Pike in the morning?

[Matthew Simmons]

In amongst the banter on another thread Steve JV44 raised an interesting point that after I arrived at our pit, at lunchtime, both he and I failed to get any interest from the pike. Despite him having had a cracking morning - while I was working :-(

 

I stayed on till it was too dark to see the floats. But not a peep.

 

I am not an experienced piker really, so i throw this open to those who are.

 

Is morning the best time to target them - what experience do other pikers have of the time of day with respect to capture. Are afternoons usually dead?

 

Thanks

 

M

[JV44]

Matthew I used to have permission to fish a lake next to the old Trout farm near the bowling alley and we spent 2 winters on there and after 2 pm you were wasting your time ,just an anomaly for that water really think we only had a couple of fish after 2 all the weekends we spent on there .

The old RDAA pit at Brimpton [wasing trout lake now I believe] was first thing or last light not much in the day ,may be a water specific thing or maybe it`s just when they feel hungry?

[Andy Macfarlane]

I've always found 2pm-ish to be the most productive time (deadbait-wise anyway) throughout the year.

[philocalist]

I don't think that it's possibly to make a prediction like this with any degree of accuracy; there are just way too many variables that can have an influence, but I personally feel that the two main factors are temperature and light levels ..... and if I had to choose one time of day ONLY that I could fish for pike, it would be from very first light, i.e. pre-dawn onwards.

Across the board, many species of fish seem to be far more active (and visible to anglers!) at this time of day; this combined with the lower light levels may just encourage pike to feed more easily and with more confidence.

That said, as others will no doubt point out, there are waters that appear to fish well at various times throughout the day, and display quite a regular pattern, all other things being equal; there is an area I go to in Scotland with four small lochs (and a river) within a 20 minute drive of each other - fished in the correct sequence and they will provide pike from dawn until dusk, but get the timing wrong and you can spend all day catching nothing at all!

[John Weddup]

Hi Mathew

 

I don't think you can write off any time of day for pike. Some waters do seem to have a pattern of early late or mid day but sometimes the bigger previously uncaught fish turn up in between those times.

 

I fished a Stillwater lots all night last winter for pike and zander. It used to contain a good head of zeds but has silted and weeded up and most fish seem to have disappeared.

 

I didn't get a zed although am certain I had one dropped run by damage on bait. However having baits in all night I found a very productive time for pike was the hour before light. I had multiple takes many times.

 

John

[IanBass]

In February 2013 I went to my usual water for a day's piking, We got there about 8.45am and I set my stuff up, got my first rod out(ledgered deadbait) about 9am. At the time I was using a 'beach buddy' as a shelter. Sat in my shelter setting my 2nd rod up I heard a 'clunk'. Sticking my head out of the shelter I noticed my bite indicator had dropped and line was disappearing off the spool. Dropped the rod I was setting up and struck. 5 minutes later(and some VERY wobbly knees)landed a superb 17lb pike. Dealt with it and finished setting up both rods. Had another 3 pike that day(8lb, 9lb and 11lb)but not until mid afternoon. Had all 3 in a crazy half hour, I think between 2pm and 2.30pm.

 

Now the PACGB have 'stolen' the water and I cannot fish it anymore unless I join them.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ian does it now not work out cheaper to fish the canal?

[Dick Dastardly]

"Best time of day" Think its a bit like "Best bait" simply varies from water to water and in different conditions.

 

Just to give some background, I always fish a mix of lives and deads (usually two of each rules allowing) Some waters are very good at first light whilst others need to "wake up"! Last knockings and a hour into darkness can be good as well (but I have never found night to be any good) In general I would say morning is better than afternoon but that may simply be because Im always there at dawn and so have caught any resident fish by midday!

 

90% of my Piking is done in the colder months and as this also means "shorter days" Im happy to fish an hour before light to hour after not only to find out if any "hot times" exist but to simply get a full days fishing in only 8 hours at its shortest.

[Matthew Simmons]

Interesting stuff -thanks guys for the input. As I said I would not consider myself to be a pike angler, but having had a go at it I do struggle on most of the waters I fish.

 

It must be said that I am not by nature an early riser and I have always suspected that my lack of significant success has been due to timing - ie I have missed the boat by arriving generally after 10am (which incidentally has never held me back with other species). Certainly all the reading supports everything that you've all indicated - runs coming within a short feeding window at some point during the day and the preference for different baits water by water. I can't help feeling that the period from dawn till midday is better than the afternoons for predators.

 

M

[Anderoo]

Very first thing has been a hot time on many waters I've pike fished, both rivers, drains and pits. When I used to night fish for zander in the fens, first light would usually see a flurry of pike activity, and on a couple of pits you'd want to be there in the dark ready for the feeding spell at dawn.

 

However, on others dawn was no better than any other time. On a different couple of pits, early afternoon was as good a time as any. As yet, I've never fished anywhere where dusk is especially good, although I'm sure they exist.

 

So I'd go along with the others, it depends on the water - and it sounds like you and Steve have already got that one worked out!