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Pike

Peter, I've been looking into using circle hooks for Pike recently, though there's not much information out there. Can I ask what rig you use and how you hook the bait? And do you miss more runs with the circle? Thanks
 
Brilliant mate! Well done. That pool or river, same peg?

I had a spell of using double hooks a while back, caught my first 20 on them, but found them to 'sit flat' on the bait at times, if you see what I mean. Tend to use barbless trebles now, find them easy enough to remove, but might have a look at these circle hooks.
 
I just use one hook, size suited to the bait, for sardine size baits, a 1/0 to 2/0, just lip hooked, they will take a big cast like that, even when defrosted. For "man size" baits like whole herrings etc, a 3/0-4/0 ,but, fished on a braid hair, leaving the hook just above the head. I,ve just lip hooked big baits, with sucsess, but the hair works, more of a confidence thing.
Takes on the lip hooked baits are just as usual, takes on the hair rigged baits tend to be extremely positive. Just tighten into the fish, DONT STRIKE AT ALL, as the fish feels resistance, they try to eject the bait, and the hook catches 98% of the time in the scissors, the others have been elsewhere in the lip area, one in the throat.
Unhooking is simple, especially if you de-barb the hook.
I use Owner "MUTU "light circles, (Veals sell them), cheapish, but they are very sharp, and keep there point well, they are rated upto 20lb bs line, more than enough for any pike that swims.
As for hook-up rate, well to date, after 3 years use, 100% . I,ve usd just about every hooking option going over the years, the worst, normal single hooks, closely followed by doubles, trebles good hookup rate, but circles are just unbeatable! Just make sure you have the point exposed properly, and DONT STRIKE, JUST WIND INTO THEM.
Try them, you will be pleasantly surprised,
peter
 
I'm intrigued. How long do you leave it, if at all, before 'winding into them'? Do you find they engulf the whole bait, hook and all, when hair rigging a big fish bait, or do you let them run with it for a few seconds first?
 
Interesting reading about the circle hooks as i've been thinking about them for a while now. I use 2/0 and 4/0 circles for my catfishing when using lives and the hookup rate is 100% and as stated usually in the scissors. I think i might give them a good bash this winter as i'm taking a couple of pike novices with me and unhooking etc will certainly be far easier for them.
 
I generaly wind into a take as normal, IE, after the initial twitchy pickup, fish moves off, then wind into it, same on big baits. I usually freeline baits with 1or2 swan shot or float fish, not tried with big leads, but can,t see why it would necasarily make a difference?
Eels, get pestered by them at times using deads, never hooked one using a circle, had a few on trebles, but they are probably too small to engulf the baits I use. The only reason that I can see that they wouldn,t work if targeting eels, is if a bolt rig type setup was used that was too short,ie, not enough free movement before the lead was felt by the fish, so the hook was not inside the mouth properly? I,ve used them for conger, but they are a mare to T-bar out, the flesh is too tough, tope, bass no problem.
peter
 
Thanks, Peter, very interesting indeed, I am certainly going to give it a try.

My worry would be whether smaller pike would engulf the bait quickly enough to get the hook in it's mouth. I'd have thought a jack with a larger bait might run with the bait horizontally across it's mouth so that the hook is not yet in it's mouth. On Pikewatch they talk about giving the pike 20 or 30 seconds (on stillwaters) so that it gets the bait down it's throat. There seems to be no worries about deep-hooking with the single hook.

How do you attach the braid hair to the bait? I was intrigued by the tagging system popular on Pikewatch, looks very easy to use. If you haven't seen it, it involves using tag gun (used for attaching labels to clothes), no need for baiting needles etc. Tags come in sizes as small as 15mm. But I'd need to buy a gun for £13, so I'd rather try a cheaper method to start with.

[Edit: I did have an image here of a rig with tag but it's not working so I've removed it. Sorry.]

dsc0466yx8.jpg
 
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Andy, your scenario of a small fish picking up a big bait happened on sunday, it never did more than had it clamped across the middle, it was at range on a big herring, the take was very twitchy, and I tightened into it after about 20 seconds, it let go after a few seconds. Neat teeth marks across the middle of the bait, oh well there goes the 100% hookup rate, but it was only a little-un. Probably would have landed it on trebles, but might have deep hooked it if it was a shy big fish!!!!!!
To hair rig a bait, tie a lenght of braid (15lb+) to the eye of the hook, pass it through the head with a baiting needle, tie a sliding knot and put over the hook point, and tighten on the straight part of the shank, give it a twist around the shank, job done.
peter
 
I am now fishing the tagging method. The fish have always been hooked in the scissors -a pair of short barbel type forceps have been suitable for unhooking as I haven't needed to go into the mouth.

IMG_0082.jpg


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It is a superb pike friendly method - no more trebles snarling up the fishes mouth or the landing net and you can cast soft baits like sardines to the far side of big rivers all day.

This shows a recent fish hooked in the scissors - the smelt broke up in landing the fish
IMG_0079.jpg
 
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Geoff Blakesley said:
I am now fishing the tagging method. The fish have always been hooked in the scissors -a pair of short barbel type forceps have been suitable for unhooking as I haven't needed to go into the mouth.

IMG_0082.jpg


IMG_0080.jpg


It is a superb pike friendly method - no more trebles snarling up the fishes mouth or the landing net and you can cast soft baits like sardines to the far side of big rivers all day.

This shows a recent fish hooked in the scissors - the smelt broke up in landing the fish
IMG_0079.jpg
Click to expand...

That's really interesting Geoff.

What wire is that your using?

Steve
 
I'm fishing Chew next week hopefully, trawling from a boat any tips from people who fish afloat or have been to Chew.
Regards Clive
 
If its anything like Grafham....

Take a bucket to be sick in..... its like been on the sea at times....

Sneak some 'very fresh' Roach in with you........;)

Take a Drogue.

Be prepared, if you should catch, for an armada of boats to tail you and by the time you've photographed it and returned the fish, there will probably be 5 or 6 boats on your drift, or even anchored up next to you.

If you just want to catch 'something' chuck out a big shiny spoon and crank it back as fast as you can...... the trout love it......

Enjoy.


Steve
 
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