Pike attacks

[Guest tigger]

and thus the fish is left with a small (barbless?) hook and a light hooklength,

 

 

 

Why barbless hook ?

[Kappa]

Why barbless hook ?

 

It doesn't HAVE to be barbless Tigger just one could argue a barbless hook would be shed more easily?

 

As I'm sure you are well aware some situations or species require barbed hooks!

 

Rich

[Guest tigger]

It doesn't HAVE to be barbless Tigger just one could argue a barbless hook would be shed more easily?

 

As I'm sure you are well aware some situations or species require barbed hooks!

 

Rich

 

 

Yeah there's no doubt that a barbless hook would be shed easier. I personally don't use barbless hooks I just don't like using them as in my experience I've lost too many fish. The hooks I like to use have small barbs causing minimal damage when removed but big enough to stop the fish from throwing them so easy as they can using barbless.

[MikeT]

I’m sure everyone here cares very much for the welfare of fish. Pike are marvellous creatures, to be admired and treated with greatest respect. This thread is about the best ways to deal with small pike when they become an occasional nuisance to anglers (and roach) by opportunistically attacking the fish in a swim (and therefore spoiling the angling).

 

Obviously, the ultimate way to solve this problem is not to fish for roach and watch the football instead. But if we accept the risk of attracting pike attacks by building a swim full of their prey fish, and making them sitting ducks on the retrieve, we should responsibly look for ways of minimising the harmful effects this may have on the roach, the pike, and the angler’s sport.

 

The issue here is with intent. If the angler intends to go fishing for pike, he should use appropriate tackle- that is indisputable good sense. But the stalking lightweight roach angler does not intend to fish for pike. If pike attacks become a problem, he needs to know how best to deal with it. As has been suggested, one way is to take proper pike gear along, but this is very unhelpful to the angler who wishes to travel as lightly as possible. Personally, I’d rather watch the football.

 

So, is there any way to find compromise?

 

Well, perhaps not, but in my opinion it was an intelligent and sensible suggestion that small pike could be targeted intentionally with light wire traces and a small spinner, which neatly solves the dilemma. The limitations are obvious- it is quite possible to catch a bigger pike by mistake, which could end up breaking the line and being harmed by the tackle left hooked in it. This would be extremely disastrous, as we all agree. But we are talking of compromise here, not ideals. Ideally, the pike would wait until we have caught ten three-pound roach before he starts his dinner. But fishing is rarely ideal.

 

I’m pleased to see such high principles of conservation amongst anglers today, and the esteem held for pike in particular (which, like sharks, have long had something of an image problem), but we must not sacrifice common sense on the altar of idealised principle. This fishing game is necessarily intrusive to fish, and although we should make every possible effort to minimise the harm we cause, we should not lose sight of this in our determination to be eco-politically correct. Very often, compromise of principle is the most sensible and practical option.

 

I’m sorry to have drawn the rather harsh criticism on you, John. It’s as though you’re a roach who was trying his best to help, but got hit by a grumpy pike on the retrieve. Ironically enough.

[gozzer]

I’m sorry to have drawn the rather harsh criticism on you, John. It’s as though you’re a roach who was trying his best to help, but got hit by a grumpy pike on the retrieve. Ironically enough.

 

Brilliant analogy, Mike. I like it.

 

Don't worry about any 'stick' I get, I'm used to it.

If discussions like this make anglers actually think about what they are doing, and make a decision on the basis of what they read, (instead of just blindly following the trends) then AN is serving (what I believe) to be it's purpose.

 

John.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Gozzer, there's obviously no point in suggesting anything to you. You know best, even though half a dozen folk have shown their disdain for your nonsense. You're taking pike fishing back into the dark ages and that's clearly where your idea belongs.

[gozzer]

Gozzer, there's obviously no point in suggesting anything to you. You know best, even though half a dozen folk have shown their disdain for your nonsense. You're taking pike fishing back into the dark ages and that's clearly where your idea belongs.

 

Andy, I am, and always have been open to any suggestions, and always willing to discuss them in a reasonable way.

 

I understand your position as regards pike fishing, and fully agree with your views in regard to pike fishing in general.

The question that was asked, and to which I answered was about a specific situation where a jack pike was attacking fish being brought in.

Yes there could be bigger pike about, and that is why I said "use a lob worm" as opposed to "put on a live bait". If you see that as "nonsense" then so be it.

All I have had in reply is talk of "30lb traces" and a bunch of "what ifs". Angling is full of 'what ifs', and to cover every 'what if' would be virtually impossible.

My post offered a compromise solution to a very specific situation not pike fishing in general.

 

From the 'tone' of your replies you obviously don't agree with my post, and have made clear your opinion of me, that's OK, no problem, but please judge my post in the context of the question, and not by "what if".

 

John.

[MikeT]

Gozzer, there's obviously no point in suggesting anything to you. You know best, even though half a dozen folk have shown their disdain for your nonsense. You're taking pike fishing back into the dark ages and that's clearly where your idea belongs.

I feel compelled to 'show my disdain' for your crock of 'nonsense'. I’m sure John cannot actually ‘take’ pike angling anywhere, even if he wanted to. His thoughts on this issue are not only relevant and arguably instructive, but he has managed to present them with a view to civilised discussion without resorting to ad hominem attack, unlike yours. You, sir, appear to have no interest whatsoever in the debate except to use the conversation as a vehicle to impose your opinion. Your posting style betrays a certain attitude which earns no respect from me, so your message is quite lost in your delivery. Nice work.

[Leon Roskilly]

I fear it would be a toe-curling experience playing a feisty pike on a flimsy match rod.

 

Strangely pike only pull away when you pull them!

 

Stop pulling and the pike reacts by acting as though it was never hooked.

 

Pull gently, and you can gently steer them where you want to go, without the pike seeming to realise.

 

Many a large pike, hooked on maggots, or one that has taken a fish being played, has been led to the net on a 3lb hooklength or less!

 

It's as it approaches the net that it can be easily spooked, lead it over the net rather than poking the net towards it, keep down from the skyline, and move slowly.

[Dick Dastardly]

Andy if for example you were out perch fishing one day with say a light Avon/heavy ledger rod and 6lb line and the biggest pike youve ever seen started striking at every thing you brought in,would you tie on the wire trace you had in your tackle box and have a go for it knowing that you would have to go carefull and allow for any sudden lunges by using your skill (that after several years angling you are quite confident in) to plat it out? or would you leave it,abandon your perching and come back the next day with suitable pike tackle hopping the monster would still be present?