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With all the attention lure fishing gets these days, it's not surprising spinning deadbaits has taken a backseat. But wobbled naturals still have a lot to offer - whether you're new to the game or an experienced hand looking to add another string to your bow. Wobbling gives newcomers a simple, consistent method of catching pike from just about every water that holds them. It's also virtually the only method which guarantees fish won't be deep hooked. Experienced hands will find it a useful short cut to locating fish holding areas, and mapping out new venues away from the crowd.  Tackle-wise, it couldn't be simpler. Chances are you won't even have to fork out a small fortune on a special rod or reel to do the job. If you've already got access to a 2.5lb test curve carp rod, with a through to medium action so much the better.  If you haven't, you can get your hands on one without breaking the bank. Fixed-spool reels you're already using will almost certainly suffice.  If it's got a reliable clutch, so much the better. A lot of takes are violent, and come close to the end of the retrieve.  A good fish which whacks into your bait on a short line puts a lot of strain on the business end, so it you aren't confident in the clutch leave the anti-reverse off so you can backwind.

Despite using braid for more and more of my general piking, I still like mono for wobbling. Bulk spools of Daiwa Sensor or Maxima, in 12 or 15lbs bs are perfectly adequate. Trace-wise I tend to stick with Fox Easy Twist, in the 30lb test.  Like hooks, it's a personal choice, but you need a stiffish, reliable trace around 24" long, and a pair of size six or four semi-barbed trebles.  Wobblers need little else in the way of end tackle. A few swan and AAA shots, a tub of line grease, and some corks or poppers are just about all you need. These and your bait supply can easily be carried in a light shoulder bag, together with unhooking gear, spare traces and bait.

Baits are usually coarse deads. Our favourites are roach, rudd and chub. Sea baits like sprats, smelts and small herrings also work, as do more exotic offerings like launce (large sandeels), lamprey and eel.  Size-wise the four to six inch range give casting weight, durability and enough room to accommodate a two-hook trace. Get hold of one of those little freezer packs sold in DIY stores to keep them fresh in.

If you've never wobbled, leave the rest of your gear behind the first couple of times you try it. Like anything else, it takes a while to master and if you take your chair, buzzers and all the rest of your kit, the chances are you'll end up resorting to your usual methods after a couple of blank swims.  It's a great method for after-work sessions at this time of year. And you never know, a couple of evening stints could see you wobbling with the best of us.  Venue choice for those first few tries is common sense.  Go for smaller rivers, drains or stillwaters with a few features you can fish to and a reasonable head of smaller fish, rather than some heartbreak water you could sit out half a season of blanks on for the off-chance of a thirty.

So there you are, on the bank with a rod, a landing net and a bag of baits.  Now what?  Get to the first half-decent looking swim, put the rod down and give it the once-over.  Are there prey fish visible, or features you can fish to?  Better still are there any maggot drowners or carpers who've been there all day you can pump for pike sightings?  If you know the water, head for and bends, drop-offs, moored boats - anywhere which gives the pike cover it can ambush the first poorly tiddler that flutters by.  With any luck, that's just what's going to happen as soon as you get a bait on.

Hooking the bait on is worth taking a minute or two.  The barbed point of the top hook of the trace needs to go through both lips, preferably passing through the skull of the bait.  The second hook - spaced a couple of inches below - needs to have two points pressed lightly into the bait's flanks, two thirds of the way towards its tail. This not only mount the bait in a way which will withstand repeated casting, it also gives you the best chance of hitting takes. Before you tie your trace on, slide a rubber rig stop up the line three feet or so above the trace swivel.  If the water's too deep to see the bait flashing back towards you, it'll warn you when you're about to run out of line on the retrieve.  Dunk the mounted bait in the margins before you cast.  If it floats, lightly pinch an AAA or swanshot on the trace a foot or so away from it, to weight it down.

Cast it near or past the most obvious looking feature, with a gentle lob.  When it hits the water pull the rod tip down and round, so it's a few feet above the surface, with the bale arm still open.  Let the bait sink for a second or two and the line should gradually slacken.  Shut the bale arm and reel in a couple of turns so the line tightens, then stop. Wait for the line to slacken back again, and give it another couple of turns.  If you picture the bait, it's jerking towards you a few feet upwards at a time on a tight line, then fluttering back, then jerking up again. Don't try anything fancy to start, with.  Just practise watching the line as it tightens and slackens, tightens and slackens in time with you hands on the reel.  Watching the line, until the bait or the rig stop comes into view, is your primary method of bite detection.   If it does anything out of the ordinary, it could be a take.

By varying the amount of time you allow the bait to sink, before you begin the retrieve, you can control the depth at which it fishes.  A faster rhythm of stops and starts brings it closer to the surface.  Slow down and it fishes deeper.  You'll soon work out there's a lot more you can do to vary the retrieve.  Holding the rod tip higher off the water gives a different action than keeping it close to the surface.   Varying the angle of the rod, or jerking it, imparts an extra spurt to the bait.   Explore the swim systematically, fanning your casts, varying depths and retrieves.   It doesn't take a genius to work out wobbling provides one of the fastest ways to cover all the options. If you've tried it all and takes don't come up sticks.  All you've got to do is sling your bag over your shoulder and pick up the landing net and you're ready to move swims.

Ring the changes, keep on the move and the takes should come.  Some of them will nearly wrench the rod out of your hand.  Others will just be signalled by a couple of gentle taps on the rod tip, or as slack line tightening when it shouldn't, or even tight line slackening faster than it should.  Some fish hook themselves.  One minute you're retrieving the bait, the next you're on auto-pilot, playing a fish.  Less violent takes need a hard sideways sweep of the rod to set the hooks.  Whatever you do you'll lose fish wobbling.  Some days, it can leave you feeling like your abilities to play them stinks.  Sometimes they're on with a great swirl that screams double and off again before you can blink.  Other times you connect with them, the rod slams round and they're gone for no apparent reason.  Giving them a second or two longer to turn the bait can help on those wham-bam, bye bye ma'am days.  So can holding the rod tip up and greasing the line to a few feet above the trace, for early warning of finicky takes.

If you're convinced the same fish is responsible, perhaps slashing at the bait on consecutive casts without being hooked, try pulling the lower treble out of the bait altogether, so it hangs free on the retrieve like the hooks on a lure.  Check the hook points carefully as well and if any are bent or blunted change trace.  If the takes are coming close to the bank, try pausing at the end of the retrieve and opening the bail arm.  You'd be surprised how often a couple of gentle jerks, before lifting the bait clear, will bring a fish dashing into view to snaffle the bait. When this happens stand still, and let it turn and run away with the bait before giving it some welly. Also look at the bottom hook - the one that'll hook most of your fish.  Two points in the bait's flanks mean the clear point of the treble stands proud. But make sure they are just nicked in enough to stay put when you cast - you want them to pull out of the bait when the fish shakes its head, rather than staying put so the pike throws the hooks if it manages to spit the bait clear.

The value of fresh or freshly-frozen baits, which haven't lost their natural shine, will soon be obvious.  The slightest jerk makes them flash as they turn in the water, an irresistable come-on to the pike.  Threading a few gold or silver sequins between the trebles when you make your traces can help increase this flash appeal.  If the water's clear or shallow enough, you'll often notice fish shadowing your bait, fins erect.   Polaroids help you spot fish you'd never even see with the naked eye.  A sudden jerk will often induce a take, especially on those days when pike seem to flirt with the bait, almost nuzzling it before they turn away. Perhaps it convinces them the bait will get away, if they don't grab it while they've got the chance.

Shallow or weedy water, such as smaller drains and canals, can be tackled with confidence by tying a cork or bait popper to the bottom treble on the trace via a three or four length of 2lb bs mono.  The idea is to suspend the bait just above the snags, so you can retrieve it slowly without it weeding.  The maximum depth that can be practically tackled with this is five or six feet.  It's also tricky in a head wind, or trying to punch a bait out 50 yards, because the link is blown back on the cast, tangling with the main line.  If you can master it, it's a wierd feeling as the cork pops under or skates away and the rod slams round.  I'm sure there must be other wrinkles waiting to be discovered.