Lure Fishing

[Renrag39]

Went fishing with NorfolkDipper a few days ago and wanting to travel light and try different methods than I'm used to, I took a float rod and my 'Spinning' gear.

 

Well, I never got round to using the the Float Rod, I was having too much fun with my spinning gear!

 

I caught 3 pike, one of 2lbs (ish) and 2 of about a pound. But the fun I had! The water I covered! the much needed exercise I got! I felt I'd 'worked' for my fish, sod the size, I may even have giggled uncontrollably... I felt 16 again but this time I actually caught. I didn't get bored like I did then, I stuck with it and it paid off.

 

My setup is an 8ft carp stalking rod but I like the action, I'm accurate with it too. I'm just used to it and I'm confident it will cope with any fish I'm likely to catch. Casting weight 10-50g... realistically though, 5-40g (the braid diameter helps enormously here). Generic but reliable fixed spool 3000 size with baitrunner function (I find it handy for pulling the lure to a ring between swims). 14lb Savagear Adrenaline Braid to 30lb traces. I have the forceps, sidecutters and long nosed pliers from my normal pike fishing gear already, plus a big landing net.

 

I caught all 3 on a Flying C type lure, so I like them. Just bought a selection off eBay. Plus I like the fact that the small bar spinners will catch just about anything with predation in mind! Mepps Aglia are on my list too.

Is there anything essential tackle or lure wise that you can recommend me or that I've overlooked?

I'm not after 'Big Pike' btw. I've become addicted to small Jacks literally smashing into the lure, I just love it! Be nice to get into some Chub and Perch too!

 

Another question about water conditions (local question), I've heard several people saying the tidal broads are generally too coloured to work well with lure fishing, especially the rivers as opposed to the broads themselves. Is there any truth to that? Would I be wasting my time? I do have clearer water to fish on the non-tidal rivers so its not the end of the world. If it does impact so greatly, are there guidelines as to the clarity I need to be effective? This is pretty much the main worry in my mind, as the tidal Bure, Thurne and Yare rivers usually have a clarity of about 1-2 feet (Horning, Martham and Brundall respectively).

 

Anything else I should know or take into consideration? Anyone on AN fished sucessfully with lures on the Broads? Local information is, and rightfully so, limited with regards lure fishing. PM's would be most welcome if you feel it necessary.

 

Its taken a long time for me to get some success lure fishing but I think I'm ready to dedicate some serious time to it now. I guess getting to grips with it will take much longer but that first taste of success is what I needed to stoke my fire.

 

Renrag

[Phone]

Renrag,

 

Briefly, how did you REALLY feel about that session? Don't beat around the bush.

 

Phone

Cool!

[Renrag39]

Ummmmm? Most enjoyable in a reserved kind of way (read- AAAAAAHHHH, boing, boing, boing, slurp, giggle and child like stamping of feet... ) It was very cool indeed!

 

I haven't had a session grab me like that for some time, it came at just the right time too as normally I'm thinking of deadbaits for the next few months and freezing my arse off, motionless for 4-5 hours for 1 maybe 2 Pike.

 

Even if I don't catch, I'll be warmer, fitter and just maybe find some out of the way swims for future reference for other fishing styles. I think its the next step for me.

 

Renrag

[Andy_1984]

Another question about water conditions (local question), I've heard several people saying the tidal broads are generally too coloured to work well with lure fishing

 

naaaah, that just gives me a chance to use all my big bright fire tiger lures

 

you will become a lure addict though. i can guarantee it.

 

i love taking my polorised sun glasses with me so i can try and see the takes. its heart stopping when it happens under your feet.

[AddictedToScopex]

its heart stopping when it happens under your feet.

 

It sure is Andy. Happened to me last time out. I watched the pike emerge behind the lure from the depths and smash into the lure. It was awesome.

 

I too have been well and truly hooked by lure fishing recently. My last blog post was from a lure fishing session albeit a very short one. I have somehow become a little obsessed with catching perch on lures as you can tell by reading the entry.

 

It is a nice change to my angling and offers me the chance to get mobile and as you say really work for my fish. It is massively satisfying to put the life into the lure and get a response for your hard work. I just love watching the perch shoal up in attack formation and go at the lure like it was trying to eat their kids. They are fascinating fish.

 

As per the murky conditions I would agree with andy that you need to get out the high vibration bright coloured lures/spinners. Pull one of those past a pike and it isnt going to worry about not being able to see it properly.

[smudger]

Went fishing with NorfolkDipper a few days ago and wanting to travel light and try different methods than I'm used to, I took a float rod and my 'Spinning' gear.

 

Well, I never got round to using the the Float Rod, I was having too much fun with my spinning gear!

 

I caught 3 pike, one of 2lbs (ish) and 2 of about a pound. But the fun I had! The water I covered! the much needed exercise I got! I felt I'd 'worked' for my fish, sod the size, I may even have giggled uncontrollably... I felt 16 again but this time I actually caught. I didn't get bored like I did then, I stuck with it and it paid off.

 

My setup is an 8ft carp stalking rod but I like the action, I'm accurate with it too. I'm just used to it and I'm confident it will cope with any fish I'm likely to catch. Casting weight 10-50g... realistically though, 5-40g (the braid diameter helps enormously here). Generic but reliable fixed spool 3000 size with baitrunner function (I find it handy for pulling the lure to a ring between swims). 14lb Savagear Adrenaline Braid to 30lb traces. I have the forceps, sidecutters and long nosed pliers from my normal pike fishing gear already, plus a big landing net.

 

I caught all 3 on a Flying C type lure, so I like them. Just bought a selection off eBay. Plus I like the fact that the small bar spinners will catch just about anything with predation in mind! Mepps Aglia are on my list too.

Is there anything essential tackle or lure wise that you can recommend me or that I've overlooked?

I'm not after 'Big Pike' btw. I've become addicted to small Jacks literally smashing into the lure, I just love it! Be nice to get into some Chub and Perch too!

 

Another question about water conditions (local question), I've heard several people saying the tidal broads are generally too coloured to work well with lure fishing, especially the rivers as opposed to the broads themselves. Is there any truth to that? Would I be wasting my time? I do have clearer water to fish on the non-tidal rivers so its not the end of the world. If it does impact so greatly, are there guidelines as to the clarity I need to be effective? This is pretty much the main worry in my mind, as the tidal Bure, Thurne and Yare rivers usually have a clarity of about 1-2 feet (Horning, Martham and Brundall respectively).

 

Anything else I should know or take into consideration? Anyone on AN fished sucessfully with lures on the Broads? Local information is, and rightfully so, limited with regards lure fishing. PM's would be most welcome if you feel it necessary.

 

Its taken a long time for me to get some success lure fishing but I think I'm ready to dedicate some serious time to it now. I guess getting to grips with it will take much longer but that first taste of success is what I needed to stoke my fire.

 

Renrag

 

Would up your braid strength 14lb is not enough to go chucking 50grm lure around on maybe 35lb

Water clarity, wouldn't worry to much about it to much if pike are around they will have a go at a lure vibration plays a big part in lure fishing you will/can catch in very coloured water

[Renrag39]

Would up your braid strength 14lb is not enough to go chucking 50grm lure around on maybe 35lb

Water clarity, wouldn't worry to much about it to much if pike are around they will have a go at a lure vibration plays a big part in lure fishing you will/can catch in very coloured water

Thanks for that smudger. Power Pro seems the obvious choice, going to go for the 33lb in red. Its all the same colour under water ie black/silhouette. Will keep the spool of 14lb for really light work though just not for 'general' use.

 

Any particular lures people have regular success with? Have 2x35g spoons of 3.5 inches or so. Got some flying C's, Mepps Aglia's and Big S's (medium). Some generic plugs and other shiny bits of metal too and a Zara Spook I filched out of a tree.

 

Renrag

[AddictedToScopex]

Thanks for that smudger. Power Pro seems the obvious choice, going to go for the 33lb in red. Its all the same colour under water ie black/silhouette. Will keep the spool of 14lb for really light work though just not for 'general' use.

 

Any particular lures people have regular success with? Have 2x35g spoons of 3.5 inches or so. Got some flying C's, Mepps Aglia's and Big S's (medium). Some generic plugs and other shiny bits of metal too and a Zara Spook I filched out of a tree.

 

Renrag

If you have a look at my blog post renrag you will see a picture of a perch with a small lure in its mouth. That has accounted to the vast majority of pike and perch that I have caught and is by far my first choice at the moment. It has a really great wobbling action, flashes an awful lot with having holographic sides and also has a rattle built in. Found a good pic of it here:

 

Devils own Shallow Sardine

 

The following Abu Reflex spinners come a very close second

 

Abu Reflex On Ebay

 

And finally the ever faithful Ondex

 

Ondex at Harris Sports Mail

 

Those are my top three at the moment.

 

 

EDIT: a quick search threw up the name 'shallow sardine' for my favourite lure so I have updated the link

Edited September 16, 2011 by AddictedToScopex

[pearbo]

With all the lures, poppers, plugs and jelly baits in the pike section of tackle shops it can catch many an angler. I will always pick up a mepp 5 before anything else. I don't pike fish in the summer but use spinning when waiting for the deadbaits to rattle off and it can be fantastic fun. Its surprising, a 2lber on a half mackerel can be a tad annoying but a 2lber smashing into a small spinner on a light rod is the best thing ever.

[Ken L]

I fully agree about upping the braid strength.

As for essential lures:

Get yourself a couple of simple silver and gold spoons about four inches long and a couple of 1oz spinnerbaits. These are great searching lures where you aren't fishing to obvious features.

A large size Heddon Moss Boss (White & Chartruse is my favorite) will fish weedlessly and is just the job for searching right under the near bank where explosive surface strikes will cause you to change your underware.

A couple of soft plastics would be useful so try the Storm suspending wildeye minnows in their largest size*. These can be twitched in a very attractive way but shop around for a bargain 'cause they get trashed by pike - that said, I've had a 27lb'er on one of these so I'll live with the expense.

If your water is deep, you might want a few soft shads that can be bounced sink and draw style along the bottom.

Simple spinners are always good.

Other than that, a few hard plastic plugs diving to various depths will complete a basic setup.

 

This is really oriented to pike and zander though which is pretty much constrained by using a carp rod. You can fish a lot lighter to target chub, trout and perch as well as pike - but maybe this is a branch of the sport to explore in the spring.

 

* Just a quick note about the Storm lures - avoid the 5" size. They're not well balanced and the fittings and in particular the split rings are pants.

Edited September 17, 2011 by Ken L