How long to leave out dead baits???

How long does it take for a dead bait to become washed out?

I usually change baits every 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour.....But how often do you think you should change dead baits? Does it depend on the size or species of the bait? Do you change baits on every cast?

Its a fundamental issue when pike fishing, but I can't find any guidance on it.

I dont have a set regime when it comes to leaving out deadbaits. Its personal preference and up to you. I can leave a lamprey out for hours and at the other end of the scale have a sardine or a roach out for 20 mins. If I think a bait is "washed out" when I reel it in, I just inject it full of oil and re cast it and leave it. Its all dependant on how the baits are holding up for me.

i have been known to leave a deadbait out for a whole day and have then caught on it at last light. depends on conditions etc i guess but i dont think the pike really care how long its been out,, more a case of where it is and i re-cast them quite often if i'm on a known runs water and nothings happening. there isn't really an answer to your question but being a tight sod i'll leave them out as long as possible
pike eat fish and primarily hunt by sight so if they see a fish and are feeding they will eat it. they don't care if its young, old, red or silver.

Yeah, wot he said ^^^^

That really surprises me, I'm used to changing the bait often to keep up the natural scent trail, even though I use oils and attractors

I was planning to keep up the regular turn over of bait and recycle the old bait into groundbait for the next trip

I would have thought that fresher baits would have caught better than baits that have had a lot of their natural juices leached out

I more often than not use 4 baits a day. Set up chuck out . Wind in at lunch change bait chuck back out , blank and go home lol well that's how this year is panning out anyways
This is my current still water attack. If I am on a canal and leap frogging I use a bait as long as it stays in tact but keep injecting oil in every 5 casts or so

Paul

im the same depends what the baits im using, lamprey or eels i can leave for hours
but if im using roach, skimmers or anything with glimmering scales i like to change baits as soon as it looses it shine or obviously if a baits looking tired and washed out its gotta go.
at the end of the day it all comes down to what you prefer or what you think will personally get you fish on the bank...

I tend to leave the baits on as long as they will stay on the hook, with a little oil added now and again.
Had a roach on from 7:30 on Friday and caught a nice 12 pounder at 3:20.
I think its personal choice but i'm a bit of a tight Yorkshireman

I'll fish 2 rods with different baits on, then every 30 to 45 mins recast swapping the baits into different swims.
Sometimes you can cast a smelt (as an example) into a spot and get nothing then recast say a mackeral? and get a run straight away.
Its a case of finding the fish then presenting something they want

I only fish the rivers jumping from swim to swim. I'll tend to spend 15-20 mins in each one and, assuming the bait doesnt get taken, will use the same deadbait for 5 or 6 swims.

i really do think people sometimes complicate things way too much. pike are really primitive with little intelligence and if they are on the feed you could present them with a piece of bacofoil shaped like a fish and they would attack it.
sometimes the bait sellers advise changes etc just to sell more baits lol
keep it simple guys and accept that if you dont get a run there isn't a pike near your bait ;-)

Every two to three hours and change the bait if I catch a fish.

rozzo wrote:i really do think people sometimes complicate things way too much. pike are really primitive with little intelligence and if they are on the feed you could present them with a piece of bacofoil shaped like a fish and they would attack it.
sometimes the bait sellers advise changes etc just to sell more baits lol
keep it simple guys and accept that if you dont get a run there isn't a pike near your bait ;-)

Unfortunately with the repeated casting and retrieving associated with roving rivers, I really do feel the need to swap baits that aren't up to scratch!

the real answer to this question is not the bait but the location you cast the bait........ in other words keep moving the bait even if its just a couple of foot it works for me........

depends if its a sit and wait and im happy with the bait where it is then its until i get a take or go home
but hopping along it may only turn into one cast depending on the bait
lamprey though on on occasion i caught three pike on one piece, left it on the rods while i went home went out the day after and caught another two on the same piece

noodle wrote:depends if its a sit and wait and im happy with the bait where it is then its until i get a take or go home
but hopping along it may only turn into one cast depending on the bait
lamprey though on on occasion i caught three pike on one piece, left it on the rods while i went home went out the day after and caught another two on the same piece

i am one of them people who just cant just sit and wait for some to happen i normally give 20 mins or so then i will do something like a recast of inject a bait or wobble a bait cant sit still i like to work it a bit cover all the options so to speak been critizied for it but i am normally the one to catch a few pike in the day where they have been dry netted buts thats just me it doesnt suit everyone

stubbo wrote:

noodle wrote:depends if its a sit and wait and im happy with the bait where it is then its until i get a take or go home
but hopping along it may only turn into one cast depending on the bait
lamprey though on on occasion i caught three pike on one piece, left it on the rods while i went home went out the day after and caught another two on the same piece

i am one of them people who just cant just sit and wait for some to happen i normally give 20 mins or so then i will do something like a recast of inject a bait or wobble a bait cant sit still i like to work it a bit cover all the options so to speak been critizied for it but i am normally the one to catch a few pike in the day where they have been dry netted buts thats just me it doesnt suit everyone

it depends on the venue tbh, i fished one water for four years for one run, now that was hard work but worthwhile in the end

FullSwing wrote:How long does it take for a dead bait to become washed out?

I usually change baits every 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour.....But how often do you think you should change dead baits? Does it depend on the size or species of the bait? Do you change baits on every cast?

Its a fundamental issue when pike fishing, but I can't find any guidance on it.

Good grief man...honestly? Nahhhhhhh, leave them on until you can't feasibly recast them again for fear of the bait falling apart. Maybe give the bait a little boost of oil if you so wish but really, I leave baits on till they get taken and very often they get get cast right back out again, if the bait is in good enough condition. baits like brown trout and lamprey, I'll take home at the end of a session and use them again...and quite possibly again.

i dont change bait unless it falls off, ive been using sardine for the last year and it tends to fall off or falls to pieces after 2 hours or so but the hook up rate is good because the bait is nice and soft. (make sure uv sharpened your hooks.

i used to change bait after about 4 hours or so but that didn't make a difference usually (mackerel or herring).
if ur float fishing with ur bait above the weed you can wind ur bait in a bit but if its fished off the bottom your bait will get covered in weed.
a re-cast is as good as a bait change, if a pike is on the prowl or feeding it will be attracted to a splash. the amount of times in the past that iv arrived at a regular spot and after my first cast iv had a take within 10 mins and iv looked at my watch and noted the time, noted this and that but it was the cast that attracted the fish. but it may be different down south on busier waters.

lakes between 45mins and 1hr unless i catch then i stay in that area casting around every 30/45mins

drains 30mins and move. During that 30mins i will probably twitch the bait in 10min intervals.