Pike Session 16/9/11
Wizbit, has been wanting to have a go for the freshwater predator's and has been eagerly awaiting the Pike season so we decided to have a day session. I prepped the night before, making sure we had enough traces and dusting off the pike tackle for the first propper Pike session of the year, as well as getting the feeder tackle ready to try and tempt a good bream and of course to catch some baits.
Arranged to meet at the lake for as early as possible which meant as soon as the kids where off to school we could both leave.
I arrived at the lake first and set up one of the pike rods before casting out the feeder, to try and catch a bait. First bite resulted in a nice little roach that went straight back out for the Pike. I'd just re cast the Feeder rod when the sound of the baitrunner sounded. Hitting the fish instantly to avoid any deep hooking It shot off towards the Island, and I couldn't stop it. Playing the fish around 45 yards out along the margin of the island, I knew this was a good fish and possible the biggest fish in the lake! It didn't let up at all and fought hard for a good 10 mins. I eventually got the fish to the surface and immediately new it was a good fish by the size of the fishes head. Drawing the fish towards the net the usual head shaking occured and It was hold your breath time before I coaxed into the waiting net.
Leaving the fish in the water I arranged the equipment for unhooking and weighing. Hooks removed quickly the fish was placed back into the water to await Mike's arrival for his photo taking capabilities.
Here's the results.
17lb exactly, - Very Happy with that although the fish will go much bigger later on in the year.
Mike tackled up and I continued fishing Mike opted for the sprat deadbait to try and tempt his first croc. He was soon rewarded with a spritely Jack Pike that was quickly hand landed and decided to take make me bleed while unhooking.
Things went quie now far a couple of hours and I now had two rods out for the Pike, one fished with a simple running ledgered roach livebait, and the second with a ledgered sprat.
I managed a few roach and a couple of bream to 2lb 2oz
Please no comments on the very camp photo!
Next the livebait was was attacked and striing into it the fish was on, Playing the fish for a few seconds and with Mike filming me playing the fish, The alarm on the sprat rod the screamed off and with Mike holding thecamera I had no choice but to pick that rod up as well, right I've now got to decent fish on! I think the words were mike please could you put your camera down and would you mind possibling landing one of these fish for me, The Pike tail walked straight away on the sprat rod so I decided to give Mike the earlier hooked fish. I played the Pike into the net and watched mike bring in the other fish and as it came to the surface something was quite strange as this fish was a COMMON CARP :o !! The second carp I have had take a livebait this year.
Well the comedy continued with both fish being landed in nets and then they both managed to escape!, and unfortuanately the carp got away but I was rewarded with this nice pike of 7lb 7oz.
The only other pike to come out was a 4lb er to me
We had a few more bream between us and some roach and Mike finished the session off with his PB bream of 2lb 4oz.
All in all a great first predator session and some nice fish with a bit of comedy.
Mike will get the video up as soon as possible it's a must watch but I think he's struggling bleeping out some of my choice words! lol
Tight Lines All
Anyway all this dilly-dallying meant that Dan had arrived at our venue first and as I sauntered down the bank he beckoned me over to the fish he had already caught and was keeping in the water.
Only one word wow! My first visual on a living Pike and it was a beauty of 17lb. I had a feeling I was going to come 2nd in the big fish stakes and I had only just arrived on site! Check out Dan’s article on the forum and main web page for my photos of the beast.
I set up my Carp rod and sent out a Sprat to a likely spot where a Pike might lie ready to ambush a passing fish. In a very short time I had a take and it was “fish on!” time.
As the fish was close in it didn’t take long to land. Not a monster but my target fish of a Pike. Job done first cast
My first ever Pike a baby of 3lb 4oz :
Dan managed a couple more but the Pike disappeared with the improving weather and change of wind direction and that was it as far as they went.
Fishing the bottom on my match rod I hooked some small Perch but with no sign of a larger one I opted to switch to float and see if I could winkle out a nice Roach/Rudd or perhaps Bream. After much small Roach and Rudd I was delighted to get that satisfying bend in the light rod of a larger fish. Into the net came a Bream and at 2lb this was my new personal best:
Every now and then I would take a break and play with my camera, trying to catch the Swallows diving and taking water on the wing; a fantastic site. Every now and then I’d also be leaping up with the camera to check out the latest “Fish on!” call.
Earlier Dan had hooked a Carp around the 10lb mark so I thought I would get some video footage of the event. As I zoomed in on the Carp being played the alarm on his other rod went mad as he had a take. Despite Dan shouting at me to grab his other rod I found I just couldn’t stop filming the fun so he went for his 2nd rod and stood there with two fish on wondering what to do. In the end I felt I had to help him out of his predicament and took the first rod with the Carp on. We got both fish in but in a further twist the Carp leapt out of the net at the bank side and on to freedom. Whoops! Carp 1 Mike 0 what a fiasco. It was funny though.
On another occasion I was filming Dan playing a Bream, landing a Bream and holding a Bream. All went well until the fish got camera shy and managed a perfect flick into the water. I creased up with laughter as Dan’s hands flailed at the fish as it went flying; the replay still makes be giggle and it WILL be in the end of year video!
Sausage Ahoy! Yes the food went on. There’s nothing like a cooked meal outdoors and my sausage and beans went down a treat followed by a bacon butty for tea. I’m still waiting to hear about my Michelin Star.
Anyway let’s stop all this rambling. It got dark and I had switched back to the bottom with a ground feeder and earth worm. I left this rod as I packed everything else up and was just about to call it a day when my starlight jiggled and I struck into a Bream. A quick weigh revealed it to be 2lb 4oz, my personal best beaten again and I had pipped Dan’s biggest Bream of the day by 2 oz so some pride restored.
A great day which we will have to do again so look out you “Preds”!