First ever pike

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Flipflopjoe
Chub
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Re: First ever pike

Post by Flipflopjoe »

Nice fishing mate, lovely looking fish that too :thumbs:
Joe Birch
“There’s a fine line between fishing, and standing on the bank like an idiot!”
stubbojo
Zander
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Re: First ever pike

Post by stubbojo »

bacon wrote: Sun Jun 06 2021 22:18 -
Well I continued throughout winter and spring having a bash until river season close with a 4lb 12oz pike to show for my efforts (plus a few tiny jacks under half a pound), then continued on the canals and managed a little 3lber. I am struggling to find fish in general.

This weekend I decided to try a new venue to see if I could tempt something at a local reservoir (not a trout fishery), in the first 15mins I got a bite from something that felt pretty good compared to anything I've had up until now.
As it came to the surface I realised it was actually a pretty good fish! I guess reservoir fish will tend to be much larger than their hardy river cousins with a constant supply fish to feed them.

Anyway. It went 13lb 3oz, so my first double. Caught with a Buster Jerk which I had crushed the barbs on, leaving me with an easy task to remove the lure from its jaws. I will admit to being slightly intimidated by this fish, compared to the smaller jacks I've had up until now, but I kept the fish under control and all was well.

IMG-20210604-WA0008.jpg

I am rather happy with it! :)
Cheers
nice fish bacon
just keep your eye on the temps pal
pike dont do well in hot weather... looked like a warm day in your photo ...
most of us normally knock the pike fishing on the head come end of march ....
not having ago .but thought i would mention it as you are just starting out
regards stubbo
bacon
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Re: First ever pike

Post by bacon »

Cheers all.

@stubbojo, appreciate the honest feedback and of course it isn't the first time I have read information like that. I was under the impression that as long as you take care with fish handling/releasing and minimising time out of the water that summer lure fishing was safe? This reservoir is fairly deep on this side, I don't know for sure but a guess around 4 to 5m deep where this fish was caught wouldn't be too far out, so the water temp should be fairly stable even after a few days of sun?

I like to think I am one who puts fish welfare first, hence the fish was netted and left to recover while I got the unhooking mat/tools ready, removed from the net, unhooked and placed back in the net, weigh sling and a photo and back in the net to rest again before being released. Short of not weighing or taking a photo, which I can fully understand as being unnecessary, I don't think I did anything too dangerous for the fish?

I was using heavy gear, a 6oz jerk bait rod with 80lb braid, so it was landed mega fast as well rather than be made to tire itself to exhaustion on a 30g spinning rod. I was also using de-barbed hooks etc.

More than happy to be told if I am doing anything detrimental to the fish though, this isn't meant to sound like a smart ar5ed reply either! Just wanted you to know I did take steps to try and ensure any fish caught would go back as good as they come out.
stubbojo
Zander
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Re: First ever pike

Post by stubbojo »

bacon wrote: Thu Jun 10 2021 13:48 -
Cheers all.

@stubbojo, appreciate the honest feedback and of course it isn't the first time I have read information like that. I was under the impression that as long as you take care with fish handling/releasing and minimising time out of the water that summer lure fishing was safe? This reservoir is fairly deep on this side, I don't know for sure but a guess around 4 to 5m deep where this fish was caught wouldn't be too far out, so the water temp should be fairly stable even after a few days of sun?

I like to think I am one who puts fish welfare first, hence the fish was netted and left to recover while I got the unhooking mat/tools ready, removed from the net, unhooked and placed back in the net, weigh sling and a photo and back in the net to rest again before being released. Short of not weighing or taking a photo, which I can fully understand as being unnecessary, I don't think I did anything too dangerous for the fish?

I was using heavy gear, a 6oz jerk bait rod with 80lb braid, so it was landed mega fast as well rather than be made to tire itself to exhaustion on a 30g spinning rod. I was also using de-barbed hooks etc.

More than happy to be told if I am doing anything detrimental to the fish though, this isn't meant to sound like a smart ar5ed reply either! Just wanted you to know I did take steps to try and ensure any fish caught would go back as good as they come out.
sounds like you have done everything possible for the pikes welfare like i said not having ago , but some of the numptys i have seen fishing in very hot weather , really gets my goat as i have seen them go belly up ......up-to an hour later sometimes then they die....... witnessed it to many times , these numtys are fishing a very shallow water that blooms in summer so starves out oxygen in the water ....they appear to go back ok but they surface later on and struggle to get down .....
keep on catching safely pal......
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