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 Pike Fishing Welcome to our pike fishing section, the aim of this section is to hopefully give you an insight into the wonderful world of pike fishing. Pike are predators and prey on other fish, they will even eat smaller pike. Pike inhabit most waters, including lakes, rivers, canals, reservoirs and often some small ponds. I was first introduced into pike fishing back in the seventies. In those days I used to fish the Lancaster Canal a lot which was just on my doorstep. It was a good friend of mine who invited me , to come along and fish with him and his father. I can still remember it, like it was yesterday, it was freezing cold crisp winter morning. We got to the canal at first light and set up. I can still remember thinking how crude the tackle set up was. As I was used to finer tackle, being a course match angler. I set up my ledger rod, Slid on the huge bright orange pike float (or bobber) as we called them. Next I slid on a round drilled type ledger and tied on the wire trace. Next I was given the tail half of a mackerel to hook on, which had been sliced diagonally down both sides. Rod set up, mackerel hooked, I was instructed to get it as close to the reeds on the otherside as I could. A little flick from the side, bingo. It landed right in front of them. I left the bale arm off and laid it on the ground. A couple of hours passed, nothing. Next there was a little wobble motion on the float. Then it stopped. My gaze was firmly fixed on the float for the next half hour. Next the float registered another knock and then it started to run.
It gradually began to pick up speed, it bobbed under for a couple of seconds and then came back up. It bobbed again, then I watched the whole orange bobber disappear under the water. I was kind of in a day dream for a moment. Then I was quickly brought to my senses by my friend shouting 'STRIKE.' I picked up the rod, in my excitement and struck. Nothing happened, I felt like a right plonker. I quickly snapped over the bale arm, wound in the slack and struck. The rod bent, I could feel the sheer power of this fish. At fist it ran off to the right, just as the clutch started to let some line out, it quickly veered off to left. Backwards and forwards it went. The adrenaline was pumping. The fish began to slow down and I started to fetch it in closer to the bank. I could see it's long slender body just under the water. It's head was just coming up out of the water. Suddenly to my suprise it started to thash about like mad. In the net it went 8lb Pike. For me that was just the start of my love of the species and pike fishing in general. Ever since that day, pike fishing has always been my winter persuit. Introduction to Pike Fishing and species information. If your contemplating going pike fishing for the first time. Then I at least suggest for the first time going with an experienced pike angler. If nothing else, just to learn a thing or two from them. I have lost count of the amount of people I have introduced to this exciting part of angling. I have taken many newcomers for a days pike fishing, many have heard the tales of monster dog eating pike, the subject of their sharp teeth is always brought up in conversation. In my own experience, pike are nomadic opportunist feeding fish. They tend to to patrol certain channels, or wait patiently under cover for the next meal to come along. On different waters, the pikes habits tend to different. In my experience pike on canals tend to patrol along the far shelf, where most of the smaller shoal fish tend to feed. Along the reeds, the corners of basins. In Rivers they tend to lurk in in slower slack water parts, In lakes and lochs the tend to be deeper down on the bottom. To become a good pike angler you have to learn the habits of the pike and how they feed. Pike seem to lurk where there is an abundance of food, shoals of roach and the like. When you look at the pike, the basic shape and colour of the fish gives you a basic clue about its habits. Its long slender musular shape, designed for speed, its protruding jaw, which helps it to push its prey into that large gaping mouth. Its overall colour, which helps it camouflage itself, whilst waiting for its next meal. Equipment needed: Most of the equipment needed is pretty much the same as for carp fishing. You will need a good large landing net, unhooking mat, a pair of large forceps. I don't agree the use of pike gags that you see on sale at various places. Pike do not require rough treatment, a pike will never ever try to bite or attack you. The best way to unhook a pike, is to lay it down and straddle the fish, so you can hold its body with your knees.
Some Rigs I use...  The most basic of all pike rigs, for live or dead bait. I have had more pike with this rig than with any other  An alternative rig, for getting a deadbait onto the bottom of a lake.  Some of the favourite deadbaits for pike. Mackerel one of my personal favourites, tail end or head end works just as good, I usually put a couple diagonal cuts down each side just so it releases some of the the oil. Sardine another good bait, but does tend to be a bit soft, so not really too good for long casts. Herring is another good bait, I uasually use the tail end. Smelt is another good bait, but one I dont really use. Roach a natural bait one that sometimes gets a run on the hardest of days. Spinners, plugs and spoons artificial lures for pike. I always take a rod along with me set up. As it breaks the boredom up on long days, These are just a few Plugs that I have i n my box.
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