Perch Deadbaits

[Leon Roskilly]

Where do you stand on Pike and resistance, Leon?

 

Pike will tend to drop a bait if they feel resistance.

 

 

 

A hooked pike will stop fighting if you let the line go slack, and resume fighting when you re-apply pressure.

 

The harder you pull, the more it will resist.

 

The secret to landing large pike on a light tackle (eg when it takes a hooked roach, chub etc) is to apply minimum pressure to 'guide' the pike to the net, so that it hardly realises that there is anything wrong.

 

If a pike is steaming towards a snag, rather than pulling hard to attempt to turn it, just open the bail arm and it will stop and saunter off. (It does take a bit of nerve and faith to do that, best try it when a pike is well clear of any likely snags just to gain confidence for when it becomes the best option). Once it has moved clear of the snag, tighten up and it's game on again.

[Phone]

Leon,

 

I agree with that technique for carp also.

 

Phone

[danny2391]

-- I used to keep fish in an aquarium.

 

 

 

I've also noticed that when a pike strikes at a lure from an ambush point, and either comes off and fails to hook up, they will go for it again on the next cast, and the next, and the nex, then go into sulk mode and refuse to be taken in again.

 

 

Yes I have noticed this on several occasions, especially using surface lures very rarely do pike take the surface lure I’ve seen them thrash and attack them half a dozen times before becoming hooked that in itself sums up fishing for me, and not for the faint hearted !!!

[Rob Ward]

No, I do NOT accept that fish can do "if/then" associations, either conditional or deductive or have any form of logic available to them. (at least for any length of time).

 

OK - explain Leon's godlfish then:

 

'IF Leon picks up the tub of food

THEN I'll position myself at the top of the tank and get first dibs'

 

That and more complex things have been repeated time and time again with Goldfish all over the world in labs under experimental conditions.

 

I'm not sure it's the fish who are without logic in this instance.

Edited January 14, 2012 by Rob Ward

[Rob Ward]

Pike will tend to drop a bait if they feel resistance.

 

 

 

A hooked pike will stop fighting if you let the line go slack, and resume fighting when you re-apply pressure.

 

The harder you pull, the more it will resist.

 

The secret to landing large pike on a light tackle (eg when it takes a hooked roach, chub etc) is to apply minimum pressure to 'guide' the pike to the net, so that it hardly realises that there is anything wrong.

 

If a pike is steaming towards a snag, rather than pulling hard to attempt to turn it, just open the bail arm and it will stop and saunter off. (It does take a bit of nerve and faith to do that, best try it when a pike is well clear of any likely snags just to gain confidence for when it becomes the best option). Once it has moved clear of the snag, tighten up and it's game on again.

 

Would you say that was their instinct?

[Phone]

Rob,

 

NO! Having had this argument about a million times with anglers and aquarium owners I know it is fruitless. If you really want to know the answer to the science(s) of fish behaviour you will do so. It will not be on the internet by a guy who's - what? - 4000 miles away. (it simply leads to "clever quips" from the sidelines) I will share with you what I know about carp if you wish?

 

Subjects of equal fruitlessness are "empathy and pain". I won't do them either. Fish don't have any.

 

Phone

[Tigger]

I've kept lots of different species of fish over the years, fresh water, salt water, tropical and cold water and the tropical marine fish where amazingly clever. I actually got (by accident in a chunk of coral) a mantis shrimp which turned out to be facinating and unbeleivably clever. The tropical marine fish reminded me of dogs they where so intelligent !

 

Regarding perch, like others i've also witnessed the larger specimines inspecting bait before actually taking it, or not if they have the slightest suspicion of foul play. Sometimes if I think they're inspecting my bait I pull it away from them quick to try and induce them to take it before they have a good look and shy away.

Edited January 14, 2012 by Tigger

[Cliff the cartoonist]

Sprat for perch? Never!

[Vagabond]

Sprat for perch? Never!

What, never ? Well.... hardly ever !

 

In my pike fishing days, I found sprat to be an excellent bait, either static, or suspended below a float, or fished sink and draw, or spun on a dead-bait tackle such as an Archer flight.

 

Stacks of pike, the odd chub, but not a single perch. ...and in the 1960s and 1970s I used sprats a lot.

 

But I see Steve Burke has had the odd perch on sea-bait, but certainly few enough to make sprats a no-no for perch as far as I am concerned.

 

BTW Cliff, thanks for the card, we must sort out a mullet-fishing date later this year.

Edited January 15, 2012 by Vagabond

[Phone]

Vagabond, All,

 

Isn't a "sprat" in the context of AN a herring sea fish?

 

Phone

The only "sprat" over here is an overactive small child.