Pike fishing - when to strike?

[Guest tigger]

just don't think it's a good idea to base when you strike on the amount of time that's passed rather than how the take is progressing, basically if line is being taken, then the pike must have the bait in its mouth and therefore it should be possible to set the hooks. What are you waiting for the pike to do, when you're giving it the 30 seconds or 2 minutes? I realise you haven't deep hooked any fish, but someone taking your advice might well do.

 

 

The reason I wait a spell before striking is to let the Pike position the bait in it's mouth as it does when preparing to swallow it so my hooks are in the best possible position to set, idealy pointing back out of the fishes mouth. As I say this is how I've always been sucsessfull but we all have our preferred methods so it's whatever works best for you.

 

If I where using smaller bait's then I would strike that bit earlier.

[Grandma]

i try and leave the pike long enough to swallow the bait before striking (usually 45 secs to 90 secs), then the hooks engage in the gullet area of the fish (which is softer than the hard mouthparts and therefore more likely to set the hooks).

 

with a quick hard tug on the steel trace its quite easy to unhook the pike, however deeply they are hooked.

 

There's no need to try and hook them in the gullet, in fact I have to say that's probably the worst piece of advice about pike fishing that I've ever read on the entire internet.

 

You shouldn't be trying hook them so deeply and a quick hard tug is definitely not the way to reveal the hooks, if you have cocked up and mistimed the stike.

 

I'm sure you can get the hooks out and they swim off, but they won't always survive. If you're managing to catch any number of fish in this way, then you could be having a devasting effect on your local pike stocks.

 

The sides of the pikes mouth and in particular the scissors are good places to get a secure hook hold, a sideways strike gives a better chance of making contact with these areas. The roof of their mouth is very hard and so an upwards strike may sometimes not work so well.

 

Quoting usual times to leave before striking is daft. It all depends on the size of bait and rig you're using and the size of the pike that picks up the bait. You have no control over the second point and a big pike can entirely swallow a small bait on a low resistance rig in seconds. Dragging a large hard fighting fish in by it's gullet is not a good thing to try and achieve.

Edited April 18, 2007 by Grandma

[Neil G]

i try and leave the pike long enough to swallow the bait before striking (usually 45 secs to 90 secs), then the hooks engage in the gullet area of the fish (which is softer than the hard mouthparts and therefore more likely to set the hooks).

 

with a quick hard tug on the steel trace its quite easy to unhook the pike, however deeply they are hooked.

 

 

Is that a wind up?

 

I really hope it is as leaving pike to swallow baits isn't good at all

[Anderoo]

Is that a wind up?

 

I really hope it is as leaving pike to swallow baits isn't good at all

 

It must be! Surely

[Neil G]

You would have thought so wouldn't you

[gozzer]

i try and leave the pike long enough to swallow the bait before striking (usually 45 secs to 90 secs), then the hooks engage in the gullet area of the fish (which is softer than the hard mouthparts and therefore more likely to set the hooks).

 

with a quick hard tug on the steel trace its quite easy to unhook the pike, however deeply they are hooked.

 

I'm no pike angler, but I saw this post last night, and waited for the screams of outrage heading in your direction.

You've got off lightly.............................So far

 

 

John.

[Neil G]

I'm no one to preach and say my way is best etc but this is worth a visit for pike care.....

 

www.pacgb.co.uk

 

Enjoy

[oneillbox]

sorry guys, just thought i would pull some legs, christ, you are all bad enough if someone does not even use an unhooking mat !!

 

hope i raised a smile and some tempers even !!

 

Ralph...

[Anderoo]

sorry guys, just thought i would pull some legs, christ, you are all bad enough if someone does not even use an unhooking mat !!

 

hope i raised a smile and some tempers even !!

 

Ralph...

 

WHAT?? Someone didn't use an unhooking mat? BAN THEM FOR LIFE AND BREAK THEIR LEGS!!

[Grandma]

sorry guys, just thought i would pull some legs, christ, you are all bad enough if someone does not even use an unhooking mat !!

 

hope i raised a smile and some tempers even !!

 

Ralph...

 

I couldn't tell if you were being ironic or stupid. I hoped it was the former, but ended up thinking it was the latter, so I guess my leg was succesfully pulled.