Lee Swords Fishing

Pike fishing…Small Baits…Double the action!!

Its that time of year when the predator tackle is being dusted off as I prepare for some pike fishing with a plan to try some new rigs out, first things first however my reels will need to be re-loaded with new 15lb line.

I love the whole predator scene, not that I am claiming to be the greatest predator angler in the world with just a modest PB of just 18.8lb, but this year that is one thing I want to change, I really want my first 20lb Pike.

Over the last few years I have always followed the crowd and used the standard trebles and wire traces when using dead and live baits, the live baits usually being anything from 4oz upwards.

More recently though I have started to question what effect the trebles actually have on the presentation of the bait, regardless of whether it is dead or alive. So this year I have decided it is time for a change as I tied some single hook rigs using 28lb wire trace to a size 4 Owner hook.

I opted to use the Owner hooks as they are razor sharp and therefore even in a pikes hard bony mouth a good hook hold should still be possible.

There is also an added bonus of using a single hook and a small bait on the venues that I frequent as I know there are good numbers of huge perch in many of them, so chances are I will hook into one or two of those if I get my presentation right and I certainly wouldn’t be complaining If I did.

The day usually starts with a 6am arrival at the venue which is one that as a specialist angler I have to share with the match angling fraternity. This isn’t a bad thing as it allows me to keep track or everything that is happening and recently it had been  throwing up good weights of silver fish, so hopefully where the prey fish are the pike and other predators will follow.

Talking about predators, one of the hot topics at the moment is the cormorant population explosion and as light breaks its clear to see the extent of the issue, the birds leave their roost and fly off to all corners of county raping the waters as they go.

One cheeky cormorant tries its luck just in front of the car park but soon ups and leaves as I walk closer. Its hard to believe that these birds eat up to 2lb of fish per day and in that tree there is around 15 fish eating machines, I will let you do the maths.

I had a walk along the banks and chose a peg that just oozed predator fish, the water was 4ft in the margins with a shelf slopping off to around 7ft a couple of rod lengths out. There was also the added bonus of a reed bed to one side and a over hanging tree to the other.

I had decided in advance that I was going to use live baits so after checking the rules on the water to ensure it is allowed, I fished with the pole using a size 22 hook and 1.8lb hook length, and in a little over an hour I had a nice selection of around a dozen small roach and Rudd varying around 2 oz. Due to the size of the fish my rig was altered and the larger sunken float swapped with a small loafer float.

The rig itself is so simple with 15lb Diawa mainline straight through to the lead weight which can be altered to suit the size of the live bait, due to the small baits I’m using today I’m only using ½oz. The loafer float is attached using float rubbers so the depth can be easily adjusted, the hook trace is added by threading a swivel onto the main line, above and below the swivel is a float stop and a small bead. This too can be easily adjusted so the live bait can be set to be at whatever depth you chose. A single size 4 hook is crimped onto 24inch of  E-sox super 7 – 28lb wire trace to make the finished item.

After lip hooking the first live bait and gently casting to just beyond the marginal shelf, I sit the rod on the bite alarm and attach a small lightweight bobbin set half way between the rod blank and the ground, that way if I do get a take and it swims away the bobbin will rise if on the other hand it swims towards me the bobbin will fall, both of these setting off my alarm. The second rod is cast to my left just past the reed bed where I caught the live baits and the third rod cast to my right just a few feet past the overhanging willow tree.

Now that the rods are all out in position I catapult a handful of maggots over each of the swims hoping to attract even more silver fish into the general area thus attracting any predators as well, this will be repeated every quarter of an hour or so.

whilst waiting for a bite its always worthwhile keeping your eyes out on the surrounding water, looking for any signs of fish activity. It could be as simple a thing as a small fish breaking the surface or a explosion of tiny fry, all these things could signify a predator attack and any of these signs should be acted on where possible.

It is one of these signs that leads me to my first bite, about 25 yards away I noticed a couple of small fish leaping out the water possibly in an attempt to evade the jaws of a feeding pike or perch. Quickly I reel in one of my rods and move it down the bank casting into the area where the earlier attack happened, immediately there is a beep from the alarm, I think at first its just the bobbin settling or the live bait moving around but then the bobbin rises steadily and keeps rising, line starts to peel away from my reel as the fish heads off towards the far bank.

Winding down and lifting the rod, I strike into the bite and feel immediately that this is a decent sized fish, the rods bends through and the fish stays deep holding the bottom, it takes a little while to get the fish turned around but eventually I get the better of her and the net is readied. One last bid for freedom and she leaps from the water shaking her head trying to dislodge the single hook that is precariously just in its top lip.

The net eventually slides under her and I place her carefully onto my unhooking mat, the single hook is out in seconds, that really is the beauty of a single hook – so easy to unhook and I am sure so much better for the fishes welfare. A quick photo and weigh of her reveal a fine 16lb11oz, not a bad start to the day.

One thing I did notice was that the fish had several leeches attached to her, this is a sign that she has been sat on the bottom of the water. After noticing this I adjust the depth so that the live baits are presented nearer to the bottom.

Within half an hour my bobbin fires into life again rising much quicker than last time, lifting into the bite I feel it’s a totally different fight and feels very perch like, very jerky and shaking. With the heavy tackle I am using the fish is reeled in without issue, a fine looking perch graces my net, with the small live bait just hanging from its lip. Before unhooking I take a quick photo with the hook still in place, fishing photos are much more that just a guy holding a fish, I always try to find a different angle a different approach to get that ideal unique photo.

To weigh the fish is use a carrier bag. I generally use these for smaller species as its a really simple method the bag itself is light and smooth so will not damage the fish in any way. Placing her on the scales the dial moves around to 2lb8oz, this just shows the predator potential of this type of match venue, and is the beauty of using small live baits of around 2oz in size.

Over the next few hours I get no more bites so decide to move the rods up the bank spacing them out in a fan to get maximum legal coverage, due to the rods being spaced over a distance I turn on the alarm receiver. I do like using the receiver when fishing for predators, this way it guaranties that I am notified of a bite as soon as it happens so I can act on it straight away, I always strike straight away to prevent deep hooking, and would much rather lose a fish than leave the bite to develop and risk harming the fish.

The move pays off and within 10 minutes I get a bite, the receiver vibrates in my pocket as the bobbin falls to the floor, reeling in the slack line before striking it again feels a good fish, the fish powers down the bank but using 3.5lb fox rods they are strong enough to turn the fish and start to win the battle. Over the next 5 minutes she kicks a few more times until I slip my landing net under the fish. Unhooking is simple again and she is placed on the scales, the dials spin around to reveal a new PB 18lb10 only an increase of 2oz but I do not care about that it’s a step closer to that magical 20lb mark and who knows come march time there’s no reason she couldn’t be up there.

As evening draws in I am joined by my son James, he may only be 9 but has a serious passion for fishing, teaching children the art of angling is one of the most important things we can do for our sport as they are the future.

He picks to watch one of my rods hoping to beat his PB of 11lb, he immediately tells me its not in the correct position so reels it in and checks the bait before recasting it just along side the overhanging willow.

Just as we are contemplating packing up James’s bite alarm bursts into life but then suddenly stops again, I tell him to lift the rod and take up the slack line in his hand as though  he was touch ledgering, doing this he can feel the fish is still on and hits into the fish. She isn’t a happy bunny at all and immediately wakes up and sets off heading towards the tree and the obvious snags that live under there. We allow the fish some headway but tighten the clutch on the reel; this is the most important part of the reel and if used correctly will help you to win every battle.

Doing this we successfully change the direction the pike is heading and now it is we that are in control, danger averted we slacken the clutch again and let the fish fight and tire herself out. James finally gets the fish to the net, I do him the honour of being net boy and scoop her up at the first attempt, his face is an absolute delight, mouth wide open eyes staring at what is a fish that has destroyed his old PB. Weighing her we find she is just over 16lb, 16lb02 to be exact.

We take the glory shots ensuring he is knelt down and only holding the fish a few inches off the ground and over the unhooking net just in case he drops her. After the photos we hold her in the shallow water allowing her to rest, before she kicks away and heads into the reeds to sulk and recover.

With that and the fact that we are sat in total darkness we decide to call it a day, and  head off home. Ok I have not had my 20lb`r but the look on James’s face makes it all worthwhile.

For anyone wanting extra help or advice the pike anglers club have there own website www.pacgb.co.uk, here you can find various tips from handling methods to rigs. The membership will also help the conservation of this great fish.

 

This article has previously been published at…

http://www.dannyjohnsononline.webs.com/

 

 

Danny has also had work published in Pike and Predator Magazine, I cannot advise getting a subscription strongly enough.

http://www.gifts4anglers.co.uk/

 

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