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Piking Opportunity


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I've wangled exclusive piking access to a large (150-plus acres) lake which is rarely fished for snappers and has produced them to 35 pounds when the lake owner and his chums have had the occasional dabble with spinners and deadbaits.

 

Being a well-mannered type of fellow, I don't wish to abuse the privilege of fishing this lake by haunting the banks three times a week, so could the piking professors on here point me in the right direction regarding the best options - and sadly, 'take me with you' isn't one of them. :P

 

I've done quite a bit of piking and I'm experienced in handling fish up to 20lbs, plus I have the kit to do the job. So far, I've decided on a roving approach, using lures and deads, with the deads being presented in a variety of ways including popped-up, float-ledgered, drifted and wobbling. I won't be using lives. I can use as many rods as I like but I won't be putting out more than two in case pike-production exceeds my safe-handling abilities.

 

The banks are fairly steep and tree-lined, with depths from four to 20 feet over silt and gravel. At the moment, water clarity is high, weed growth is low and the possibilities seem endless.

 

So, can you snapper-scholars contribute your wisdom, and save poor me having to actually learn stuff myself, please? Be gentle with me, I'm only a carper who enjoys piking, you know. ;)

And on the eighth day God created carp fishing...and he saw that it was pukka.

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Keep the rigs and hook arrangements simple ie don't pop up baits unless they're coming back covered in weed or you know the bottom to be excessively silty. I don't use an uptrace for baits preferring to put some angle between the float and bait. Look for features, structure, ambush points ... if you know the bottom depths then fine, if not its just like carping.... plumb depths, look for sudden changes in depth and fish over any drop offs. Fish underslung banks, under big overhangs, around any jetties, along the edges of reed beds etc. Start with the wind in your face. Food will be washed into that spot for the silver fish and pike will be lurking somwhere out on the edge and enjoying the feast.

 

Lures at this time of the year are fished slow and deep. Spring dawgs or any similar softbaits are a good bet. Forget the little baits, when the weather gets colder they don't usually move far for just a morsel unless it bangs them on the nose. Big simple silver or copper spoons will work but dont retrieve them too quickly and work them all the way through the water column. Spinnerbaits are said to be the best lure for covering ground quickly, they undoubtedly work....just not for me. Worth a try though. If you dont feel overly confident with lures then wobbled baits will likely work just as well with the added attraction that you can stop winding at any time and fish the bait static if you get the feeling that you're in a hot spot.

 

As a rule of thumb, lures and wobbled baits during high pressure days, static baits during low pressure days. Thats not written on tablets of stone by the way, but it might save you some time.

'I've got a mind like a steel wassitsname'

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Dear Tel,

 

Just got to get in before Pete does!

 

First of all get yourself a coracle because when paddled from one side its goes round and around forever, like most pike anglers do. Go and buy yourself a thousand quid's worth of lures and thrash the lake to a cream with em to find the fish first ok. Live baiting is far more effective than fishing with deads because pike actually like live baits. If you must use dead baits don't be fussy because pike eat anything. A good trick if you find the fishmongers closed and need a make-do cheap bait quickly, is to take the drivers side footwell mat out your car and wobble that around the lake in sink and draw mode. For some reason the ones with "FIAT" printed on work best.

 

Rods? No need to employ two Tel any decent bottom section will do. Don't go in for fancy rigs because pike don't understand anything technical. Infact they don't understand anything at all because they are remarkably stupid fish.

 

That about covers it appart from the actual bit about bothering to turn up.

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

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Thanks, Argyle, plenty for me to think about there. ;)

 

And as for dear, dear Trenters, I just hope the medication kicks in eventually. :D

And on the eighth day God created carp fishing...and he saw that it was pukka.

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Thanks, Argyle, plenty for me to think about there. ;)

 

And as for dear, dear Trenters, I just hope the medication kicks in eventually. :D

 

Its common knowledge amongst the floppy hat barbel brigade that Lee is addicted to sniffin' base mixes and those big plastic syringes that you'll find in his tackle box?....not for bait injection I' m afraid. Neat semolina intraveniously. Delusionary behaviour follows. Why else would he think that there were big barbel in the Trent ?

'I've got a mind like a steel wassitsname'

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Tel,you know all the normal advice I give ref finding the bait fish etc.i would specificly target high pressure days when the pike are actively feeding (so not over staying my welcome by fishing on days that are likely to be slow any way).

 

I know live baiting isnt your scene but if I was in your enviable situation I would be fishing in the most eficient "fish locating" way I know ie four rods (unless as you quite rightly say sport is to brisk for this to be safe) Two of these would be sunken float paternostered lives (rainbows of around 6" as long as the owner was happy with this) and the other two on simple ledgered deadbaits. Choice of dead would be hard to make but I suppose the best bet would be to use one with a sea bait you were confident in and one on a freshwater dead.

Without any good info on where to start or where the prey fish were I would arrive at the chosen starting swim (this would be chosen by looking for signs of prey fish,striking pike or feeding cormorants etc the day before) just before dawn. The baits would be fished at varying distances but all within 30m of the bank. I would definately "leap frog" the rods moving one every 15-20mins. I also tend to try and get a feel for the depths/ contours as I move along by quickly "plumbing" by simply uncliping the hook trace off my pat rig and having a few casts with this.

 

Any activity I note for further visits.

 

If the nature of the banks and bankside vegitation made the use of multi rod tactics impossible or unsafe then I think it would be two rods.One a ledgered dead and the other a wobbled dead.Once again moving every 20mins or so.Its amazing how often working a wobbled bait or lure around the area a static dead is in provokes a take. Might be the option for you Terry with you not wanting to use lives.

 

Both my aproachs are all about covering lots of water.when you have lots of time you can go the full hog and get the boat out/plumb up to get a picture of the water.You can do a bit of bait fishing to learn about their location but when time is limited these arnt options.Just got to try and find the pike (er feeding ones at that!) whilst your fishing.

 

Good luck mate its great fun being on a new water especially a virgin one.And I know I dont need to tell you to enjoy yourself!

And thats my "non indicative opinion"!

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Dear Tel,

 

Just got to get in before Pete does!

 

First of all get yourself a coracle because when paddled from one side its goes round and around forever, like most pike anglers do. Go and buy yourself a thousand quid's worth of lures and thrash the lake to a cream with em to find the fish first ok. Live baiting is far more effective than fishing with deads because pike actually like live baits. If you must use dead baits don't be fussy because pike eat anything. A good trick if you find the fishmongers closed and need a make-do cheap bait quickly, is to take the drivers side footwell mat out your car and wobble that around the lake in sink and draw mode. For some reason the ones with "FIAT" printed on work best.

 

Rods? No need to employ two Tel any decent bottom section will do. Don't go in for fancy rigs because pike don't understand anything technical. Infact they don't understand anything at all because they are remarkably stupid fish.

 

That about covers it appart from the actual bit about bothering to turn up.

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

 

Funny you should mention the Fiat mat mate??. I have actually caught fish on a part of a car, used as a lure.

Go on your on top form... can you name what part of a car I was using? And for the 10 points what fish did I catch?

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Funny you should mention the Fiat mat mate??. I have actually caught fish on a part of a car, used as a lure.

Go on your on top form... can you name what part of a car I was using? And for the 10 points what fish did I catch?

 

Yawn..door handle. Cod. :rolleyes:

'I've got a mind like a steel wassitsname'

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Yawn..door handle. Cod. :rolleyes:

 

I might have known it, trust the Old Wise One. Technically I shouldn't give to you because it was not a cod, it was Pollock. But 10 points are on their way... :) Incidentally it was my Grandfathers old Ford Zephyr door handle, let me know when you have finished with yours :lol:

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Budgie - great advice as always, mate, thanks. I intend to make my early visits to this venue as much a 'mapping' exercise as anything else, with my eyes, ears and marker float on full-alert. ;)

 

I've done some homework and will begin by fishing the downwind bays where I've seen pike and prey fish, but seeing as someone recently landed a near-30lb pike on a boilie fished in open water, I've got a whole lot of exploration to do - and you know I'll enjoy every square foot of it. :D

And on the eighth day God created carp fishing...and he saw that it was pukka.

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