The greatest feeling in angling.

[zedhead]

the greatest feeling for me is seeing a pike or perch follow a lure, even if you dont get a take, the follow is pure adrenalin.

 

Whilst not wanting to digress from the post too much, leon couldnt be offering any beter advice, whilst i dont want to offend klienboet and others, the man is absolutely right, futhermore this advice should be practiced today more than ever due to the outrageous amount of pike anglers out there, for every time some one delays a strike, could result in one less pike to not only catch but to reproduce more pike. It only takes a few years of 'bad fishing' with the amount of pike anglers out there to reduce our fishing to garbage, so please, listen to leon and others who know thier stuff regarding pike fishing.

[greg long]

Whilst not wanting to digress from the post too much, leon couldnt be offering any beter advice, whilst i dont want to offend klienboet and others, the man is absolutely right, futhermore this advice should be practiced today more than ever due to the outrageous amount of pike anglers out there, for every time some one delays a strike, could result in one less pike to not only catch but to reproduce more pike. It only takes a few years of 'bad fishing' with the amount of pike anglers out there to reduce our fishing to garbage, so please, listen to leon and others who know thier stuff regarding pike fishing.

 

 

Do we take it you are going to help by giving up Pike fishing? or do you just believe it is unfair that the other anglers want to fish too?

It is also pertinent to point out that fish in different waters take baits in different ways, what works on one water may or may not work on another.

 

As for the original question the moment the fish takes...unless it is BIG then the moment is when it folds into the net, safe at last....

[Guest long-trotter]

The anticipation of just going, wading in running water is enough for me.

 

I hope this don't turn ugly, it's a good topic

[Moodyboy]

For me personaly it's when you drift into your surroundings whilst watching your float/quiver, bird & water sounds, drone of the airplane in the summer sky it's almost zen like, ahhhhhh lovely

 

 

 

Then WALLOP!!!! something attempts to rip your rod from the rest or the floats zip into the dark water- and your heart rate goes the roof.

 

 

or

 

Floating bait,hiding in the undergrowth,then some dark shape appears below inspecting what's on offer, and then gently nudges it. Pure anticipation of what may happen, although sometimes the dark shape figures out what your up to and disappears.

 

 

I have tried to explain this to non-angler's and they just don't get it. But it means more fishing for me!!!

 

 

I have agree this should be a proper nice conversation about the "joy" of our pursuit- there's enough arguements already in other threads

Edited December 1, 2006 by Moodyboy

[zedhead]

greg, I like to think im doing my bit as the deadbait rods have been given a good rest, this season more than ever ive simply been turned off from piking and on to other species, which as been all the more enjoyable by missing out on the piking 'rat race'. the downside is that im missing out on my favorite species.

why did the statement offend you? Im only telling the truth.

[Mat Hillman]

Arriving at a tench pond, dawn on a summers morning, Stepping out of the car and taking in that first breath of fresh air, knowing you have the whole day ahead of you.

 

Closely followed by settling back into my chair after the first cast of the morning!

 

 

It's the anticipation that does it for me!

 

 

Mat

[GlennB]

the greatest feeling for me is seeing a pike or perch follow a lure, even if you dont get a take, the follow is pure adrenalin.

 

Whilst not wanting to digress from the post too much, leon couldnt be offering any beter advice, whilst i dont want to offend klienboet and others, the man is absolutely right, futhermore this advice should be practiced today more than ever due to the outrageous amount of pike anglers out there, for every time some one delays a strike, could result in one less pike to not only catch but to reproduce more pike. It only takes a few years of 'bad fishing' with the amount of pike anglers out there to reduce our fishing to garbage, so please, listen to leon and others who know thier stuff regarding pike fishing.

 

Totally agree - a pred of any kind seen following a lure is heartstopping moment.

 

On the subject of "a few seconds", I think we should cut some slack here. With the best will in the world, and with the maximum possible effort put into pike welfare, the fact is that a proper firm strike on a floated deadbait is bound to take at least a few seconds just to tighten up a little in order to set the hooks properly. The original post was not even hinting at vile old practices of letting 'em have a second run or any other such b#llox.

If anyone here can honestly claim that you can always strike a floated pike bait effectively and *instantly* then I will happily give up bait fishing for pike (or I might come and watch you fish - with a stopwatch )

[oneillbox]

er, 'that few seconds' could mean a deep-hooked fish, possibly a dead fish.

 

The old advice to wait a while before striking comes from the old days, when the pike was being fished for food, and the angler wanted to make sure that the hooks were swallowed so that they would gain a hold in the soft tissue of the gullet, rather than losing a meal because the hooks failed to find a hold in the bony mouth.

 

Fishing for sport, the last place we want to set the hooks is deep in the throat, and risk a badly injured or dead fish.

 

If the float moves, even a tiny bit, the pike has the hooks in it's mouth.

 

(In some instances a pike will take a deadbait and swallow it without moving, just a slight bobbing of the float is all that you will see).

 

Strike immediately.

 

If you use barbless hooks, or hooks with crushed barbs, and make sure that they are sharpened often, so that they dig into your fingernail when dragged across it, it's very unlikely that the hooks won't set in the mouth area, where they can be removed with little chance of significant injury to the pike or stress to yourself.

 

cheers for the lecture, i only use livebaits so the float is always twitching, and secondly, i wait 2 seconds after the float has gone...then i nail the hopefully big [edited - John S].

 

i catch about 150 pike per season, and have never deep hooked one on livebait using this method.

Edited December 1, 2006 by John S

[Mark Crame]

I had a low double shoot up from the weeds at a 4" Storm perch in June from directly underneath it, and around 12 feet in front of and below me (I was on a low bridge maybe 4ft over the surface). It came up in a curve really quickly, the water was gin clear and I had polaroids on. It missed, but that was the ebst buzz I got all year. He went for it a second time too. Brilliant.

[greg long]

greg, I like to think im doing my bit as the deadbait rods have been given a good rest, this season more than ever ive simply been turned off from piking and on to other species, which as been all the more enjoyable by missing out on the piking 'rat race'. the downside is that im missing out on my favorite species.

why did the statement offend you? Im only telling the truth.

 

the statement didn't offend me personally, but it was quite inflammatory and dismissive of other pike anglers.

Personally as I fish in Ireland Iassumed you did not mean me My post was meant just to point out the inconsistency of your statement. If you want to catch pike that are relatively unfished, visit Cavan and Leitrim over here....there are about 400 small lakes that are lucky to be fished 3 or 4 times a year.