Pike unhooking mat/sling

[Frogger]

Been doing quite a bit of perching recently but with my "exclusive use of fish as bait" year trial I am concerned that when the inevitable Pike turns up I could be ill prepared.

 

I used to Pike fish a number of years ago but can no longer find some of my gear. So I'm looking for a unhooking mat that will be large enough for a 20lb pike (should I fluke one) and preferably double up as a weigh sling if possible. Most of the ones I have come across are way to short.

 

Any recommendations?

 

Cheers

[PeterNE1]

Been doing quite a bit of perching recently but with my "exclusive use of fish as bait" year trial I am concerned that when the inevitable Pike turns up I could be ill prepared.

 

I used to Pike fish a number of years ago but can no longer find some of my gear. So I'm looking for a unhooking mat that will be large enough for a 20lb pike (should I fluke one) and preferably double up as a weigh sling if possible. Most of the ones I have come across are way to short.

 

Any recommendations?

 

Cheers

 

Korum do a couple of bits like this, that serve multi purpose use as a weight sling / unhooking mat / carry holdall, and they're not badly priced.

Size is good too (on mine, not 100% certain which one it is!), but be aware that with anything like this, the unhooking element of the package may not resemble a thick padded mattress too much: very gppd for what they are, but I wouldn't intentionally take this along as the only unhooking mat option if very large fish were particularly likely - they serve a more 'roving' approach very well, though.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Cheaper to buy seperate mate. You can buy a mat for a tenner and sling for the same. These fancy mat/slings with the velcro and all that are fine for carp and stuff but most pikers carry fish by the chin and the body back to the water.

 

My mat folds up inside my seat and my sling is used to roll up my unhooking gear. Packs away to nothing. More like a big cloth sack with a drawstring really.

[Frogger]

Cheers both.was thinking sling/mat would take up less space as I do like to rove.but thinking may be better to buy separate,seems most of sling/mats are more for carp. Like u say Andy I could probably carry the Matt strapped to back of my chair.which ones do you use?

[Phone]

Frogger,

 

Never one to fear looking stupid or getting the rath of the purists I'll ask this question.

 

Do you guys ever consider the use of a long narrow strip of indoor-outdoor carpet?

 

Not sure how to adapt it as a weigh sling however. Doesn't seen it should be that hard.

 

A guide I used had this solution. We don't weigh so much. Mostly measure.

 

Phone

[Andy Macfarlane]

Cheers both.was thinking sling/mat would take up less space as I do like to rove.but thinking may be better to buy separate,seems most of sling/mats are more for carp. Like u say Andy I could probably carry the Matt strapped to back of my chair.which ones do you use?

 

Cannae mind but it's not really for taking the whole length of a pike, since I normally have the head of the pike lifted off the ground for unhooking. My mat is really quite small. Some might say too small for pike fishing but really, I just see it as a means of giving the latter 2/3rds of the pike something to lie on.

 

Mine might have been a Cypry.....I think.