A fish at last!

[Silver fan 82]

Winter is definitely upon us. My past 3 sessions out I have blanked successfully ?‍
Both waggler fishing and feeder fishing for silvers in club waters has produced nothing apart from a small roach about 3 inches long which was foul hooked. Despite fining down my tackle and using a variety of baits I just couldn't catch.
So last week I decided to get the lure gear out and try for some perch and pike. Bearing in mind I've not fished for Pike for the best part of 20 years I was both excited and apprehensive.
But still despite moving swims, changing lures, retrieve etc not a thing apart from two follows by some small jacks. Although I blanked seeing the fish follow the lure in gave me some hope.
So yesterday I decided to have a go at some deadbaiting using an inline cigar style float, an inline ball style lead and just a single size 6 treble baited with a small sprat.
I got to the lake a bit later than intended and the swims I was hoping for were already taken by two lads carp fishing. These swims are in the deeper water and from past experience the pike come in close taking silvers when reeling them in. So I set myself up the other end of the lake where its generally shallower but still a fair depth of water. After casting around different areas of the swim, changing the depth still not a bite despite seeing jacks chasing small fry literally under my feet. OK so I think take the float off and just fish the trace with a ssg shot and fish a sprat sink and draw style? This is bound to work right? Wrong! Not a single take. After snagging on something and bending one of the trebles I move up a swim to my left and set the float rig back up. I'm about 3 hours in now and still no fish. Im thinking I'm going to blank yet again! So I decided to cast out just about 4 meters out from the bank and chill out a bit, and let the rig fish itself just gently twitching the bait every so often. After about an hour the float starts to bob, then starts to drift towards the bank. The adrenaline is going now. The float starts to dip under, I pick the rod up and strike, not waiting too long (don't want anymore derp hooked pike as in the past).
At last a fish! On my 1.75lb tc rod the fish puts up a brilliant fight! After about 5 mins or so a pike of about 8lb is safely in the net and on the unhooking mat.
This is the bit I was apprehensive about after deep hooking a pike all those years ago. But armed with pliers and long forceps plus trawling through past threads on here and watching loads of you tube videos the fish was safely unhooked and returned to its snaggy home.
I can honestly say despite it not being a massive pike I've never been so happy to land a fish.
You know what? The silvers can wait till it warms up!
Cant wait till the next session.
Cheers for reading ??

 

[OldTaff]

Congratulations - that first fish after a run of blanks is always amazing.

This may be a sign of bigger things to come so get stuck in

 

[Silver fan 82]

Congratulations - that first fish after a run of blanks is always amazing.

This may be a sign of bigger things to come so get stuck in

Cheers mate. I guess that's why it's called fishing and not catching? As you say that first fish after a blank spell always lifts the spirits a bit.
It will be interesting to see what future sessions brings as the Pike in the lake are a bit of an unknown. No one knows quite how they got in there let alone numbers or sizes so could be interesting.

 

[OldTaff]

Cheers mate. I guess that's why it's called fishing and not catching? As you say that first fish after a blank spell always lifts the spirits a bit.
It will be interesting to see what future sessions brings as the Pike in the lake are a bit of an unknown. No one knows quite how they got in there let alone numbers or sizes so could be interesting.

Arrrr .... beware of monsters lurking in the those dark depths matey

 

[Silver fan 82]

Arrrr .... beware of monsters lurking in the those dark depths matey

You never know lol!

 

[ATTICUS FINCH]

It's a huge buzz when that float starts to show a bite ,a couple of quick bobs and then a slow run getting faster and the float sinking beneath the surface. Your heart rate has by now quickened and you are coiled like a spring waiting for the moment that you strike.your mind is a blur as you are hoping it's a big one and just how big do they go in here. It's when the strike hits home and the rod arches over that your heart rate quickens even more even if it's only for a few beats as you settle into the fight with the unseen monster fighting on the end of your line.
Dam I miss having a bash for pike.

 

[Silver fan 82]

It's a huge buzz when that float starts to show a bite ,a couple of quick bobs and then a slow run getting faster and the float sinking beneath the surface. Your heart rate has by now quickened and you are coiled like a spring waiting for the moment that you strike.your mind is a blur as you are hoping it's a big one and just how big do they go in here. It's when the strike hits home and the rod arches over that your heart rate quickens even more even if it's only for a few beats as you settle into the fight with the unseen monster fighting on the end of your line.
Dam I miss having a bash for pike.

That pretty much sums it up! In the past I've mostly only lure fished but there is something magical about seeing the float Bob and slide away.

 

[Jimpanzee]

Winter is definitely upon us. My past 3 sessions out I have blanked successfully ?‍
Both waggler fishing and feeder fishing for silvers in club waters has produced nothing apart from a small roach about 3 inches long which was foul hooked. Despite fining down my tackle and using a variety of baits I just couldn't catch.
So last week I decided to get the lure gear out and try for some perch and pike. Bearing in mind I've not fished for Pike for the best part of 20 years I was both excited and apprehensive.
But still despite moving swims, changing lures, retrieve etc not a thing apart from two follows by some small jacks. Although I blanked seeing the fish follow the lure in gave me some hope.
So yesterday I decided to have a go at some deadbaiting using an inline cigar style float, an inline ball style lead and just a single size 6 treble baited with a small sprat.
I got to the lake a bit later than intended and the swims I was hoping for were already taken by two lads carp fishing. These swims are in the deeper water and from past experience the pike come in close taking silvers when reeling them in. So I set myself up the other end of the lake where its generally shallower but still a fair depth of water. After casting around different areas of the swim, changing the depth still not a bite despite seeing jacks chasing small fry literally under my feet. OK so I think take the float off and just fish the trace with a ssg shot and fish a sprat sink and draw style? This is bound to work right? Wrong! Not a single take. After snagging on something and bending one of the trebles I move up a swim to my left and set the float rig back up. I'm about 3 hours in now and still no fish. Im thinking I'm going to blank yet again! So I decided to cast out just about 4 meters out from the bank and chill out a bit, and let the rig fish itself just gently twitching the bait every so often. After about an hour the float starts to bob, then starts to drift towards the bank. The adrenaline is going now. The float starts to dip under, I pick the rod up and strike, not waiting too long (don't want anymore derp hooked pike as in the past).
At last a fish! On my 1.75lb tc rod the fish puts up a brilliant fight! After about 5 mins or so a pike of about 8lb is safely in the net and on the unhooking mat.
This is the bit I was apprehensive about after deep hooking a pike all those years ago. But armed with pliers and long forceps plus trawling through past threads on here and watching loads of you tube videos the fish was safely unhooked and returned to its snaggy home.
I can honestly say despite it not being a massive pike I've never been so happy to land a fish.
You know what? The silvers can wait till it warms up!
Cant wait till the next session.
Cheers for reading ??

Enjoyable read Silver and well done for persevering. Looking forward to the next report. ??