John Bailey – The Kingfisher Diaries
December 8th 2009
Just When Do You Strike Your Predators?
We all have these dilemmas. We'd be bonkers not to admit to them. Probably, the question I'm asked most often when pike fishing is when exactly do you strike? Of course, it's not really problem for the lure angler: the pike generally are just there. Fantastic. Thrilling. The problem really begins when you are using fish, either alive or dead.
For the sake of this piece, let's assume that it's deads all the way...though everything I say would pretty much fit the bill if you were live baiting, too. As I see it, these are the golden rules...
- When in any doubt, strike. Don't delay that strike unnecessarily. If you think you've got a run - especially if you are using sub-surface float rigs - tighten down, feel for resistance and hit the moment you do so.
- Don't be caught in a dilemma. Remember this. Ninety-five times out of a hundred, if you hit a run really early and miss it, it will be a small fish that has got away. The vast majority of big fish take a bait pretty much on the spot. If you strike pretty well instantly, the chances of losing a very big fish are minimal.
- Remember that very many big fish give the slightest of bites. It's often the jack pike that roar off with the bait. If you simply see your line tighten - or slacken - or the float begin to behave unnaturally, take immediate interest and action. That could be your biggie.
- Make sure everything is ready for that pike to be unhooked speedily and safely. Unhooking mat. Glove. Long-nosed pliers. Wire cutters. Waist sling wetted and scales zeroed. Camera ready to go.
- Don't forget that barbless hooks make unhooking a massively easier task. And do you always need to use trebles? Singles and doubles very frequently do the trick.
- Make sure that pike gets back just as fast as you can possibly manage. The longer they are out of the water, the greater the stress and you will often see their skin begin to fade, their markings very distinctive. This is a bad sign. See it and get that fish back to safety.
Virtually everything I've said with pike goes, too, for perch. Okay, perch - even big ones - are much trickier to hook than pike but even so, you shouldn't delay that strike, especially if the bait is hooked in the head. Remember that perch swallow baits head first and a delayed strike can lead to a deeply-hooked fish. And a deeply-hooked perch is generally one that suffers.
So, I'd recommend tiny trebles or little doubles and strike pretty much as soon as a run develops.
That's the beauty of worms and maggots...the vast majority of takes lead to a perch in the net.
A last tip: always take a first aid box with you when you are pike fishing in the winter - or summer come to that - antiseptic, plasters, bandages and scissors. Remember that when your hands are cold, cuts take a lot longer to clot and stop bleeding. And don't panic. There might be a lot of your blood winging about but the cuts aren't often any more than superficial. Make sure they are properly cleaned and you use your antiseptic and you will live to fight another day!
And better your blood than that of the fish! Remember, it's your choice to go pike fishing and not theirs!