Pike Baits

[Simon R]

Hi all

Its our annual club pike match this Sunday and I was wondering what deadbaits you could recommend (bearing in mind, I want to catch as many fish as possible)

I usually use sardines and herrings (because they're oily) and sprats (because they're cheap [])

Any other suggestions?

Tight Lines

Simon

 

[MALC]

Don't Pike fish often but when i do i always have a few joey Mackerel with me.

No doubt some of the more experienced Piker's will be more help.



Malc
Fish with Friends @ MaggotDrowning.com

 

[Gray Catchpole]

did reasonably well year before last on lamprey, last year though could only catch using macks, and lures, i will be trying the lamprey again this year, so lets trade on how we get on.

Smelly Nets, Gray

 

[dazalio]

Where is the match being held at simon? anywhere local? I've been looking around for matches so I could get a few general tips but doesn't seem to be much around!

ALIO

 

[Simon R]

Hi Alio

Match is at Tontine Lake (bout 15 miles from you I'd guess) just alongside A19 at the junction with the A172.
You do need to be a member to fish it though

Simon

 

[martin.]

hi simon
my 4 all time favourites are in this order
1st smelt
2nd roach
3rd joey mackerel
4th eel section
simon
but try checking with the locals where your going to fish as some waters different some baits work better than others.
darren
for pike matches the best place to look apart from your local rag is angling times they have the qualifiers listed for the british pike championship the ones there fishing now is for the 2003 final as this years final(450+ pegs) is on this saturday
ill be concentrating on smelt,roach & joeys when i fish it sat for the fourth year running.
ill put the results up on sat evening so this should be the sit to get them on.
when i get the dates sorted for the 6 qualifiers tha e have on our water each year ill post them
the largest pike to come out during any british pike match is 31-06lb the second largest is 30-06lb both these have come out of our river

tight lines.
martin.
talk fishing flip football

 

[Simon R]

Thanks for that Martin

I used to fish the Pike Champs myself (6 or 7 years on the trot from 1988 to 1995 and then again in 1998)
First one I fished was on the Welland, it was in flood and I think there was only about 6 pike caught in total.

The rest were all on 16foot and 40foot (I always drew on 40 foot)

Finished 16th one year (3 pike for 14lb odd)but the prizes only went down to 15th place [!]
Did win 40 for section though, so that almost paid for weekend

We used to fish South 40foot at Swineshead Bridge day before, one year we had over 200lbs of pike between 6 of us (biggest was 24lbs I think). It got polluted with salt water one year and never fished as well again.
We went to next bridge upstream (Donnington I think it was called) and caught some cracking perch (to 2lbs) but the pike fishing wasn't as good.

Fished a couple of qualifiers on the Hobhole too, that used to be brilliant but I think it got a bit too much pressure and a lot of the pike died off.

Thanks for the info anyway and good luck on Saturday.

Tight Lines

Simon

 

[matt]

hi simon, in the winter months i do a piking and have found lamprey to be a better bait than sea fish. i think their main attraction is the amount of juices they ooze out when in the water. even when left out in the water for a couple of hours, when you reel them in they are still stinking![]

You cheeky monkey!

 

[esox.20]

Apart from the normal sea baits I like to have a few roach with me. How natural a bait can you get? It can pay off if the water is pressuried. Alsi they float naturally and this allows different presentations.
Every pike angler seems to have a different top 5 list. I normally fish with 2 mates and we endeavour to fish as many different baits as possible to try and determine what is the best that day.
For me I favour Sardines eel section coarse baits first smelt,lamprey and joey mackeral next I have no faith in herring dont ask why as a mate does and catches a few on them. Strange as it may seem his favourite bait is pike. A jack 6/8 inches long the number of times this has a saved a blank for him is unreal.

chill out go fishing

 

[ray]

sorry to butt in on your post simon but i would like to know were you all get your baits from, i am going for my first piking session soon and obviously need some bait, would i be better off going to the tackle shop or a fishmongers or maybe both???



think green...keep the banks clean.
original "clean banks campaign" slogan.

 

[esox.20]

Ray, it depends on what baits you want. If its sardines, herrings and spratts then a fishmongers the best and cheapest. You can buy a kilo bag of blast frozen sardine and these are excellant. If you buy fresh then when you get home wrap them in cling film. Roll them up either seperatly or in rolls of 3/4 fish ensuring they arent touching. Then place in a bag this helps to prevent freezer burn. Mackeral from a fismongers tend to be big. Available from the deep freeze at a tackle shop should be trout, joey mackeral, smelt, lamprey, and there is also a mixed coarse pack available. Several different sizes are also available.

chill out go fishing

 

[ray]

cheers john, how much would you take for a session???

think green...keep the banks clean.
original "clean banks campaign" slogan.

 

[esox.20]

Ray, I always fish two rods. My bait is frozen and carried in a cooler box with ice packs. I carry a fair selection as any unused bait is returned to the freezer.
2/3 mackeral, 6 roach, 3/4 sardines 1/2 trout, 1/2 lamprey sections, 2/3 smelt, 1/2 eel sections(I tend to keep these till the fishing gets harder later in the season) The cooler box is as full as I can get it with 2 icepacks. I do not refreeze used baits although some people do.

chill out go fishing

 

[ray]

cheers john.

think green...keep the banks clean.
original "clean banks campaign" slogan.

 

[martin.]

hi john
in all my years piking (30+yrs) ive never had to measure my deadbaits 2 thirds of a mackeral, 3 quarters of a sardine, 2thirds of a smelt & how big is half a eel sect LOL
sorry about this posting john but couldnt resist it

tight lines.
martin.
talk fishing flip football

 

[Cptn Hook]

I use lamprey mainly, very juicy and pike at the lake where i fish love it...

Hi Daz n gray-catchpole. Its ''D''.

Daz i took ur advice and joined the forum here too!

Egg: simple as

 

[esox.20]

Martin you suprise me, you wouldnt believe the difference it makes being so precise. It can mean the difference between a 19lb14oz or 20lb 2oz. Try it you wont believe how well it alters the catch rate.
Cptn Hook as far as lamprey go I cant buy a take on them. It just goes to show horses for couses

chill out go fishing

 

[martin.]

hi all
just sorted dates out for my pike matches this winter if any of you are interested they are all ACA qualifiers for 2003 british pike championship final and are now in the match fixture forum

tight lines.
martin.
talk fishing flip football

 

[Mad Irish Angler]

A favourite Pike bait of mine when the going gets tough is a small Trout the Pike Love em....fished as a dead bait of course,or another one to try is a Whiting,dont ask me why but they work great.Treat yor Pike like babys and return them alive.....Tight Lines