Winter Pike

alex_molloy · Sep 7, 2012

Hello everyone, i am looking to get into predator fishing as i have only really fished for barbel. please could someone give me some advice on how to fish for pike on the river Ribble in winter ? Thanks Alex

keora · Sep 8, 2012

Look at the Pike anglers GB website for advice on tackle.

Buy a good book on pike fishing, by Mick Brown for example.

Use a 12 ft carp or pike rod and a fixed spool reel with 15lb line.

Sliding floats made by Drennan are a simple and effective way of bite detection.

Use only one rod and smallish dead baits up to about 6 inches long. Don't take lots of kit, leave the brolly at home.

Fish swims where the current is slow or still. Recast frequently into different parts of the swim, retrieve slowly as pike often take a deadbait when reeling in after a cast. Move after an hour or so if you don't get takes.

One large (size 1 carp hook) is as good as two trebles, and a lot easier to remove.

Often pike fishing is not very good if the river is well up and coloured after heavy rain - but there are exceptions.

Eric Edwards · Sep 11, 2012

If you're just learning to pike fish then I suggest you do not start on the Ribble. Ribble pike are very hard to find and it's not a venue for the novice at all. It's extremely snaggy and if you don't know your rigs you're likely to end up leaving baited rigs in the river. Every baited rig left in the river will eventually be swallowed by a pike and that pike will then die.

Try the Lancaster canal for starters.

greeny1321 · Sep 12, 2012

keora said:
One large (size 1 carp hook) is as good as two trebles, and a lot easier to remove.

I don't think that is great advice ( the rest of the post was) if a single size 1 carp hook was just as good as two trebles then we would all use a single hook wouldn't we??? 1 point will never be as effective as 3 or 6, no matter what anyone says.

madmatz · Sep 17, 2012

mick brown uses single hooks and swears by them so i would listen to him over greeny any day

keora · Sep 18, 2012

greeny1321 said:
I don't think that is great advice ( the rest of the post was) if a single size 1 carp hook was just as good as two trebles then we would all use a single hook wouldn't we??? 1 point will never be as effective as 3 or 6, no matter what anyone says.

On the other hand, I could say that many anglers are stuck in the past and are not willing to experiment. For example 60 years ago pike anglers rarely used deadbaits, now it's common.

Single hooks for pike do work provided they are of the right size and the deadbaits aren't too big.

philblakey · Sep 18, 2012

keora said:
One large (size 1 carp hook) is as good as two trebles, and a lot easier to remove.

I've never caught a pike on a natural bait so i can't comment on how effective singles would be. But i hope their use catches on, pike preservation wise i "think" they would be a plus.
Phil.

BarryC · Sep 18, 2012

I have only ever used single hooks for my piking having only recently started.
I often go with a very experienced friend who uses conventional snap tackle.
We find that I get as many takes as he does with equaly as many hooked and landed.
As said earlier they are a doddle to unhook and I certainly can't see any situation where I would not use a single.
Theres some good advice on these sites.
http://singlehookpikesite.com/#
Pike Watch - Home
2007PIKERIGS
I can recomend the tagging system.
Good luck.
By the way I use ESP raptors in size either 2 or 1.

terry m · Sep 19, 2012

For sink and draw deadbait tactics I always use a large single to lip hook the bait and then a treble 1/3 of the way along the flank.

It works!

waggy · Sep 19, 2012

I'm a convert to single singles. I use forged size 4s and use a knotless knot to rig them to a thin trace wire 9 ins long. The other end is a crimped loop, passed through a couple of times.
I always get a hook-up and never have problems with hook removal and bleeding and I tighten into the pike as soon as possible.
Just use a wind or two of sea-angling bait elastic to make sure the point is clear and stab the dead bait a few times to release body fluids.
My next move is into barbless hooks.

esox2914 · Sep 20, 2012

Sorry but I fail to see how 1 or 2 points of a single can be anywhere near as effective as 3 or 6 points of treble hooks, I will always use trebles for all my piking and cant see there being any need to change. If I where just starting out in pike fishing I would start with trebles, if at a later point in your fishing you want to change to singles then go for it, but trebles will put more pike on the bank.

BarryC · Sep 20, 2012

Hi esox
Treble hooks are in your opinion more effective than singles having as you say 3 times as many points, one of which is allredy masked by your bait. So why do'nt you use trebles for all your fishing?
A well presented bait on a single hook will have the hookpoint clear of the bait and be very affective at finding a hookhold.
Trebles are allso very efective at stapling shut a pikes throat in the event of a lost baited trace ensuring the fish will die. They are far more difficult to remove often leading to prolonged time on the bank and a stressed fish.
Of course we all do our very best to make sure this does'nt happen but anyone who says he has never lost a trace is a very lucky angler.
It was the realisation that I could effectively fish for pike without using trebles and snap tackles that prompted me to start fishing for them being unwilling to use what I considered to be outdated and unsafe methods.
Have you ever tried or even fished alongside someone using singles?
If not you may be surprised.
I have fished alongside an experienced friend using snap tackle. Trust me his method does not outfish my single hook.
While i am sure that you are more confident using trebles, in my limited experience your confidence is unfounded and your statement that trebles will outfish singles is quite simply unproven.

madmatz · Sep 20, 2012

the use of singles is to make the whole unhooking process quicker this enables the angler to return the pike faster causing less stress to the pike! must be a good thing?

Chris Campbell · Sep 20, 2012

Good posts this will always be a good argument. Most pike fisherman also lure fish for pike where to increase your chance of hook ups I think trebles are essential. I have had pike swallow lures right down especially soft plastics which can be a task to get out. I think as long as you have the confidence, the know how and the correct unhooking tools for the job you will be ok. I have not tried single hook rigs for deadbaiting. Maybe I will in the future but just now I feel more confident with treble and feel I have done well in returning pike unharmed.

esox2914 · Sep 21, 2012

BarryC said:
Hi esox
Treble hooks are in your opinion more effective than singles having as you say 3 times as many points, one of which is allredy masked by your bait. So why do'nt you use trebles for all your fishing?
A well presented bait on a single hook will have the hookpoint clear of the bait and be very affective at finding a hookhold.
Trebles are allso very efective at stapling shut a pikes throat in the event of a lost baited trace ensuring the fish will die. They are far more difficult to remove often leading to prolonged time on the bank and a stressed fish.
Of course we all do our very best to make sure this does'nt happen but anyone who says he has never lost a trace is a very lucky angler.
It was the realisation that I could effectively fish for pike without using trebles and snap tackles that prompted me to start fishing for them being unwilling to use what I considered to be outdated and unsafe methods.
Have you ever tried or even fished alongside someone using singles?
If not you may be surprised.
I have fished alongside an experienced friend using snap tackle. Trust me his method does not outfish my single hook.
While i am sure that you are more confident using trebles, in my limited experience your confidence is unfounded and your statement that trebles will outfish singles is quite simply unproven.

Yes you may mask 1 point of a treble when you put the bait on but it still gives you 2 clear points to hook any pike that takes your bait which gives you far more chance of a hook-up, and yes I have lost traces when out fishing but unfortunatly that will happen to all of as along the way. I still cant see the need for singles, aslong as you are experienced and have the correct tools then unhooking trebles takes no time at all. When you fish with singles how do you mount the bait, does it involve threading the trace through the bait with a baiting needle?? Sorry for my ignorance but everyone I fish with uses trebles so have never seen anyone using singles

BarryC · Sep 21, 2012

Hi esox
I use the tagging system which in effect hair rigs the bait leaving the hook completely exposed. Hook is usually a size 2 ESP raptor with micro barb. I use a peice of dissolving foam on the hook to make sure it does'nt pick the bait up on casting.
Have yet to try a big bait, a whole sardine being as big as I have so far used.
Mostly I use half sardines or similar sized baits.
I will sometimes go for a small bait usualy a sprat. I then just put a few turns of bait elastic round the middle and put the hook through the back under the elastic.
I do like this method as the small bait means when instant striking the fish allways has the bait in its mouth. Also with a large hook and soft bait the hook will strike through the bait if it is in the way.
Both these methods work when legering or float fishing.

eel611 · Sep 23, 2012

What about a happy medium with Partridge VB barbless 'double hooks'?

---------- Post added at 18:02 ---------- Previous post was at 17:58 ----------

What about a happy medium, Partridge 'VB' double barbless hooks?

terry m · Sep 23, 2012

I use the Partridge doubles for some applications, especially with small baits.

Partridge are IMO the best pike hooks (closely followed by Owner).

keora · Sep 24, 2012

I've tried Partridge doubles, they are quite expensive and I didn't like them much.

Drennan Doubles are better, I've got a few traces made with them. Sometimes I've found the point of the hook to be slightly bent after playing and landing a pike. Still a good hook though.

As for using single hooks, I just put the hook through the tail of the deadbait, in the wrist, the fleshy bit where the backbone starts.

It takes some confidence when you first start using singles, but once you've got the right size hook (in my view a 1 or perhaps a 1/0) and avoid using big baits, hook ups are as effective as with trebles.

And singles are much better for pike conservation.

For lures I still use a treble hook, but for small soft plastic jigs one large single hook is enough.

Winter Pike

alex_molloy

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keora

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Eric Edwards

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greeny1321

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madmatz

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