River Piking.

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Robert Woods
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River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

Just a couple of queries about piking on small rivers or drains when they are coloured due to rain, can you catch them...? Any tips on coloured water fishing as local drains up and down at the moment.
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Esoxuk
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Esoxuk »

I’ve found location is even more important on coloured high flowing drains. The margins, wider sections, inlets, deeper sections which reduce the flow, areas with trees or downstream of bridge abutments are a good start. Float fishing over depth slightly downstream, stret peg style with a through the centre float and the rod high to reduce drag from the flow and build up of debris will help as will smelly baits such as smelt or a fresh sea bait.
A bait slowly trotted down the margin will also seek out fish.
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Mattjb »

I think the key is how long they have been coloured in my experience . If they've been clear then recently coloured up then the pike seem to shut up shop and lie up. If they've been coloured for a week or so then I think they are catchable on smelly deads fished in the slacks .The prime time is when the river has been up and coloured for a fair while then colour drops out to that nice greeny colour. I don't do much river piking these days but this always used to be the case on my local river, other rivers and drains especially might fish differently. The only way to find out for sure is give it a go.
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

Well I'm off tomorrow as not been piking for a couple of years. Drains have been coloured for over a week with not only rain but been resently dredged (weed removed).
Last edited by Robert Woods on Wed Oct 16 2019 09:04, edited 1 time in total.
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Mike J
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Mike J »

Rob,
Telling everyone where your going to fish is certain to ensure you will have plenty of company, for years, and years.

Edit advised :thumbs:



Please read - viewtopic.php?f=10&t=34874
Last edited by Mike J on Wed Oct 16 2019 09:03, edited 1 time in total.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
Robert Woods
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

Mike J wrote: Wed Oct 16 2019 08:59 -
Rob,
Telling everyone where your going to fish is certain to ensure you will have plenty of company, for years, and years.

Edit advised :thumbs:
Post edited and thanks for the reminder.
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Jason Skilton
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Jason Skilton »

When it is coloured I like to fish yellow dyed baits and allow them to defrost before I cast them out......seems to work for me ;-)
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

What about fishing with a swimfeeder filled with mashed up tinned sardines and fishmeal g/bait. Places I'm fishing are shallow drains.
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Re: River Piking.

Post by davelumb »

Robert Woods wrote: Fri Oct 18 2019 17:39 -
What about fishing with a swimfeeder filled with mashed up tinned sardines and fishmeal g/bait. Places I'm fishing are shallow drains.
It won't do any harm, and if there's a bit of flow might do some good. :thumbs:

But put the feeder on a wire trace. :wink:
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Happy Hayes
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Happy Hayes »

davelumb wrote: Fri Oct 18 2019 17:50 -
Robert Woods wrote: Fri Oct 18 2019 17:39 -
What about fishing with a swimfeeder filled with mashed up tinned sardines and fishmeal g/bait. Places I'm fishing are shallow drains.
It won't do any harm, and if there's a bit of flow might do some good. :thumbs:

But put the feeder on a wire trace. :wink:
Good advice there Mr Lumb
As per normal :thumbs:
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Runner59 »

Hi guys,

I am starting pikingvagain after a 10 year or so break and looking for advice on whether to use spinner/dead bait when fishing the river ***** near ******?

I also have a weif near me that is running high due to all the rain recently. Judging from the advice above a floated deadbait in the slack is a good idea?

Any advice on other locations near to ******* that are worth a try for a beginner?
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Mike J
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Mike J »

Hi Runner,
Your first post on our forum and you want to know locations :roll:


What was it John Macenroe said; https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_8lWS_iOh ... fullscreen


To answer your question.
All water can hold fish, the chance is some of those fish could/will be predators if the water has enough food to sustain them.
Its been said that a pike can remain at the same weight on just 16% of its bodyweight in food for a whole year.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Jason Skilton
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Jason Skilton »

Robert Woods wrote: Fri Oct 18 2019 17:39 -
What about fishing with a swimfeeder filled with mashed up tinned sardines and fishmeal g/bait. Places I'm fishing are shallow drains.
Works for pike...will be trying it for zeds on Sunday :thumbs:
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Richsheff »

davelumb wrote: Fri Oct 18 2019 17:50 -
Robert Woods wrote: Fri Oct 18 2019 17:39 -
What about fishing with a swimfeeder filled with mashed up tinned sardines and fishmeal g/bait. Places I'm fishing are shallow drains.
It won't do any harm, and if there's a bit of flow might do some good. :thumbs:

But put the feeder on a wire trace. :wink:
Great advise on the trace.
I used to fish a local water where the pike would sit about 6ft out and hammer the match men. Fish or feeder they took it. And they would simply take it then go back and wait for the next !
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

Well have ditched swimfeeder idea as catching a few jacks with by chopping up a used deadbait and throwing it in. Thanks for replies as it has got my pike thinking head on for first time in years...lol
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Re: River Piking.

Post by davelumb »

Robert Woods wrote: Fri Oct 25 2019 17:25 -
Well have ditched swimfeeder idea as catching a few jacks with by chopping up a used deadbait and throwing it in. Thanks for replies as it has got my pike thinking head on for first time in years...lol
:thumbs:
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

And it worked but not on a river. A local club water I've match fished for a few years has stages jutting out past tree line and have seen pike spawning by feet. Also some signs of feeding pike/perch after the silvers. It is not pike fished and as drains rising went for a few hours and caught my first proper pike for over 15 years 19lb 4oz. It looked massive to me and kept getting out of Korum's Fast Mat and only went into old medium ET weighing sling. I fished semi fixed rigs with rods lying on stage as no pods with me nor alarms...feel like a proper piker...lol Sorry to post on a river thread but still buzzing...lol
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Mark Phillips »

Robert Woods wrote: Tue Oct 15 2019 19:20 -
Just a couple of queries about piking on small rivers or drains when they are coloured due to rain, can you catch them...? Any tips on coloured water fishing as local drains up and down at the moment.
Unless I am lure fishing, I've found almost all of the smaller drains actually fish best when coloured and either running off or being pumped. I have spent years' fishing these waters and despite the moaning you'll hear from some people, there's still some good drain fishing out there if you work hard to find it. The pike in these waters are pretty much used to finding their food in these conditions, so don't get hung up on having to do anything too special to catch them. Location is the biggest factor and these days, as things are a bit tougher than they used to be, that means fishing as far off the nearest access point as your legs will take you. e.g. I walked 35 minutes (1.5 miles of bank) last week on a Lincs drain before even casting a lure and had a very decent day... anyway, back to bait fishing... I always float fish these waters with rods on single rests, no bite alarms and usually only two rods - so I can keep on the move. No seat either - it's hard work, but it pays off. The marginal shelves are usually the most productive places to place a bait. Lives are the way to go, but as we all know, that's not always practical for a number of reasons, so with deads, it does pay to create a bit of a scent trail to speed up the process of a pike finding your bait, so half baits like herring, mackerel or my favourite, a big sardine with the head cut off... hope this helps. TL, Mark P
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

Mark, thanks for info, I use half mackerel and sardines and I have a skewer that I stab my baits a couple of times to help release oil trails. I used to move a lot on my local canal in Cheshire but never did much river piking but did plenty of barbel and chub fishing fishing light. Because of arthritis in knees and I cannot walk too far although I try and can only fish for a few hours am happy enough to be out. I float fish "Dave Lumb" semi fixed style and it works for me. First thing I did a few weeks ago is get an OS map of area and have a drive round drains. Have only moved across M62 from sunny Runcorn to Skegness in July and enjoying it as plenty of fresh air. I don't have to drive far to fish drains. Regarding alarms think if you are float fishing just with two rods on small drains/rivers why use alarms as more to carry about.
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Antony »

Mark Phillips wrote: Sun Oct 27 2019 23:25 -
Robert Woods wrote: Tue Oct 15 2019 19:20 -
Just a couple of queries about piking on small rivers or drains when they are coloured due to rain, can you catch them...? Any tips on coloured water fishing as local drains up and down at the moment.
Unless I am lure fishing, I've found almost all of the smaller drains actually fish best when coloured and either running off or being pumped. I have spent years' fishing these waters and despite the moaning you'll hear from some people, there's still some good drain fishing out there if you work hard to find it. The pike in these waters are pretty much used to finding their food in these conditions, so don't get hung up on having to do anything too special to catch them. Location is the biggest factor and these days, as things are a bit tougher than they used to be, that means fishing as far off the nearest access point as your legs will take you. e.g. I walked 35 minutes (1.5 miles of bank) last week on a Lincs drain before even casting a lure and had a very decent day... anyway, back to bait fishing... I always float fish these waters with rods on single rests, no bite alarms and usually only two rods - so I can keep on the move. No seat either - it's hard work, but it pays off. The marginal shelves are usually the most productive places to place a bait. Lives are the way to go, but as we all know, that's not always practical for a number of reasons, so with deads, it does pay to create a bit of a scent trail to speed up the process of a pike finding your bait, so half baits like herring, mackerel or my favourite, a big sardine with the head cut off... hope this helps. TL, Mark P
Thanks for the info Mark.Youve inspired me to sort a couple of rods out and hopefully get out this weekend and fish the way you just described 👍😊
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Robert Woods »

Well I tried a small drain today that was rising and using float and rod tip up to keep line out of water as per above info I caught a 9lb jack on mackerel. I didn't roam about but was happy underneath my Fox Specialist brolly drinking tea watching floats.
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Re: River Piking.

Post by Catfish Paul »

There is nothing better than watching a pike gloat bob then sail away 😁

Probably one of the best sights in fishing
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