Lure Fishing on Canal

[J.B]

What do you think of lure fishing on a canal is it worth a try for Pike and is now the right time to try for them. Also if you have tried it what lure patterns are good.

 

[Paul Mallinson 2]

Which canal mate? One of them small southern ones or one of them proper nothern ones?

Its definately worth while. I would wait till we have a warm spell though. I seem to do well on slow sinking jerknaits on my local canal.

 

[J.B]

I Live in the West Midlands mate we have miles and miles of canal round here the Jerkbaits you use are they the rubber ones you will have to excuse my dodgy questions as I am only very new to lure fishing.

 

[Stevepike]

lure fishing is always harder this time of year, because of the cold weather. pike are cold blooded and tend to slow down in the colder months. thats not to say you wont catch.
a plug, spoon, jerkbait etc worked slow and close to the bottom quite often does the trick.
the main thing is to locate the pike first, find out where the food fish are. speak to the match/pleasure anglers nicely and you can get loads of info from them.
i prefer to lure fish rivers this time of year, the pike are more active in flowing water.

 

[Paul Mallinson 2]

jerk baits are usually made out of wood mate.

have a look at the fox website and they have ipctures of all their mini jerkabaits on there which are suitable for most standard lure outfits.

 

[jon helyer]

I'd recommend the Kuusamo Professeur or a Lucky Strike Lizard (both spoons). Work on canals, or anywhere else!

 

[Chris Bishop]

Something that floats and works well a couple of feet down like a jointed Rapala, Big S or Shad Rap.

If you use a fixed spool reel get a couple of the bigger Ondex spinners. They're really light and lift up nicely when the blade kicks in, so you can fish them slow in shallower water.

 

[J.B]

Thanks Lads I went this afternoon and caught my first lure pike from my local canal it felt dam good and Chris you where right it fell to a Shad Rap in only about 3 feet of water cheers mate.
Thanks to all and good fishing.

 

[Paul Mallinson 2]

Nice one mate!!!!!

How big was it?

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Use the Big S and Small S on my local canal. Summer as been stated is best. When moving from peg to peg walk with the lure in the water. It is amazing how many fish you can pick up this way.

 

[J.B]

It was about 3 to 3.5lb Paul not massive but I was well chuffed it felt great and it fought well do you lure fish much mate.

Byran that is exactly how I located the fish just walking a strech about 30 yards basically trolling the lure the fish came from under my bank and nailed it I played it for a while but it came off I then cast back in and it nailed it again that time I landed it.

 

[levelspiker]

the big mepps spinners have caught me plenty of pike in the winter months from my local canal.nothing huge,up to 12lbs or so.
also,spinner baits bounced slowly along the bottom(weed permitting)is a good method for cold weather lure fishing.
as has been mentioned already,floating or slow sinking jerk or crankbaits can be good too.a mate of mine catches plenty on jerkbaits on our local waters,but i always seem to do better with spinners and spinnerbaits.

 

[Paul Mallinson 2]

Yeah I do do a bit of lure fishing mate. Not so much through winter though. The baest time I have found is around spring.

LP, funny you should say that about spinnerbaits and spinners, I catch nearly all my pike on jerk baits and rubber lures, I have hardly any confidence in Plugs and Spinners. I think a lot of the time its about matching the right lure to the situation. I do have confidence in my spinner baits though, despite never having caught on one!

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

I have had a few lure sessions on my local canal, the Grand Union.

Most success has come on Ondex lures in the medium sizes. The Canal has some decent perch and chub which I have also caught in addition to Pike.

The pike I have had whilst reasonably numerous have only ever been up to about 3lb.Do I need to be using bigger lures to get the bigger Pike? I have tried Spinner baits and Spoons with no success save for a few half hearted follows.

I worry a little that because most of the features are on the far bank you are pulling the lure way from the obvious fish holding spots immediately you reel in although a few fish have come from the bottom of the near shelf.

 

[Phil Heaton]

Nigel, be assured the pike do not know the difference betwen the near or far bank until someone starts banging obout, dropping tackle, sky-lining the bank etc. I am sure that sometimes I may look a plonker tip-toeing about and pushing myself into bushes for some cover, but I think it works.

 

[J.B]

Nigel Phil is right the Pike dont care about wether they are under the far or near side shelf as long as your stealthy and keep low.
Phil the idea of cover does work I do it my self.

 

[levelspiker]

i made myself a 9 inch bucktail inline spinner yesterday,and christened it with a 12lb 6oz fish.
tried the spring dawg previous to that and nothing!

 

[J.B]

Nice on mate what you make that out of. I went fishin today on the severn with pike in mind. I put my dead bait out and decided to try a ledger maybe for a chub I had no takes from the pike but I had a loverly Chub and later a 6lb barble on the last cast of the day happy days but no Pike What do you think is the Bast method for dead baiting on a river.

 

[levelspiker]

i made the spinner out of stainless steel wire,a number nine fluted blade,a 1oz soinner body and some bucktail.it looks like a giant ondex with a bushy tail!
the method i`d use for dead baiting,would be float ledgering using an inline float.use a weight to suit the flow.i use weights between 2 and 3 ounces when float legering flowing water.
dave lumbs site has special offers on bucktail spinners,check it out.

 

[J.B]

Cheers will do mate.