River lure fishing/jerkbaiting

[Neil G]

I went fishing on a stretch of water last weekend and caught quite a few pike on baits and my brother caught quite a few in a short time on a Big S plug.

 

Now I saw the river was nice and clear yesterday so I thought I would try out my new jerkbait rod along with my trusty Spinflex with smaller lures.....I was almost certain I would get some action.

 

Anyway, to cut a long story short the fishing was slow....caught a couple of Chub on the Big S but that was it....had no takes/follows from any pike at all on both the lighter rod and the Jerkbait setup trying all kinds of different retrieve speeds and styles. I have to ask myself what all the pike were doing....were they alseep on the bottom or something?

 

I did notice some empty lure packets down there though (why morons do that is beyond me) so I'm getting the idea that the stretch is pretty hammered and by people who don't really have much respect. Is it possible this pressure could be a factor in the pike going off the feed and becoming weary?

 

May have to go back to the baits down there as it seems they are more succesful

Edited August 10, 2007 by Neil G

[jamie dimery-seek]

I know exactly what you mean Neil.I've been having some cracking evenings lure fishing lately,but the last two trips (tues and yesterday evening) have been unusually slow,blanked tues (first time this year)and had a jack and a micro pike yesterday,which were hard work to get.(Lives went untouched).

 

Visability has gone from 6 inches to 3 foot in a week,which i thought may be playing a part?

 

This part of the river has received no pressure,but it could be a factor where you are fishing,or they could be as you say just lying up.

 

 

Ps just noticed in your avatar,that you're a fellow Bathonian

[Neil G]

Cheers for the reply mate

 

I'm actually living in Bradford on Avon which isn't far from Bath but has some great fishing close to hand...I have fished over Bath with little success but have heard it's good on the Bristol side down Kelston (Bathampton AA)

 

I really don't know what is going on as the river has, like you say gone so clear in the last week and the flow has slowed right down as well....I thought it would be just dynamite with the lures. I do know that the river does get fished a lot and probably more with lures/spinners by kids (often with no unhooking tools etc) so I imagine a lot of the pike get traces/hooks left in them and may die as a result of this

 

I've had some good pike out of the stretch though up to 18.5lbs and not shy either, all belting off and tailwalking for the nearest overhanging branch or tree but that was in sections that are quite hard to get to so may not see so many fisherman.

 

Off to Cheddar next weekend for days lure fishing with the biggest baits I can find

 

Which sections of the Avon do you fish?

[jamie dimery-seek]

My boats moored at Kelston Mill,so pretty much from there down to Keynsham and back up to Bath at Pultney weir.

Haven't fished from the bank for the last year.Much easier to keep mobile in a boat and get right in the weirpools where others cannot reach.

 

Pop across for a session sometime if you want to.

[Newt]

Neil - the fish certainly can become so familiar with certain lure designs that they ignore them and heavily fished stetches see this happening fairly often.

 

You can usually change to another lure style and start catching fish once again.

 

Given the pervasive nature of jerkbaits in the UK, I would suggest having several but to give up on them quickly if they aren't producing and try soft plastics, lipless crankbaits, spinner baits, or some other lure with a very different profile and action.

 

Take a look at http://www.tacklebargains.co.uk/acatalog/O...kbaits_112.html where you can get an assortment at a really nice price (discount closeout lures) and make a little money for Elton since it is from a link on here.

 

I have an unfinished article on soft plastics in here somewhere that will give you info on selecting and using those. Deadly and especially since they are so rarely used in the UK. You may have to source them from the States though.

[Ken L]

If it's clear water and bright days, the chub will still be out and about but the pike will for the most part be tucked up tight into the bank or under the weed.

Try soft plastics or a weedless surface lure like a moss boss and fish them in tight, even if it only looks like there's a foot of water and fish them slow but eratic.

Some of my best river pike have come out to these tactics in the middle of summer and watching them come bowwaving out of some hidyhole to shash the lure in clear shallow water if heartstopping stuff.

[Neil G]

Thanks for the tips

 

I went out yesterday for a couple of hours and did try quite a few soft plastics bringing them in close to the weed etc without much luck.

 

It was pretty warm though so I have a feeling a lot of the pike were holed up/lying on the bottom not on the feed. In situations like that I suppose you have the balls to cast so close to overhanging trees and fish near snags/weed to really get the lure near the fish to entice/annoy it!

 

Jamie...I've never fished up in Bath on the free stretch but have always wondered what that section of the river is like as I never see any people piking it. I'm looking into getting a folding dinghy as well now as I'd like to be able to get to some spots which I have seen recently.

 

Have to drop you a PM when I go over to fish Bath....I'll also be fishing down Kelston this winter as I hear there are some wiers down there and good stretches of river.