Help needed!

Hi all


I fish a enormous water for pike and recently have just failed completely, it's 200 + achers and very deep once you get past 20ft out. I keep walking round looking for signs etc, I've popped bait up, used plugs dips and dips and I'm stuck!! It's got some big weed beds that use to be a good spot but I just can't tempt the pike!

have you tried lure fishing on thje water?

because that will cover more water for you

Yeah never had much luck on there with plugs etc its to wide For the majority of the water to be able to cover it with out a boat. It's 3/4 mile across in places, slimest part it 100 yards!

Hi BJH I would advise a patient approach. Firstly, we assume the pike are still there, then what I would do is return to the methods you were previously using when you caught there in the past. After which I would move from peg to peg, be disciplined and have a set amount of time in each area. Then I would continue in the same vain until the runs start coming. Covering as much of the lake as possible......... Do other forum members agree ?

I'm hoping to get down this week after work for a few hrs, I'm going to drop into my old swim like you say and see, just got to hope my blueys turn in time, something I've never tried, my old favourite on combs is mackrel and herring but there was nothing a couple of days ago.

like mr makk says lure fishing is a good start. next step plumb around a bit find some likely areas then prebait.look out for areas of baitfish where they shoal up ect.talk to general course anglers where their catching,look and watch the bird life to,see where they are ect and also follow the winds,pressure ect.And a great trick would be to stick a drifther float on to find /fish areas out of normal casting range..reminds me of a big water i fished near lincoln years ago

Cheers guys I'm going down Tuesday for a hr with my spoons etc see what I can find. Never used the drift rig really always end up in a huge tangle :-/

How did you get on Tuesday pal. Any luck?

Hello there. Fishing tried and tested methods in as many swims as you can is, I reckon, spot on advice. Fishing big lochs up here in the Highlands, it's very often soul destroying, purely because of the huge expanse of nothing that spreads out in front of you.

You say that the water shelves away fairly quickly to deep water 20 feet out, which sounds like a lot of the waters I fish - your info doesn't say where you're from though.

I fished for months and months, trying new spots, using successful methods but remaining largely fishless. I remember, earlier on this year, having my first run in months. I picked up the rod and watched as the line literally flew off the spool in a really fast run. I gave it a second or two, put in the bail arm, tightened up and... missed!!!

Sometimes I think you've just got to keep going, have confidence in your approach, rigs and bait and try and keep positive about your fishing. It'll turn the corner, definitely. On my last session out I had 5 fish including a 12/12 and an 18/10 - so the long game approach does work - eventually.

I didn't get down sadly, been laid up ill instead.