Should we have a ban on Summer Pike fishing?

[Emma two]

Is Pike fishing up north as hard work in the winter as some make out?

Or is it the fact that many fish for them at other times of the year when they are generally more active that it seems not worth it in winter as you would catch much less.

 

It's just that I hear of ice fishing for pike in many countries and know many anglers fish for pike in Ireland when it's harsh. Are you spoilt by catching in warmer parts of the year that come winter it's just to much effort? Are your expectations to high and you don't expect blanks when piking?

 

Or do the pike really shut up shop for the winter?

 

 

Those are fair enough observations, I see it like this, it's not so much the cold, I have pulled pike, perch an other stuff up through bored ice holes in German lakes. I have taken pike in Yorkshire stillwaters in the snow. However the waters I fish now are (relatively) large glacial ones, and my theory (and it is only that) is that they have their own eco systems and the occupants behave differently to those in other places. It's dificult to keeps ones enthusiam up when shore fishing as there is a strong possibility that the fish have moved well out of casting range. The weather has to be right to take the boats out safely. I know some anglers who do catch even in the hardest conditions, perhaps they are better anglers than I am. Along with my son I gave it a really hard go the winter before last, tried shore, boat, fished shallow, fished deep, fished in between, tried every dead bait we are allowed (sea fish only), ledger, popped up, float ledger, trolled deads, everything and everyway. Have tried places where in summer one couldnt help but catch, the return was 0, nothing not even a run in 14 sessions. Last winter I tried some of the smaller waters and was catching into November, but they are nothing like summer fish, poor tired things half asleep, then in January I had a stroke which stopped everything for months. I have only done a couple of bait/sitting down sessions since then. I fall asleep sitting over static baits, yet had a good summer with lures from the boat.

 

I don't believe that we set our sights too high unless you consider just catching 'A' fish during December and January too high? We sometimes take the gear out and set it up for something to do. If I was as well as I used to be it wouldn't be a problem, for winter was a time for, running dogs. working ferrets and shooting.

Edited December 21, 2011 by Emma two

[Dales]

Thanks Emma

 

That does make sense and it sounds like you certainly gave it a good go, I was just interested as I have never fished any further north then Norfolk and so to be honest I don't understand the issues that those fishing further up north would face.

[Anderoo]

What I find interesting is the suggestion that Summer should be when lures and flies are employed.

 

I bet anyone who cares to try, that I can bank a pike faster on standard deadbait tackle than anyone using a lure or fly outfit.

 

And another thing.....I've yet to see any evidence whatsoever that pike 'wolf' down baits any quicker in Summer than they do in Winter. Good indication should indicate a run immediately at any time of the year, so how is that the pike somehow manages to swallow a bait more quickly when it's warm? Maybe it's because some of these Summer 'pikers' spend most of the day sunbathing or sleeping when they should be watching their tackle.

 

I've had deephooked fish from time to time but certainly no more in Summer than in Winter, which leads me to believe the 'wolfing baits' thing is a complete myth invented by the anti-Summer piking brigade. The same people that would have you believe that Winter is the time to go pike fishing.

 

I'm with you there Andy - I think the simple fact is that summer is when crap anglers go piking, and winter is when good anglers go piking. The crap anglers kill the pike. If they fished in winter, they'd kill them then too. Leading on from that, lure fishing is less likely to harm a pike than bait fishing as there's less liklihood of the fish swallowing trebles, and so the logic is that 'lure fishing in summer is OK, bait fishing in summer is bad'. Also the dental work involved in removing a couple of trebles, even if not deep, is generally more than removing a lure - so the fish is out of the water longer, and will find it harder to recover. Add in time for weighing and photos, and it gets worse.

 

A competent piker could fish any way they liked all year round for pike with no problems - taking into account some common sense regarding extreme temperatures/conditions/low DO levels. Good bite indication, get them in quick, unhook them quick, back in the water asap.

 

Like you, I've had a lot of winter pike that have hoovered up a static dead, and had I not been on the ball, could have easily been deep-hooked. It's not just a summer thing.

 

Personally, apart from a bit of light-hearted lure fishing, I've just never been interested in summer pike fishing. I'm much more interested in other species in the warmer months. Piking for me is all about still pastel dawns, crisp, freezing cold days with clear skies and frozen margins. I would probably feel different if I lived in the frozen tundra above Birmingham, but luckily I dont

[Emma two]

I'm with you there Andy - I think the simple fact is that summer is when crap anglers go piking, and winter is when good anglers go piking.

 

 

I think that you have totally misread or misinterpreted what Andy just said. I know form earlier conversations with him that he disregards the 'winter only' piking as being without potent basis.

 

Thank you for pointing out that it may be that we are crap.

 

I have considered that, and even offered that up as a possible explantion (I spoke recently about 'better' anglers), however while I am perfectly ready to surrender my own ego I can't attribute all the other anglers (and the PAC) with a glib 'crapness' as you do, And an honest self appraisal reveals that I can / could consistently catch winter pike in southern waters, Ardleigh res for example and midlands ones, the Shropshire and Cheshire meres and a lot of almost forgotten German and French lakes, and non glacial northern ones too.. So to be fair to myself I have to discount the crap angler explanation no matter how valid some may see it. I see an awful lot of high profile anglers summer piking too, Brown, Hayes, Wison et al.. as well as some talented locals, They may be crap too, but unlike you I don't feel qualified to label them so.

Edited December 21, 2011 by Emma two

[Anderoo]

I'm pretty sure I said that if people are competent there is absolutely no issue at all with piking all year round, and that I would probably think of pike as more of a summer fish if I lived where you do. And that the cause of pike fatalities/damage are crap anglers, who normally only fish in the warmer months.

 

I just checked...and I did.

 

I'd save the mock outrage and offense for those who bite and hang on a bit better...

[Emma two]

summer is when crap anglers go piking, and winter is when good anglers go piking.

 

 

'Mock outrage?...please, don't resort to sarcasm

 

Perhaps you didn't mean what you wrote, but write it you did. If you did mean what you wrote at least have the courage of your convictions.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I think I understood his reply OK and I wasn't offended by it. I knew what he meant.

[Rob Ward]

Perhaps you didn't mean what you wrote, but write it you did. If you did mean what you wrote at least have the courage of your convictions.

 

I'm pretty certain what he meant was that summer is when you see the Noddys out Pike Fishing - we've all seen them Emma!

 

That's not to say there aren't competent anglers who fish for Pike in summer.

 

You won't find the Noddys out in Winter, it's too much like hard work as you've eluded to yourself.

[Peter Waller]

[quote name=

You won't find the Noddys out in Winter, it's too much like hard work as you've eluded to yourself.

 

Jolly well do, and very often they are the ones who would class themselves as competant! Danger is that these self professed experts can't be told and don't see what they are doing as in any way poor practice.

[Emma two]

re read things...ok...point accepted ...happy new year x