Piking gear - what I take with me

[Mark Crame]

For those of you wanting to maybe chase some pike, here’s what I take with me piking on the yak. It's not exhaustive and maybe some of you will spot extras you would take that I am missing or think other bits aren't worth the weight - but here's my take on the neccesary:

 

 

Rods, reels and line – for trolling I use two multipliers so I can hear the ratchets, both are large reels which can double for beach and sea use and are loaded with 40lb braid. The rods are 10ft long so allow good separation and plenty of length to go around the bow or stern when playing fish. The rods are quite stiff so don’t allow the most feeling to be transmitted to me but they allow me to bully the fish out of snags. They troll well too.

 

Unhooking mat and landing net (handle not shown, but 3-4 feet in length is ideal, handy for weighing the fish in too). I have two mats (one for a cushion, very comfortable) and one to put over my legs when boating a fish so that it is protected and can go back none the worse for it’s ordeal.

 

 

Lures – hard plastic trolling on the left, big and small sizes, a range of colours and patterns. The blue mackerel patterned rapala is sadly no longer with us but will be replaced. Hard plastic casting lures (some of which work on the troll at certain speeds) and a few small spinners. Rubber casting lures, bloody deadly, especially the 4” perch, had plenty of fish on that this summer – the big perch and the big shad have taken nothing though.

 

These are carried either in boxes in an army-issue PLCE respirator bag or a ‘No More pricks’ lure holder:

 

 

This folds up and can be worn around the waist and I keep the main ones for the day in that (if they fit) with the bag behind me in the tankwell. The lures are protected and the trebles are kept out of the way. Good, honest Aussie common sense and a present from abroad that seems to be excellent.

 

 

 

Most of the kit I keep on me in the PFD – a Fladen.

 

Here we have the fishing licence, the camera (just a little Fuji compact) a permanent pen for recording weights, scales, unhooking gear and a leatherman (plus a whistle of course) and spare traces.

 

 

Of course sometimes you might want to use baits, and for that these are my items also carried – a hypodermic to inject air and pop the bait up or to inject with attractants such as fish oil, pheromones or good old Chanel Allure. Also a range of flots for nvarious sized baits, some weights, traces with twin treble hooks and spinning traces which can be used as up-traces:

 

 

Now, this is what I carry. It isn’t what I need in all honesty, much of it is acquired over time and used as well. Apart from the rods/reels traces and lures there are 3 things that I won’t go without, and 1 which is handy on occasion –

 

Unhooking mat – to protect the fish

Pliers – to remove the trebles from the mouth

Wirecutters – to cut the trebles if caught in the net

 

and:

 

Forceps – in case a big fish takes the lure deep. If bait fishing forceps are a must, and I have a selection as some may be easier in one situation than others.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas for Llangorse – what you might need to buy, what you may already have etc. While not extensive and a personal choice of gear this may be of interest. If you have any lures at all take them, try them, if you like to use the fly, then why not try (need to ask someone else what you need there though – never done it for pike myself).

[SpeciMan]

Great Post Mark.

 

Last week I found a launch point on the River Stour in a quiet secluded spot with free parking - I think its on a free stretch too and its less than a 10 minute walk from my house Will make a good alternative venue for when its too rough to head out to sea. If it came to it I could always paddle up the Stour from the sea and then trolley the yak back home.

 

Will get the items you list and try for them before the winters out. Should be able to use my Fladen Multipliers for pike fishing.

Edited November 11, 2006 by SpeciMan

[Starvinmarvin]

Good job Mark, what size landing net do you use and where exactly do you keep it, toying with getting a 36 incher and cutting down the handle and placing a noodle behind the net to keep the arms afloat whilst using one handed, but can see it getting in the way or worse still stuck over my head at an inconvenient moment

 

Had a Pike session today with a chap who makes all his own spinning lures, he obviously out fished me but was surprised just how big the lure he was catching was, going to see if I can get my hands on one for Llangorse, the river was a little shallow for most of my lures and trolling was sadly a waste of time, but thankfully I didn't blank.

 

Sm

[Mark Crame]

Come on then, lets see a pic!

 

Net is 24 inches, circular (never a fan of triangular ones) and cost a quid from a car boot a fortnight ago after losing one the same. I did have it under the straps on the front hatch but got it snagged up on the screw that holds the two lengths of the extendable bankstick together so popped it over the rear well. Which is how I lost the last one. It'll strill go there now, but is better attached and has some pipe lagging on it. It's big enough for most pike I'd say - it was big enough for Simons. Oh, and sink the net and get the pike over it.

 

A big lure makes a bigger target and a bigger meal. They have big mouths and will take stuff far bigger than you can cast...

Edited November 11, 2006 by Mark Crame

[Starvinmarvin]

Here you go Mark,

 

 

Only a baby. Noticed that the markings were very light compared with your Broads Pike, Ralph's bigger fish were almost grey.

 

Totally agree about the sinking of the net, no point in poking the poor things 24 incher it is then, damn and blast, there was one on ebay on Friday, nearly put a bid on.

 

SM

[Yakity - Yak - u.k.]

Hiya Mark.

 

Nice post, looking at the pics you are certainly serious about your Pike fishing.

Very helpfull.

Do you ever target them on the Fly ?

 

 

Bill.

[Mark Crame]

Nothing wrong with that Marvin - a pike is a pike, still beautiful to look at. Interesting about the colour differences too.

 

Bill - only started again this year after 15 years of not fishing. Lost most of my old lures before I got the braid so have been buying and buying lures. Still have a bunch of rods and reels in the shed, and a bunch of floats were at a good price on ebay - along with trebles, snap swivels, trace wire. Forceps were in the shed, along with pliers and wirecutters. The scales cost me £20 though, bloody things. Also have polaroid sunglasses and a head torch but the PFD was needed for yakking anyway,a nd the unhooking mat doubles as a cushion. Landing nets were a quid on the car boot sale...

 

Fly fishing might be attempted next year. I have some line but no reel or flies and my fly rod got burnt up in a nicked car a few years back. Used to be my grandfathers rod too.