IYCF Seven pike

[Charlie Bettell]

If you hand-land pike, as I often do, you can support the hooked pike with two hands as you lift it from the water.

When I have a pike at boatside, I take hold of the main line just above the wire trace and place my rod, with open bail arm, accross the gunnels. I hold the main line just as I would if holding a fly line - i.e. very loosely.

If the hooked pike should shake its head or dive, I let the line slip through my thumb and index finger - I then ease the pike back again, using two hands, gently gripping the line between the thumb and index finger until my right hand is positioned just above the wire trace. I will then endeavour to take hold of the pike with my left hand, gripping it firmly just behind its head.

With a good grip behind the head, I then release the line from my right hand and 'very carefully' slide my fingers (all four of them) behind the gill cover - until the knuckle of my index finger comes into contact with the pike's 'V bone'.

As I start to lift the pike from the water with the right hand, I slide my left hand down the left flank of the pike - supporting it with two hands as I take its full weight from the water.

Personally, I never ever let people do this when fishing with me for fear of them ending up up the hospital - putting pay to the days fishing!

Personally, I have had to rip three treble hooks out of my fingers over my years of pike fishing - hence, this is why I will not let any client, however experienced they may be, hand-land pike while fishing aboard my boat.

Note: Big pike, i.e. over say 17lb, I much prefer to net.

 

[Paul Williams]

Charlie,
again with respect, nothing you have said has swayed me from my opinion that novices are better of netting big pike,....."big" is a matter of opinion, you say that "big" starts at 17lb and i would go along with that but to someone who has only ever caught pike to say 6lb then 12lb would be "big".........i have seen the state that some get in, the thought of them chinning a 15lb fish from a boat with exposed trebles fills me with dread, for angler and fish!!!
Remember the article that started this thread was in IYCF, not a pike specialist mag......perhaps Matt could have shown a little more foresight if "names" want us to believe they write for more reason than cash and publicity?

 

[Charlie Bettell]

I cinsider a big 'lure caught' pike to be, i.e. with regard to hand-landing, a pike that I cannot hold behind the head with my left hand - i.e. in order to get a clear passage to the gill cover with my right hand. I can hold most pike this way up to appromimately 17/18lb.

Personally, I do not play the jack or big pike game - any pike in my opinion, is well worth catching.

As I said, I too do not go along with inexperienced people hand-landing pike.

If you read my thread again, you will see that I too prefer to net big pike.

When 'bait fishing', I tend to net every pike over 10lb.

 

[DAVE COOPER]

Whatever the merits of either method, netting or landing net, the pertinent fact for me is that Matt Hayes is even mentioning chinning a 'twenty' in IYCF. This seems most irresponsible.

IYCF magazine is aimed at novice stage anglers and the very mention of chinning should, in my opinion, be avoided by the magazine at all costs. Or at least covered with lots of caveats that make it quite clear that this is method should only to be undertaken by the experienced and confident pike angler.

 

[Charlie Bettell]

I totally agree with you Dave.

 

[Carp Angler]

I would consider myself to be a novice piker, due to the fact that I rarely fish for them, and would never even consider chinning any pike.
Having seen the toothy sods flip around too much to even consider getting my hand anywhere near its gills, netting is the safest option.

But I agree with everyone, readers of IYCF shouldn't really be even given the advice to chin any pike, let alone a big one.

 

[Paul Williams]

Charlie,
I read your thread, but i think i typed too enthusiastically and my reply sounded a little like i was having ago, sorry about that........ i would never pick on anyone with such small hands )