The Pikers Pit

Hi

I am new to deadbait fishing for pike although I have fly fished and lure fished for pike for many years. This season however I have had some good results deadbaiting and want to gain a good understanding of this method however popped up deadbaitimg has me wondering......

I understand the way to pop up a dead bait using a ledgered running rig and balsa sticks or fox foam balls. What I do not understand is how do you control the height at which the deadbait pops up to ?

Cheers Tony

It's a bit like a marker float set up,make sure your bait is very buoyant. Tighten up after the cast and play out line a foot at a time to your desired depth and make sure you take in to account the length of your trace an weak link .

Or try a sunk float paternoster with the lead tied to the eye of the top treble.Length of mono link is the height off bottom.No messing around.

Any of the above or place a stop knot and bead the distance away from your bait you want it popped up and just tighten down to it,similar to a zig rig that carpers like lumby do

The easiest way is to pop the bait up the length of the trace, very simples.
To pop it up less than that, say just off the tail requires the addition of some weight along the hook trace, you could simply use some SSG of even plasticine.
To pop a bait up more than the length of the trace or to create a bait with enough buoyancy to act like a marker float and keep the main line tight creates problems.
As Owen says above you will be better to suspend the bait with a sunk or surface float paternoster.
Good technique but not everyone's favorite as results vary!
My favorite way of fish them is to blast one out and basically do an ultra slow retrieve, may take 30 minutes or more to bring it back 60 yards!

Cheers Alan

Thanks for the replies you have gave me a couple of options to try.

Am I right in thinking if you pop out a ledgered popped up deadbait On a run rig and tighten down it will only pop up to the length of the trace ?
And if I want more height if I use a stop not and bead on the same setup and just give out line after I have tightened down ?
Thanks for the help you have gave me plenty to think about and try.

Yes and yes but bait must be very buoyant i.e. a big bait with a small popper wont rise to the full height/length.
If you put a stopper up the line attach lead with a weak link in case the fish drags it into a snag.

The trouble is in relying on a bait to rise is that it must be as Owen says buoyant enough to positively take slack line, most monos sink and most braids float so the line itself can take up any slack you offer the rig up and you will will run the risk of having poor indication.
I would suggest that you initially start with popping baits up just off the trace or less while you get your head round the technique, always check presentation before and after the cast as buoyancy changes with baits thawing and popping material like balsa taking on water!

Cheers Alan

Owen thanks again for the advice good point about baitsize and poppers to use.

Cookiesdaughtersdad I will go with what you have suggested and just try popping it up with the trace length until I get my head round the technique.

Can't wait to get back out on the bank and give it a go not till next week(work commitments)

Cheeers
Tony

Try a small bait first and it should be ok then experiment in the margins with different size baits and poppers.Non vac packed pollan will stand up without poppers.
Try air injection as well.Some tips here at 12 mins. and the line out twitchy thing around 26 mins in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-OBBrykGQM

suffolk si wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23 2017 22:23 -

Any of the above or place a stop knot and bead the distance away from your bait you want it popped up and just tighten down to it, similar to a zig rig that carpers like lumby do

cheers for the video link Owen

No place for Zig rigs in piking Tony. You are asking for a deep hooked fish.

Wat Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28 2017 05:07 -

No place for Zig rigs in piking Tony. You are asking for a deep hooked fish.

Not if the rigs are buoyant enough to hold a swinger up and so able to show drop backs!

Cheers Alan

cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28 2017 07:35 -

Wat Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28 2017 05:07 -

No place for Zig rigs in piking Tony. You are asking for a deep hooked fish.

Not if the rigs are buoyant enough to hold a swinger up and so able to show drop backs!

Cheers Alan

Sorry but we will have to agree to disagree.

Wat Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28 2017 18:37 -

cookiesdaughtersdad wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28 2017 07:35 -

Wat Tyler wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28 2017 05:07 -

No place for Zig rigs in piking Tony. You are asking for a deep hooked fish.

Not if the rigs are buoyant enough to hold a swinger up and so able to show drop backs!

Cheers Alan

Sorry but we will have to agree to disagree.

Cheers ALan

The poppernoster rig is as safe a way of popping a bait up that I've ever come across. As far as I'm aware Chris Bishop was the first person to use it, he brought it to my attention and I've used it quite a bit without any cause for concern.

https://www.fishingmagic.com/the-poppernoster-pike-rig/

The only pop up rig I use.

Ive done better with the bait fished head down under a float.
If there is a breeze I attach a pat. link to the tail hook.

Having watched fish resting head down in midwater it just seemed logical to use it.

On the right day it out-fishes every other method.

Mike J wrote: ↑Mon Jan 29 2018 10:20 -

Ive done better with the bait fished head down under a float.
If there is a breeze I attach a pat. link to the tail hook.

Having watched fish resting head down in midwater it just seemed logical to use it.

On the right day it out-fishes every other method.

Yep!

best an most natural way pop up deadbait .
get fresh dead roach cut off just behind head , the heaviest part an bit that makes it sink .
then when put hooks in lightly not to puncture swim bladder , perfect no balsa or foam needed an lots fresh scent released .

pikey brownhills wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11 2018 14:16 -

best an most natural way pop up deadbait .
get fresh dead roach cut off just behind head , the heaviest part an bit that makes it sink .
then when put hooks in lightly not to puncture swim bladder , perfect no balsa or foam needed an lots fresh scent released .

Its something I regularly do (to let the juices out) Pikey but they won't always float with the weight of a pair of trebles, check the baited rig in the margins!
The depth of water the fish was at just before death makes a difference I think, how much gas was in the swim bladder???

Cheers Alan

If you want them popped up way off bottom---use a float--- no need to twitch just let it blow around in the wind or drift one out


oh, but that means watching it

cookie I always test in clear water margins . I find the fresher the dead roach . no need to cut just behind head , but I do any way to release smell an blood .
but if I test in edge an sinks cutting directly behind head , makes the bait pop up again . strangely iv never seen any one use this deadly method , which I thought out my self in the margins as you say 25 years ago