Pike on the Pole

Anybody else done any piking on a pole?

Having just read the article its got me thinking (that don't happen much).
I've got a 12.5m leada carp blaster pole
and that will be going with me on my next river trip to try this out. I'll let you know how I get on.

Am I the only one reading this with reservations..?

I'm sure you'd be fine with the bulk of pike on most waters, which are under 10lbs. I know poles can subdue quite big carp in the right hands.

But what happens when you hook a half decent one, or one of the mad variety which tears off like the clappers when you hook it..? Surely something's going to give, meaning a pike swimming around trailing hooks, trace and line behind it.

Another quirk is the violence with which pike thrash about and shake their heads - isn't there a risk of pulling the joints out on the pole, leaving a pike swimming about towing several metres of carbon..?

If you're a general coarse angler who sometimes needs to remove pike from a swim because they are disrupting fishing for other species, why not get a telescopic lure rod or something similar, spool up an old reel with 15lb line, and hoick 'em out of the way with that..?

Chris.
Some very good points there, but the same sort of thing was said about the pole and carp when people started using them to catch carp.
As for a pike pulling the joints apart and towing them off, a pole when used properly this would not happen. The pole I intend to use for this is very strong (rated 4lb dead lift). As for the size of pike i'll be fishing for that is no problem as where I am going to try this out the pike only go to about 12lbs or so.
If I did not think that I could do this then I would not.