I've just taken up lure fishing and as winter approaches I know a lot of ppl are switching to deadbaits ..... I don't have any big rods for that sort of thing yet, so will lure fishing still produce right through winter .... And when does everyone pack away the lures?
lures in winter
- Thread starter bigsean
- Start date
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
I had a feeling you'd say that jeff, I read ur in a spin articles, very good reading as well .... I guess I meant is lure fishing alone throughout winter advised and do many other ppl continue with their lures through winter?
And do you slow the retrieve down much during the colder months?
And do you slow the retrieve down much during the colder months?
Derek Gibson
Well-known member
Providing the water's not stiff, and you can get a lure in, it's possible to catch. But you may have to tailor your lures to suit the conditions. Lures you can work slowly and still maintain the action should be at the forefront. I know this to be true because I've been doing it for over half a century now. Dress warm, and keep a supply of hot drinks, fish in short bursts in the harshest of weather, and if you're not enjoying it pack up and go home.
Sound advice derek ... The dressing warm and keeping hot drinks on the go, I do anyway ... Wot sort of lures work best slowly then? Because with the exception of some surface lures, I thought most could be worked at various speeds ... I'm a total newbie at this, so all advice is very welcome.
stu_the_blank
Well-known member
Big Fella,
There is no rhyme nor reason to this. Last January, sleet coming down, temp nudging above zero. Fished a lake with acouple of mates. Out went my db's, excellent baits in good positions, surely this weather is made for deadbaits!
One of my mates, getting cold and bored after a few hours with no action, gets out the lure rod to 'warm up' (I hadn't even taken mine!). To cut a long story short, by the time we packed up late afternoon, lures 14 fish to just over 15, Deadbaits (6 rods between us) 2 and not very big either. He was fishing a jelly lure in fairly shallow water at reasonable speed as well. If the fish are active, lures are very effective at any time. Just go for it.
Stu
There is no rhyme nor reason to this. Last January, sleet coming down, temp nudging above zero. Fished a lake with acouple of mates. Out went my db's, excellent baits in good positions, surely this weather is made for deadbaits!
One of my mates, getting cold and bored after a few hours with no action, gets out the lure rod to 'warm up' (I hadn't even taken mine!). To cut a long story short, by the time we packed up late afternoon, lures 14 fish to just over 15, Deadbaits (6 rods between us) 2 and not very big either. He was fishing a jelly lure in fairly shallow water at reasonable speed as well. If the fish are active, lures are very effective at any time. Just go for it.
Stu
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
Hmm, I like that one Derek!
Obviously you can't fish a lure through ice, but pike will even spawn under the ice so no reason why they won't go on the feed. Some of my best fish have come in the coldest conditions and I even won two pike trophies in successive years during February with a 'bracing' easterly one year.
Derek Gibson
Well-known member
Sean,
For canals, stillwaters, drains etc, I would suggest you look towards lightweight Spinnerbaits, slow sink Glidebaits, or something along the lines of the ''Storm suspending shad's''
The above selection will allow you to work the lure relatively slowly, and hopefully grab the pikes attention and keep the lure in what could best be described as the ''strike''zone, especially when the pike are in a dour mood. I suppose the key word here would be ''easy pickings''!!
Jeff's point about January and February is equally true, as a lot of my bigger fish have come around the time of year. Only last year, February time I took a friend to a small Lincolnshire drain, on arrival conditions were awful, near freezing. My friend a confirmed dead bait angler protested we'd be better using dead baits, I insisted lures, and he was rewarded with a 29lb4oz pike before we left for home.And now he's an avid lure angler.
Thanks very much guys, as ever the advice is much appreciated,
One more question seeing as u mentioned spinnerbaits, is a stinger and extra treble hook that can be attached? And if so, is it needed, or just personal preference? Because I've noticed some spinnerbaits and shads with only a single hook.
One more question seeing as u mentioned spinnerbaits, is a stinger and extra treble hook that can be attached? And if so, is it needed, or just personal preference? Because I've noticed some spinnerbaits and shads with only a single hook.
Although soft plastics (mainly shads) with jig heads bounced along the bottom are a mainstay winter lure, I also spinners and crankbaits that will work low and slow as I believe a bit of vibration can wake the fish up.
Don't discount all your usual mid water, mid speed baits as pike are not always dormant and lazy during the winter months and will still chase baits near the surface.
Don't discount all your usual mid water, mid speed baits as pike are not always dormant and lazy during the winter months and will still chase baits near the surface.
greeny1321
Well-known member
On several occasions shortly after the ice melted in january I had pike hit my lure the second it hit the water in 10 feet of water, so they will still go for it if they are in the mood thats for sure.
then i guess i'll be keeping going with my lures then and cheers to greeney for putting me onto the 'big pike are not hard to catch' thread ... ur right, it is a big read and i'm not even half way through it, but have already learnt theres way more to lure fishing than i thought ... and its getting me more and more interested and eager to learn more.
and cheers to greeney for putting me onto the 'big pike are not hard to catch' thread ... ur right, it is a big read and i'm not even half way through it, but have already learnt theres way more to lure fishing than i thought ... and its getting me more and more interested and eager to learn more.greeny1321
Well-known member
It's a great thread, the best I have found on the net mate. Fair play to Derek.
There's definately more to it than throwing out a lump of wood or plastic and reeling it in
There's definately more to it than throwing out a lump of wood or plastic and reeling it in
I find that I get more pike on lures in late summer and early autumn. After the end of October, I'm more likely to get pike on deadbaits than lures. It's still worth trying lures in winter, as on odd winter days pike prefer them to deadbaits.
For winter lures I use large spoons, soft plastic jigs, big spinners, fished slowly near the bottom.
You don't need big rods to fish with deadbaits. Occasionally when fishing a river with overhanging trees, I've just used a 9ft Drennan lure rod, with a sliding float and deadbait, and I've caught pike with it.
LurePro - Specialists in Lure Fishing[/url]I've taken pike from both shallow and deep area of lakes in winter, always done well on large chrome spoons and sinking vibratory lures, some of these have been taken also as soon as they hit the water, even though i know I was fishing over 20ft of water!
http://www.lurepro.co.uk
http://www.lurepro.co.uk
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Whilst in the depths of winter pike will lay on the bottom a fair bit but they are also more active than people think during winter and feeding on most of the waters I fish seems to be best at dusk or late afternoon when they are most active especially if ice on the water or been really frosty, i find they will move up in the water column and pursue the roach on deeper venues near the surface even if bitterly cold if its sunny,. I prefer sinking lures on real cold days bounched across the bottom or slowly retrived but this does seem to work better on dull days, on sunnier days I speed up the retrive and work the depths more. I will admit know where the prey fish shoal up in the winter helps my fishing and I will choosing lures according to there behaviour also know the pike aren' t far behind them, so to speak. And this always pretty much produces for me. But different venues will fish differently during winter.
http://www.lurepro.co.uk
http://www.lurepro.co.uk
marshman39
Member
I've been lure fishing all winter. Same tactics, chuck a lure out and fool a fish. The pike can't go shopping to Asda so naturally have to hunt for food. If you can fool a pike in summer you can fool a pike in winter.
For some people, the theory is that pike will be laid up waiting for a fish (I know that is not the case with all bait fisherman). So their tactic is to lob a static bait out and wait. But if the fish are laid up, why stick a bait out when they're never going to go hunting for it? Why not throw a lure out and bring it right past them and then fool them in to thinking it's an easy meal? Pike are still smashing my lures just as hard now as they were in the summer.
My own theory is that the pike have slowed down and will be laying up, sometimes chilling out and not really tuned on to everything around them. So lobbing a bait out might not get noticed unless you can get their attention with a scent trail etc. Lure fishing brings out that natural reaction that is engrained within a pike and that flash of light, that vibration of a struggling fish, that visual tempting morsel of flesh is just too much to resist.
Lures are as successful as baits but either method needs a little bit of thought. The angler who randomly throws a lure or bait will often drop it right on a hungry pike. He will also often randomly toss over nothing. The skilled angler of either code is the one who can work out where the fish are and he is the person who will consistently catch fish.
I just like using lures....
For some people, the theory is that pike will be laid up waiting for a fish (I know that is not the case with all bait fisherman). So their tactic is to lob a static bait out and wait. But if the fish are laid up, why stick a bait out when they're never going to go hunting for it? Why not throw a lure out and bring it right past them and then fool them in to thinking it's an easy meal? Pike are still smashing my lures just as hard now as they were in the summer.
My own theory is that the pike have slowed down and will be laying up, sometimes chilling out and not really tuned on to everything around them. So lobbing a bait out might not get noticed unless you can get their attention with a scent trail etc. Lure fishing brings out that natural reaction that is engrained within a pike and that flash of light, that vibration of a struggling fish, that visual tempting morsel of flesh is just too much to resist.
Lures are as successful as baits but either method needs a little bit of thought. The angler who randomly throws a lure or bait will often drop it right on a hungry pike. He will also often randomly toss over nothing. The skilled angler of either code is the one who can work out where the fish are and he is the person who will consistently catch fish.
I just like using lures....
terry m
Well-known member
I have always found the summer best for lures, but you will stillcatch in the winter.
Yesterday I managed to bag a couple during a quick 90 minute session using a Buster Jerkbait, nice slow action combined with internal rattle wakes old Esox up.
Yesterday I managed to bag a couple during a quick 90 minute session using a Buster Jerkbait, nice slow action combined with internal rattle wakes old Esox up.
just thought i'd update this thread .... i've fished lures only this winter, not had much fishing time due to work commitments, and had a few blanks too..... but also had several pike in conditions where i been told lures wouldnt work