New pike venue

[PikeHunter]

It's amazing what can be just round the corner from you, yet you know nothing about it!

Just by chance I got talking to a fella on facebook last week who told me of not one but TWO lakes that had pike in them and they are only up the road from me! 6 or so miles away only. So I hit them up on google street view to find out exactly where they are. After work on friday evening, me and a mate when for a drive up to take a look. One of the lakes you have to cross a field or 2 to get to it which we couldn't be bothered with. The other has its own car park! It's on private land, so we got there to find a closed gate and a phone number. So we rang it and the man sounded nice enough, he told us to open the gate and drive down to take a look. So we did and we came across a lovely small lake with about 8 fishing stands. It has Roach, Perch & Pike in it he told us (I was hoping he'd say Bream but what can you do) It looked like a decent wee spot, so we decided to give it a go on Sunday morning.

After a heavy nights drinking and girlfriend pleasing (I took her for a meal you dirty minded people lol) I found it hard getting up at 7am, but I managed it. We arrived and got set up for shortly after 8am. Craig put a mackerel tail on the bottom and a mackerel tail under a float, Neil set up a trout under a float and rigged up a waggler to try for roach. I had a roach popped off the bottom and a mackerel tail under a float.

Craig was first to get any action, his line pulled out like mad and shouted for m3 to bring my net. Not a very big fight but he pulled in the best fish of the day of 11.5lb. Happy days we thought, this could be our lucky day to finally get one again. PLEASE NOTE: It is close to 2 years since I last caught a pike, and it's not for the want of trying! Just haven't had the luck!



So we were all feeling confident after Craig's catch. It took a while to get his hooks out of my landing net! :evil: But soon after we did my bite alarm bleeped once... Our heads turned then it went another few times so I ran up to my rod and grabbed it, I struck into the fish and felt it on! I was buzzing! Started to wind it in and..... nothing - it had got off! No longer had i put that rod back out til i noticed my float upside down, so i grabbed that rod and felt something tugging so I stuck into it ONLY FOR THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN!! The fish was on but suddenly it got off! :-screaming: I was raging!

By this stage Neil had gave up on the roach and put a mackerel tail on the bottom. He was next to go. The rod starting moving up the stand and he swiftly grabbed it almost falling into the lake . But he was into one. We reckon about 4 or 5lb.



After putting the fish back in the water, we spent another 20 mins getting hooks out of my landing net :-screaming:

Another 40 mins passed and I noticed my float going, I struck into it and called for the net to be brought down - ONLY FOR THE FISH TO GET OFF A THIRD TIME!!! :evil: I started getting pissed off at this stage and was near ready to pack up. How the f*ck was I missing all these? Anyway it happened to me 6 times and I was ready to explode. I sat down and had a smoke and said to myself, "Right Stuarty, 7 is your lucky/favourite number - If your rod goes a 7th time you will get a fish". 20mins later my flaot went again, this time I let it go for a bit longer and I struck. YES HE'S FUCKING ON i shouted. I was elated! It was the smallest of the day but I was just happy to get one.



When we were unhooking it, Craig showed me me trace coming out of the fishes mouth and said my line had snapped off the trace, I thought that was weird. I was trying to hold its mouth open and the hook was right far down its throat. I said ahhhh shit I dont wanna hurt the thing. So we worked at it and worked at it and ended up having to cut the trance and hook out (with great difficulty) but at least we got it out. So I got a quick crappy picture took holding it and then put it back. It was then that I went back to my net to find BOTH my hooks and trace tangled in the net! So that was some other nasty bastard's hook and trace down the pikes throat. They've probably just cut the line. So we've just saved that pikes life! Happy days.

Craig got another wee jack shortly before we left at 12.15pm. So to some up, that was the single best days Pike fishing we've ever had. Constant runs (even though we missed about 10 between us). We have never had a days fishing like that and it was just brilliant to see. We usually sit at a venue, and dont even get a run! So we' are all just buzzing about the prospect of this new place. It was be a perfect site for camping as well, so roll on the summer.

So here's to a new promising venue!

















I'm sure you'll notice that we are all holding the pike stupidly in the photo's, meaning the photo doesn't do it justice. But in all honesty, none of us are confident enough to chin a pike yet. I was going to try it with mine, only I didnt because it was out of the water so long while we got that deep hook out!

[blackwater]

Well done, i was wondering were you had been!

Does that place get fished much?

[Baz T]

Nice one, glad to see you got one in the end - lucky number seven or wot! Lucky for the fish too as you got the other trace out of its mouth. Wish I had a couple of pike venues near me? Sounds like a good water - am waiting for the report on the other water accross the fields that you didnt look at.
If you look at the PAC website or other pike fishing websites it will tell you how to hold the pike by sliding your fingers up under the jaw (not in the gills as you can damage the gill rakers - but under the jaw there is place put your fingers). Also I now use barbless trebles when deadbaiting - I crush the barbs on all but one of the hooks - I leave the barb on the one hook that goes into the bait to hook the bait on (I use a red bait flag on that hook so I know which one is the barbed one). This helps you get the trebles out of the net - though even with barbless trebles it can still be a pain but not as bad as barbed trebles. Apologies if I am teaching you to suck eggs, but thought I would mention it in case you didnt know and does make life easier.
Looking forward to your next report, now you have got your mojo back - well done

[PikeHunter]

Haven't been on here much this last while mate.

I'm hoping it doesn't get fished much. We've all said to keep this place under our hats as it looks to be a brilliant spot. Like I said in the report, even though I only caught one, I have never seen as much pike action in my whole life - It was great! Going out again Sunday morning for a while before hitting the bar for the mighty cup final!

Confidence levels are at an all time high so I just hope this week can be as good as the other week (The report is from Valentines weekend).

You sort of need a rod pod to fish this place and my mate doesnt have one, so I bought myself a new one and will give him my old one. Cant wait til it comes for a wee looksee!

[Baz T]

Excellent - Its funny what a bit of confidence can do - They always say the more confident you are, the more you will catch. Looks like your wee lake is full of pike by the sound of it. Good luck Sunday. I am out Saturday hopefully

[Dubbed Squirrel]

Well done PH, looks like you`ve struck gold on your doorstep. nice read and pics, again well done.



Peter

[Bassboy78]

Hi mate don't think I am sticking my nose in but in ur picture ur rod is bent meaning tight to the bait if ur getting missed runs and fish coming off try useing a slack line so the fish don't feel any thing and will hold the bait more confidently and u might land more mate

Tight lines and good luck
Nice pics by the way

[blackwater]

Its essential to keep lines tight when ledgering for pike, if not it will result in deep hooking! If you have a free runner style reel its fine to keep line tight cause when a pike does lift the bait it will feel little resistance due to the spool being free to run.

[PikeHunter]

Originally Posted by blackwater

Its essential to keep lines tight when ledgering for pike, if not it will result in deep hooking!

That's what I thought!

[Bassboy78]

I never use a tight line I use back droppers and a open bale arm with a slack ish line and I have never deep hooked any predator and I don't see how u can deep hook them if u hit the run quick all mine are hooked in the scissors but each to there own guys good luck and keep trying