Monster Pike

[David Marrs]

As recently as 97 / 98 decent multiple catches of double figure Pike could be caught on the Relief Channel,then sadly they all seemed to disappear..............I haven't fished it for a few years now but we rarely caught Pike on our livebaits / deadbaits whilst Zandering.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay AMIMechE (SA) MIFE (SA) (ACA)]

I think one of the reasons for the demise of Fenland pike are the zander. The 40 foot is snided with them. Put out a deadbait at this time of the year and you are almost guaranteed a couple, big ones too up to double figures. My best zander from the 40 foot is 10 1/4 lbs.

I think they need thinning out and that's why I occasionally have zander and chips when I'm down in the fens.

I like that story of yours about the big pike Jeff. A fish like that is real stuff of legend. A pike like that certainly should grab a scuber diver's thigh and carry him off to his doom!

/forum/smilies/baring_teeth_smiley.gif

 

[sash]

"I think one of the reasons for the demise of Fenland pike are the zander"

First time I've posted in a while and yet again it is one of Ron's comments that has induced a take...... care to back up your ridiculous comment with some facts then Mr Clay?

You might want to consider the following as alternatives of course........

water authority / EAdrainage attitude on the Fens, farmer's crop spraying, the huge increase in pike fishing and subsequent bad handling, the huge increase in easy access to waters due to housing / road expansion, the demise of certain food species e.g. eels, cormorants, illegal fishing by immigrants and others blaming immigrants etc etc etc

Pike waters fluctuate, fact.

Apart from a short stretch, the 40 foot is virtually unfished.

"Ithink they need thinning out and that's why I occasionally have zander and chips when I'm down in the fens" - How on earth you can come up with such a ridiculous statement is beyond belief. Peter Collins eat your bloody heart out.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay AMIMechE (SA) MIFE (SA) (ACA)]

Sash I said "I think", I didn't say I was sure.

Of course my post was orchestrated to get I reaction. Thanks for putting up a very intelligent post.

Zander, like pike are top of the pyramid in being an aggressive predator and I often wonder if a delicate eco-system like the fens canstand two of them.

Huge increase in pike fishing? I don't see many when I'm down in the fens, infact hardly any in the areas I fish these days. I certainly agree that bad handling is one of the major contributors to pike demise. Many pike anglers I have seen over the years haven't go a clue. Watch someone like Chris Bishop or Derek Gibson handling a pike. They are the people who really know how to do it.

As regards eating the odd zander - what's wrong with that? No shortage of them on some of the waters I fish and they are very good eating indeed.

I haven't eaten a pike for yonks though, and doubt if I ever would.

 

[sash]

It is the "thinning out" part of your comment that I find very, very wrong and misleading to inexperienced anglers that are probably already clonking zeds on the head as a result of it.

"Huge increase in pike fishing? I don't see many when I'm down in the fens, infact hardly any in the areas I fish these days." - precisely. Because those of us who fish the area regularly have to find forgotten areas in order to catch regularly nowadays.Of course there has been a vastincrease in pike fishing. The easily purchased tackle from the likesof Fox, ET, Wychwood, Drennan etc is testamount to that. I bet I could show you more waters that get hammered by 'instant' pikers than those that don't nowadays. There probably aren't any more decent pike anglers around than there were 20 years ago, it is the 'instant' brigade that has swelled numbers.

Pike and zander can coexist. There are many waters to prove that, once they have settled down. What many believe to be difficult to find are waters that support big zander AND big pike but I can name at least 5 in the Fens that have produced 30lb plus pike AND 15lb plus zander in the last few seasons and dozens of waters that produce 20lb pike and double figure zeds including that immensely hammered stretch of the 40 foot you are talking about.

Rather than thinking out loud (in print as it were)perhaps you should come along to one of the PAC meetings in the Fens and explain your theories to those that know the real reasons behind a lack of pike in certain waters ie the reasons I've highlighted in my earlier post.

 

[David Marrs]

Certainly the Zander in the Fens don't need thinning out, Zander and Pike do co-exist quite happily on a number of Fenland venues.There arecertain venues / areas which at certain times favour one species or the other, just as there are certain areas / venues which favour none.There are also venues which are hard for both species yet when you get a run it could be a good Pike or a good Zed. I have fished the Fens almost exclusively for the last 12 years and couldn't count the amount of times I have caught Pike and Zander from the same swim, in factI had a 20lb Pikefrom quite a hard waterfollowed only a few minutes later by a lovely 10 1/4lb Zed!

Thearea you visit Ron suits both, I know of a super sized Pike and some very good Zander that have been caught therewithin the last few years. I have to agree with Sash, to state on here that you "think they need thinning out and that's why I occasionally have zander and chips when I'm down in the fens" perhaps promotes the wrong message to new Pike anglers / immigrants orsomeone maybe looking for a scapegoat for the fact they haven't fluked a huge Pike first or second time out.

Any thinning out of the Zander population is best carried out by mother natures helpers, ie the Pike themselves!

 

[David Marrs]

PS Sash, care to divulge those 5 waters mate? You can text or pm like............................/forum/smilies/tongue_out_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/tongue_out_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/tongue_out_smiley.gif

 

[yoggy]

A trueborn and raised Fenman know where the big Pike are!!/forum/smilies/dont_tell_anyone_smiley.gif

And you`d be surprised how small the drains are as well!!!/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[Les Clark ( not too proud to nick a good idea fro]

Well its not down to overfished waters or bad angling on the waters that i fish , the amount of pike anglers that i see in the winter are less than twenty and most of these are "old hands " at it and we have no zander to blame either.

Carp are the " in " fish and a lot of the carp lads are scared of pike anyway !

 

[Chris Bishop]

What's happening on some waters is our changing climate and the way rivers are being managed means they don't always spawn successfully, so there are missing year classes and less pike in some area.

Heavy rain prior to spawning means eggs and fry either dry out when levels recede or get washed away by the resultant run-off. An EA fisheries scientist did a presentation on this at King's Lynn AA's AGM a couple of seasons back.

There's also a lot of research going on into this in America, where in some enlihtened areas they're creating special spawning refuges.

The siltation of Denver Sluice means they now empty the whole of the system via the Relief Channel, which causes strong flows and variations in level on a daily basis.

The same scientist said their surveys had shown a clear correlation between the numbers of fish in the Channel and the amount it was run off. In the 70s, when it was a mecca, it was a relatively new water and wasn't routinely run off like it is now.Missing year classes do mean potential for large pike because there's simply more food around for those that make it. The rivers and drains are full of bait fish, look at the Ouse - 100lb-plus bream and tench catches until recent weeks, 40lbs roach nets common over much of the lower river.

 

[Jack Pike 3]

It really boils down to where you live. For me the Broads is near and handy. Without wishing to sound blase I reckon a twenty is a very realisable fish.

 

[pcpaulh]

Hmm I think I've got a few venues with 30s lurking in them. Finding them though? Now thats going to be another matter.

 

[Chris Bishop]

That's the enjoyment of pike fishing. I've never caught a 30 and that's one of the things that keeps me going, I'd just like to do it the once.

 

[pcpaulh]

The idea of catching doubles still excites me. I can't wait to start properly again.

 

[Chris Bishop]

Me too mate. Can still remember my first one, all 13lbs of it.

I can also remember the first 20 I ever saw - caught by someone else - he had it in a big keepnet; this was 30 years ago, and I just sat there looking at this huge fish until my Dad photographed it for him and he returned it.

 

[yoggy]

I agree with Chris in that any Pike over 10lb is a big one and great to catch.

In fact I just enjoy catching any Pike these days. Whether it be a small Jack to a big double.

However there was a time when I was obsessed with catching only doubles. The bigger the better.The drains and Rivers I fished in a 10 year period was unbelievable. Christ knows how many miles and hours I put in. Ok,I acheived a few 20lb+ fish,but in the end my attitude completely changed. I simply fish nowadays for pleasure and as Chris rightly said if a 20 comes along I`ve had a red letter day.

 

[Paul H]

My first (and only) double stands at 13lb too Chris, and I remember it very well. It was easily the biggest pike I'd ever caught andwhilst fishing alone, it looked much bigger than it probably was.

That was from the Derwent a year or two ago, not too long after I started fishing for pike. Because it was one of my first outings alone I used a single hook rig to make unhooking a bit easier and I was glad I did because my hands were shaking with the exitement.

 

[Les Clark ( not too proud to nick a good idea fro]

Don`t get me wrong guys ,i had a very enjoyable season last year catching from 5lb j acks up to 18 lb doubles and i know that a couple of twentys are more than on the cards this year on the river , the lack of twentys are in the lakes that used to produce years ago .

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay AMIMechE (SA) MIFE (SA) (ACA)]

I've just receieved 3 new spinnerbaits this morning.

A Bagley Big Game Brute, a Pearson's Grinder and an Ace Magnum Pike. They all look the business and I shall look forward to trying them tomorrow on the Idle.

 

[Dave Mcfluffchucker]

big pike are still around its just a case of getting of your bum with an os map and finding new waters (well in scotland anyway) i know of at least a dozen waters with very big pike in , one in particular has not had fishing done on it since the end of the second world war it was stocked with carp and bream as a food source after the war it was just left and the pike in there kept putting on the weight on thriveing on the neglect

as to getting to fish it not a hope in hell where the place is you wouldnt now there was a water there i lived in the village all my young life and even i didnt know this place was there only 4 miles up the road.

once i found out about it some 6 years ago purley by speaking to someone who used to be a shepard up in the hills i tried and tried but the land owner was compleatly not interestd and would let both barrels of to anybody crossing the field to it

so the fish are still there and i watched some truely massive carp with binocs one summer crusing under the surface and massive black shoals of what could only be roach as to the pike well its anybodys guess but i know they have never been fished for .

so monster pike yep probably in a few waters like this one but will we ever get the chance to fish these probably not so the myths and legands continue

mcfluffchucker

(a cave in scotland)