pike care

[Peter Waller]

I stand by my comment that three minutes is too long. Put it another way, so hopefully the primidones don't take offence, aim for one minute, but don't get upset if it takes three. Aim for three and end up taking five, and then do get upset.

If a few club anglers end up calling me a 'self abuser' then, by heck, I'm really upset, not. Seems that my comments about pike care have this effect. But if only one piker reads it and questions what they do, and improves their technique then great. It was worth it.

 

[madpiker]

fair enough peter,but you questioned why i do what i do when i already said that i keep fish out of the water for LESS than 3 minutes and most of the time i don`t even weigh or take pics.thats why i started this thread,to get the people that don`t understand the frailty of pike(and all fish for that matter),to realise that speed is the essence if pike are to withstand being caught.i totally agree with your comments re wilsons` fish handling,i even question his liking for the light tackle that he uses,there is no place in modern angling for so called "sporting" tackle and having to play a fish to exhaustion before landing it.i prefer the heavy option,which ensures a short fight,short time on the bank(if indeed they are landed at all)and seeing them power off strongly on return.i apologise for getting a bit teasy,but your comments insinuating that i needed to smarten my act up hit a raw nerve.

 

[madpiker]

couldn`t agree more dave,these people seem to think that a fish can still breathe if it gets splashed with water,whats the point in keeping it out for ages?,surely a quick weigh and a couple of snaps is plenty good enough.
as for aiming for times peter,my aim is asap,not 1,2 or 3 minutes and i think that all anglers should be thinking of the welfare of fish instead of their own egos,especially when they are so called "names"
i have never sacked fish and never will,my few after dark captures have been returned immediately and not kept in a sack till morning.
as jon helyer knows,even if i was lucky enough to catch a british record fish,i would return it just as quick as i do any other fish,as i think that the fishes` welfare comes way before my possible fame as a record holder.

 

[Budgie Burgess]

I pressume Dave is saying that people are trying to help the fish breathe by pouring water over them? Obviously of no use and just another few wasted moments.However with some fish in extreme heat it is benificial to stop the skin drying.Cats in extreme heat as found abroad suffer from this even after short periods on the bank.With other fish a dowsing with water does improve the "glint" in a photo.So nothing wrong in my book with thaterr providing that once again it is organised and doesnt add to the time out.

 

[madpiker]

i`m all for keeping a fish wet ,i think what dave was saying is that some people use it as an excuse for keeping the fish on the bank longer.

 

[Budgie Burgess]

Yes I to assumed that was the point of his post.

 

[mark williams 4]

I think it depends on the weather, water temperature and the length of the fight. Pike in warm water (summer, autumn) get pretty knackered after a longish fight. In the past when the hooks seem to be well inside the mouth, I've even unclipped the trace and given them 30 minutes in the sack (ere, no!) before tackling unhooking them. Most pike snuff it because the person handling them is fannying around instead of getting on with it. Hoik the hooks out as fast as possible and get the pike back into the water, and on a hot, dry day, do this very quickly!

 

[Dave Lumb]

"i think what dave was saying is that some people use it as an excuse for keeping the fish on the bank longer."

Pretty much. Can't say I remember seeing it done to pike, but seen it with carp which could have been put back a lot quicker.

 

[madpiker]

i totally agree dave.it`s beyond me why people feel the need to do such things.as i said before,one or two quick pics of a big fish is ample,if they aren`t magazine quality then tough s**t,at least the fish goes back quickly.

 

[Andrew Macfarlane]

I normally chin most of my fish and if I think it's anything under 15lbs or so, I stick it back with the minimum of handling. I've caught enough 15lbers to keep me happy for a lifetime and one picture looks pretty much the same as another.
If I think a fish is worthy of a photo, I use the net and the fish stays in the net. Normally it only takes a few seconds to get the hooks out but if things are going to take any longer, I give the fish a minute back in the water for every minute I have it out.
The actual weighing and photographing should take no time at all, especially if you have a partner at hand.

 

[madpiker]

i very rarely take photos of pike less than 17lbs these days,unless it`s a new water or an unusual looking fish. i don`t see the sense of having loads of albums of low to mid doubles,as andrew saysne fish looks much like the next.

 

[Andrew Macfarlane]

Amen to that. I've always wondered why some anglers, especially well known ones, keep loads of pictures showing the "8lber caught on a chubby shad" or something equally boring.
One of my mates can be a real pain in the arse at times. Granted, he's fairly new to piking and yes, he's still got the 'kids at Christmas' excitement about him but he wants to weigh and photograph absolutely everything.
I can't catch a jack without the Rapala electronic scales and sling making an appearance. He looks devastated when I return the fish without a sideways glance.
I look forward to the day when I have to get all the gear out to weigh his first big double. Maybe then he,ll wonder why I savour these rare events.

 

[madpiker]

in time he will learn,as most of us have,to "guesstimate"the weights of smaller samples under 15lbs or so.it`s good that you are showing him the ropes andrew,he will learn a lot quicker and not make so many mistakes.

 

[Budgie Burgess]

"I've always wondered why some anglers, especially well known ones, keep loads of pictures showing the "8lber caught on a chubby shad" or something equally boring."

Our old friend -product placement again Andy?