The 3m Farce

[Mat Hillman]

I'm not a pike angler, but reading this with interest

 

I'm struggling to understand how spreading the rods out over 10+ meters as opposed to fanning them all out in one spot help avoid deep hooking

 

In both cases we have a rod on rests pointing directly at the bait, and I assume using the same bite indication system. How does one indicate a take any better than the other and allow me to avoid deep hooking ?

 

Mat

[Dick Dastardly]

Not in my books Dave,once again this is what the EA say about "unattended rods"-

 

10.Unattended rods

Confirmed 26th May 2001

Date of implementation 27th May 2001

Any person who leaves a rod and line with its bait or hook in the water unattended or so that the person shall be

unable at any time to take or exercise sufficient control over said rod and line shall be guilty of an offence

[Dick Dastardly]

I'm not a pike angler, but reading this with interest

 

I'm struggling to understand how spreading the rods out over 10+ meters as opposed to fanning them all out in one spot help avoid deep hooking

 

In both cases we have a rod on rests pointing directly at the bait, and I assume using the same bite indication system. How does one indicate a take any better than the other and allow me to avoid deep hooking ?

 

Mat

 

Yes sure Mat.

 

Basically moving the rods to directly where you want to cast to rather than just having them in front of you and "fanning them out" means that you are keeping the distance between the rig and the indicator as short as possible.Also if the rods are not pointed directly at the bait (as in the case of a buzzer bar set up for example) there is more room for undetected movement (all indicators currently used work in a straight line in relation to the rod). Im sure youve got it but I do have a diagram some where if that would help. (anyone?)

[Dick Dastardly]

Here you go Mat.Its a bit basic but may help show what I mean-

 

[Dave H]

Not in my books Dave,once again this is what the EA say about "unattended rods"-

 

10.Unattended rods

Confirmed 26th May 2001

Date of implementation 27th May 2001

Any person who leaves a rod and line with its bait or hook in the water unattended or so that the person shall be

unable at any time to take or exercise sufficient control over said rod and line shall be guilty of an offence

 

So if there are two of you in a double swim fishing two lots of 4 rods then thats 8 rods in no more than 9 metres.

I dread to think...

[Phone]

BUDGIE,

 

Thanks for posting a link to the regulations. Is there annotated version available? The "one liner" regulations make absolutely NO sense. Regulations (laws) more often than not explain what you "shall do" and what you "shall not do". Most likely laws say what you "shall not do".

 

In keeping with the thread subject there is no "justification" for a 3m rule in the regulations. I have to assume they are based on FAITH? I'd like to make a 1,000 unrelated comments. For example, how can it be "legally" distinguished you are fishing with 4 rods on 2 licenses. Why is it not the "intent' of the angler to fish 2 on one license and 2 on another? How can "someone else" determine what species you are angling for (assuming more than one species is in season)?

 

Phone

Edit: Example, Is it a defense to the 3m rule to say, "the two rods on my left are lip hooked live baits for pike and the two rods on my right are tail hooked live bait for Zander? WHY NOT??

Edited February 22, 2012 by Phone

[Mat Hillman]

Here you go Mat.Its a bit basic but may help show what I mean-

 

 

 

Could you not use banksticks instead of a pod and still point the rods directly at the baits, getting the same benefits for bite indication and keeping within the law - something like this ?

[Dick Dastardly]

You can do Mat but as soon as you add the angles you are increasing the distance between rig and indicator and in rivers/drains etrc (where the tactic is most commonly used) adding an angle detracts from instant bite detection due to the current.

[Brian Carragher]

I got asked (again)if I'd ever had 2 runs at once when fishing when fishin g with 4 rods, so I'll give the same answer as before, yes I have. It's happened on a few occasions but not very often, I've also had 2 runs at once whilst only fishing 2 rods and again it has'nt happened often

 

Has it resulted in deep hooking or damage to the fish; no it has'nt. A running fish does'nt swallow the bait it merely holds it in its jaws/mouth until it stops and has time to swallow it, if you hit a running fish and then release the tension on the line 9 times out of 10 the fish will stop running and lie doggo on the bottom, it can't swallow the hooks because you've already set them and they can't go any further down the throat, you can then deal with that one when you've netted the first

 

One of the reasons for spreading your rods is to minimise the distance from rod tip to bait to increase the bite detection especially when fishing the near marginal shelves and the merest of indications shows up well by using a combination of any or all of the following, heavy running leger, drop offs, alarms and floats

 

Its because of the use of all the above bit detction gear that I can minimise deep hooking but it still does happen and when it does it usually occurs because the pike has sat on the bait , swallowed it and then remained stationary without setting off any of your bite detection methods. Deep hooking can and does happen even when you're using only one rod but generally it occurs with bigger fish which don't feel threatened or need to bolt off to some secure place to eat their meal. As a pike angler you have to be prepared for deep hooking and have the gear to deal with it if it happens because at some stage during your piking years it will

 

I was asked have I ever had a fish run into another anglers gear when fishing 4 rods, the answer is NEVER. It just has'nt happened and theres probably good reasons for that. The first being that I always think I'm more in control of the fish than the fish is of me, that's what makes me an angler and not just a catcher of fish, the second being that usually theres no one beside me unless they're there by invitation, ie my son or some of my mates who I fish with

 

Pike anglers very rarely see another angler on the bank much less another pike angler as pikers by nature are a bit secretive about where they fish and in how close they are to other anglers anyway, we don't tend to like proximitry, we prefer the solitary approach , so if I'm out piking I guess its very rare to see anyone apart from maybe an odd rambler or so (most of them are odd by the way) and very very few other anglers over a coarse of the season

[Dick Dastardly]

Exactly Brian. Its really ironic how the EA (er and others it seems) bang on about "being in control" and the 3m rule ensuring this when the reason pikers break the rule is to be in better control!

 

Strange (and of much frustration to a pike angler when chastised for doing this) how an angler sat in the middle of his rods only a few strides away from even the furthest ,attentively listening and watching for any indication is deemeed to be not in control.................................when an angler fishing all his rods tight together on a pod but fast asleep,zipped up in a sleeping bag in a bivvy often many yards away from the rods is................................................................