Livebait or deadbait

[Pike stalker]

Iv never used any livebait but would like to give it a go. The problem I have is that I read an article saying that the bigger pike don't tend to go for livebait!

If anyone can shed some light on this it will b much appreciated

[Gary_E]

Iv never used any livebait but would like to give it a go. The problem I have is that I read an article saying that the bigger pike don't tend to go for livebait!

If anyone can shed some light on this it will b much appreciated

 

maybe they would prefer to take the easy option on a nice big freebie dead bait but they must take live prey or they would starve? im new to fishing but just a thought

[Andy Macfarlane]

I don't think that's quite true. What I would say is livebaits turn up a larger number of jacks but not necessarily a smaller number of big fish.

 

Personally I can't be fussed catching livies and battling through jacks. Some people like all that though and catch plenty of big fish also.

[Steve Walker]

I suspect Andy's theory about why inactive baits pick up more big roach than wriggly ones holds true for pike as well - that it isn't that big pike don't like live baits, but that smaller pike are less attracted to deads.

 

(edit - that didn't quite say what I meant it to!)

Edited February 8, 2011 by Steve Walker

[Smokin line]

I suspect Andy's theory about why inactive baits pick up more big roach than wriggly ones holds true for pike as well - that it isn't that big pike don't like live baits, but that smaller pike are less attracted to them.

Is there a live bait thats best to use. Also the bigger the bait must also attract the bigger fish

[Worms]

I suspect Andy's theory about why inactive baits pick up more big roach than wriggly ones holds true for pike as well - that it isn't that big pike don't like live baits, but that smaller pike are less attracted to them.

My biggest pike (16lb) was on a herring. The three biggest pike that all managed to get away were all on lives...estimated biggest 22-25lb (all river fish)!

 

These were all a few years ago and if I told you the size of the chub I was using as bait I'd be bloody shot these days, but hell, didn't they attract the fish!

 

I suppose from that the hooking methods of lives and deads is important. I was always a little ...well, not squeamish, but reticent about plunging great hooks in fish as lives. The problem with big baits was the requirement of either lots of hooks or big ones to ensure a decent hook-up without deep hooking. Probably why I lost a few good fish...that was about 30 years ago mind!

 

Most of my pike however have been on lures! Off again next week to a local lake using deads, plugs, fly and lives if we can catch 'em

Edited February 7, 2011 by Worms

[Swedish_Carper]

Iv never used any livebait but would like to give it a go. The problem I have is that I read an article saying that the bigger pike don't tend to go for livebait!

If anyone can shed some light on this it will b much appreciated

 

My opinon is that livebait is outstanding, I'm not a pike-specialist but I have a couple of friends that are and they catch many pikes over 20 pounds every year on livebait. A guy I know have cought one of the biggest swedish pikes ever (almost 44 pounds) and that also was on livebait. As a mather of facts most swedish big pikes (30 pound+) are cought on livebait. Of course it could be different in England, but Swedish crocodiles love livebait!

 

//Patric

[Emma two]

I read an article saying that the bigger pike don't tend to go for livebait!

 

 

Who wrote it? and who published it?

[Pike stalker]

Who wrote it? and who published it?

I Can't remember it was jus something I came across while trolling the net for info, Iv only been pike fishing for about two years so I'm trying to get as many tips an peices of info in my armoury as possible.

[jameshodkin]

Think alot can depend on the water being fished, on some venues deadbaits take the better fish and lives attract mainly jacks and on others lives can take the greater share of the better fish

 

It can depend on circumstances too, if a large pike is used to feeding on fry & small roach in a bay swim all winter then i'd feel much more confident using a little free roaming livebait under a float than a whopping great deadbait fished hard on the deck

 

Deadbaits are certainly more convenient though that's for sure