Freshwater - piking

[Mark Crame]

Well, a bit of a disaster yesterday. Finally hooked up a decent river pike (guess around 6lb) from the yak, on the troll with a Rapala (forget the model).

 

Having done some pike skiing (which was fun) I finally had him alongside – ish. Holding my rod vertically (the only way I could find to bring him close enough to glove out) I got hold of the trace, at which point he had a final thrash for freedom, and the snap link parted…..cue pike and Rapala doing a crash dive, still attached.

 

Now, this is the first time I’ve had a snap link give out on me (not the first time I’ve lost a pike though) and am feeling a bit guilty that this pike has still got a plastic fish in his mouth. So, lessons to learn.

 

1. Take a landing net. An encumbrence for sure, but if it keeps one pike safe it’s worth the hassle.

 

2. Don’t use these snap links!

 

Anyway, Here are some pics – not the best quality, but hey.

 

 

 

 

 

[terry1956]

Hi, I don,t use a landing net from the yat, found that it just made things harder to deal with the pike, I play the fish maybe a bit longer then I would from the bank, always use bardless hooks, and only one per lure.

The played fish is clove landed and the hook removed with the fish across the yat on my knees,I always hang both long and short hook removers from a landyard around my neck, easy to get at when times get busy.

I then hold the fish in the water until showing clear signs of fitnest to release and let go. I have found that for canel pike fishing, doing away with the life jacket and keeping the yak clear of fish holders and items that to tell the truth just get in the way helps with handling the pike and the pikes well being.

nice pics,

 

terry

[Grant]

Which snap links were they?

[Mark Crame]

Thanks for that Terry, that's just what I was after. Incidentally, what length rods do you use, and do you troll one or two? I had two ten footers out, both with multipliers on. I found that it was not overly easy to get the trace close enough to get hold of - it was when I did get it that it decide to thrash and broke the link. I was then intending to lay the rod flat and glove the fish onto my lap (without a glove though). I carry an unhooking mat to cushion it once landed (comfy cushion for me when paddling too!). The its down to the normal unhooking routine of forceps (short straight and long curved forceps, needle nosed pliers, side cutters etc depending on how hooked). I wasn't using a net as I figured it would be prone to getting tangled up at various times and most likely once the pike was in it. I will persevere without one now on your advice and review the situation at a later date if need be.

 

Grant, I don't know the brand, but they are like these in design: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50-x-Size-1-Diamond-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Have just got some like this instead - with the interlocks: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Crane-Safety-Snap-Sw...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I figure the wire was pulled out of the collar at one end or the other, hence the failure.

[nifty]

Hi Mark,

Bad luck with the Pike.

Try and get hold of some Berkely crosslok link swivels, they are the boys. You can get them for about a quid for five at most decent tackle shops. The 30lb class are about all you need for Pike. If you can't get any, pm me your address and I'll send you some down.

As for rods, I tend to use a light 7ft shakespeare spinning rod which has handled fish to 12lb easily and I'm confident it will beat a 20, and it makes things easy to control the fish at the side of the yak.

nifty

[Mark Crame]

Thanks nifty. Tried to get some crosslocks today, but having seen about a dozen different types I went for the interlocks - the snaplocks looked like they'd be less likely to interfere with the lure action and still stand up to the job. thanks for the offer though.

 

I have an old shimano spinning rod in the boot of the car, that's about 6-7ft, maybe i'll give it a go. Had some perch on an 11ft spinning rod before (had more takes on that rod than on these - perhaps these have too stiff an action?). Will go out and chase the buggers on thursday if I get the chance and see how I get on, maybe one of these and the 7 footer. Might even retrieve my lure.....

 

(The bad luck was for the pike, he swam off looking like a teenager with a face full of ironmongery).

[nifty]

The Cros-loks have worked well for me on all the lure fishing I've done, mainly for Bass with jointed Rapalas, and don't seem to affect their action. Try putting a split ring on the lure if you think that the lure isn't working right, or just use a plain swivel with a split ring and do away with the link swivel altogether A bit more fiddly to change lures but as strong as you'll get.

Stu

Edited September 25, 2006 by nifty

[Grant]

I really like the rapala snap swivels, and never lost a fish or lure yet.

 

Havent had any of that size on, but worth a look.

[Newt]

Not a yak angler but from some years of small boat lure fishing on fresh water, several suggestions

- rods to a maximum of 7 or 7.5 ft length are much easier to handle

- replacing trebles with circle hooks makes it much easier to handle fish by hand or by net and if you get a break off, the fish can shed the lure much easier.

 

By using snap rings to attach hooks, it is quick and easy to replace the trebles. I like the Gamakatsu Octopus circle hooks in red (preds love the color) and 4/0 to 8/0 hooks depending on lure size.

 

This one is barbless and for use with lures, does nicely. The shape keeps the fish on as long as you have pressure on the line but is easy to remove.

 

The microbarb version in red is fine too and probably the one I use the most.

[Simon Everett]

Mark,

I have given up on wire and now use kevlar instead - you can knot it as it is a braid (Spectron is the brand I use NOT SPECTRA). I use it for fly fishing trace for pike too - just make a loop at the business end big enough to put over your lures (6" long loop) and then just loop to loop join flies or lures - easy to change and no links to come undone or impede the action of your lkure (the weight of a link / swivel will alter the action of some lures).

 

I have one of these traces that has now taken a dozen or so pike and been on my fly line for the whole of last season and this - time to change it I think before it chaffs through. I bought a spool of Spectron and should see me to my death bed for pike traces! It is more supple than mono and so your flies/lures work with more action that on the end of a wire trace.

 

I did try some of that knottable Tyger wire - anyone want the rest of the spool? Free. It is CRAP.