New Member - Back to Piking!!

Hi Guys,

New to these forums so be gentle on me!

Just coming back into lure fishing for pike after a 12 year break. Used to have a lot of luck in the pits around here but have tried recently and blanked each time. I know it's late in the season for a lure but would have expected some follows at least. (may be I have just lost the touch or more likley forgotten how)

Anyways, are there any lure fishing members who haunt the Fens / St Ives / Cambs area who would can help me out?

Seem to have lost the techiques in reading the water etc and getting used to this new stringy stuff???.

Many thanks

John

Hello flyboy, always nice to have new people onboard

By the 'new stringy stuff' I presume you mean braid? I've recently gone over to braid for spinning/lures and can say I am truly amazed at the difference in 'feel' when cranking back in. I can almost 'see' what the lure/spinner is doing, if you get my drift.

I won't be going back to mono in a hurry, that's for sure.

Only thing I don't like is the dreaded 'wind knots' but these are getting less and less the more I get used to using braid for this particular style of fishing.

Hi Flyboy....

Welcome aboard mate. Don't be scared. It's a good bunch we have in here and it's very much a family orientated atmosphere we've created, so feel free to join in. We don't bite. Well, not always....lol


.....Andy.....

Hello Flyboy, keep at it. IMHO It's never too late in the season to use lures. I was having short sessions last winter and catching with ice in the margins. Keep at it mate!

Hello and welcome

Hiya mate & welcome. Never to late to use lures. I catch all year round on them.

Hello,

Take a look at http://stivesanglingsociety.co.uk – read the match results web page. The guys fish the river every Sunday at this time of the year. These match men often report “pike trouble” (bad for them – good for you...) It'll give you an indication of where the pike are holding up.

When you mention the pits, are you refering to www.stiveslakes.co.uk ? There are some decent pike in all the pits on that complex. You can get dusk-till-dawn season tickets for the venue – they're now half price (£50 I think). There is often a lot of weed in places around the margins of these pits in the summer – should be starting to die back with the colder weather. This'll make access with lures easier. Plus it is fairer to the fish. Try Andersons pit for a starter – it is one of the smaller lakes. Shallow Pit is often productive (north and west banks). Have a walk around the pits, and speak with the carpers – they don't often give much away in tips for their own quarry, but will happily talk about pike sightings – and the silver fish shoals. Always gets me interested hearing their stories of large pike attacking their marker floats.

Also, consider taking some deadbait along with you, and a deadbait rig. Try the sink and draw technique. Pike that aren't attracted to your lures for whatever reason, may switch on to the sent of the deadbait.

Marie Curie run the Predator Cup on the Fens at Ely (http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/inyourarea/midlandsanglia/events/marie_curie_cancer_care_predator_cup.htm) 22nd November. It is a well organised event – with representatives from PAC. Some pikers are mildy anti this type of competition – so please make you're own mind up. £15 entrance. You'll get a chance to meet up with local pikers, incl the local Cambridge PAC club.

Hi guys and thanks for the welcome. Had a small diversion last Sunday and took a trip out on a sea angling trip on a boat out of Bradwell on Sea.

At last... I have broken my blank streak!!!

Managed to get a couple of reasonable Cod, several Pouting and a couple of Whitting. Not my favoured Pike but at least I had the added advantage of being to eat my prey

Anyways, back to my real passion. How on earth do I locate Pike on these fen drains???? They are bleak and seem to be featureless. Someone out there must have a few pointers?? Do I continue on the lure and leap frog swims or do I try a few dead bait and wait it out?

Any pointers appreciated.

John

Ask the previous poster..

Oh, welcome to the forum

There are some nice pike on the St Ives lakes website.

We could do with some lakes like that in our area instead of all those match lakes that the angling times was going on about this week.

Andy

wellcome to the site mate!

welcome aboard pal