2014/15 pike season good or bad

[chrissh]

2014/15 pike season has been the worst ever for me only had 3 small jacks on lures 2 pike 5lbs & 8lbs on dead bait and lost 2
was your season the same or am I the only one to have a bad season

 

[plugger]

yep mine has been **** to............ but hey theres still time

 

[law]

Mine started ok. I had a few upper doubles, then they got smaller as the season went on. Although Ive had over 30 out this year, none bigger than 18
It seems a common story this year.

 

[binka]

Very mixed for me, I was out of the trap like a greyhound and had a flyer for the first six to eight weeks taking some good fish and plenty of nice back up doubles but I've since found it patchy at best and have struggled for fairly long periods at times.

It's been the same for many that I've spoken with on the banks.

Had I not had the flying start my reasons for it might have been quite cynical although there's no doubt those reasons have played their part to some degree, I've at least got the confidence that a decent head of fish are still there.

 

[Derek Gibson]

Best described as one of feast, or famine, at least it seem's so to me. And if the feedback from around the country is any yardstick has been the case for many.

 

[rubio]

I concur. Lots of small fish early doors which I found encouraging initially but couldn't follow it up. Circumstances have hindered my piking since new year and I've only tried once. I got nothing. Maybe I should see not going as a blessing rather than being frustrated given the comments above.
I would bet there are some good captures that a lucky few are smiling smugly about whilst keeping their traps shut.

 

[Steve Appleford]

Same as lots good doubles and plenty of fish early on then just jack city since along with a few blanks mainly 1 lake and the Thames

 

[john step]

Same feast at the start then famine in January and Feb but have started again as March arrived. Just in time to wind down though and think of other species.
I don't feel happy about catching them when they are starting to get ready to spawn.

 

[stu_the_blank]

Same for me, a good Autumn, very good December and then a really poor January and Feb. Movement pattern has been odd this year and I've failed to find the fish since Christmas.

Some enjoyable blanks though!

Stu

 

[law]

Im off for one last session this morning.
I saw one of the big girls in the shallows a couple of days ago, so gonna give it the sun rise today, then tuck the pike gear away till the winter.

 

[Titus]

Not wet a predator line this season due to personal illness and other priorities, this is planned to change though.

I've had a close shave with the grim reaper the back end of last year which resulted in some essential plumbing work being done on my pump which has given me some energy back and I've made the decision I've done enough sitting around getting fatter. It's time to get out in the fresh air and catch a few fish again.

 

[stu_the_blank]

I've had a close shave with the grim reaper the back end of last year which resulted in some essential plumbing work being done on my pump which has given me some energy back and I've made the decision I've done enough sitting around getting fatter. It's time to get out in the fresh air and catch a few fish again.

Puts a few blanks into perspective. Glad to hear you're on the mend and enjoy getting 'out there' again. The Pike will still be there waiting for you!

Regards

Stu

 

[rich4930]

I'm in Germany and I've struggled too! In fact, due to many reasons it's been pretty disastrous! My count is exactly one - a little Jack about 3 or 4 lb! Beat that

Here are my excuses:
- first year fishing again after over 20 years and although it's like getting back onto a bike, I'm still only at the very beginning of getting to know all the waters in and around Berlin.
- summer went on till way into October, after which I was on holiday, so I only started seriously in November. Even then, yet another warm sunny day - people were swimming in the lake, it was still so warm!
- mid November I got 2 eels at 2-3lb each! That again says something about the weather! That was followed by a couple of weeks of icy easterly winds, thus blanking.
- December limited time due to family & xmas, but did at least get that single pike
- January it was 80-100% iced over (whenever I actually had time). Only thin ice, but ice is ice. did get a knock one day whilst lure fishing in a free area, but that was a small zander I think.
- and feb-March is close season for pike (April too in Berlin itself).
- furthermore there's nowhere to buy decent deadbaits here (just frozen sardines if you're lucky, or huge frozen oversized mackerel at about 2.50 euro apiece!). Why it's such a hassle to get fresh fish I really don't know (too far from the coast?)

Still, one pike at least. My first in about 24 years and also a small victory in itself, with local anglers at the lake telling me I'll never catch there with saltwater deadbaits. Nonsense of course, but judging by discussions I've had, that's fairly typical of the German view of pike fishing.

 

[terry m]

Generally a poor year although a decent series of catches since early mid February has rescued things a little.

October and early November were normal (good) but then late November, December and January were really poor.

My normal season total of ~100 fish will not be reached, in fact by the end of this week I will struggle to get to 3/4 of that. Strangely though, although numbers are down, the ratio of double to singles is probably the best ever.

This year I have spent much more time on the rivers than pits, it is normally the opposite, and the fish I have caught have almost all been tip top condition that fought like demons.

Best baits for me this season has been mackerel, followed by smelt. Still time for another croc or two.

 

[S-Kippy]

I've had a really good year pikewise.... I've only had 2 of the bloody things nick a zander bait. Last year the damned things followed me around. Pests.

 

[bobble]

Great season up here in the north of england....fish are starting to spawn now so ...time to get the coarse tackle outroll on next winter:w

 

[terry m]

2 of the bloody things nick a zander bait. .

Assume you mean bait intended for zander, rather than zander actually being the bait?

 

[pointngo]

It's been a tricky winter for me. Work committments meant that I could only fish one day a week until Xmas and managed a few nice fish on my limited days, including a new river pb (up a whole 2oz! ).

Since January I've been fishing a lot... it started slow then picked up for a few weeks, but it died a death when the river last flooded. Throughout the pike have been hard to find. They haven't been where they should be and when you did find them they were lone fish. When they gathered recently they weren't that bothered about feeding. Had to put in a lot of effort to catch consistently.

Last roll of the dice on the rivers yesterday and managed one last nice fish at 24.02lb, and although that followed 6 blanks on the trot, the river season has ended with a smile.

 

[keora]

I've had more blank days in the winter of 2014/2015 than in the previous winter, but my average catch rate has stayed more or less the same at just over one fish per session.

 

[redfin123]

Best described as one of feast, or famine, at least it seem's so to me. And if the feedback from around the country is any yardstick has been the case for many.

yes derek its been a funny season all round, but i went out in a blaze of glory with a pb pike 25lb..8oz very happy. thanks to you and and mick for all your help.