pike fishing using lures?

[carpin mad]

I am going fishing for pike soon and just wondered what setup you guys would recomend. I am going to be using lures.

Thanks for all help so far.

 

Andrew

[Andy Macfarlane]

1: Are you taking up pike lure fishing seriously?

2: Is this outfit for occasional use?

3: How much are you willing to spend?

4: Which type of venues will you be tackling?

5: Boat or bank?

6: Small or large lures?

[carpin mad]

well,

 

Yes, i am going to be pike fishing ' seriously ' I wont just be spending each winter ' pikin ' as long as it goes reasonably well i will be continuing during the year.

 

I really only need a basic set up i dont really want to be spending a lot of money because i am on a relitively tight budget so is my ' fishing buddy ' I dont mind spending a fair bit though because i will be spending a lot of the year ' pikin '

 

Mainly Canals or rivers, i dont think we have planned a fishery trip yet.

 

Bank

 

Small

[Leon Roskilly]

A couple of articles that might be worth a read:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Coarse-Fishing...ishing_one.html

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Coarse-Fishing...made_lures.html

[carpin mad]

well , thanks for the links Leon they helped the where abouts of pike but i still dont know what set up to use. Do you go

' pikin ' ? If so what setup do you use?

[carpin mad]

ok, thanks Model so what would you recomend? Maybe go for perch, those sorts of fish during the winter months?

[Dick Dastardly]

In general lure fishing is better during warmer conditions but then the pike are more fragile than as well! Ive done well on days in the winter when the pike are actively feeding using lures but in general have found bait fishing more productive.

[Leon Roskilly]

well , thanks for the links Leon they helped the where abouts of pike but i still dont know what set up to use. Do you go

' pikin ' ? If so what setup do you use?

 

 

For lure fishing I use a specialist lure rod and usually a Shimano Citica reel loaded with 30lb braid, a woven titanium wire leader at least 18" long, with a swivel at both ends and a snap link to attach the lure to the swivel.

 

Oh! and something I wrote recently about lure fishing this time of year on another forum:

 

 

will pike take lures in the cold months, jan-feb?

 

 

In a word, yes

 

But......

 

 

In the warmer months pike have more energy, feed and chase more, and eat more.

 

But come the cold, then they like to lay up on the bottom waiting in ambush mode for an easy meal to pass by, or seeking out dead fish that won't do a runner, by their scent trail.

 

Saving energy they wont be journeying looking for food either, so fishing where the pike are, rather than waiting for them to come by, is the secret of winter lure-fishing.

 

(They will be in deep and sheltered areas, layed up in weed beds from where they can spring an ambush, perhaps close by where the bait fish are shoaled, so knowing the water and knowing your water-craft becomes more important in Winter)

 

Depth and feature-finding becomes impoprtant.

 

If I don't know a water or swim, I'll use a sheet of A4 to map out the area in front of me (usually a blank page) and start casting out a large spoon, counting it down from when it hits the water, until it stops on the bottom, then write down the count on the sheet, before casting somewhere else.

 

Soon the numbers begin to reveal whether the bottom is all of the same depth, or where the shelf is, or perhaps a mound, or hole, giving clues as to where the pike are likely to be.

 

(Of course sometimes the lure doesn't reach the bottom, so when it stops going down, strike, just in case the 'bottom' turns out to be a take!)

 

Again in Summer, the noise and buzz of a fast lure will bring the pike from some distance to intercept it.

 

In winter you need to work the lure more slowly, on or close to the bottom, to provoke a strike from a laid-up pike (you'll often find them covered in leeches), as the lure passes lazily by.

 

Of course, fishing like this, slowly along a litter-filled bottom (twigs, branches and leaves), the lure is more likely to pick up debris, or become snagged, so strong line is essential, as iis using 'weedless' lures, such as the weedless Rapala Minnow Spoon, or replacing the treble with a single hook fitted with a 'wreck guard'.

 

On the other hand, the pike don't know this and can behave unexpectedly and contrary to belief, so don't be afraid to experiment!

 

And take heed of changes in weather that can affect seasonal behaviour.

 

But the 'rule' for winter lure fishing is deep and slow, and if that isn't working try something else

[Newt]

Leon - it sounds like you have just written a great why-to guide for fishing carolina rigged soft plastics for winter piking.

 

Using floating plastics and a shortish hooklength (2 feet maybe) will keep the lure out of the trash and moving along as slow as you wish over pretty much any sort of bottom.

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/Coarse-Fishing...rolina_rig.html

[Neil G]

I'd be interested in the feedback this generates... but my advice, based upon personal experience would be don't bother with lures after October.

 

Come late feb/march it's worth trying lures again though.

 

Pikers tend to deadbait in winter but I've failed to see the point. The pike are half-dead and very slow, comatose even. They seem to be waiting for the spring... when they start to take some interest in life again.

 

Surface lure fishing for for pike right at the beginning of the season is probably the most exciting inland UK fishing you can get (bar game fishing).

 

Caveat: I fish locally only: mainly one river and a couple of streams and an estate lake or two... and I'm only talking from experience gained on these limited waters.

 

MC

 

 

Second that MC

 

As a general rule I find the rivers get slower & slower to fish in the winter for pike despite what all the magazines say about frosts and 'predator season'...you almost have to land baits on the bug*ers noses to get any action!

 

Lures still okay though for perch is run very, very slow and on the bottom...small mannns shads with jig heads are good for this.

 

Lure fishing definately a great method in the spring and I can also say that catching river pike on topwater lures in the summer is some of the best fishing I've ever experienced. Beats sitting behind deadbait rods for that trophy fish anyday.