how small a bait

nicky · Sep 29, 2012

I was just thinking about how small a piece of fish a pike would readily take?

I know some people pre bait with chopped up fish and have had the pike cough of bits of the free offerings on the bank, which would suggest they would mop up any scraps of fish.

I sometimes fish cubes of mackerel about an inch square nicked on or hair rigged to a size 2 kamasan B982 (not a particularly big hook), fished with a small cigar float or something similar and this has worked for me.

But i was thinking could this be taken a step further and fished with an even lighter float say a large waggler and tiny bits of fish on possibly an even smaller hook, and using a catapult to fire out tiny bits of fish on regular intervals (little and often) like you would for any other species, and would this produce more takes.

Obviously im thinking of somewhere where there is a fairly hi density of pike where competition may come into the equation.

I suppose the one hindrance would be the weight of the trace unbalancing such a lightweight set up and the rig would have to be fished fairly close in so maybe canal venues would be a good type of venue to use it.

I may try this on my local as there does seem to be allot of jacks around plus a few bigger girls

sussex river man · Sep 29, 2012

Great question! I am no expert on pike but i would have thought that a pike would eat anything of any size as long as the reward would have been worth the effort.

nicky · Sep 29, 2012

It was just one of those questions that just came to me whilst i was sorting my gear out ready for tomorrow, i suppose its one of those things that you wont know untill you try

S-Kippy · Sep 30, 2012

Small baits definately can work but there has to be enough attraction to make it worth the fishes while to pick it up.I wouldn't go much smaller than that for pike though I do for zander....and while a few freebies help put a bit of scent in the water I've always regarded every bit as being in competetion with my bait so I'm very,very wary of how much I put in.

I dont personally think there is much to be gained by using tiny baits for pike.

nicky · Sep 30, 2012

why for zander and not for pike, do you pick pike up when your zander fishing in this way?

terry m · Sep 30, 2012

An interesting question, but I cannot see any real benefit in this approach for pike.

2"x2" chunks, usually 2 or three of them on a kebab rig is about as small as I would go, a bait that size could easily be eaten by a small pike.

Using small baits may attract unwanted other species - bootlace eels in particular.

nicky · Sep 30, 2012

Yea probably right more than anything i was thinking out loud, but it might be an interesting experiment

sussex river man · Sep 30, 2012

Let us know how you get on...

S-Kippy · Sep 30, 2012

nicky said:
why for zander and not for pike, do you pick pike up when your zander fishing in this way?

Because zander can be the most frustratingly fussy fish imagineable and on a day when they are being particularly cute they will pick up a little "bit" but ignore anything bigger. This is on Bury Hill where they are very pressured and it may not be so elsewhere but on BH a bit will,in certain conditions or on certain days,comfortably outfish a whole or half bait. And by "bit" I mean anything from a roach or smelt tail to a little cutlet.

Yes...I get pike too but I do my utmost to avoid those damn things as I have no interest in pike whatsoever.

nicky · Sep 30, 2012

will do im gonna try it this evening when i pop out for a few hours just set up a 7bb waggler and will put most of the weight directly under the float size two hook and gonna try strips of mackerel nothing to loose and fishery only 5 mins from house going to fish a more conventional rig along side it see what happens

laguna · Sep 30, 2012

I have first hand experience of using small(ish) baits for pike.

Towards the end of a session last winter I cut my last lamprey up into small 3" chunks..., as a result almost without exception all the pike caught on them were very deep hooked!

I would stick to a reasonable size bait of 6"+ and ensure you have more than enough for the day/night.

S-Kippy · Sep 30, 2012

Very good point...and one reason why you'll find me sat over my rods watching my indicators and not in a bivvy or 50 yards up the bank talking to someone. I've not deep hooked anything yet.

barbelboi · Sep 30, 2012

For pike deadbaits I wouldn't go much smaller than a Joey - for Z's...........they're one fish I've yet to try for.........................Skippy??
Jerry

S-Kippy · Sep 30, 2012

Just as soon as I can find them,Jerry.

nicky · Sep 30, 2012

well that was very interesting just fished the setup i described earlier and it produced the only take of the evening the float slid under smoothly and i struck into a powerful fish which charged around the swim for about 15 sec before coming off.

The bait was a slither of mackerel no bigger than a fag paper, this was fished in between two other rods which both had livebaits on (there were two of us fishing) and only this rod produced a bite.

I baited wish a few tiny bits of fish about the size of your thumb nail every 10-15 mins, and put the occasional small ball of liquidised bread every once in a while to attract the roach.

I struck almost straight away.

Not conclusive but very interesting,

S-Kippy · Oct 1, 2012

Just a thought....try a smaller hook.

nicky · Oct 1, 2012

what size hook are u using for your zander fishing size the size 2 kamasan not very big as its not a carp hook as they seem to have their own system

S-Kippy · Oct 1, 2012

Size 6 wide gape typically...sometimes an 8.They seem to tuck into the scissors very well.

mick b · Nov 24, 2012

Strips of mackerel 1/4"x1/4"x3" have caught me twenties and lots of doubles.
Heads of 3" roach have produced many high-end doubles.
Both the above we're fished using a clipped down beach casting style rig at 150yards plus (hence the small streamlined baits) with 12" traces and fished tight to the lead.
Rolls of plastic tube were used bobbins and all bites were struck as soon as the lines start to tighten.
Not one fish was deep hooked tho a small few Zander were.
The water was a large clay pit.

how small a bait

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