Closed Season Pike Fishing

[Steve Burke]

Choice is a personal thing I would just ask each to respect others choice but also all to practice their choice responsibly.

 

Well said, Budgie!

[Steve Burke]

Steve, I'd be interested to know if that's a fact rather than opinion and what it's based on. I agree with your comment about the cream of pike fishing being after they've settled down. Around May is my favourite time, right in the middle of the closed season, it may not be traditional but the pike are fit, and the water temps aren't too high.

 

It's not based on anything scientific, just on my own observations that pike are often manky just after spawning. So opinion rather than fact - sorry, I should have made that clear.

 

I quite agree with you about May being the best month, at least in my area, for exactly the reasons you gave.

[ColinW]

The closed season doesn't finish until June 15th. By that time some pike will have had three months to recover from spawning. Tench are often in the middle of it on June 16th and no-one seems to think twice about targeting them (or pratting about with them out of the water for ten minutes to get a grotesque picture for the front page of the AT!)

[Steve Burke]

Hiya steve , what time of the year do you mean after they have spawned ? and with it being a closed season wouldnt you only be able to fish with spinners/fly for trout and salmon , ? hense another branch of the sport you would have to invest in ie fly rod or lure rod , then with a lure rod there would be a good chance you would catch pike perch chub etc etc , so fly would be the best bet ? hense buying a fly rod

 

Pike are the earliest of the coarse fish to spawn, with evolution ensuring that the baby pike are big enough to feed on the abundant fry of later spawning species. Obviously it'll depend on the weather, the area and the venue, but on most UK waters pike will spawn sometime between February and April.

 

On rivers there's a closed season for coarse fishing between mid- March and mid-June. This therefore doesn't always coincide with when the pike spawn.

 

On most stillwaters there's now no closed season for coarse fish. Instead it's up to the fishery manager to impose his own local regulations.

 

Both lure fishing and fly-fishing are good ways of catching pike. Both will catch other species. And both will give you a hell of a lot of fun!

[thejesmonddingo]

I fish reservoirs for pike in the close season,but return them asap,I only weigh big ones(>10lbs),and only photograph PBs(currently>21lbs).I've timed myself ,and they're usually out of the water for less than a minute.I also use 40lb braid,and get them in asap,to reduce stress.

Ian

[Guest Ferret1959]

I fish reservoirs for pike in the close season,but return them asap,I only weigh big ones(>10lbs),and only photograph PBs(currently>21lbs).I've timed myself ,and they're usually out of the water for less than a minute.I also use 40lb braid,and get them in asap,to reduce stress.

Ian

 

Now there's another discussion.

 

Bully them in and risk injury or take your time and cause stress???

 

I have found most big pike I have caught only fight back hard when they see the net.

I take my time in playing a fish and never bully it to the net.

[Peter Waller]

But do you cause stress with an overlong fight?

 

I have had pike to over 20 pounds weight on ultra-lite tactics. The fish have come to the boat seemingly unaware that they have been hooked, the hook has been rolled out and off they have gone. One indeed I re-caught the following day, apparently none the worse for wear after it's gentle fight.

[dav]

But do you cause stress with an overlong fight?

 

I have had pike to over 20 pounds weight on ultra-lite tactics. The fish have come to the boat seemingly unaware that they have been hooked, the hook has been rolled out and off they have gone. One indeed I re-caught the following day, apparently none the worse for wear after it's gentle fight.

I think that is because the harder you pull the fish ,the harder the fish wants to pull, except in the opposite direction , hence tiring it too much , wereas with light gear i think its constantly in your mind not to bully the fish in fear of breaking your line ,so slowly steering the fish to the net doesnt seem to bother them much , with sea trout fishing i try to steer the fish in the opposite direction to were i actually want it to be and sure enough it will go the right way , it takes abit of getting use to but it works ,well will sea trout it does

[Guest tigger]

I fish reservoirs for pike in the close season,but return them asap,I only weigh big ones(>10lbs),and only photograph PBs(currently>21lbs).I've timed myself ,and they're usually out of the water for less than a minute.I also use 40lb braid,and get them in asap,to reduce stress.

Ian

 

 

"Bl*ody hell 40 lb briad" I can't see any pleasure in just dragging a fish into the net unless it's purley for the pot. If I can't feel the fish fighting then I wouldn't get any pleasure whatsoever.

I've just purchased a lighter Carp/pike rod to allow more contact with the fish. Every fish I've ever caught even after a lengthy fight has allways swam away happily and in good fettle, none the worse for it's ordeal. I think there's more chance of damaging a fish by scull dragging it in.

[Dick Dastardly]

Another great unknown! What is best pull them in quickly or take your time?after all these years Im still not entirely sure! What I am sure about though is that regardless of how they are played its more the way they are handled with pike that is the real factor in a sucsesfull release.

 

I do tend to lean towards the "get em in quick" school of thought.Unlike cyprinids pike have hard mouths and Ive allways played them hard to avoid the hooks comming out.Dont see how you can play a pike too hard or cause damage by doing so? So the playing hard causes damage theory just doesnt ring true for me. Playing any fish hard can often result in a shorter fight but possibly more strenuous fight though.Im blowed if I can remember through either my body building days or fish physiology which causes the biggest/quickest build up of lactic acid,a long period of gentle exertion or a short period of hard exertion? Anyone?

 

But once again looking at the issue with my rather simplistic way of basing more on what Ive seen rather than what Ive been told,read or taught I say that even with the most care shown there will always be fatalities (known or unknown) caused by us simply fishing for them regardless of time of year,method or technique.Do the best we can to minimise it but also accept it as part and parcel of our sport.