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Deadbaiting for Pike 2

By Alan Tomkins

In my last article I covered deadbaits and hooking arrangements. This month I'd like to take a brief look at fishing methods, bite indication, the handling of pike, and anything else that comes into my head. For many anglers, pike fishing and a nice big red float are synonymous. Float fishing can be very effective, though I think it is generally appreciated now that floats needn't be quite as large as cricket balls! Probably the best way to float fish deadbaits is to use a sliding float, and set the stop knot at 2 or 3 times the depth of the water, depending on how much surface movement there is. The more surface movement, the deeper you will need to set the float to prevent it from being continually dragged under. The bait should be held in place by just enough swan shot to keep it still. There may be days when you want the float to drag the bait slowly along the bottom. In this case either reduce the numbers of shot, or dispense with them altogether. In this instance you will probably need a bigger float as well. This is not a practical method in snaggy, or weedy waters, but using the VB double hooks in place of trebles may help prevent the bait becoming caught up.

Though years ago one of my top methods for river pike was a deadbait suspended beneath a float, and allowed to drift freely, it has been almost totally useless for me on stillwaters, and at the risk of bringing the wrath of the long range deadbait drifters upon me, I have to say I have very little confidence in the method. What does catch pike is a deadbait suspended from a sunken paternoster, and fished static. I fish the bait head down, and usually use sardine, though I have had some good pike on a sprat using this method. I think it was Jim Gibbinson who first called this the "Spraternoster". I like that! Using floats in any form, except for the specialised drifting methods, is going to restrict you on the range at which you can fish at. This may not matter - there are generally plenty of pike close in, but equally there are waters where you may need to fish further out to reach the pike. Even if you can cast a suitable float a long way, you will probably have trouble seeing it. Which brings us neatly on to ledgering. I only want to deal with the basics here so won't be talking about specialist weed-beater rigs, or anything like that. The basic ledgering method of an arlesly bomb on the line will work, but does require a little thought. If you are using a bait that is much heavier than the lead, when you cast out, the bait will travel much faster than the actual lead, and the two may land quite a long way apart. You will then have to wind the bait back to the lead, and may lose as much as 20 yards distance by doing so. If you don't wind back, your rig will not be sensitive enough, and you may end up with a deep hooked pike. You could of course use a fixed lead, and this will probably work, though I haven't used it myself for pike, except on pasternosters where it is to some extent unavoidable, and doesn't seem to put the pike off. Far better I think with biggish baits, is to freeline. I use that word loosely, as I never actually fish without any weight, but put between 2 and 4 swan shot on the line, just above the trace. As I use 15lb Maxima for most of my pike fishing, I am not worried about putting the shot on the line itself, but if this worries you, you can put them on the top of the trace, though you might find they slide down after a while. Adding this weight (which IS actually a fixed lead!) enables you to tension the line without moving the bait. With very heavy baits such as mackerel it is probably uneccessary, but I use the method very successfully with sardine, trout and smelt. If you are fishing your deadbaits "pop-up" fashion, as they will be for a while anyway if you cast them out frozen (didn't you know that!) you can add just the right amount of weight to slowly sink the bait. This is undoubtedly my favourite, and most successful way of fishing deadbaits. When using the other bait from my top four, the eel section, I revert to normal ledgering methods, and generally use a big lead, at least 2 ounces. Once your bait is out there, you can either leave it there, or move it around. I have to say that once you have your bait in the right place, I reckon on most days the static deadbait is the more effective. What can induce a take though is re-casting to the same spot. I once fished a water where, as long as you didn't overdo it, most takes would come within 5 minutes of a re-cast.

Now some words on bite indication. The movement of a float speaks for itself, and there is no need to go into that. For sunken float, ledgering and "free-lining" some form of indicator will have to be used. For all the above methods, even ledgering if you are not using big leads, you will need a form of indication that will show drop-backs, as well as runs. For the uninitiated, a drop-back occurs when a pike picks up the bait and runs towards you. I have been using the E.T. backbiters since their introduction, and apart from having to modify the original line clip with a pair of pliers, have found them to be the best indicators I have ever used for pike fishing, providing they are set up properly. They should be set up as in the photograph, so that there is no upward movement of the arm possible. If a pike moves away from you he (or hopefully she!) will then pull the line from the clip at the same instant as they move the bait, and will not detect resistance. If the pike has to pull the heavy arm of the indicator up for 5 or 6 inches, they may well feel it, and drop the bait. And you do need a heavy drop-arm, or you won't see the drop-backs. Set the arm so that the alarm will sound after a drop-back of about an inch. This can be a bit fiddly with the early back-biters, but can be achieved by setting the arm tight to the reel with the buzzer sounding. Lift the arm until the buzzer stops, then carefully lower it back into the same position. It should now only sound after a further drop-back. If you have a look at the "cam" principle on which these indicators work, all should become clear. I have seen backbiters, and similar drop-arms used in some funny ways - clipped on the line half-way between reel and butt-ring for instance, just like a conventional bobbin. That is not how they were intended to be used! When you get a take of any description, hit it early. If you are not sure whether it is a pike which has caused the movement of the indicator, don't just leave it to see what happens. There could be a fish down there chomping your bait. Pick up the rod, wind down and feel for the pike. If there is one on you will feel it - hit it straight away. Not with one of those strikes I often see made that are designed to pull the heads off sharks from 500 yards! Just tighten everything up and give it the full test curve of the rod, and don't give any line unless you have to.

I shouldn't have to say anything about pike handling should I. After all, virtually every article written on pike nowadays deals with the treatment of pike once they are on the bank. So why do I continually meet anglers whose only unhooking equipment is a pair of pliers, if that, a pike gag and a pair of wire cutters (they always have wire cutters!) Why did I catch a beautiful pike of nearly 22lbs last season that had one flank permanently disfigured by being allowed to thrash about on a gravel bank? Why do people who are terrified of pike, fish for them? Why do they use short traces, enormous trebles and low breaking strain lines? Why do they wait 5 minutes before striking a run, even on 2 inch livebaits? Why do I see people casting out herrings, using no audible form of bite indication (often no visual one either), then disappearing for hours on end to fish for small fish elsewhere on the lake? It is nearly always the people who deep hook pike regularly that come ill equipped to deal with that situation. Standard pike unhooking equipment must include the following:

Soft mat to lay pike on if fishing on hard banks.
At least one pair 12" artery forceps.
Leather glove.
Long handled wire cutters (for cutting up hooks as
a last resort - not just cutting the trace and leaving the hooks in)
Deep throat pike disgorger.

Don't be frightened of a pike - they don't bite you on purpose. Most cuts are caused by anglers touching the pike's razor sharp teeth, or the gill covers. Or by having their hand in the wrong place when a pike jumps. Turn the pike upside down, and slide one hand into the gill covers, starting at the end furthest from the snout, and moving up until you have a grip. Lift the pikes head, and it's mouth will open. If you have timed your strike correctly, it will just be a case of picking out the hooks with the forceps. If you don't fancy using your bare hands, this operation can be carried out while wearing a glove on the hand with which you are holding the fish, but if the glove is at all thick you may find it difficult, and it may be best to open the pike's mouth my holding it at the tip of its lower jaw and lifting from there. In either case, on larger pike this is best done while kneeling astride the fish. If you can't see the hooks, pull gently until you can, then remove them with the forceps. Turning hooks upside down helps, as does working through the gill covers, but take care not to damage the delicate gill filaments. The wire cutters come in as a last resort, initially to cut up any hooks which you can't remove, and finally, to cut the trace as far down as possible. Don't go too far with this pulling up of hooks - turning a pike's stomach inside out can't do it any good.

One last thing - I'm sure many people, even after reading this, and all the other words written on pike handling, will still go pike fishing without the neccessary equipment. If you do have problems with a badly hooked fish, please ask other anglers for assistance. Most responsible pike anglers will not only be properly equipped, but will be only too pleased to help you, and show you how pike should be unhooked. Don't be too proud to ask - everyone needs to be shown once. Just because you've been fishing fifty years or more, it doesn't mean you know everything. Saving the life of a pike is far more important than a little lost pride!