The Pikers Pit

Hi,

This is my first season piking, and I was looking for some opinions on fishing methods as the season go by. I fish gravel pits and lakes, and so far I have been float fishing deadbaits (sometimes drifting, sometimes static on the bottom), with a bit of lure fishing too. From what I've been reading it seems that the colder it gets, the less successful lures are and the more successful static legered baits are.

Is this a correct assumption or can any method work anytime?

Thanks!

In my experience Pike can easily become wary of lures which is I only use them very sparingly.
Static deadbaiting especially as it becomes colder with float fished bait at half depth allowed to swing around and setlle where it likes can be especially effective on hard fished waters.
Use high quality bait, make your own traces, use a big net and learn to fish unobtrusively.
Lastly plan ahead mentally going through what you will do when a big fish comes because if you fish long enough they will.

I'm only guessing, because I've done far less lure fishing than with baits, but I would guess an accomplished lure angler will catch at all times of year and in all conditions.

Deadbaits have always been the vanguard of my pike fishing. Not just because they are effective but also because I'm a.) Too lazy to provide livebaits and b.) not willing to use big lives and leave runs for oodles of time. I haven't started piking yet but if I had I would really fancy my chances of catching in the recent wet conditions with my paste method. I'm not sure how you'd access it but somewhere on the board (I think?) there is the a collection of articles under the title of 'The Pike Pool'. You can find a detailed description of the aforementioned paste method and I can personally guarantee its effectiveness.

Nethertheless your method of catching is of secondary importance. The real key to successful pike fishing, IMHO, is finding the right water. My own pike fishing became hugely more successful when I bumped into an uber successful angler (Jason Davies) on a day ticket water. He told me that the key to capturing big pike was to find a water where you can nail a twenty pound note to a tree and expect it still to be there on your next visit. The best advice I was ever given!

Nail a 20 pound note to a tree a it would still be there next time you went,f**k me boy that is proper good advice ...but that was back in the day,can't happen in this day and age

jlawsonvet wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25 2019 11:00 -

Hi,

This is my first season piking, and I was looking for some opinions on fishing methods as the season go by. I fish gravel pits and lakes, and so far I have been float fishing deadbaits (sometimes drifting, sometimes static on the bottom), with a bit of lure fishing too. From what I've been reading it seems that the colder it gets, the less successful lures are and the more successful static legered baits are.

Is this a correct assumption or can any method work anytime?

Thanks!

Keep drifting boy

delboy wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03 2019 20:06 -

Nail a 20 pound note to a tree a it would still be there next time you went,f**k me boy that is proper good advice ...but that was back in the day,can't happen in this day and age

Not as easy Del admittedly but there is the odd place I'd still fancy my chances.

When it's cold Float fished dead baits for me .. killer method and easy adaptable . Static, drifting, add a pat link for the river. Twitching, trotting...my number 1 method

While it's true to say that lure fishing generally gets harder, the colder it gets - there will be days, even in the bitterest cold, freezing conditions, when pike are 'switched on' and will hammer them.

Definitely not to be written off in winter, if you keep your eyes open for signs of active pike. (Lure fishing for torpid pike however, is a cold, miserable and usually fruitless activity).

John Milford wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03 2019 21:15 -

While it's true to say that lure fishing generally gets harder, the colder it gets - there will be days, even in the bitterest cold, freezing conditions, when pike are 'switched on' and will hammer them.

Definitely not to be written off in winter, if you keep your eyes open for signs of active pike. (Lure fishing for torpid pike however, is a cold, miserable and usually fruitless activity).

Probably the sole reason I turned away from lures was the constant whipping of those torpid pike in the long winter days ... Ingrained and indelible the memory

Thanks for the replies all!