Self cocking pike floats

[Unimexsol]

I've tried livebaiting with a self cocking pike float on several occasions and each time it has resulted in me getting a massive birds nest near the float.

 

What I'm assuming is that the little roach or whatever is tying the line up as he swims about. Anyone else had similar problems and what is the solution (apart from not using self cockers)?

 

Thanks

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

forget self cockers mate,they are fantastic for use on gravel pits when fishing close in and tehy are set up properly but for lives they are not very good.

 

i use clear sliding through the middle floats for all of my livebaiting,much better and no tangles!

[Unimexsol]

That's what I thought you might say. BTW I'm still waiting for your email about next week.

[ColinW]

It is good advice not to use self cocking floats for pike fishing in general. It's too easy for a pike to swallow the bait right down without any movement registering on the float. The only exceptions that come to mind are trolling and trotting when the float is guaranteed to go under if a pike grabs the bait.

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes I to think self cocking floats are a bad choice for piking.

 

With a float fished live bait you must use a fixed lead above the hook trace to prevent the bait swimming up and tangling in the main line.Also the use of an up trace is strongly reccomended.

 

An up trace should be longer than the hook trace and be attached directly above it.I put my weight on the uptrace it self.The up trace simply prevents a pike getting the mainline in its mouth and biting through it.

 

Although the rig shows a Drift float set up the uptrace arrangement is the same-

 

http://www.anglers-net.co.uk/rigs/pikerigs.htm#drift

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

That's what I thought you might say. BTW I'm still waiting for your email about next week.

 

doen have a look

[Peter Waller]

If there is one thing that really ought to be banned in piking, apart from gags, its the dreaded self cocking pike float!

[Steve Redrobe]

I'd never go fishing with anyone who livebaits for pike.

[Brian Carragher]

I'd never go fishing with anyone who livebaits for pike.

 

So what would you do if having talked a reasonably successful angler into taking you out for a day they then proceeded to livebait?

 

What would you think about using livebait to catch fish other than pike?, would you do it, do you do it?

[Steve Redrobe]

No, I wouldn't do it.

 

I used to livebait about thirty years or so ago, but eventually realised the horror of what I was doing.

 

Each to his own though.