just starting out for the TAZ

Hi guys just seen Taz's question in the welcomes bit of the forum but thought it was in the wrong place and the answers would get lost amongst the welcomes.

What kit to get

well you have the rods reels and alarms and more importantly an unhooking mat.

what next

Un hooking tools, long forceps, wire/side cutters and some long nose pliars as an absolute minimum
strong mono for your reels 20 lb bs at least (there is no excuse for using lighter lines for piking)
plasters and a small first aid kit

more wire traces or trace making bits


there will be other members on later to add to my list and im sure somewhere along he thread you will be advised to join the PAC in order to learn how to handle an unhook a pike correctly, this is not a legal requirement and I am not a member and yet I know how to do it.

The PAC site is a wealth of information for new and old pikers

don't forget them gloves if you haven't got got the confidence unhooking pike and a large landing net.
i don't take a 1st aid kit adie i just take anti bacterial hand wash and wash every cut out with that.
but it does help to use barb-less hooks. especially when when unhooking deep hooked pike.
which reminds me i have to flatten all the barbs on my lures for the weekend

drew321 wrote:don't forget them gloves if you haven't got got the confidence unhooking pike and a large landing net.
i don't take a 1st aid kit adie i just take anti bacterial hand wash and wash every cut out with that.
but it does help to use barb-less hooks. especially when when unhooking deep hooked pike.
which reminds me i have to flatten all the barbs on my lures for the weekend

DONT DO IT

barbless trebles and lures are a nightmare the rigid body allows the pike to lever itself so you end up with hooks that pop out and back in making more holes and stitching themselves up.#

just buy some decent cutters and if the fishery has a barbless rule either ignore it or fish somewhere else

why do you need gloves?

ok one of the hexarmour types for hand landing fish with big trebles is a good idea but ive never understood the glove thing

Have to agree, you will lose a lot of fish if you flatten the barbs on your lures and as long as you carry plenty of spare hooks it's easy to chop up an awkwardly placed hook and replace it.

noodle and eric are absolutely right.... squashing barbs on lures is a big no no because of the damage it causes

Go with someone till you have confidance to handle and unhook a pike correctley.

If you learn to chin a pike it is far better than a landing net ? and most tend to open wide while been chined assisting in removing hooks.

Dont crush barbs dose more harm than good ?

Glove reduce feeling try eating dinner with a pair on the fingers of you hand will slip striaght into the pikes jaw as if it had an handle waiting for your fingers but with gloves on you will never feel it and never have the confidance to take them off ?

kell wrote:Go with someone till you have confidance to handle and unhook a pike correctley.

If you learn to chin a pike it is far better than a landing net ? and most tend to open wide while been chined assisting in removing hooks.

Dont crush barbs dose more harm than good ?

Glove reduce feeling try eating dinner with a pair on the fingers of you hand will slip striaght into the pikes jaw as if it had an handle waiting for your fingers but with gloves on you will never feel it and never have the confidance to take them off ?

Try eating dinner after you have had a 5/0 treble through your thumb gloves at least certain gloves have a place