Pike - pulls that don't materialise

[The Flying Tench]

At the end of an unsuccessful afternoon today I moved to a spot on canalised river in Newbury where someone had told me he'd seen a big pike. Dusk was setting in, and I knew I wouldn't be longer than 20 minutes, so I didn't bother with a bite alarm or baitrunner, I just watched the rod tip. I used to read stuff about frictionless rigs and so on, but when I tried all that I never seemed to catch anything, but when in conditions where you couldn't use a rod rest I just watched the tip it always seemed to go 'knock, knock, knock' and there was no problem detecting a bite. I put on a big piece of lamprey.

 

Well I watched the tip, and 3 times there was a distinct pull and then nothing. I thought 'aha, Mrs Esox has already eaten quite a lot as she's had high pressure for a while, so maybe she just wants the equivalent of the After Eight mints, my bait is too big'. Then I thought ' the folks on AN will say it was a crayfish', but I didn't think it was as I thought it would have been more continuous. Then I eventually reeled it in and there were teeth mark on each side of the bait from what, I think, was quite a croc.

 

Well I think I know part of the answer - I should have used a baitrunner. But are there other reasons for dropped baits other than the pike feeling resistance, and what should you do? And having realised my mistake, what would have been the best strategy to still catch?

 

Not to worry, of course : I'LL GET YOU ESOX, I KNOW YOUR ADDRESS!

[Newt]

Unlikely to be crays this time of year. They are holed up in the mud and not active.

[Brian Carragher]

Even when using a baitrunner you can still have those little pulls on the rod top

 

I put a lot of those down to the fish not being hungry but playing with the bait, sucking in and blowing out the bait, if you have'nt seen a pike doing just that in clear water then I hope folk do as its a bit of an eye opener as to how easily and how quickly they can do just that without any run developing or the float dissapearing(the float trembles rather than laying flat or going under)

 

I tend to judge pulls on the tip as they happen and sometimes pull into fish other times I leave them alone, Cant give you an explanation as to why or when but it's just an intuitive feeling that I get as to hit or wait

[Peter Waller]

John, a few things, for starters I would use a float set up, far more sensitive and, subject to set-up, less resistance. I am convinced that wiley old pike mouth a bait and if the feel hooks or trace they then blow the bait out. With that in mind I would look at your rig.

Big pike are artful pike, or they wouldn't be big!

[The Flying Tench]

I put a lot of those down to the fish not being hungry but playing with the bait,

 

So, might a smaller bait be a better idea when this happens? Or should I try jerking it about to annoy them? Or............ any other tactics?

[The Flying Tench]

I am convinced that wiley old pike mouth a bait and if the feel hooks or trace ....

 

I noticed that the teeth marks where it grabbed the bait were neatly between the two size 6 trebles I was using. maybe for static deadbaiting I should use smaller hooks?

[jamie dimery-seek]

I noticed that the teeth marks where it grabbed the bait were neatly between the two size 6 trebles I was using. maybe for static deadbaiting I should use smaller hooks?

 

John,if the teeth marks were between the hooks then sounds like it was a small fish,how much spacing did you have between the two hooks?

 

I'd maybe be inclined to shorten the distance between the two hooks,maybe drop down a size to 8's and use a smaller bait (diameter wise as well) roach or similar.

[Peter Waller]

Personally I'd use size 8 too. How do you mount your baits? Snap tackle style?

[kleinboet]

I see everybody is giving advice about pike, has anyone thought the simple answer that maybe the fish was a Zander!

[The Flying Tench]

Thanks, folks - it wasn't a zander - none in the Kennet

 

There were 3 inches between the hooks. The teeth marks were reasonably between them, though maybe a bit to one side, I must admit I can't fully remember. But I remember thinking the hooks looked very obvious, and the teeth had avoided the hooks.

 

Jamie, you advise a smaller bait. Is that a general comment, or is it a response to a situation where you get a pull that doesn't develop?