blanking............

Blanked for the fourth time in a row yesterday,seems i'm not the only one everone i speak to seems to be the same ,fishing from bank or boat.
 Anyway decided to fish the other side of the lake ,after a couple of hours i saw a splash on edge of some reeds further up ,so i brought my rods in ,and went to have a look. I had to wade through the reeds in about 18'' of water due to flooding to get there ,everywhere i walked was full of small fish ,but i also disturbed 3 pike,nearly stood on one.This was 15ft-20ft from the waters edge.
 I spent next hour or so walking through these reed beds same thing loads of bait fish with the occasional pike, then took my rods over and fished the edge of the reeds while standing in the water, nothing....
 These are the main spawning grounds for most of the fish so when these reeds dry out i think i may have found a great spot.
The deepest part of the lake is 4ft ,but it averages 2ft due to heavy silt so i don't think it will take much to freeze, could this be the end of my fishing while the reeds are flooded ?.

Could be the pike are in there because that's where the bait fish are rather than to spawn? When a lake rises it probably opens up new feeding opportunities on the flooded ground for the bait fish in the way of worms and other grubs etc, and the pike have followed them. The reeds will maybe have provided new temporary shelter for the small stuff as well.

Thanks for the reply Rich_.
 I think it will be a while before any fish spawn i was meaning after they've spawned it should be a good place to fish .I agree Rich_ with the reeds being flooded it probably has opened up new feeding opportunites,and shelter ,and the pike have followed ,but i've never come across this before summer yes ,not in winter they should be in the deeper water shoud'n't they ?

From what you say of that lake there isn't any deeper, water 4ft is still very shallow. Deep and shallow is a relative term I suppose. but even on the deep lakes I fish the pike can be caught in very shallow water at all times of the year even the middle of Winter, as I discovered myself in the past, areas I'd ignored until weather conditions dictated that I fished the shallows or not at all. They will also take baits or lures fished 6ft down over water that is 30ft deep and more. Suppose you will catch wherever there's feeding fish, and deep water and slow baits in Winter are just a generalisation ?

hard luck on another blank mate , but at least you learned something about the venue so the time spent ain,t in vain , I,m on 3 blanks in a row now after another quiet day on north wales largest natural lake yesterday , I,m afraid I might have to have a codling sesh next weekend just to get me mojo back   

Judging by other posts elsewhere on the forum lots of people are blanking ,thought it was just me ,don't feel quite as bad now. 

Well, after last weeks success, i spent yesterday on the river swale blanking! thought id join the club...

Al wrote:Blanked for the fourth time in a row yesterday,seems i'm not the only one everone i speak to seems to be the same ,fishing from bank or boat.
 Anyway decided to fish the other side of the lake ,after a couple of hours i saw a splash on edge of some reeds further up ,so i brought my rods in ,and went to have a look. I had to wade through the reeds in about 18'' of water due to flooding to get there ,everywhere i walked was full of small fish ,but i also disturbed 3 pike,nearly stood on one.This was 15ft-20ft from the waters edge.
 I spent next hour or so walking through these reed beds same thing loads of bait fish with the occasional pike, then took my rods over and fished the edge of the reeds while standing in the water, nothing....
 These are the main spawning grounds for most of the fish so when these reeds dry out i think i may have found a great spot.
The deepest part of the lake is 4ft ,but it averages 2ft due to heavy silt so i don't think it will take much to freeze, could this be the end of my fishing while the reeds are flooded ?.

Like Rich mentioned, seems like their following the bait fish Al. I definately wouldn't stop fishing this area, if their there then there's a chance mate. Will be a productive area after spawning as they usually hang around for a few weeks on a feeding frenzy to build that spent energy of spawning back up.

 Blanked again ,enjoyed it though,a m8 of mine caught a lovely 14ib fish ,and a small jack about 6ib it was his first time on the bank in a while.

  Thought i'd join the club today....Blank..  

Got a club outing next week, over the boarder, big match...fingers crossed   

  welcome aboard lets hope we are all off this page and on the anybody catching page soon 

I'm joining the club.
Went to a small still water yesterday with the rivers being as they are.
There was me and my mate and two other pikers, and I was the only one that blanked.  

this season has been tough i just ended a 4 streak of blanks last week .
but my mate went 2 seasons through nightmare weather b4 catching

I tried a famous trout fishery yesterday a 350 mile round trip. When we got there Neville was there but he was fishing the

syndicate water but he said he had two pike over 20lb from the lake we where fishing. but it was not to be six rods eight

hours one run which my mate missed no fish.

Neville will tell you ANYTHING!  

Nevs had 2 pike over 30lb in the last week or so   34lb 4oz & 30lb 8oz

psion wrote: I tried a famous trout fishery yesterday a 350 mile round trip. When we got there Neville was there but he was fishing the

syndicate water but he said he had two pike over 20lb from the lake we where fishing. but it was not to be six rods eight

hours one run which my mate missed no fish.

It hasn't been fishing very well of late but fish are being caught.

Nev has had one 20lber from there that I know of.

My mate was there when he had one

Going to try a river in Scotland a week after next if we don't have to much rain. There was to thirtys caught this time last year.

psion wrote:My mate was there when he had one

I took the photo of his 21 although he's had other fish from there I'm sure that's the only 20 he's had

adie1200 wrote:Nevs had 2 pike over 30lb in the last week or so   34lb 4oz & 30lb 8oz

picture was in the press very good fish

psion wrote:Going to try a river in Scotland a week after next if we don't have to much rain. There was to thirtys caught this time last year.

you do more miles than alan wicker .......good luck pal    

Here's one of his most resent one's  
Biggest non-trout water pike for over 13-years in the form of this 34lb 4oz from a private midlands stillwater.

adie1200 wrote:Here's one of his most resent one's  
Biggest non-trout water pike for over 13-years in the form of this 34lb 4oz from a private midlands stillwater.

I've never seen him smile as much, pleased or what.

That's a nice fish...