Easter piking tactics
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PikeAngler :: Fishing :: Pike Fishing
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Easter piking tactics
Just wanted to pick your collective brains regarding piking this weekend. Normally by the end of March the fish would be moving back out of the deeper water into the weed beds to think about spawning (though spawning is usually mid April where I go). Given that the weather has been much colder than average, where would you start?
I would think with the strength of the sun and the longer days that despite the cold water, the fish would be found on the edge of or indeed within the shallower bays. I'm going with a friend who's not fished the loch before and I'm keen to find some fish. I'm taking a Deeper Pro + with me, so if traditional water craft fails me, I've always got the high tech solution!
I would think with the strength of the sun and the longer days that despite the cold water, the fish would be found on the edge of or indeed within the shallower bays. I'm going with a friend who's not fished the loch before and I'm keen to find some fish. I'm taking a Deeper Pro + with me, so if traditional water craft fails me, I've always got the high tech solution!
J Robinson- Posts : 412
Join date : 2016-11-15
Re: Easter piking tactics
think in your case a mobile approach might be the answer , say half an hour in each spot till you find a concentration of fish , or in the general area of your known spawning areaJ Robinson wrote:Just wanted to pick your collective brains regarding piking this weekend. Normally by the end of March the fish would be moving back out of the deeper water into the weed beds to think about spawning (though spawning is usually mid April where I go). Given that the weather has been much colder than average, where would you start?
I would think with the strength of the sun and the longer days that despite the cold water, the fish would be found on the edge of or indeed within the shallower bays. I'm going with a friend who's not fished the loch before and I'm keen to find some fish. I'm taking a Deeper Pro + with me, so if traditional water craft fails me, I've always got the high tech solution!
good luck stubbo
stubbo- Posts : 3976
Join date : 2010-01-14
Age : 61
Location : Warrington
Re: Easter piking tactics
My guess would be just off the spawning areas,in slightly deeper water.thats what I,m hoping anyway😉
the bat- Posts : 213
Join date : 2014-01-01
Re: Easter piking tactics
You are all right with your plans i would pick a swim with deep water close to a shallow bay and fish baits in both areas. Hedge your best
Re: Easter piking tactics
Thanks for the thoughts chaps, but it was unfortunately a largely pointless endevour.
We got there not long after first light (07:00) and the conditions looked fairly pleasant to sit out in. The usual spot on the loch is sheltered from North Easterlies, so nearly flat calm. Loaded the boat up, pootled out and anchored up. Spread the bets, with both Ross and myself on three rods, with one in the shallows (1.4m), one on the bottom of the drop off (4.5m) and one further out in the deep (6m). Within an hour, both Ross and myself each had a jack (4-5lb) and within about 5 minutes of each other. Mine was full of spawn and had a big pike bite scar on it too. And that was the only action we saw all day. No runs, nothing. Temperature was about 2c, it lightly snowed for much of the day and the easterly was persistent. We moved twice, chucked the fish finder out and nothing.
In the morning, there were a few pike swirling in the week bed so I wonder whether spawning was on their mind. The water was frigid though (5-6c), so I would have thought much too cold. The very cold water and easterlies is my second theory for not catching and the third is that perhaps the water has been poached. The Estate sell fishing tickets that cover a nearby loch and whilst technically folk aren't supposed to fish the loch I fish, it's not policed. According to the warden the vast majority of tickets are going to Eastern Europeans, so even though "my" loch is almost inaccessible from the bank, I think it's been pillaged. Catch rates now compared to 3-4 years ago are just awful. The first session I ever did there was January 2014, just an afternoon and I had three fish at 13lb 4oz, 17lb 8oz and 9lb 8oz from the bank. You just don't get that anymore.
So, packed up at 16:00 and went home.
So that's me done with pike fishing for the foreseable future. With us moving to Devon in four months, I haven't any more time to dedicate to it. I'll get myself settled down there and get onto Chew
We got there not long after first light (07:00) and the conditions looked fairly pleasant to sit out in. The usual spot on the loch is sheltered from North Easterlies, so nearly flat calm. Loaded the boat up, pootled out and anchored up. Spread the bets, with both Ross and myself on three rods, with one in the shallows (1.4m), one on the bottom of the drop off (4.5m) and one further out in the deep (6m). Within an hour, both Ross and myself each had a jack (4-5lb) and within about 5 minutes of each other. Mine was full of spawn and had a big pike bite scar on it too. And that was the only action we saw all day. No runs, nothing. Temperature was about 2c, it lightly snowed for much of the day and the easterly was persistent. We moved twice, chucked the fish finder out and nothing.
In the morning, there were a few pike swirling in the week bed so I wonder whether spawning was on their mind. The water was frigid though (5-6c), so I would have thought much too cold. The very cold water and easterlies is my second theory for not catching and the third is that perhaps the water has been poached. The Estate sell fishing tickets that cover a nearby loch and whilst technically folk aren't supposed to fish the loch I fish, it's not policed. According to the warden the vast majority of tickets are going to Eastern Europeans, so even though "my" loch is almost inaccessible from the bank, I think it's been pillaged. Catch rates now compared to 3-4 years ago are just awful. The first session I ever did there was January 2014, just an afternoon and I had three fish at 13lb 4oz, 17lb 8oz and 9lb 8oz from the bank. You just don't get that anymore.
So, packed up at 16:00 and went home.
So that's me done with pike fishing for the foreseable future. With us moving to Devon in four months, I haven't any more time to dedicate to it. I'll get myself settled down there and get onto Chew
J Robinson- Posts : 412
Join date : 2016-11-15
Re: Easter piking tactics
Good look with the move
psion- Posts : 979
Join date : 2011-11-25
Age : 73
Location : Lancaster
Re: Easter piking tactics
psion wrote:Good look with the move
Thanks mate
Can't wait to be honest. Quite apart from all of the sensible reasons to be there, the fishing is so, so much better there. Warmer too. I know it's been cold for everyone this winter, but our weather station at home (just west of Edinburgh) says an average of 2.58 celcius for the last 5 months (that's averaging out the daily highs and the nightly lows). Pretty consistently cold throughout, and for 5 months straight without respite.
J Robinson- Posts : 412
Join date : 2016-11-15
Re: Easter piking tactics
I was chatting to an extremely avid pike angler yesterday who bought a few bits and bobs from me (he runs a tackle shop in the area) and he says this winter has been utterly dire. Places he's been in previous years and regularly pulled out doubles, twenties and even thirties and nothing at all this year. He did two days trolling with his mate on Loch Awe (presume it's OK to mention the place name as it's a gigantic water) with 6 rods, lure fishing all the bays and had one rainbow trout to show for it.
My theory is that a very cool summer, followed by a long and cold winter has suppressed the feeding of just about all species of fish. We need a scorching summer to redress the balance.
My theory is that a very cool summer, followed by a long and cold winter has suppressed the feeding of just about all species of fish. We need a scorching summer to redress the balance.
J Robinson- Posts : 412
Join date : 2016-11-15
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