Blanking - is it just part of piking?
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- Stickleback
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Aug 30 2017 20:39
Blanking - is it just part of piking?
I'm an experienced angler and usually don't suffer many blank trips (be it shore fishing, game fishing or coarse fishing) and certainly blank on repeated/consecutive trips ..but in the past few weeks I've turned my hand to pike fishing (long ambition which I've finally got round to) and in 4 trips totalling about 20 hours I'm still to catch my first pike! This is unprecedented territory for me. Each time I've had 2 or 3 rods out using different methods (legering & float). I've tried different times of day. I've tried varying depths of water. I've tried suspended baits, popped up baits and baits glued to the bottom. I've given options of fresh and seawater baits. I've spent some time spinning and lure fishing. The only thing I haven't tried is livebait. I'm fishing a highand loch in a spot I know produces pike (I've even seen one where I fish) but I have nothing to show for my efforts. Not even a bite. I did have a nice 5lb brown trout on a sprat, which was a nice surprise, but nota pike. I've spent a lot of time researching this and on paper my knowledge is good but putting it into practice is another matter.
Ramble over. So experienced pikers I have some questions.
How often do you blank, do your successful trips outnumber your blank trips?
Does piking just require A LOT of patience?
If you were to fish a new water (large body of still water, say), would you realistically expect to catch on your first trip?
Do you expect to catch on every trip, or accept that blanking comes with the territory?
thanks in advance for any replies
Ramble over. So experienced pikers I have some questions.
How often do you blank, do your successful trips outnumber your blank trips?
Does piking just require A LOT of patience?
If you were to fish a new water (large body of still water, say), would you realistically expect to catch on your first trip?
Do you expect to catch on every trip, or accept that blanking comes with the territory?
thanks in advance for any replies
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- Chub
- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sun Aug 28 2011 05:00
- Location: Snods Edge, Northumberland
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
If you are fishing Awe then consecutive blanks are very common
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Welcome to the forum by the way.
Will.

Welcome to the forum by the way.
Will.
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- Jack Pike
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Sat Jun 25 2016 22:32
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
21 days on Awe over the last year two jacks for my efforts. Went 12 whole days with only one run on the local canal. I know blanking is common depending on location. But a whole day with no interest in bait can be demoralising and down right boring
- Mike J
- Barbel
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Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
Hi and welcome.
Dont get stuck with the idea you just chuck out a few baits and the fish will come.
Sometimes they are not moving, full up with food, may ganged up in one place or following the fodder fish.
Go mobile, lure fish - use two rods one with a big lure the other a small flashy spinner or deadbait.
Drop the bait in closeish and work the lure back to it, or use the wind to swing dead through the area, keep on the move, dont overdo the casting, its about attracting fish not casting practice.
If nothing goes in 15min (20max) get moving again and don't stop until you get a fish, then give it an hour and if nothing comes along get going again and keep fishing until its dark.
If you prefer static deabaiting the same applies.
Do the longest walk first, then fish back to your start point, if its a lake/pit fish it downwind, if its a river fish it upstream.
Dont give up, the fish will come, but they are like buses, yes really

Dont get stuck with the idea you just chuck out a few baits and the fish will come.
Sometimes they are not moving, full up with food, may ganged up in one place or following the fodder fish.
Go mobile, lure fish - use two rods one with a big lure the other a small flashy spinner or deadbait.
Drop the bait in closeish and work the lure back to it, or use the wind to swing dead through the area, keep on the move, dont overdo the casting, its about attracting fish not casting practice.
If nothing goes in 15min (20max) get moving again and don't stop until you get a fish, then give it an hour and if nothing comes along get going again and keep fishing until its dark.
If you prefer static deabaiting the same applies.
Do the longest walk first, then fish back to your start point, if its a lake/pit fish it downwind, if its a river fish it upstream.
Dont give up, the fish will come, but they are like buses, yes really


- Lee7499
- Perch
- Posts: 719
- Joined: Sat Dec 13 2014 21:52
- Location: South Wales
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
Mike J wrote: ↑What he saidHi and welcome.
Dont get stuck with the idea you just chuck out a few baits and the fish will come.
Sometimes they are not moving, full up with food, may ganged up in one place or following the fodder fish.
Go mobile, lure fish - use two rods one with a big lure the other a small flashy spinner or deadbait.
Drop the bait in closeish and work the lure back to it, or use the wind to swing dead through the area, keep on the move, dont overdo the casting, its about attracting fish not casting practice.
If nothing goes in 15min (20max) get moving again and don't stop until you get a fish, then give it an hour and if nothing comes along get going again and keep fishing until its dark.
If you prefer static deabaiting the same applies.
Do the longest walk first, then fish back to your start point, if its a lake/pit fish it downwind, if its a river fish it upstream.
Dont give up, the fish will come, but they are like buses, yes really![]()
![]()

Honestly that advice is what most people are going to give and it's spot on .

In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away
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- Barbel
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Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
To catch pike regularly you have to be on the grapevine and have lots of money and a boat,Good luck boy
Nothing wrong with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Its everyone else.
- Happy Hayes
- Barbel
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- Location: Essex
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
Hi mate welcome to the pit
As Mike J said be mobile,first you've got to find them and then you'll have to entice them to take a Balt.
There's days when they'll have it and some where as Mike said ,thay have had their fill and your trying to get there predatory sense to kick in and attack the bait.
As for patience ,I'd say that all branches of our sport need it.
Like Tdreamer(John Kelly ) I've blanked the last 12 or so outings but I'm after a cat 120 hours or there abouts for one bream on a 35mm cat pellet (I kid you not) but that's fishing.theres a big one with my name on it and hopefully one with yours.( rumour has it,that some of the lochs have big fish in them shhhhhh but don't tell anyone,
Regards
Tom
As Mike J said be mobile,first you've got to find them and then you'll have to entice them to take a Balt.
There's days when they'll have it and some where as Mike said ,thay have had their fill and your trying to get there predatory sense to kick in and attack the bait.
As for patience ,I'd say that all branches of our sport need it.
Like Tdreamer(John Kelly ) I've blanked the last 12 or so outings but I'm after a cat 120 hours or there abouts for one bream on a 35mm cat pellet (I kid you not) but that's fishing.theres a big one with my name on it and hopefully one with yours.( rumour has it,that some of the lochs have big fish in them shhhhhh but don't tell anyone,

Regards
Tom

- Happy Hayes
- Barbel
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- DavyMc
- Barbel
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- Location: Glasgow Scotland
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
The fish are not hard to catch when they are in front of you, get the location right is the key. If you don't know the water and where the pike hang about go with a lure rod for a few sessions and search them out.
I never blank
I never blank

"Rise, like lions after slumber: In unvanquishable number! Shake your chains to earth like dew: Which in sleep had fallen on you: Ye are many—they are few!"
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- Stickleback
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Aug 30 2017 20:39
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
Thanks for the advice fellas.
good point re being mobile. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm out. So far I've been letting my deadbaits sit static for 1-2 hours - I read somewhere not to move them so the pike can track their scent (oily seabaits). But I've also read that pike actually have a crap sense of smell. There's a lot of contradictory info out there, but taking the bait to the fish makes perfect sense considering they're ambush predators.
Tried lure fishing but racking up some tab on lost lures. Snagging an £8 lure on the 3rd cast just depresses me.
Still, I shaln't give up. Enjoying the pursuit.
good point re being mobile. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm out. So far I've been letting my deadbaits sit static for 1-2 hours - I read somewhere not to move them so the pike can track their scent (oily seabaits). But I've also read that pike actually have a crap sense of smell. There's a lot of contradictory info out there, but taking the bait to the fish makes perfect sense considering they're ambush predators.
Tried lure fishing but racking up some tab on lost lures. Snagging an £8 lure on the 3rd cast just depresses me.
Still, I shaln't give up. Enjoying the pursuit.
- Duncan Holmes
- Barbel
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Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
MustangBarry wrote: ↑The scent thing is one of the reasons my deadbaits dont sit still for very long.Thanks for the advice fellas.
good point re being mobile. I'll keep that in mind next time I'm out. So far I've been letting my deadbaits sit static for 1-2 hours - I read somewhere not to move them so the pike can track their scent (oily seabaits). But I've also read that pike actually have a crap sense of smell. There's a lot of contradictory info out there, but taking the bait to the fish makes perfect sense considering they're ambush predators.
Tried lure fishing but racking up some tab on lost lures. Snagging an £8 lure on the 3rd cast just depresses me.
Still, I shaln't give up. Enjoying the pursuit.
I believe dragging a bait through the swim creates scent trails for the pike to home in on.
My dog will pick up the scent trail of a deer and follow it, but i have seen her walk right past deer hidden in the scrub and still.
Btw, if you are losing lures, you need stronger braid on your reel.
"The opinions expressed in any of my posts are my own and do not reflect the view of the any organisation that I may be associated with."
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- Gudgeon
- Posts: 62
- Joined: Tue Oct 10 2017 17:54
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
Last season I blanked, on average, 2 out of every 3 outings. My fishing mate only caught 1 pike all season.
- Wes12
- Perch
- Posts: 678
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Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
thisonesmine wrote: ↑That’s harsh mate, it maybe time time try some different venuesLast season I blanked, on average, 2 out of every 3 outings. My fishing mate only caught 1 pike all season.
- Woolley bully
- Jack Pike
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- Location: England
Re: Blanking - is it just part of piking?
DavyMc wrote: ↑Couldn't have said it better , find the fish is key ! No point fishing for pike that are either not there or not interested,The fish are not hard to catch when they are in front of you, get the location right is the key. If you don't know the water and where the pike hang about go with a lure rod for a few sessions and search them out.
I never blank![]()
Born to fish but forced to work