could also be the reson why.

 

Either way I believe that straightening of hooks is more down to the make of hook than its size.In fact I believe a larger "soft" hook bends easier than a smaller "soft" one! Leverage and all that stuff.

 

I have used Partridge Z3's in size 6 for a long time now and they dont bend. When on the res I use a size 4 Kamasan Tube fly treble.I use these because they bend! But only with a direct pull on heavy braid and not on fish!

 

I would hazzard a guess that Andy's Scottish pike are far less pressured than a lot of Dens (and mine) so it would be difficult to fairly compare.

[1superken]

Pike fishing is the same as any kind of fishing in my experience, its all about getting the balance right of course using a size 4 as opposed to a size 8 will improve your hook up rates provided it also matches the size of bait your using just as a size 10 would improve your hook up rates as opposed to a size 22 if you were hair rigging inch cubes of meat, its all about matching hooksize to the baits your using get the balance right & your halfway to success

[Andy Macfarlane]

I would hazzard a guess that Andy's Scottish pike are far less pressured than a lot of Dens (and mine) so it would be difficult to fairly compare.

 

I wish that part was true but the number of traces I remove from fish leads me to believe that pike are hammered (and badly at that) just as much up here as anywhere else. I think pike fishing is easily the fastest growing area of fishing in Scotland. We basically have trout, perch and pike to choose from, with a smattering of other species here and there but that's the basic 3 you'll find in most waters so it's easy to see why pike are the species of choice, especially in this current cash climate. They're big, easy to catch, widely available and more or less FREE to fish for.

[Neil G]

Everytime? What about when you're using a large bait, like a big mackerel or a big livie? Still use 6s?

 

Just asking mind....

 

Still use 6s even in really big baits, just found it works 99% of the time so haven't changed

 

There was one occasion however last year where I did have trouble hooking into fish but I think that may have been down to the cold rather than hooks.....who knows!