Pike virgin-no more!

[Chappa]

I've always fancied a go at piking, and the weekend presented the opportunity to go have a look (with an experienced mate). I used an old carp rod, 12lB line to a wire trace, with a pair of trebles hooked onto a lemprey dead bait. It was a place I'd never been before, a lake off Norwich road in Norwich (New Costessy). The place was cold when we got there on Saturday morning and the lake was half frozen-luckilly not at the end we wanted!
We set up at 08:15 and I lit my peacock pocket warmer (present to myself at Christmas, blindingly good, best £25 quid spent on cold weather kit yet!) 90 minutes in I got a take and I must say it's really hard not striking as soon as the bite alarm starts sounding, Mark told me the fish would handle the bait a little before "taking" it properly. A short fight later I had a nice little 4lb jack, with a right fat belly on him, they're obviously feeding well at this place. Half an hour later Mark wasn't there to slow down my strike and I missed what felt like a stronger fish, pah! Another hour and another take from the same bait, in the same place. This time a longer fight produced a fish that swelled the net much more, around 8lb. On the unhooking mat it proved very lively once the hook was free, making more than one bid for the water as I held him down.
Once I work out how to get pictures off my phone and onto the PC I'll post them here. All in all a great day, the best this winter for me 'cos I've had precious little success with anything else!

Cheers, Chappa

[Appleman]

Congrats fella....sounds like a good day out

[fishypaul]

you are now off the mark chappa,time for your first double now mate

[tjnorton]

I had my first pike this year after a few failed attempts. Well done you will get the hunger for more now.

tj

[Norfolkboy]

Well done mate

[JIMBO]

[quote=Chappa;150442]I've always fancied a go at piking, and the weekend presented the opportunity to go have a look (with an experienced mate).

HI Chappa, Glad to hear that you had a great day out fishing for Pike.
Also I,m glad that you were with a more experienced angler, As this is were a lot of new Pike anglers goes wrong, (I:E going by themselves and catching a Pike and getting into all sorts of difficulties, removing hooks etc etc, as it is a danger not only to the fish but to the new angler too.

[pingu]

good start well done there

winter fishing can be good

dave

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Well done

[Chappa]

[quote=JIMBO;150460]

Originally Posted by Chappa

I've always fancied a go at piking, and the weekend presented the opportunity to go have a look (with an experienced mate).

HI Chappa, Glad to hear that you had a great day out fishing for Pike.
Also I,m glad that you were with a more experienced angler, As this is were a lot of new Pike anglers goes wrong, (I:E going by themselves and catching a Pike and getting into all sorts of difficulties, removing hooks etc etc, as it is a danger not only to the fish but to the new angler too.

It's a very good point. I always read up well before trying anything new, (motorcycle racing, carp fishing, piking, Thai women ) and you really do need someone who knows how to handle the fish properly. The second fish was really active on the bank so without Mark I would have struggled. I'll be out after the pike again, this time in Leicestershire on the Soar in Barrow on Soar. I've heard it's a hot-bed for pike, so roll on the end of the month!

[valleyboy]

well done and all the best for the end of the month