Closed Season Pike Fishing

[Dick Dastardly]

One of the most sensible comments Ive read re pike on here ever! You cant break 15lb line playing a pike so how can you possibly pull on them/play them any harder on 40 or even 140lb line with the same rod!! Safety is the prime thought here and what dictates how hard you pull on them is YOU!

 

Not losing £10+ lures is also a bonus!

 

Braided mainlines are no longer new in this country I had hoped the rubbish spoke about them would have stoped by now!

[Neil G]

I fish with 25 lb fireline and 25 lb fox Graviton, two Shimano Diaflash rods, 12 ft, 2 1/2 test and 3 lb test and a pair of shimano 8010's which I find to be a heavy sey up. I've just aquired a 11 ft 6 in 2 1/4 test Whisker Kevlar Tournament to hopefully let me feel a bit more of the fish.

To me your set up is overgunned and theres no way I would get as much pleasure using such a heavy set up as I would a lighter but still a sensible one.

At the end of the day it's gotta be your own preffered set up so good luck with yours.

 

Indeed...I think you find setups that suit your style of fishing

 

I'll happily use a 2.5tc rod for river work where you don't have to cast baits far and for margin fishing but feel more confident using my 3.5tc rod when fishing large waters where big baits have to be cast far or baits have to be drifted a long way.

[Newt]

Braided mainlines are no longer new in this country I had hoped the rubbish spoke about them would have stoped by now!

 

Neither are barbless/barbed hooks a new idea but look at the fun we can have with that topic.

[Guest tigger]

One of the most sensible comments Ive read re pike on here ever! You cant break 15lb line playing a pike so how can you possibly pull on them/play them any harder on 40 or even 140lb line with the same rod!! Safety is the prime thought here and what dictates how hard you pull on them is YOU!

 

Not losing £10+ lures is also a bonus!

 

Braided mainlines are no longer new in this country I had hoped the rubbish spoke about them would have stoped by now!

 

 

 

So If you where to fish with 40lb braid and a 3.5 test rod for say Tench you would have as much contact with the fish as if you where using a feeder rod and 6lb mono/braid ?

 

What I'm saying or trying to say is that if you use big tackle you won't get the same feel of the fish. For instance when using a beach caster and 25lb braid you may hardly even notice you have a three pound fish on so what on earth is pleasurable about that?

 

Ok you've got the safety of the fish issues but there's no skill involved in that type of fishing other than guessing where the fish are and casting your bait in their general area. We used to go fishing for very shy Chub with 2lb mono and they where very capable of breaking you but there was a buzz knowing you had to play and outwit the fish to get it on the bank. That's more like fishing to me.

[Newt]

Braid gives you a better 'feel' for whatever you have on the end of your line than mono. That is inherent in the design of the two types of line. The huge amount of stretch with mono is good in some ways but it does insulate you quite a bit from the fish.

 

It is very possible, given the small diameter of a good braid vs. mono, to use a heavier b/s braid on a light rod. If you get snagged, you pull on just the line away from the rod to try and free your terminal tackle/lure. Otherwise, you play the fish as the rod dictates without worrying about the line b/s.

 

Best of both worlds, as it were.

[Dick Dastardly]

So If you where to fish with 40lb braid and a 3.5 test rod for say Tench you would have as much contact with the fish as if you where using a feeder rod and 6lb mono/braid ?

 

 

But thats not what has been said is it?

 

Now if you had said use 40lb braid and the feeder rod for tench that would have been along the same lines and my answer would be the same.

 

No one has sugested using over the top rods have they just lines which allthough finer/as fine as the traditional nylons we used to use are a lot stronger.

 

Only reason I personally ever use a low breaking strain line is to get a lower diameter and hopefully suppler less obvious line to get better presentation. Yes to an extent the tackle still has to be balanced but anyone who thinks using a high BS line with a standard rod and hook for any species will enable them to get a fish in that much quicker is really missing the point. A rod can only exert a certain force and a hook/hook hold only withstand the same. With pike we are allready exceeding the rods maximum capabilities with 15lb mono so whats the difference?

[poledark]

As Budgie has said, diameter is the important aspect for line choice.

 

Nylon is finer per BS than twisted silk (I have used it )

 

Braid is finer per BS than nylon (I use it )

 

One day there will be a new material that is even finer for the same BS, and I will use that

 

 

Den

[Guest tigger]

Braid gives you a better 'feel' for whatever you have on the end of your line than mono. That is inherent in the design of the two types of line. The huge amount of stretch with mono is good in some ways but it does insulate you quite a bit from the fish.

 

It is very possible, given the small diameter of a good braid vs. mono, to use a heavier b/s braid on a light rod. If you get snagged, you pull on just the line away from the rod to try and free your terminal tackle/lure. Otherwise, you play the fish as the rod dictates without worrying about the line b/s.

x

Best of both worlds, as it were.

 

 

I have been told that Braid has a much higher breaking strain than the one stated on the box.

I was in Ted Carters Tackle shop in Preston and discussing it with some of the staff and they told me that it's the opposite and that Power pro as an example would break at a much less breaking strain than the one stated on the box.

 

They also said that Mono has a higher breaking strain than it's stated one due to the fact that it stretches.

I think i'm gonna do my own test to try and find out wich is right.

Newt as you do a lot with braid, what do you reckon?

[Neil G]

I've never used braid so can't comment on it's uses/feel etc but will be trying some out for long range drifting where keeping the line floating is important.

 

TBH i've never really had any problems with the 15-20lb Sensor line I've been using for pike fishing so will probably carry on using that for the usual river & pit sesions.

[poledark]

Tigger, my Power Pro does exactly what it says on the box Just watch how you knot it though (applies to all braids)

 

Den