Piking disaster

[msutton]

I think I am a walking disaster area when it comes to pike fishing.

 

I set out at 9:30am this morning in the pouring rain, thermal undies on and raring to go.

 

I started out on what is supposed to be a great swim. It's shallow, about 5ft at most, but the pike do seem to hole up there, even in winter.

 

I went out around 60 yards from the bank and the water wasnt even over my waders.

 

First out of the bag was a Mepps Aglia no.7. It's usually a pretty good lure. After 20 minutes of catching freshwater muscles and their home rocks I put it away and tried a 10" shallow diving plug in firetiger. Still nothing.

 

Looking across the lake whilst nonchalantly winding in my crank bait I saw another angler wobbling with a small smelt. In 40 minutes I must have seen him catch 5 or so pike.

 

I wondered over close to the swim he was fishing which drops to about 25ft. After 3 more hours I must have caught at least 20lb, of weed.

 

Not a touch all day. I tried every lure I have, my tackle is balanced, I get 80 yard casts with certain lures and I've read plenty of books on technique.

 

What am I doing wrong? This is my third blank in a row and I know I'm fishing the right spots since I've seen other people deadbaiting/wobbling and catching all day.

 

Help!

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

get on wobbled baits!try and watch em,see how they are retrieving,could even ask them hwat there secret is...

[msutton]

Forgot to mention.

 

Last time I went, my mate, fishing along side me, hooked up twice in the shallow swim. Both times he used what he calls a predator lure. I've never seen these for sale.

 

Obviously, typing that into google brings up everything so is anyone familiar with that style of plug? It's a shallow diver.

[Peter Waller]

Sink and draw a shad!! Maybe the pike are not in the shallow water.

 

Just to make you feel really bad, I've had a great week ! Well, four and a half days of good piking, on shads!

[msutton]

I think I'm going to find another water. Wintersett is extremely hard going to be honest.

 

Do you guys know anywhere else I could try around Wakefield?

 

I did try sink and draw with a 5" firetiger shad, not a peep.

[Newt]

Worth A Try if you are blanking anyway?

[Andrew Burgess]

Peter Waller:

Sink and draw a shad!! Maybe the pike are not in the shallow water.

 

Just to make you feel really bad, I've had a great week

[Peter Waller]

What luck? All down to sheer skill at the hands of a maestro

[Nugg]

mmmm, sorry if I've read this wrong you go out 60yds, and you can cast 80 yds, for what reason do you go out? you may be scattering them and of course they can see your every movement especially when you cast.

[jeepster]

have to agree nugg, its not really how far you can cast, its where you cast.........