Advice on fishing a big Lough from the shore.

[Lee95]

Hi I am hoping to target pike on Lough Redacted over the autumn and winter from the shore. What would be the best tactics to target pike in a water this size.
I imagine dead baiting with alarms would offer best chance of a fish.
Also, if anyone could point me in the direction of a couple of hot spots it would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[Ben]

Venue name removed

[Mike J]

Hi I am hoping to target pike on Lough Redacted over the autumn and winter from the shore. What would be the best tactics to target pike in a water this size.
I imagine dead baiting with alarms would offer best chance of a fish.
Also, if anyone could point me in the direction of a couple of hot spots it would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Hi and welcome

Your first post and you want detailed information
Come on this isn't F+ck book where idiots give away info to unknowns like confetti.

Personally if I wanted to bottom fish my baits I would find a nice sheltered place where the bottom is relativily clean and if I didnt I would fish baits in mid water and fish anywhere that didnt look as it it had been fished.
.

[Lee95]

Thanks for the reply. It’s just fishing a big lake for the first time can be a bit daunting, you always have it in the back of your mind that the pike are the far side of the lake. Maybe my problem is thinking to much

[Mike J]

Thanks for the reply. It’s just fishing a big lake for the first time can be a bit daunting, you always have it in the back of your mind that the pike are the far side of the lake. Maybe my problem is thinking to much

Thinking to much could be a problem for all of us.
Look how many times a newbie to a water turns up and catches a biggie from a somewhere the regulars consider worthless.
It almost seems like resident Pike can read minds of the regular anglers.

Hows that for me thinking too much?

[Dave Horton]

Look for anything different. A peninsula or spit of land projecting out into the water often continues below the surface and creates a feature and in extreme circumstances water confusion that fish seem to like? A stream coming in may bring not just fresh oxygenated water but additional food? When it gets really cold, deep water in close proximity to shallow water can be attractive to the cold blooded creatures that fish are. A copse of trees on a bank where there are few others can be productive too. Quiet bays can offer shelter to not just us but the fish in BIG winds etc and whilst I'm talking about the wind I personally favour it blowing in my face but will try fishing with it off my back if I want to use it for drifting etc.

(Most of all pick your days wisely face)

[Noblest savage]

That last reply is very helpful in regards to a place I’ve had my eye on. Cheers Dave.

Ben

[Pinkie]

What Dave said! I'm in the middle of reading a book on fly fishing for pike and the chapter on locating them mentions all of what Dave wrote! Basically you fish for them where you might expect to catch trout.

[David.F.Scobie]

A few pointers.

1:- find the shoal fish/fodder fish if your on a lough there will be Roach or something like them so speaking to a coarse angler who fishes the lough might point you in a general direction.

2:- in colder weather find a inflow if possible if there's a river coming in then the moving water will be warmer than the lough water it will also be a food source, dosent have to be a massive river a good stream is also worth a look.

3:- gadgets like a Deeper Pro Plus can be handy to find deeper water and features failing that a marker rod and lead will help give you a basic idea of what is out in front of you.

4:- a walk round the bank throwing a few lures can also be good to locate fish same idea with float fishing using a drifter float this will cover new water.

5:- if you get the chance the night before to pop down and chuck in some groundbait it can't hurt you can go two ways with it you can chuck in stuff to attract the fodder fish or the second way is chopped fish and brown crumb to directly attract the pike.

Have fun buddy.