Looking for some lessons in lure fishing.

no-one in particular · Jan 20, 2018

I have done very little of this yet I have boxes of lures. Thinking of Pike mainly but any ideas would help. I have some small and big plain spoons which I always like the look of but it seems are rarely used these days; is there a reason for that?. Plugs of all sorts and shapes, mepps spinners, mainly small, some of those rapier lures and a few odds and sods. I have one of those boxes with about 15 lures in, mainly small that include a frog.
I am a bit lost really with what to use, when and where and how to use them.

103841 · Jan 20, 2018

I’m in the same boat as you having only started lure fishing very recently. As in most genres of fishing there are so many variables to consider. I’m spending quite a few evenings trawling YouTube getting info and advice from the many videos on offer, way too many to list them all but you should take a look at “River Pikers” videos, he specialises in lure fishing for pike and goes into great detail on methods and types of lures to use.

I spent the best part of three hours yesterday casting lures along the river without any takes but the time spent was valuable practicing accurate casting and learning how different lures behave.

no-one in particular · Jan 20, 2018

s63 said:
I’m in the same boat as you having only started lure fishing very recently. As in most genres of fishing there are so many variables to consider. I’m spending quite a few evenings trawling YouTube getting info and advice from the many videos on offer, way too many to list them all but you should take a look at “River Pikers” videos, he specialises in lure fishing for pike and goes into great detail on methods and types of lures to use.

I spent the best part of three hours yesterday casting lures along the river without any takes but the time spent was valuable practicing accurate casting and learning how different lures behave.

Thanks S63, I will have a look at that. Is was in fact your last post and the Fen one that prompted my question. Lovely looking places and I miss it a bit. I don't fancy the sitting and waiting for a few roach and some lure fishing might be right up my alley at the moment. But, I just have done so little of it and accumulated so many lures. never had much success on the odd occasion I have done it and a few tips might help. I will go to YT and have a trawl.

Jeff Woodhouse · Jan 20, 2018

You might want to try and get hold of this book, it changed the way I thought about lures and the methods of fishing them,
Book Review: Lure Fishing – Presentation and Strategy | FishingMagic

I did write some pieces, 6 in all, about lures and the types of rods you can use. Don't know if this would be of any use.
In a Spin, Part 1 – Introduction | FishingMagic
In a Spin, Part 2 – Spinners and Spinnerbaits | FishingMagic
In a Spin, Part 3 – Plugs | FishingMagic
In a Spin, Part 4 – Choosing a Rod and Reel | FishingMagic
https://www.fishingmagic.com/in-a-spin-part-5-jerk-baits-and-big-softies/
https://www.fishingmagic.com/in-a-spin-part-6-small-time-spinning/
It doesn't cover drop shot fishing, which at the time was relatively new, to me at least. Hope this might help a little.

Another Dave · Jan 20, 2018

This thread Big pike are not hard to catch is like reading several top books on the subject.

steve2 · Jan 20, 2018

When I first started lure fishing in the dim distant past most of my lures were home made spoons. I caught plenty of pike because that is all I used apart from the odd Colorado and Kidney spoons. They still work today but like many things they have fallen out of fashion.
You can learn many things about lure fishing from books and videos but after that the best way is to leave all your other tackle at home and just go lure fishing. Where many anglers fall down is that they use it as a last resort method, everything else as fouled so they cast out a lure don’t catch anything and say lures are useless.
If you want a simple place to start get a set of Ondex spinners these are suitable for pike of all sizes. Be careful because from there you could end up like me being addicted to collecting lures.

103841 · Jan 20, 2018

I suspect you've fallen into the same trap as me, buying lots of lures

mg: so many infact, you don't know where to start.

Food for thought........a couple of years ago I was carp fishing using cubes of meat on a quick stop hair, the meat kept falling off, I put a small brass washer between stop and meat, worked to a reasonable degree except for one occasion when the meat once again fell off, as I reeled in the brass washer was spinning and I watched a decent sized common follow it up and hit it with gusto, my one and only fish caught on a washer!

Moral of the story, some days they'll take anything that moves.

Some of these lures are so ridiculously expensive even I'm not tempted, fancied a Westin pike lure but at £15 a pop

A good reason to use strong braid.

Jeff Woodhouse · Jan 20, 2018

s63 said:
Some of these lures are so ridiculously expensive even I'm not tempted, fancied a Westin pike lure but at £15 a pop A good reason to use strong braid.

I can't remember ever spending that much on one lure, but as you say, use strong braid. I now use 45lbs heavier rods and even 60lbs+ on jerk rods.

The reason I have so many is that I'd been collecting them for 40 years when I wrote those pieces. I've not added many since except drop shot stuff. What I had covers just about every eventuality and style. You do need a big selection.

Just as an example - one day I was jerk fishing and went through every lure in my bag, about 30 in that one, I think. Nothing showed any interest at all until I saw a chubby looking jerk in perch stripes and remembered that I hadn't tried it yet. So I quickly attached it and as always, I dropped it in the water to remind me of its sink rate and straight away a double pike came up and grabbed it. Yet I'd fished over that spot with most of the other lures.

You can say, had the pike just arrived and missed the earlier fun, or was it the colour and pattern of the lure. Who knows? It worked and that was good enough for me.

steve2 · Jan 20, 2018

There are not many lures in my collection that I haven't used part from where I have bought a bunch off ebay just to get one lure in the sale. The rest of that buy will possibly never be used and will go back on ebay.
I do have some expensive lures but when fished with 50lb plus braid I normally get them back. Losing lures is just part of fishing.
Some of my most successful lures in recent years have been cheap Fladen ones from the Range Stores. Only a couple of pounds each.

no-one in particular · Jan 20, 2018

Thanks all for the posts, got something to read through now which I am sure is going to help.
Where I am at is a bit of river about 1/4 mile, free fishing, I am sure there may be some Pike in there. Its about 30yds across and 15ft in the middle. The edge has a weed bed about 6ft across which is probably dying now. A few features, boat platforms on the far bank, a few trees overhanging on the far bank. Planning to fish out 4 of my biggest lures including a 6in spoon. I am taking only 4 lures to avoid the temptation of keep changing them and fish one for half way up, one the second half and come back down with the 3rd and the 4th lure.
Gear a bit improvised, a 10 ft carp rod, reel not sure yet, sea line 20lb and I think I have some heavy braid somewhere. Landing net may be a problem, have to think about that, its telescopic and about 2ft at the widest point. Unlikely to get a pike over 20lb is my thought.
Fancy hooking a big pike, be a change and getting some fresh air.

103841 · Jan 20, 2018

A carp rod will take some of the fun out of lure fishing for sure and may give you problems casting any great distances but if you have nothing more suitable......

Most important of all is to have a mat and the correct tools for unhooking.

Look forward to reading about your exploits.:thumbs:

mikench · Jan 20, 2018

In my experience a carp rod takes the fun out of most fishing!

keora · Jan 22, 2018

You'll get plenty of information from this site:

Lure Fishing UK

Lure fishing at this time of year can be unpredictable, because usually the water temperatures are so low that there's not much pike activity.

dicky123 · Jan 22, 2018

Just remember to have all the unhooking gear ready, mat, log and short forceps and a good set of wire cutters. I know it sounds nannyish, but I'm forever seeing pike guys without much of the above, and putting pike in danger.

Good luck, it's such good fun lure fishing.

Looking for some lessons in lure fishing.

no-one in particular

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103841

Banned

no-one in particular

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Jeff Woodhouse

Moaning Marlow Meldrew

Another Dave

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steve2

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103841

Banned

Jeff Woodhouse

Moaning Marlow Meldrew

steve2

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no-one in particular

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103841

Banned

mikench

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keora

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dicky123

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