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Pike drop off indicators


markp

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Right chaps what are the best ones to buy as all of my past pike fishing has been with floats? Would you go electronic? Could i utelise my bog standard alarms with a rear drop off? Over to you who know best?

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These are my balls in action i have been using them for years they have been crushed frozen stuffed into my old bag still work great a simple table tennis type with a wire stem and the line clip is adjusted by a small piece of rubber you can also hear them slapping against your bank stick when you get a run ,the fox ones have a better line clip :rolleyes:

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Ive been using some ET Backbiters that I converted since 1988.No problems at all.

 

I prefer rear mounted alarms as opposed to front ones when piking as I use liver baits regularly and dont want the false blips you get with them.

 

If this isnt a problem to you then use front alarms (in conjunction with a rear drop off indicator of course) by all means.

 

This may help if you want to make your own indicators-

 

http://www.fishingmagic.com/news/article/mps/UAN/481/V/4/SP/

 

Every year I promise to do a quick article on converting/making your own "Backbiter" style alarms but never get round to it!

And thats my "non indicative opinion"!

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I usually use a fox micron up the front and a fox dropback indicator

 

TBH I'll always try and use floats where I can i.e when distance and water flow isn't an issue...best indicator so long as you keep a watchful eye !

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There's 2 schools of thought on whether to use front or rear alarms when piking. This is one of the few times that I disagree with Budgie, but it's just a matter of personal preference. When livebaiting I actually prefer to hear the little bleeps as they tell me what the bait is doing, plus they often give me an earlier indication of a run. Naturally I have the volume turned right down so only I can hear the bleeps.

 

I'd always recommend that you use a drop-off indicator that incorporates a sliding weight. These are much easier to adjust to take into account any undertow on stillwaters, let alone current on a river. They also much more clearly show dropbacks. Indeed, sometimes dropbacks aren't shown at all on indicators that don't have a sliding weight.

 

My own choice are front alarms in conjunction with Fox Pike Swingers. See my field test at http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Tackle-And-Bai...ke_swinger.html Since I wrote this I gather they've improved the run clip and also dropped the price.

 

Neil mentioned floats being the best bite indicator. Up to a point I agree. However, they need constant watching - and this applies to all the floats all of the time. For this reason I'd suggest in practice that for many anglers they aren't as fish friendly as you'd first think.

Wingham Specimen Coarse & Carp Syndicates www.winghamfisheries.co.uk Beautiful, peaceful, little fished gravel pit syndicates in Kent with very big fish. 2017 Forum Fish-In Sat May 6 to Mon May 8. Articles http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/steveburke.htm Index of all my articles on Angler's Net

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I use front alarms together with drop-off indicators for all my piking except free-roving livebait or sink and draw! Even when float fishing/paternostering I use an alarm because eyes wander and there's no way I can spend all day staring at the same piece of water. That's not to say I rely on them for indication (more often than not I'll see the float or line move and pick up the rod feeling for the 'knock' before the alarm has beeped) but it's a fail-safe I wouldn't be without.

 

For zander me and a friend are now using very light bobbins and high banksticks (Wingham bream style!) together with front alarms, and sitting right on the rods at all times. This seems to reduce dropped runs but it's too early to see any definite patterns emerging.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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Using a float in conjunction with an alarm can result in a false sense of security, even if a drop-off indicator is used.

 

Anderoo's sufficiently experienced to know when and how to use a float in conjunction with an alarm and a drop-off indicator. However, in many situations you still need to watch the float like a hawk. This is because the drop-off indicator won't be foolproof if you've got slack line between the float and the indicator.

 

My own preference is therefore to dispense with the float if I want to have a leisurely sessio, and to watch the wildlife for instance. In those circumtances if I want to fish a bait off the bottom I'd pop it up, or more likely fish it on a sunken float paternoster - one of my most successful methods for deadbaits by the way.

 

Of course there are times when a float is the best option. This may be when I want to drift a bait through a swim, trotting on a river, certain trolling situations, and just about at all times from an anchored boat.

 

I deplore the advice often given when boat fishing at anchor to use one rod on the float and another ledgered/paternostered. The latter don't always show takes, and if I allowed boat fishing at Wingham I'd ban ledgering/paternostering from an anchored boat.

 

Whilst I'm on my soapbox, I also deplore the practice of having one or more floats out of sight when boatfishing. I've even seen this on TV programmes! :headhurt:

 

Sorry to go off topic, but I feel that these points need hammering home as often as possible.

Wingham Specimen Coarse & Carp Syndicates www.winghamfisheries.co.uk Beautiful, peaceful, little fished gravel pit syndicates in Kent with very big fish. 2017 Forum Fish-In Sat May 6 to Mon May 8. Articles http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/steveburke.htm Index of all my articles on Angler's Net

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Thanks for clarifying that Steve - upon re-reading my post I can see that 'That's not to say I rely on them for indication' wasn't particularly clear.

 

Also, am I the only one who thinks that drop-offs aren't particularly good as indicators? Thinking laterally, I reckon they'd be most useful when using bolt rigs for carp or tench, when you're expecting a proper run. I reckon I could count on one hand the number of times I've had a full blooded run from a pike, which has pulled the line from the clip and run off like they're 'supposed' to. Nearly always I see a twitch or tremble or tightening of the line, maybe a beep or two on the alarm, and pick up the rod to feel for the fish.

 

Similarly with floats, I very rarely get a pike float taken under the water (except if fishing a livebait off the bottom). It's normally just a bob or sideways movement.

 

I may be preaching to the converted, but don't wait for a 'proper' run from pike - if your indicator or line or rod tip does anything it shouldn't, a pike has your bait in its mouth.

 

Off topic, but I really hope we get some decent pike weather this winter. All my plans last year were scuppered by, you guessed it, floods :headhurt:

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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