Currently Piking

[Wolf]

Great catch piccys and write up

 

[ouchthathurt]

With the weather calm, sunny but cold and the canal having a few weeks for the water level and suspended crap to drop out and fine down, I decided to give it a couple of hours. With the rucksack loaded, dead’s taken from the freezer and the spinning rod loaded with new braid, it was off to the canal.
On arrival, it was looking good, the water level was back to normal with a good colour, so with one rod rigged with a pike float set up and the spinning rod with a little spinner, I was off wandering. I decided to walk the full length then work my way back to the car, which involved a fair old hike. I couldn’t help but notice that several swims looked prime, but I had a game plan and I was sticking with it! Half way there, I saw a pike strike in the margins, so thought I’d cover it with a little perch patterned spinner, first retrieve and there was a large splashy boil as something struck the spinner but missed, so I gave it another cast, there was a subtle pluck and I struck into a fish. At this point I realised that I hadn’t set the landing net up… rookie mistake! Drag loosened off, I quickly set the net up and landed a jack pike, 2 casts and blank avoided! I gave the swim another 5mins then moved on. Another wander saw me at the head of the stretch. So I got the float rod ready, on getting the deadbaits out, they were all still frozen together, except one little joey mackerel. Now I’m not a massive fan of mackerel as a pike bait, I’ve never caught on it in the past, but it was the only bait I could rig up until the rest defrost, so I cut the head off and baited the trebles with the mackerel and flicked it out upstream. Baitrunner on, I carried on casting with the spinner rod, after 10mins casting, I snagged the spinner in the margins, so wandered the few yards upstream to unsnag it. Having retrieved the spinner, I walked back to the float rod. As I sat there deciding to move on or not, the pike float started bobbing, then it sank from view, before sailing upstream at a rate of knots! As I was playing it, my wife, baby and niece appeared, having decided to have a stroll in the afternoon sun. I soon slipped the net under a larger pike wifey at this point decided that it was my turn to carry the baby, as she had her in a sling on her chest, so I took baby and slung her to my front, then carried on fishing! Another half hour was spent wandering the banks with wifey and niece in tow, before wifey decided to head home, baby handed over, I was left to keep on fishing in peace. The next hour and a half passed without any further action, so I packed up and headed home.

 

[JLD]

Great report. Thanks. Biggest landing net ever saw too. You could fit a whale in that.

 

[ouchthathurt]

I grabbed my carp one, my son has my travel one and I haven’t replaced it! I need too though.

 

[richtic]

With the weather calm, sunny but cold and the canal having a few weeks for the water level and suspended crap to drop out and fine down, I decided to give it a couple of hours. With the rucksack loaded, dead’s taken from the freezer and the spinning rod loaded with new braid, it was off to the canal.
On arrival, it was looking good, the water level was back to normal with a good colour, so with one rod rigged with a pike float set up and the spinning rod with a little spinner, I was off wandering. I decided to walk the full length then work my way back to the car, which involved a fair old hike. I couldn’t help but notice that several swims looked prime, but I had a game plan and I was sticking with it! Half way there, I saw a pike strike in the margins, so thought I’d cover it with a little perch patterned spinner, first retrieve and there was a large splashy boil as something struck the spinner but missed, so I gave it another cast, there was a subtle pluck and I struck into a fish. At this point I realised that I hadn’t set the landing net up… rookie mistake! Drag loosened off, I quickly set the net up and landed a jack pike, 2 casts and blank avoided! View attachment 39136I gave the swim another 5mins then moved on. Another wander saw me at the head of the stretch. So I got the float rod ready, on getting the deadbaits out, they were all still frozen together, except one little joey mackerel. Now I’m not a massive fan of mackerel as a pike bait, I’ve never caught on it in the past, but it was the only bait I could rig up until the rest defrost, so I cut the head off and baited the trebles with the mackerel and flicked it out upstream. Baitrunner on, I carried on casting with the spinner rod, after 10mins casting, I snagged the spinner in the margins, so wandered the few yards upstream to unsnag it. Having retrieved the spinner, I walked back to the float rod. As I sat there deciding to move on or not, the pike float started bobbing, then it sank from view, before sailing upstream at a rate of knots! As I was playing it, my wife, baby and niece appeared, having decided to have a stroll in the afternoon sun. I soon slipped the net under a larger pike View attachment 39137wifey at this point decided that it was my turn to carry the baby, as she had her in a sling on her chest, so I took baby and slung her to my front, then carried on fishing! View attachment 39138View attachment 39139Another half hour was spent wandering the banks with wifey and niece in tow, before wifey decided to head home, baby handed over, I was left to keep on fishing in peace. The next hour and a half passed without any further action, so I packed up and headed home.

Well done great fishing, lovely pictures

 

[ouchthathurt]

Yesterday was another day on the canal, having given the green light by wifey. I got down there about 10am to find the conditions to be perfect, water level and clarity looking good, the weather was mild, and I was hopeful of a bite or two. I set up the two rods, one float fishing deadbaits, the second with a lure set up and off I went. I got to the first swim and flicked the perch patterned spinner out so I could wet the braid before fishing properly, the spinner hit the water, I gave it a flick to tighten the braid and the braid pulled back! Quickest bite ever… stupidly, I hadn’t even got the unhooking mat out of the rucksack! I hadn’t set the landing net up either, as the swim I was in was a tiny little hole that I stopped in just to wet the braid before setting off proper, still it was a good start!
I got the unhooking mat and net set up then started wandering up the canal the next swim I reached had another lure angler in it, so I stopped short to have a few casts while seeing what direction he was heading in, I didn’t fancy covering the same swims that he had just vacated, fortunately he was heading towards me and we soon stopped for a chat. He said it was fishing poorly and he hadn’t had a bite! He was heading home, so I carried on up the canal until I got to a favourite spot of mine. I flicked out the deadbait float with a mackerel tail bait and started casting about with a midi S plug, which was quickly hit by another pike, pretty much as it hit the water. The plug was static when the pike struck. I let this one go and watched the float for a few minutes, when it started heading upstream against the flow, so I wound down and struck - then bumped the fish off! So I cast the plug over the area and immediately had a take I wandered up to the next swim and had a few flicks of the plug which resulted in another pike I carried on wandering until I reached a bridge where I saw a pike spook in the margins, so i trotted the deadbait in the flow and had a cast with the plug, which was hit once againi decided to head back towards the car, having covered several miles and dropped into a small reedy swim where I flicked out the float while chatting to an old boy who was out walking, the float sat static for 10mins when I decided to reel in and head off, as I picked up the rod, the float started moving before sinking from view, so I struck into another pike last swim of the day and I threw the plug about for a bit, last cast, last pike and the day was done. All pike were covered in leaches, having been lying up, I guess I just hit it right this session, 7 pike and one loss in a few hours, nothing big but good sport nonetheless.

 

[flappy]

Nice fishing ouchy…

 

[Trampster]

Great report & photos Ouchy! 7 Pikeys - well done!

 

[richtic]

Great report and pictures, cracking days fishing well done

 

[Warby72]

Top dangling for the freshwater Barracuda Ouchy.

 

[Chrisbl]

Cracking little session chap

 

[Had1]

Went yesterday 1 pike rod 1 feeder rod , had a 16lbs pike after about 2 hours which took off downstream serious fight had to go down 40 yards to net it, would of been in trouble if there was trees or snags on the near bank.
Only bite of the day but I didn't move and was only 3foot deep no doubt spooked any others.

Few chub aswell

 

[richtic]

Nice Pike well done

 

[ouchthathurt]

Well pike season is once again with us and the boy wanted to get out and bag a snapper. He has been fishing the local ressie for a few sessions with no result, but today he managed two to get his piking season off to a good start

 

[richtic]

Well pike season is once again with us and the boy wanted to get out and bag a snapper. He has been fishing the local ressie for a few sessions with no result, but today he managed two to get his piking season off to a good start View attachment 74006View attachment 74007

Great fishing, well done

 

[DaveH]

Nice fish! I like a bit of canal piking... Always the chance of a monster where you least expect it.

 

[richtic]

Middle son has been out with the lure rod today and had 2 small ones.