Piking for the Complete Novice - Advice Please

Have just taken a winter permit on a RMC. Angling water in Essex. It's a small lake of about 2 acres and very weeded in the summer. The average depth is about 4 or 5 foot and although the weed has now gone from the surface, there is still a lot of weed 'stalk' about 2 foot below the surface.

Fished it at the weekend and there is an abundance of small rudd which are frequently disturbed by pike of about 5 pounds or so. Until the weed dies away a bit more, fishing other than for pike seems pretty hopeless.

I've never fished for pike so would be appreciative of some advice on tackle,rigs, lures and or baits aimed at a complete novice and bearing in mind the condition of the lake described above and the size of the pike that seem to be present (the lake baliff advised me that all of the larger pike were netted a while back and transported to another RMC. Angline water). I have already bought some decent 'unhooking' stuff as a starter.

For information about piking please before you start go and have a look at

http://www.pacgb.com/

What I would recommend buddy is to think safety first... I don't just mean yours but that of the pike.

Without being rude I must say that too many anglers decide to have a crack at the old pike without being prepared... What I mean is, as recommended by Phil, read up all you can about pike. They may seem tough and indestructable but they are one of the most fragile of fish...

So, with all respect mate, before you think about tactics please bare this in mind: As you would for Carp, you need to ensure you've got the right kit to carefully look after a pike when it's on the bank. Make sure you've got these bits before you leave home:

Large landing
2 pairs of long arm forceps
An unhooking mat

Another thing that you need to consider is your rod, reel and line... I know that the baliff says that all of the big pike have been removed but this is in no way a signal that you can use lighter tackle to go after pike. I assure you that sods law will be that you will hook the only big pike left in there and you will end up with a pike swimming around with a mouth full of hooks and wiretrace if you snap off... ;0)

Sorry pal, I don't mean that to sound like a lecture!!!

Tactics-wise...
minimum line should really be 12lb, 15lb is even better in weedy water.
Depending on how you want to fish for your pike (i.e. live or dead-bait) I would use a medium sized pencil style float. Enough weight to just cock the float (so you can see lift-bites as well as lunges) a good wire trace of 28lb breaking strain or there abouts with a single trebble hook of about size 8 for live-baits or a 28lb ready made (double hook) snap tackle for your deadbaits. Ask in your local tackle shop about this...

If the weed is really heavy and you can't present a dead-bait just on or near the bottom then you might want to try live-bait. If this is not aloud then you could try 'sink and draw' which involes using just a snap tackle wire trace strait on the main-line and hooking your dead fish by the head the the hook that is up the wire and the bottom hook loosely pinned in the side... Cast out and slowly reel the fish in allowing it to sink and rise in the water and flutter arround like an injured fish would. Note: make your reeling in very slow this time of year as the pike will be reluctant to move and chase a fish as they would in summer. YOu need to tease them to strike!

Hope this all helps mate,

Jeff

That's
large landing net
2 pairs of long arm forceps etc...

cheers

one more thing...

I forgot to mention rods and reels...

Any purpose made Carp rod with a 2lb+ test curve will do...

Reel, bait runner types are not a must but a well build strong reel loaded with plenty of line is...

go to the pike/predator forum on this site...
budgie is running a pike fish in/teach in,planned for january....
all the relevant details are on there,we are just waiting on dates...
me and my fishing buddy will hopefully be attending....
all the best...

Thanks to all who responded for their excellent advice.

Before you hook one learn how to unhook one. I would recommend the fox pike fishing videos these demonstrate how to unhook a pike safely for both of you. To fish this kind of water I would lure fish with a moss boss. See Harris angling's website for this weedless lure.