Striking for pike?

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

i point the rod at the fish,wind down and strike upwards,with braid and sharp hooks, i dont have many probs setting hooks.

 

even better with a float becuase i can see wich way teh pike is going,if it dont move off same procedure.

 

dave l,whats up with p+p site fella?

[Leon Roskilly]

To set hooks with a strike, the hooks need to be free to move within the pike's mouth.

 

When a pike clamps down on a lure, it is held as though in a vice, with no possibility of movement.

 

Striking merely moves the pike's head, not the lure within its mouth.

 

Whether you have struck or not, the pike moves off against the resistance and your rod goes down as you feel the fish on the end.

 

At some stage, the pike will relax its grip, either to reposition its meal or to let go of this hard object that it mistook for a fish, and now knows differently.

 

It's at this point that the hooks are free to move across its mouth.

 

If you are lucky, they engage, and you will believe that the pike was hooked when it was taken.

 

If unlucky, then the lure will come out of the pike's mouth.

 

Lure anglers will be familiar with having a pike on, only to have it come off again within seconds, even a minute or so.

 

The fish was never 'hooked', just clamped down on the lure.

 

If this is true, then there is little point in striking when a lure is taken by a pike. (If you try the experiment of holding a lure while someone else strikes, you'll know that the force delivered by the strike is surprisingly neglible - try it!)

 

The important thing is to ensure that your hooks are needle sharp.

 

Carry a sharpening stone and sharpen them often. If they run across your fingernail without digging in, they are too blunt. (Even new hooks are rarely sharp enough).

 

Flattening the barbs also helps with penetration as the pike eventually alllows the hooks to slide across it's mouth when it relaxes its grip (try pulling a barbed treble through a piece of chamois leather, then again with flattened hooks, you'll see what I mean).

[Martin Godliman]

In the past when I was bait angler I used to point the rod almost at the fish until it went tight then pull/strike sideways after reading somewhere there was less resistance than doing the same and striking up, a couple of steps back if there's room and you are more or less in line.

Nowadays I only lure fish and although I always do some kind of reactive strike, I just can't help myself ! and any old direction I agree the shorter rod makes it less important. I don't kid myself I very often strike the hooks home or that the lures moves after the strike the way Leon describes it very often ( sometimes though I'm sure )

I reckon they more often than not bight themselves hooked, what ever I do at the other end.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Funny how we all do things differently.

 

If my fish is running off to the left, I sweep horizontally to the right and vice-versa.

If my fish is directly in front of me, I opt for the upward 'strike'.

I just feel you should always pull in the opposite direction every time. It works for me OK.

[Dick Dastardly]

Just for those who didnt know, what Leon has wrotre is much as Gord says re lures.

[slodger]

I use the term 'Strike' too when talking about pike, but for me it's mostly a euphamism for simply tightening up rapidly on a taking pike. If I'm fishing at distance I might sweep the rod whilst rapidly winding the reel. I tend to 'strike' somewhere between the horizontal and vertical, i.e over my shoulder at about 45 degrees.

 

I'm not at all convinced about Leon's contention re lures. At least not plastic or wooden lures. Considering the leverages applicable with the modern lure rods, and the instant 'take up' of braid, I'm certain a hard lure would move in the pike's mouth. In any case I don't strike as such with a hit on a lure, unless it's a take where the pike is coming at you faster than the lure and only a slight pluck is felt. Mostly I'm so surprised by the take that I'm 'playing' the pike almost before I've realised it's taken.

[Andy Macfarlane]

I use the term 'Strike' too when talking about pike, but for me it's mostly a euphamism for simply tightening up rapidly on a taking pike. If I'm fishing at distance I might sweep the rod whilst rapidly winding the reel. I tend to 'strike' somewhere between the horizontal and vertical, i.e over my shoulder at about 45 degrees.

 

You'll notice I said 'strike' for the same reasons as yourself Chris. I think 'strike' conjures up images of ripping fish's heads off etc.

[Dave Lumb]

dave l,whats up with p+p site fella?

 

The server's down. No idea when it'll be back up. Sorry.

[Leon Roskilly]

I'm not at all convinced about Leon's contention re lures. At least not plastic or wooden lures. Considering the leverages applicable with the modern lure rods, and the instant 'take up' of braid, I'm certain a hard lure would move in the pike's mouth.

 

 

Do the experiment Slodger, even with a stiffish lure rod and braid.

 

Hold a lure firmly, and have someone stike while you are holding it.

 

Does the lure come flying out of your hand with the force of the strike?

 

Does it move at all?

 

 

You'll find it interesting.

Edited February 4, 2006 by Leon Roskilly

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

The server's down. No idea when it'll be back up. Sorry.

 

 

oh well hopefully soon dave