Piking Opportunity

[Steve Burke]

A couple of points I've just thought of, mainly for the benefit of the less experienced reading this.

 

Firstly, when fishing spoons in particular, make sure you engage the pick up on the reel as otherwise you won't be able to hit takes on the drop. Some days most of the takes will come like this, and they can be violent! You should of course be counting or humming to yourself as the spoon sinks, so that you know what depth the fish are at. Then continue at that depth even elsewhere in the lake, and even if you change lures, until takes cease or the light changes.

 

You don't have to hook deadbaits on a sunken float paternoster so that they're horizontal - I don't find it makes the slightest difference! What's more it works with half-baits too!

 

Finally, on a new water do fish dawn to dusk. All waters differ as to the best feeding times. although it does vary depending on the time of year. On most waters I've fished, dusk is a good time whatever the season, even if it's just for one fish - but it's often the biggest of the day. As you're going only a few times I'll expect you'll want to fish dawn to dusk anyway!

[Wordbender]

Thanks, Steve, I appreciate your advice mate.

 

Can you, or anyone else, please put up a link showing the rig you've recommended? I usually use straightforward leger or float rigs and I'd like to study the mechanics of the alternatives.

 

What advantages does the sunken float paternoster have over standard rigs - apart from the variable-depth one?

 

Thanks to all who've contributed and I'll let you know how I get on.

[Peter Waller]

A boat, a fishfinder, and keep it simple.

 

Just pick your day. High pressure, new moon, slightly overcast with a slight chop on the water, and enjoy.

 

And forget that bloody bivvy and mobile a la carte restaurant of yours!!

[Wordbender]

A boat, a fishfinder, and keep it simple.

 

Oh yeah - nice and simple, in a hi-tech box of someone else's tricks kinda way.

 

I may well take my bivvy and its attendant cuisine, but only as accommodation between dawn-to-dusk sessions. And I'll find my OWN fish, thanks.

 

[Peter Waller]

Oh yeah - nice and simple, in a hi-tech box of someone else's tricks kinda way.

 

Hey, I'm not advocating the use of leccy bite alarms, just a quick way of accurately plotting the lake.

[Wordbender]

Hey, I'm not advocating the use of leccy bite alarms, just a quick way of accurately plotting the lake.

 

One goes 'bleep' when line moves through it, allowing me to watch the water and enjoy my surroundings without risk of deep-hooking. The other replaces a huge wodge of watercraft by finding fish and features for you.

 

Per-lease!

[Peter Waller]

The risk of deep hooking, with a bite alarm, is not removed. Wish that it was. It might be okay for carp though! A well set up float, diligenty watched, is the only answer!! Well, almost the only answer!

[Wordbender]

The risk of deep hooking, with a bite alarm, is not removed. Wish that it was. It might be okay for carp though! A well set up float, diligenty watched, is the only answer!! Well, almost the only answer!

 

 

And how many of us can honestly say they NEVER let their eyes leave that 'well set up float', then?

 

You're just being an old git and you know it.

 

Respec'.

[Steve Burke]

When bank fishing a stillwater for pike I rarely use a float, unless it's a single drifter. This is because all your floats require total concentration, and looking away for even a few seconds can mean a deeply-hooked fish. On a lightly fished water like Terry's (and mine at Wingham), this can be a particular problem as you're more likely to get pike swallowing the bait without running off with it.

 

The other (important!) advantage is that I can look around and enjoy the wildlife, knowing that my bite alarm will alert me to a fish. With the set-up I prefer - a front alarm on its most sensitive setting in conjunction with a rear drop-off indicator with a rigid arm - I usually get just a preliminary bleep or two following by a clonk as the indicator hits the box I put underneath it.

 

Peter of course does mainly boat fishing, and here I too prefer to use floats from a boat, at least whilst I'm at anchor. Any movement of the boat can create some slack line and thus fail to show unless you're using a float. What's more I restrict myself to 2 rods in this situation, finding that 3 are too much for me to concentrate on. I don't knock those who use more, but I do those who cast out floats behind them - and this includes some who should know better!

Edited December 5, 2005 by Steve Burke

[Steve Burke]

Thanks, Steve, I appreciate your advice mate.

 

Can you, or anyone else, please put up a link showing the rig you've recommended? I usually use straightforward leger or float rigs and I'd like to study the mechanics of the alternatives.

 

What advantages does the sunken float paternoster have over standard rigs - apart from the variable-depth one?

 

Thanks to all who've contributed and I'll let you know how I get on.

 

The rig I use is a variation of the one I use when perch fishing see http://anglers-net.co.uk/authors/steve01.htm. The difference (apart from a wire trace of course) is that I incorporate an uptrace on which a John Roberts Quick Change Low Resistance Ring runs. This has a wide enough bore to slide over the swivel at the top of the uptrace. I'll try to do a drawing and post it shortly but we've guests just about to arrive.

 

Apart from varying the depth, such a rig allows the bait to be moved by varying the tension without pulling it out of postion - which can be important if you're up against a weedbed or bar etc. So very often after doing so you get an immediate take. For instance this happened literally as I slackened off the other day when showing my Head Bailiff how it worked! What's more it was the only fish of the day!

 

One other advantage is lack of resistance - vital when after perch, less so when after pike that aren't clued up. So do make sure you use a heavy paternoster weight - at least 1½ozs - as this cuts down on resistance as the indicator moves instead of the lead.

 

It's also better than a popped-up bait on a weedy bottom as on twitching the bait slowly back there's less chance of getting it caught in the weed.

 

Being able to fish a great many depths and also twitch the bait slowly back rather than having to recast can also be a godsend on the days the pike are really on and you've only a few soft baits left!

 

It's an incredibly versatile rig as if you pull very tight you can get the bait right on the bottom. Fished relatively slack with a long paternoster link you can fish well up in the water (use a bit of PVA to fish more than a rod length off the bottom). In fact I have different length paternoster links on pole winders. I make them out of fluorocarbon for low visibility. The extra stiffness also helps avoids tangles.

 

One point I will make is that it greatly helps to have a rear indicator with an adjustable sliding weight. Then you can get the tension just right to hold the bait at any given depth. The slightest movement is then shown - and sometimes that's all you get on lightly-fished waters like Wingham. I like the Fox Pike Swinger. See my field test at http://anglers-net.co.uk/reviews/fox-pike-swinger.htm It's now got a supposedly improved line clip and the price is a lot lower.

Edited December 18, 2005 by Steve Burke