How to unhook a pike

Here's a video I made to help show how to unhook a pike.

That feeling on a Monday when you a bagged a twenty at the weekend.

We're getting there folks. We're getting to that point where we can't fish the rivers any more. Just when everything is fat and plump, just when the rivers are starting to get in to a good condition some bugger goes and pulls the plug on it. It seems to happen like this every year, and then it seems like a really long way off before we can get back on it again.

So it's a mad rush for all to get on the rivers this week and try and get one last fish. As a piker it's the last chance to get that one last river twenty, that's the fish we all are chasing, all accept me. No I haven't already bagged one if that's what you were thinking. I finished work today at 2pm, the sun was shining and I had plenty of time to get some river fishing in but what did I do? I went home and cut the grass, it's growing like mad if you haven't noticed. I fixed the shed window too as the last nasty winds we had gave it a bit of a battering. A bit of a tidy up but I left some jobs for late, the closed season will be a long one. I then settled down with a pot of tea to watch the DVD of my team snatching victory in the very last second of the game. Work this morning was with a smile, a bounce, and lots of energy. The last time I felt like that on a Monday morning was when I'd landed a twenty at the weekend.

Last weekend I didn't even fish the river, I was out with a few forum lads who had booked a lake for a lure social. Most of them where new to the sport, some hadn't caught or even seen a pike before so I went as the "experienced" angler. It was hard work, crystal clear water and apart from a few follows not much happened. I reckon the place had seen a bit of lure action, despite the owner telling us it didn't get fished for pike. Every pike that followed was hesitant, and on a place that is not pressured at least a few jacks will smash the first lure they see. We didn't fail though in our quest. There was a follow from a couple of pike and two of the lads were trying to entice one. I passed my polaroids to Nick so he could see the action as he didn't have any and then I stuck on the reliable rainbow lip lure and wobbled it in. I couldn't see the pike or the lure and then Nick commented that the pike was following one of our lures, and then I realised it was following my lure. Both lure and pike came in to view but I had ran out of water, so I showed them a trick. Lure hanging right below the rod tip, a foot from the edge of the water and the pike sat face to face with the lure suspended a foot off the bottom. They were spellbound at this point, and I explained that you should never be in a rush to lift the lure out of the water. "Watch this" and I gave the smallest of flicks of the rod tip, the lure moved slightly and the pike smashed it. Don't let a pike think, let instinct take over. Not a monster but it was a fantastic sight to see and the lads were buzzing, plus we got to show them how to handle a pike so that when they bag a fish they can do it with confidence. We nipped off to a canal at the end and all bagged a couple of perch so no blanks. I also later got a message this week from Dave who was over the moon at catching two pike on the lures now he was confident that what he had been doing before was right all along. He just needed to put his lure in front of a hungry pike.



This Sunday saw me helping out at the Selby region PAC teach in day, as Mark Green had asked if I could get down and pass on some knowledge on lure fishing. It was a crazy March day, and the planned frosty fishing session with extra layers was instead met by glorious sunshine. It was a good turn out and a good few lads were keen to learn about lure fishing and I was glad to help. Too many things to talk about and too many questions for us to get fishing with the lures but I think those that came were happy with my mumblings. I tried to focus a little on the lighter lures as that is what has kicked off big style this last year or so in this country. Most of the lads weren't the serious pike fishermen, throwing huge plastics and jerks, so I just gave them a glimpse of that part. I think in the end about four fish came out to baits, so it was good that some of the new pikers got to have a close look at a pike and everything to do with handling. After my latest hook up the other day though, obviously I took a back seat for that demo!

You're not going to bag a twenty at this rate pal, you need to get some serious piking done. But that's not my aim, I class myself as a pleasure angler, a pleasure piker. I do love the big girl sat on my knee but I hate the hard grind of chasing one. You can dig back through this blog and often the general message about my fishing is, little and often. I enjoy getting out, armed with a few lures and the aim of catching a fish. Many times I blank, some times I get the result but that's how I like to approach things. It keeps it casual and keeps me away from the hard slog. Despite dropping on some good fish over the last few years I don't get about too much and I'm pretty new to this piking game, serious piking anyway, so I don't have stacks of waters to go at.

I had no plans at all to fish on Saturday, the wife and kids had far too many plans for me to even consider a small session. I resigned myself to a day of shopping. School shoes, party outfits, living room furnishings. Why doesn't she just order the stuff off the net and get it delivered to work like I do? Hell the day was that bad I even suggested taking the mother in law along, she's not that bad if I'm honest. Looking back, may be I did harbour a sliver of hope of getting out on the bank later in the day as I used a few time saving ideas. I used the in car sat nav to get me to all the locations as quickly as possible, gave a few words of encouragement and agreed at the first item they all wanted to buy. I was home for half two and when the wife asked "are you off fishing now?" there was only ever going to be one answer.

I love these off the cuff, spur of the moment sessions. No plans, no pressure to catch whatever I get is a bonus. It can be a fish, being outdoors, watching the sunset, anything and everything. Just anything on these little sessions is what it's all about for me. I just fished without thinking of anything and was just glad to be out.

There was a big swirl at my lure and I was in. The swirl gave me great hope as the water moved look decent, though within no time I saw a flash of tail and it looked like a jack. I'll take that, a fish is a fish. I moved the net closer to the water as I wasn't going to risk another self hook up if anything on this landing looked dodgy. I gave the fish some pressure to get it in and the jack gave me some back, going off on a typical crazy jack surge. I gave more, the pike gave more and after the third pass in front of me of the pike going up then downstream then back up, I was now hoping for a half decent double. Slightly more excited to see the fish, a little more effort was made to get the fishes head up and this just made the fish fight even more. Hold on a minute this is a good fish. As it neared the bank I was definitely netting this pike, an upper double easy and it doesn't matter where the hooks are it's going in the net for safety and as I pull the tail over the lip of the net I'm beaming. Super super fish. Most probably the last river pike of my season. I can't spake!

Recharging the batteries

I've just nipped out for an hours fishing and had a few perch on a pleasant Octobers evening. As I walked in the door I thought it best to bring the camera in and get some power back in to the batteries. You never know when you're going to catch something decent and It's my worst nightmare catching a nice fish or two and the batteries being dead. Shame that today the batteries seemed fine, I just couldn't put a decent fish in front of the camera. I bagged 24 perch in about an hour and half of fishing, but only two were over a pound with one of those a good pound and a half plus. It was a typical fisherman's tail though, as I wish you'd been able to have seen the one that got away. Why is it always that fish that gets off, the big one? Judging by the bend in the rod, the scrap, the line ripping off the clutch and the amount of water moved this perch was well over two. Ah well.

So where have I been these last few weeks? Well i've been here and i've been there. I haven't really done any serious fishing. I've gone for a look at a few spots, I've caught a few fish though nothing too special. For me it's still been too warm to seriously target pike though we're not too far off now. Then again, having not long ago checked the weather forecast a frost or two might be a while off yet even. Yesterday I was at the Selby region PAC teach in day helping out. A day which was planned with pike in mind but turned out to be a glorious sunny Sunday afternoon, not the usual floods, frosts and snow of past events. At least a few fish were still caught and people got to have a crack at unhooking and holding a pike, plus the usual rig making, trace making and generally having a good old natter with people who can answer a few questions. If you're new to pike fishing, get in touch with your local PAC and find out when they are doing a day, they really are perfect for all levels. Oh and a few weeks back it was the annual PAC convention where I bagged a few bargain lures on the second hand stall, a shiny new hand made lure from Craig Beverley which I'm looking forward to chucking seriously this winter and I even bought myself a new jerk bait rod. A Jaxon rod rated to 150g which looks so thin it really shouldn't be able to handle that much, but so far from the few short session I've had it's done a fine job.

So having scanned my camera I realised there wasn't much on it to post up. I even forgot to take it to the teach in day. I haven't totally failed on the fishing front, and I've landed a fair few doubles which mostly came on the ultra light gear. However i just felt I had no need to be faffing with a fish and a camera and most went back in a flash, but without a flash. On the perch front I've not had anything too spectacular with the biggest not much more than a pound and a half at a guess. I sound like I'm ungrateful but it couldn't be further from the truth. I'm the last person to be chasing huge fish, when they come I'll enjoy them and in the mean time I'll enjoy every other fish I capture. A couple of my fishing buddies have done pretty good though. Woody had his first serious pike session last week after getting the urge to book a day off work. He managed an eighteen and a super twenty one pound pike and I was over the moon for him. Everything fell in to place and he got the rewards he deserves for all the effort he puts in helping everyone else out. Another pal of ours, Matt from Fooling fish had a stormer of a week just gone. One session he had three twenties and an eighteen to the lures and then finished off with another twenty yesterday on the ultra light gear. That's just crazy fishing. Neil hasn't been out that much and the last serious session he had he was with Matty where they landed umpteen super perch in the two and three pound bracket. Thinking about it i think I've enjoyed not being a focus of attention. I've not been flashy, I've not had a million awesome blogs to put up and I've not been the centre of attention, I quite like that.

So where has my enthusiasm gone? It's still here somewhere but I must admit I've not really had any urge to do anything too serious. Unless I'm out with one of the buddies my fishing is solitary and I really detest the sight of other anglers on the bank. I know this comes from being a kid and spending hours fishing places no one else seemed to fish and having all the bank to myself. It seems that with this long spell of decent weather, every fisherman and his dog are out. Any plans you make have to take in to account either getting to a peg before some other angler or trying to find somewhere no one else fishes. Both of which are pretty tough to do these days. Most places have been fished around where I live and plenty of the banker spots are already known and will usually have a lure fisherman there. I expected that this last month or so I would have been on a canal I know, chasing some perch. I think i've been to it once. I know i've missed out but then so what? Scouring the forums, despite people coming out and naming venues, often you get to know where people fish and it was clearly evident that seven or eight lure fisherman (at least) were on the ball and chasing big perch, and that in itself put me off. Nothing against any of those lads. Some of them I know well, some of them I've told where to fish it and a couple i've met and they're real top lads. Those that I haven't met even seem spot on too. I guess I'm just a miserable so and so sometimes. Writing this paragraph has just reminded me, I did manage one two pounder i'd somehow forgot about. I actually took an old bashed up brute of a perch here on a SG 19cm 4play, my lucky rainbow lip lure. Another fish I didn't even bother taking a photo of.

I think I get more of a buzz finding out a place and getting a reward from somewhere I had no knowledge of previously. That can be a lucky first session or after the umpteenth return and finally working it out. I don't like things handed to me on a plate and I prefer to do a bit of hard work and any enjoyment from that is that little bit more special. Take today's session as an example. Had I landed that big perch it would have had me beaming from ear to ear and given me that warm fuzzy glow inside. I will get a lump of a perch from there at some point I just know it. I also found another couple of spots on my journey around new venues this last few weeks. None of them will be massive secrets and someone will fish them already. But I wasn't put up to them, I just got off my backside and went for a look. It's amazing what you can find if you're not just sat scouring blogs, forums and Facebook to see where everyone else is fishing. Shame on you that do, get out and do some hard graft and reap your own rewards.You might even enjoy it more like I do.

A fourteen that fell to a kopyto on the light gear

So what's next for this piker? I'm not quite sure to be honest. I have no aims, targets and goals. I'm not chasing a huge fish and as usual I'll just plod on and take each day or week as it comes. If anything i've probably only got one goal and that's to share some nice fish with a few fishing buddies. I was gutted not to have been there with Woody and to even be taking photo after photo of Matt's twenties would still be magical in my eyes. So that's probably my only wish this coming pike season. Well, that and the fact I'm praying the cold comes quick so the banks can be all mine again!

Good luck to all the pike lads this coming season.

The day out for all Pike Anglers.

Next Saturday sees the annual Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain convention and for the second year on the trot it's not too far from me, just up the road in Harrogate, a posh northern spa town. For the second year on the trot I'll also be going to it for a gander around the stalls, see what bargains I can pick up and have a chat with a few like minded obsessed anglers. If you've never been and you're a serious pike angler then it's one not to be missed.

Remember to take plenty of money. There's loads of stalls who between them should just about cover everything you'll need for this coming pike season. There will be a second hand stall somewhere and so who knows what bargains could be had from there. Last year I spotted many a famous pike angler mingling with us nobodies, some selling books, some there to give talks and some just doing what all the other pike folks were doing.

As well as all that and more there's also a junior coaching session run by Eric Edwards and his team of tutors. The kids will learn plenty and come away with a few tricks, some smiles and some free goodies so if you have a young angler who wants to get in to pike fishing or tune their skills then bring them along.

Personally I've decided that this year I'll just be looking to stock up on terminal tackle as I'm forever running out of trace wire, decent snaps and swivels and the rest. Of course deep down I know I'll have another batch of lures that seemed to sparkle a little more than the rest and were calling my name. Damn this silly addiction. So if you weren't aware of this event before, then now you are and have no excuse. Get yourself along to what will be another top day in the Pikers calender. Below is a full list of the stalls that will be there.See you Saturday.

Waterwolf

Dave Lumb

Eddie Turner

Pikefishing UK

The Tackle Shop

Billy Backbiters

Dom Garnett

Pikepro/baitbox

Chico's Lures

Pike & Pred

Coch-Y-Bonndu Books

Sovereign Supabaits

PAC Memberships

PAC Products

PAC 2nd Hand Stall

Zandavan

Hull District AA

Fen Tiger

Tidepool

Pikeathlon

Norwich & District Pike Club

Northern Predator Angling Supplies

Roger Hinds

Lure Anglers Shop

Sea Nymph

Lure Factors

CB Lures

New to lure fishing? - the casual lure anglers guide

 The sun is out and the new river season is nearly upon us and so it is time for many an angler to get stuck in to the rivers, but also it is a time when many anglers turn to a spot of piking. I'm going to put up some information that every pike angler new to the sport needs to learn. Some will be helpful, some will be a must and some might tell you to pack in before you start since you are way off the mark. Pike fishing is a part of angling which needs a bit more knowledge, care and experience so that both angler and fish can go home safe. Anyone can catch a pike. Doing it right so that both fish and angler go home to live another day is the crucial part.



The tools

Another pike suffers at the hand of inexperience

The most important thing in pike fishing is correct gear. Without it, then don't even think about going fishing for pike. You need to spend a few quid first and get some decent tools. A pikes mouth is cavernous and a lure can end up elbow deep down the throat of a toothy monster (no exaggeration). Not the easiest of jobs for someone unprepared. If you can't get the hooks back out safely, then you are going to end up with a dead fish and it will happen lots of times up and down the country over the next four or five months and that simply isn't good enough given that today, we have enough information around for every angler to be doing it the right way. Yes we have enough information, but I'm going to put my bit up there so that it helps at least one angler and many, many fish.



You need big tools. No tiny disgorger for pike fishing,  just big tough tools. Get the best you can afford but don't scrimp. Buying a cheaper smaller version now will mean you spend more in later months when you realise you got it totally wrong.

Forceps can come in handy, but they are often not strong enough for larger treble hooks. I do suggest a pair of extra long forceps for smaller lures and trebles and also just in case they may be of use for anything else (there's many a time when you end up in a pickle!). Instead I prefer a set of long nosed pliers, 12 inches at least. They are much stronger and will help get out the bigger hooks. I do also carry a small pair of pliers in my pocket for simple unhooking jobs. Lastly a large set of side cutters are needed for those rare occasions when you can't quite get a hook out. By simply cutting a treble you can free a badly hooked fish and what might be a long complicated job turns in to a simple one. Remember the fish comes first!

I also carry around with me a pair of scissors for cutting my line and also for cutting up any line I find on my travels. (Why do people still leave yards and yards of the stuff on the bank?) You could also bring along a pair of split ring pliers for sorting your lures, though I tend to not bother and sort hooks, split rings and damaged lures at home. Time on the bank is for fishing not faffing!


The fish welfare kit
Of course the tools are a big part of fish welfare, but after that the important things to have are a good sized knotless landing net, 30 inches or more. I see too many people pike fishing with tiny landing nets which are no good at all, you need a big net for a big fish! When you get that giant on the end of the line a large net to scoop up your dream fish is what's needed. When you have the fish in the net compose yourself. Have a breath or two, let the fish have a breath or two and check your surroundings. Lift the net out of the water by scrunching up the net and lifting (do not lift by using the landing net handle as it will snap!). The pike will be safe in the net should it thrash around and won't be dropped from height on to it's head.

How to photo your prize capture

A must for pike (and most other fish) is an unhooking mat. Fish don't do well laid on concrete or stones. When they thrash around they cut up and also any course ground will wipe away the protective slime they have, leaving them vulnerable to disease. There's a massive selection of mats available thanks to carp fishing. Choose one to suit your needs but keep in mind a pike is a long fish, often 30 inches and more if you are lucky. When you have the pike in the net, lift it on to the unhooking mat which should already be wet. This will help protect the fish and not wipe away the slime. A dry mat would remove a massive amount of slime. Once your pike is on the mat then it's time to look out for those hooks and get them out of the way while you can.

Please note - I will not be telling you how to unhook a pike. If you are not confident then may I suggest you go out with someone who is, such as someone from your local PAC region who will be happy to help. Joining the PAC and attending teach in days and events will gain you a wealth of knowledge no blog entry can give you. Having a look at the task first hand and even being shown up close is the only way to start handling pike correctly. Again, your safety and that of the fish is important.

EDIT - I made a video to show how to unhook a pike

Do not use a boga grip for pike (or any other fish). If you are scared to handle a pike then do not fish for them. Here is a picture showing the damage a boga grip can cause to a pike which I am sure you will agree is not good at all.

The tackle
So you've spent a small fortune and not even got a line wet yet. Get over it, fishing costs a fortune. Seriously, please make sure you have the essentials before even digging out your old pike gear. But now we're on to it, here's the guide to rods, reels and what line to use. Not all answer are provided and this is only to try and give you an idea on things and why we make our choices. You will find that many pike anglers have multiple set ups and each person has their own preferences so what I will do is try to explain how each person comes up with his or her own solution.

Budget is key to deciding what tackle you'll have and how many set ups you will have, but nowadays you can pick up a decent rod and reel for £30-50 each. You don't have to spend more than that at all on a rod or reel. Some folk will most certainly spend more but even they will tell you they do it more for their own pleasure than for necessity.

Rod choice - Think about what venues you will be fishing. Think about the sizes of lures you expect to be throwing. Think about if you will just target pike or you might target perch, zander, chub or even trout too. Now you've just confused yourself even more, but don't worry even the serious lure freaks get ourselves in knots thinking about the right set up.

If you go have a look at a few lure rods you'll see that not only do they come in a few lengths they also have a few casting ratings. Rod length is up to you. Often when chucking larger lures a long rod is preferred where as chucking tiny lures in small streams a short rod is required. However those rules are not strict and it is in the end down to personnel preference. Casting weights is important. A small spinner and a large 35cm rubber lure are massively different and you would use two set ups. So if you will be throwing small spinners and small lures then you might be looking at casting weights of 2g-20g (2cm to 5cm approx). Standard sized pike lures might be 15-50g (3cm - 16cm approx) and large lures might be 50g-200g (15cm-35cm approx). That split of lures and brief guide is very basic and only to try to show how you might split lures, and rod set ups though once you get in to it serious you will have a different set up totally to that of your buddy due to how you fish. The idea is to pick a range of lure sizes and weights and get a rod to suit. A 2-12g casting weight rod won't cast a large 35cm bulldawg lure and a heavy 100g plus weighted casting rod won't cast a 2g spinner so have a look and a think before jumping in to buy a lure rod.

Other things to consider with a rod are line size. Kind of similar to the casting weights, a small rod isn't suited to heavy line and a large rod isn't suited to light line. You might also think about what reel you would be using. Most "casual" lure anglers use a standard fixed spool reel and so you would buy a rod to suit this. More serious lure anglers often choose a multiplier rod and reel set up.

For reel choice, again it is a size thing. You want to match a reel to the rod as per size, what line it will be carrying and how much. Retrieve speeds, gear ratios and lots of other complicated things can be considered. However, just try to match by size and you will be on the right track at least.

Once you have a rod and reel sorted then get it loaded up with line. Most lure anglers prefer to use braided line because you get so much more feel than the stretchy mono line. Honestly, you do and you can tell the difference between the lure banging the river bed and a small 4 inch perch nipping away at your lure. Line breaking strain is important. You want to have a bit of strength, especially in summer, so that you can get a pike out quickly rather than having to play it for half an hour on 6lb line. An exhausted pike is a dead pike. But another reason you want to have strong braid is because it will help you get your lure back from those snags. When you go look for some braid you'll often see it priced around £12-£15 for 150 yards. You may turn your nose up and turn to a cheaper mono but it will cost you much more in lost lures. The breaking strain of the braid wants to be a match for your set up. If you have a light rod, small reel and small lures then those lures will have small treble hooks with a thin gauge which can be bent out easier than a 12inch lure with massive treble hooks. Generally, you  are looking at something like 15-20lb braid for a light set up, 30-40lb for a medium and 50-80lb for a heavy set up. Don't think the same way you would when fishing on the pole, fishing for silvers or even bream, tench and chub where you might scale down to catch finicky fish. We're not using 80lb braid to get the pike in, we're doing it to get back our £20 lures. Another thing to think of with your choice of braid breaking strain is casting distance. Lighter will cast better than heavy, but you'll lose lures to snags with light braid. But with that in mind, don't have 10lb braid and a 100g lure as you will watch the lure disappear in to the distance on the first cast. The final decision must be down to you but keep in mind it needs to be a strong line as you also must not be snapped off by a pike as this could/most probably would result in a dead fish.

Wait, don't go fishing just yet. There's one really important thing you need before you are all set to fish. One important thing that many casual anglers often do not use. A wire trace is an absolute must when fishing for pike. A pikes teeth are very, very sharp and can cut straight through even strong line. A wire trace will prevent this, will prevent a dream fish being lost and prevent the dream fish dying later. Pike are not bothered in the slightest about a wire trace so don't let that put you off. You are not carp fishing, where a bait presented with the tinniest man made object visible will never be picked up by a carp. When lure fishing, the pike does not see the trace, it is too busy focussed on the flashing, vibrating, noisy, fast moving, slow moving easy picking you are presenting. Please try to stay clear of some of the cheap £1 wire traces from the tackle shops. They don't last long for a start and also aren't always the best made. There are plenty of on-line tackle dealers who can offer better options. Try here, or try here and for your heavy lure traces try here. You might notice one massive difference in a few of the traces and that is price. The ones at a couple of quid are made from thin wire which will eventually kink. Sometimes after twenty pike sometimes after one. A kinked trace has potential to break at a much weaker rating. The more expensive traces are made from titanium wire and are fantastic. They just don't kink at all and will last you a very long time. so if you can, go for a titanium trace or two or at least save up for them on your next purchase of pike gear if you opt for the cheaper ones to start with. A final note on the traces, match the trace to your line breaking strain. If you have 30lb line and an 80lb trace then you are going to lose an expensive trace (and lure) if you get snagged up. So for a light set up go for a cheaper trace, but match the breaking strain still, at least there or there about. You would opt for the titanium 80lb/100lb traces to go with your 80lb braid to hold on to your £20 lure that weighs 100g. 

Since writing this article I have since found a perfect example of a poor wire trace. Click here to read more.

bottom trace is far too short

Lures.
 
Where do you start? Everyone has their own favourites, everyone has a lure that catches fish. The truth is, in my opinion, that pretty much every lure will catch you a pike if you use it enough, if you use it where pike are and if you use it when a pike wants to eat something. Again, there's a size issue to think about. From tiny lures to huge lumps. You want to choose the lures to suit your set up, matching the size of lures to your casting rated rod. There's absolutely loads of on-line retailers and plenty of lure manufacturers such as Rapala, Salmo, Savage Gear, Daiwa, Abu and even home made lures from various people such as Mark Houghton and Matt Holmes and many more. So go check them out and have a browse and see which lure catches you!

Here is a selection of lures I use, just to try and give you an idea of what to look out for.

Tiny lures

Use with a light set up. 1000-2000 sized reel, 15-20lb line and a rod with casting weights 1-15g ideally. 15-20lb wire trace. Suitable for pike, perch, chub and trout. 

Lure IDs- (Left column from top) Rapala Shad rap 8cm, Mark Hughton crank 'n' shad, Savage Gear soft 4play 9cm, Silver Mepps Aglia size 3, (right column from top) Rapala jointed shad rap 6cm, Salmo, kopyto relax shad with 7g jig head, Mepps Aglia copper size 3.

Medium lures

Use with medium set up. 2000-3000 sized reel, 30-50lb line and rod casting weights of 10-40g. 30-50lb wire trace, possible titanium trace if matched to line. Suitable for pike but can pick up perch and chub too as a bonus. 

Lure IDs - (left column from top) Savage Gear real eel 20cm, Savage gear lip lure 13cm, Abu Jointed tormentor, Spro bronze eye frog,  (bottom) Ace hell tail, (right column from top) Savage Gear cannibal shad, Savage gear soft 4play 13cm with lipskull.

Large lures

Use with a heavy set up. Ideally a multiplier rod and reel combo is better in the opinion of most however a fixed spool set up is still usable. Minimum 50lb line but ideally 80lb to stand a chance of getting lures back. 80-100lb titanium wire trace. 

Lure IDs - (left column from top) Savage Gear real eel 30cm. Savage gear lip lure 19cm, Jointed depth raider, (right column from top) Salmo slider, Musky Mania Squirrely burt, Matt Holmes Jerk bait, Savage Gear soft 4play 19cm.

Below is a video I made with more about using big lures for pike. It's pretty long but worth a watch if you are new to lure fishing for pike and want to target them seriously.

Link to video

There's absolutely loads to have a look at there and absolutely all of it are a must (except lure choices that's up to you and part of the fun). Whether you are a serious or casual lure angler you still have to think about your safety and that of the fish. There are far too many people who are going after pike with just 6lb mono and a spinner tied straight to it. This simply is not good enough. If this is you and you simply did not realise, we all make mistakes but learning from them is key. If you have read all this and still wish to carry on with a poor set up, incorrect tools and the rest then you really should reconsider what you do with your spare time. Our fish are precious and we all need to do our bit to look after them the best way we can.

Care about your fishing?
And on that note, if you seriously do wish to look after the future of our fishing then why not consider joining the Angling Trust who are our voice and our action group in fishing. They are the people who are working to protect our fish and our fishing.


If you are passionate about pike, then go have a look at, and join up to the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain. Helping to promote pike welfare and the voice of pike anglers, they also have a vast wealth of pike fishing knowledge among their ranks and for anyone who wants to get in to pike fishing they are a must.

Thanks for reading and thanks for taking any of the advice if you didn't already know about it. Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them or point you at someone who can If I don't know the answer.If you're an experienced piker and see a mistake or want to add something then point it out to me, I will be more than happy of the help.

21lb River Monster

I've been quite busy and have a bit of catching up to do with a few blog posts I wanted to write up. But today I received my eagerly awaited Savage Gear Real eels through the post. Unfortunately I'm working afternoons this week so by the time the postman had been I was already at work, but a bit of forward planning meant the parcel was delivered to my place of work. At least I could get out for half an hour or so before sunset and then get home for some food.

To cut a long story short, I chucked the 20cm real eel out a few times and then managed to catch two pike of no notable size. At least the lure works. I also had the tail bitten off the end of one so I need a repair at some point. Job done, lure works a treat!

It was nearly time to pack up but I decided on trying one last spot, (don't I always) a bit of river I've left alone for a some time now while I've been getting the jacks elsewhere. I tip toed up, and cast my eel up along the bank about 16 feet. No need to cast any further just yet as often there's a fish here and casting 30 feet for example might mean I catch a fish up there and scare the other closer fish away. Some days you can get a few out of here, others nothing., but I'm not going to risk scaring anything away by being lazy. The lure hits the water and I start to retrieve, keeping the lure high to avoid the snags, and then between me and the lure I see a large swirl as a pike heads towards my new toy.

Boom, fish on! Wow it's off like a rocket and I immediately know its a good fish. I can see a large branch and I'm powerless to stop the pike charge under it. Fearing the worst at first until the pike smashes the branch out of the way lifting it clean out of the water. Major scare over, at least the line didn't break on the branch and now the fish is in open water and fighting like a demon. I finally get the brute in and know she's a good fish. I get a few photos, unhook her and then give her a good breather in the shallows where the current was bringing plenty of oxygen for her. At twenty one pound she's my second river twenty this year (ever in fact) and I'm happy as a pig in shit. :)

Another river twenty

Real eel does the trick

Unhooked and ready to put back

Plenty of time in the net first to get her breath back

She's away...Brilliant!

2012 pike tally 
Doubles 28

Total 157

Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2

Bonus Perch 7

Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain

I first heard of the PAC while scanning internet forums. Previously I'd not known anything about them. I've been fishing all my life but I pretty much keep myself to myself. I very rarely buy magazines, join clubs or anything and so the PAC and many other good groups out there passed me by. Apart from watching a bit of fishing on TV all my fishing had been self taught or passed on by my dad and grandfather.

I guess it shows what a good tool the internet is these days. I now know what the PAC are about and it's one of the sites I have bookmarked just in case I need to find out something. There's a lot of good information on their site so if you haven't already been there go have a look. All the information on there has been put together by experienced pike anglers who have the welfare of pike at heart and just want to help every pike angler out to catch fish and do it the right way.

Some other good things about the PAC are the regional events. While probably not for me as I'm pretty anti-social, there are plenty of talks going on from respected and well known anglers plus many of the regions have teach in days to help pass on as much info to the new pike anglers out there. In fact that was my first contact with anything PAC a few months ago. While I didn't go down to learn anything and hadn't stuck my name on the original list, I'd been out that morning lure fishing and on my way home remembered they had got together. I decided to try and be social for once and called in on the teach in. I met a few new anglers to the sport and also had a chat with a couple of PAC guys, there was Craig Pickles and Mark Green present and both were eagerly passing on as much help as possible. If you are new to the sport and ever need help then look for your local PAC teach in days because to the new pike angler, these days will teach you so much and help you go from a nervous pike angler to a confident pike angler. Something that I feel is one of the most crucial things you need when fishing for these ferocious predators.

The PAC itself does plenty of good work too, not just teach in days. The website itself which contains virtually everything you need to know about pike fishing is worth joining alone but the good the PAC does for the welfare of the pike themselves is also worthy of you parting with a few quid. In fact I remember speaking to Mark Green at the teach in day and he was telling me how he was working with a local pond or syndicate where they had previously had a zero tolerance to pike and he was helping to change their ways. He also had somehow managed to help create a better relationship with the often anti fishing folks of the local RSPCB. Building good relationships and educating others on pike and pike anglers is a key role of the PAC.

You also get a quarterly magazine which on arrival on my doorstep yesterday has already been eagerly read. While not knowing every name of every author before, I have heard of many of them who have somehow managed to find their way to me as respected pike anglers. The articles and information included in the Pikelines magazine is well worth the money in my opinion. This magazine is put together by the most experienced and enthusiastic pike anglers in our country. If you want to learn something then this is the magazine you want to be reading.

Joining the PAC was on my to do list once I found out what they did and while many of my readers will already be members and some may even be committee members, I hope this post will at least point someone else in the right direction or give someone the reminder to join. That is exactly what happened to me recently while posting on another forum, I'd simply forgot to join up and a gentle nudge elsewhere did the trick. If you haven't already done, go support the PAC.