It is time

Yep, it came a few days ago, proper pike season. It felt like it would never come, every day that you woke up was quite pleasant and when you checked the weather forecast it was the same for another week or so. October 1st came and went and pikers up and down the country were carp fishing, rudd fishing, any type of fishing except pike fishing, bloody weather. It's here now though I can tell you. Caught us out on Saturday, out on the boat and it pissed it down. Soaked to the bone and then a cold wind nearly finished us off. Good job a big fish showed to cheer us up or we'd have been a pair of wet miserable gits. Time to dig out the winter clothes at long last. Today it's rained all day with a strong blustery wind, shocking weather. I looked out of the window at work and loved it though. I knew no one else would be on the bank when I finished. There's not too many proper pikers around and all the summer deadbaiters are no where to be seen. I got soaked wet through, slipped on my arse half a dozen times and nearly had a Musky Chatterbait through the hand. Had some follows, a couple of missed hits and a couple of fish. Pike season is here at long last lads, fecking av it!

Pike on 7inch Musky Chatterbait

Autumn boat fishing

As usual, the run up to proper piking has had me just randomly going fishing. I love my ultra light set up and even though I drop on the odd big perch I'm not really chasing them. How daft does that sound? Who doesn't want to bag a big stripy? I just mean that I simply use the time to get out with the light lures and enjoy whatever I catch. I get about, catch a few fish and do a bit of groundwork. Plan being that hopefully I find a spot or two that might hold a big pike come winter time. I often do, but then forget to go back and fish for them at the right time. I'm crap sometimes you know. I'll never make a specimen angler at this rate. I've also had a few sessions out with Woody. One of the weeks we had no boat so went bank fishing, had a few fish from a new stretch with Woody bagging a stunner near the end of the day. We've managed a couple of boat days since and had some super fun on the light gear with a few fish on the heavier gear to mix it up. We've not really found any monster pike but not done too bad on the perch front, me bagging a couple of two pounders in one session and both of us bagging a big 3lb perch each, mix in some bumper shoals of 1-2lb perch with frantic bagging up. We do like to see a big perch come out every now and again and one day we might even make a proper attempt to go out and catch more of them.

 

3lb perch on a Relax Kopyto shad

There's a few pictures on this post for you to enjoy and see what stamp of fish we often catch. We don't do too bad but I think some people see us as something to aim for. It's quite flattering but there are some cracking anglers out there who do ok for themselves but don't shout out about it so much. I'm not really bragging, just enjoy sharing but that leads to lots of people wanting in on your prize fishing spots. Problem is, we have no special fishing spots. We fish the same spots most other people fish, We fish our local rivers, ponds, lakes and canals. I've done twenties and threes from plenty of them. I've had big doubles and twos from all of them. I know a few venues that seem devoid of fish, or at least anything worthy of a photo, they're pretty crap. But honestly, we have some right good waters if people would only take the time to go see for themselves. A bit of luck is needed, the right lure and the right cast at the right time and one catch can lead to many more where a blank means you never go back. All I can say to those who think they are out of the loop. Those that aren't friends with the big hitters and those that aren't fishing the big name waters. Neither am I kid, neither am I. The bigguns are right on your doorstep, the big fish are not that far away so get out and go find them.

3lb perch on Relax Kopyto shad

2lb perch on Zman Chatterbait

2lb and some more perch on a Zman chatterbait