Is it me......

[Wagtail]

My run of form continues. Fished dawn to dusk on Wednesday and Thursday, on two different venues, not a pike to be seen

Hope others are having more success than me...

[Wildfisher]

Can I offer something on the subject....
I sometimes fish a small reservior near where I live which contains pike to about 20lb but is described by anglers as 'notoriously fickle'. A few years ago I managed to set up a fishing project for students I was teaching music to (but that's another story) but the point was I was able to gain a free fishing permit and so fish the water on a regular basis. I thought it might be a good opportunity to teach them how to handle the delicate Pike, if we could catch one, and use tackle and techniques that would do the least damage, thus conserving the stock. Being teenagers, they would probably fish with sea tackle and large rusty hooks, I thought, if I don't intervein!
Something that I found from my 'experiments' was that I had no runs using sea baits, but put a small roach on (roach being common in the reservior) I had more luck. The other key factor was that the pike seemed to switch on at about 3-4pm in the afternoon, baring in mind this was during the December-March period. (I don't fish the close season even though it is permitted)
Another factor I found was that if I legered the bait hard on the bottom but used a piece of hard red bouyant foam on the hook, thus raising the bait an inch or two above the weed, my success was assured.
I might be self-deluding but spinning, plugging, wobbling deadbaits, sprats, mackeral and even eels seemed to blank.
Armed with my hard-won knowledge the sessions we fished in the coming months followed those rules. The fish being caught as the afternoon picked up a chill, the trusty roach scored every time using the same method. Those who tried others methods and baits failed. Fish to 17lb were caught.
I returned to the water (now some 8 years later) with my son just before christmas 2014 not expecting much but just to have some dad and son time. He is a 25 year old F1 doctor now. Sure enough after a few perch caught in the morning the pike rod ( the trusty MKiV) just about perfect for light roach legering went off at about 3.15 pm. Being nearest to the rod, I picked up expecting a jack but finding a stiff resistence. After some too-ing and fro-ing and lumbering about we netted what turned out to be probably the largest in the lake at approx (no scales or camera or phone) 40 inches with a large girth that i would estimate as between 19lb to lower 20's! The formula was still working.
So keep trying different approaches, baits and times and if there are pike about you will make contact eventually, I'm sure.
Regards
Wildfisher

[Aquaerial]

Make your barometer your best friend this time of year guys. Fish when its dropping away from a high or starting to rise from a low. In my experience barometric pressure is critical to Pike activity. If fishing a static dead bait chuck some lures around in the vicinity or sink and draw another dead past it. The guy on the local supermarket fish counter gives me his waste when I ask. I liquidise this, so food value is minimal, then spod it (apologies Mark) over my chosen swim (wear old clothes!!) when on a still water, fishing a popped up deadbait in the thick of it. Use 3oz leads so the bait moves but the weight doesn't..Pike do not like resistance and will be quick to drop a bait. Needle sharp hooks are critical to ensure what gets caught stays caught. Pike can be quick to reveal themselves so give the impression that they are easy to catch sometimes.. this is not a general rule as most of the time they can be tricky to catch and you need to know several variations of method. Finally, I totally agree that fishing from an hour before dawn and for an hour after dusk will be most productive. Being mobile is also a proven strategy.
I sincerely hope that helps.

[Wagtail]

Wildfisher / Auaerial thanks for the kind advice I did get out today and caught a very fat fish of 11lb, so things are looking up(ish!)

The lake where I'm doing most of my pike fishing has strict rules governing bait - there is a minimum size and absolutely no freshwater baits (not even dead). Also there is a lot of heavy weed in the margins extending in places up to 50 yards out and still up to the surface in places - and where there isn't weed the margins are very shallow before reaching a drop-off. All of which restricts the techniques I can use. But mostly it is just a hard water, even the bailiff says so .

[Wildfisher]

Well Done Wagtail!! Sounds like a difficult water with heavy weeds...I know it's not very traditional but have you had a look at google maps to see what the contours of the lake are? Drop offs are often ambush points for pike. Just a thought....I would try to map out the lake and work out where a pike might lie/feed. I'm sure there are more experienced lake pike anglers on this site that could advise, but it's fun trying to get 'inside' a water, even with the restrictions.
cheers
Wildfisher

[Aquaerial]

Well done Waggie...you are on the trail of them now. If they are well fed you may be in for a surprise...
Have fun,

[Wagtail]

Well Done Wagtail!! Sounds like a difficult water with heavy weeds...I know it's not very traditional but have you had a look at google maps to see what the contours of the lake are? Drop offs are often ambush points for pike. Just a thought....I would try to map out the lake and work out where a pike might lie/feed. I'm sure there are more experienced lake pike anglers on this site that could advise, but it's fun trying to get 'inside' a water, even with the restrictions.
cheers
Wildfisher

I've been on this water with a boat and fishfinder many times so do have a good idea of the contours trouble is there are miles of bank to go at.

I quite agree that Google maps is useful too, a few years ago on another lake we found a good spot at range and when I looked on google maps you could see a light patch where it obviously shallowed up there. My friend had several good fish from this spot.

Again thanks for the help, encouragement and advice Gents

[JAA]

Wagtail, I've always found that it pays to move about as well. If you haven't had a run in 45 minutes they ain't there - you might try a more roving approach and look for spots where you catch more regularly, which might, as mention about be ambush point as well.

Don't discount there not being many pike around - pike don't like being caught much and a stock of decent fish can vanish if it's hard fished (I suspect the fish die). It's as well to try water with rather more stock to check that it's a method (it is you ) or madness (fishing for fish which are not there ) thing. I spend months fishing a water for a very very few runs and with insanity looming , the moment I switched to water with more pike, caught right away.

[Gary Bills]

I've not fished for pike for years, but I was once mad keen, and it has to be said, they are a funny fish. One friend did 14 straight blanks in a row on a good estate lake - the same chap who also managed a hat trick of large doubles in a few hours, from the same lake....
I think they are like reptiles, in that they tend to go almost dormant, after a good feed - at least the big girls do, I think.
I do think pike are far more brainy than we give them credit for - but they are still not so bright - which always gives a poor angler hope!

[JAA]

I'm not sure pike are smart, even for a fish , but they are wary and quickly learn to avoid baits they've been caught on. When a bait is 'blown' the majority of the pike have been caught on it.

I worry that teaching a pike to avoid (say) a small live roach might not enhance it's long term survival prospects. It's probably the other reason why 'commercial' pike fisheries don't really work out (unless they are massive like Chew valley).