time of day

[jonathan warrener]

Ive heard a lot about locating pike, about what baits and rigs and methods to use, but i cant remember anywhere seeing what time of day is generally best for pike fishing. I know that in general, most coarse fish are caught more easily in the early morning or evening, but what about our toothy friends?

 

[Budgie Burgess]

Varys a lot from water to water.When on a water I am not familiar with I always fish from just before dawn to one hour after dusk.As I mainly fish for Pike in the winter this is quite easy.After several trips you can build a picture of when is best.I have never found night fishing to be that productive.I do know one Piker who has done well at night but he tends to target different waters at different times of night moving venue several times in one night!

 

[Kim Mathiasen]

Agree with Budgie, it's very different from water to water. One of my local waters is a rlatively hard water, but me and a friend who has fished the lake for several years, sat down one no?ght to compare our notes. Since then, our catch rate has become higher, simply because we have an idead of where the fish are at what times. Of course pike don't wear clocks but it seems that they are in a certain area at a certain time or maybe they are there all the time, but just starts feeding almost at the same time.

 

[Kiwi Carper]

I agree totally back in the days when I was fishing exclusively on Lomond 3pm was the "magic" time always had fresh baits on for 3pm run .....honestly if you had one run it would be within 15 mins of 3pm wierd but true and it wasnt at any particular weather / light / temp / season.....

 

[stuart palfrey]

I like to get on a water at first light,taken many pike first chuck my rods are always made up in advance.I must convey to you this,when fishing a river in Somerset this old guy said to me the pike in this water will feed about 11am.,well he had 3 pike 12lb,16lb and 18lb,on herring rollmops between 10.45 and 11.15,i was gobsmacked.But it is amazing how many pike i have had at this time since,not only on this water.

 

[Kevin Perkins]

Stuart

Have to agree with you that 11.00am has always seemed a productive time on many waters I have fished(particularly mid-winter)Something to do with the angle of the sun's rays entering the water about that time?

Regards

 

[Kevin Cox]

I'm a firm believer in dawn starts when possible, text book stuff i know but it seams to be a general pattern on many waters (not all) where i've taken one or two good fish & found this feeding spell dies off around 9 am.
One particular stretch of river i fish theres a very pronounced feeding spell at dusk which to me appears to be triggered by fading light.

 

[Budgie Burgess]

Strange a lot of you mention 11:00 it seems that a lot of waters I have fished produce then as well.

 

[Kevin Cox]

At the risk of sounding like i'm jumping on the band wagon with this 11:00 thing, it does seem to through a pike or two up at that time, prehaps this is elevenses time for pike ?
I find this happens on maybe two or three visits to a water then just as a feeding pattern starts to emerge & you think your onto something the next few visits are completely different.

 

[jonathan warrener]

ive got to say that in my very limited experience, (2 piking trips!) the first trip was morning til dinner; no action. The second was afternoon and had 2 fish as well as a couple of missed takes about an hour before it started to get dark proper.
Not much to go on i know but off out tommorrow to do more research!

 

[Les Clark]

Ive found that baits out at dawn,brings the odd pike,but 12to2pm brings the most runs,then it lasts for a hour,then dead untill about 5 p.m.
But saying that,today first run about 8.30amn next run 3pm?.

 

[Andrew Macfarlane]

I heard a theory that the larger the Pike, the longer it takes for the beast to become fully active. This might explain why bigger Pike don't come on the feed till 11am for instance.
By the way...I find 11am till 3pm is the most productive in general but then again...I havn't been Piking as long as some of the old farts in here so I can't say for certain when they feed. Ask me in a couple of years.

 

[Matt Drew]

I rate mornings as thats when I fish!I reckon the best time to fish is when you can even if its 1am, so long as you have a bait in the water theres always a chance.

 

[Les Clark]

Andrew,i wish your theory was right,that would mean that at 6am today i would have caught a5lb and at 5pm Ishould have had at least a 20lb,I dont think it is as easy as that,you young git.

 

[Andrew Macfarlane]

At 6am? Who mentioned 6am? Not me. Its still dark at 6 am. 5pm? I didn't mention that either. Did you miss the point of my post or are you just getting on a bit?...lol.

 

[Jeff Butler]

Do excuse me if someone has already said this but well... I find that Lake pike feed in certain waters at certain times of day. Really depends on the movements of the prey fish. I find that on most of my local waters they seem to come on the feed at midday! My friend and I will drag our butts out and get on the water before first light (just in case) but only ever seem to get some action as 'dawn' subsides...? I feel spinning is the best way of finding out when the fish feed on a water. Spend the whole day walking around the lake casting a few different depth lures into as many accessable swims as you can find (cos pike pop up in the strangest places) and keep a record of the times of day you catch or even see activity from the prey fish...
River Pike... Whole other story and less predictable (if I dare use that word!!!)
Jeff

 

[Dave Silvers]

Another theory is temperature, especially in the colder months.
The water temperature will rise towards midday and then drop again in the afternoon.
This very slight rise in temperature may be the trigger for the 11:00am feeding thing.
Over the last few years the on the rivers I fish in N.Lincs 2:00pm has been the magic time.

 

[Jeff Butler]

With you on the temperature thing DAVE. makes a whole lot of sence. I don't know, us anglers drag ourselves out of bed on the coldest of mornings to go and see those Pike and they haven't got the decency to get out of bed until midday! ha ha!

 

[Les Clark]

Dave,I think that your theory is as near as we will know,the temperature seem`s to drop about 3 30 -4am,then start`s to rise about 6am,hence the odd run at dawn,then depending on the day,the highest tempterature,11am to 3pm,main feeding spell.
But saying that how many time`s have you had a bait out,say for about a hour,recast to the same spot and had a run within 5 minits,this is something I will do if the session is slow,it often bring`s run`s,as I belive they will take a bait on the drop out of instinct.
Thank goodness this is all theory,it would be bloody boreing if we sussed it out,getting it right now and again is fine,but haveing to think about it, is part of the game.

 

[John Berry]

I agree Les - I have found it very common to get a run immediately after a recast even on those days when you've given up hope of catching.