Lure fishing

[washerboy]

Anyone into lure fishing, I’m starting up again after a year off.I usually fish my local canal for perch and jack pike.Never had anything above 10lbs on a lure but the thril of having something hit your lure and you have no idea what it is or what size it will be takes some beating.

[Me matt]

Yeah I dable ? haven't had much time recently, rivers should be getting better for lures and spinners now as the weed will be sinking. 

 

[davewh100]

i used to do a lot wen I was younger mainly pike best being 19 pounds from hollingworth lake and a nice perch from my local canal just over two pounds, like you say washerboy wen you get a strike and the rod bangs around it's just an amazing feeling, good luck be nice to see some good picks 

dave

[toxo]

I remember fondly every Sunday back in the day when 5/6 of us used to go from London to the Military canal around Appledore on the Kent/Sussex border for the pike fishing. Quite often we had to break the ice to fish and we were knocking on the pub door at 12 o'clock. If we had been successful we'd go home after that but if not we would cut the pub short and get back to the fishing.

Not so much lure fishing. I much preferred the sink and draw with sprats/joey mackerel/herring with a single treble threaded through the fish. Quite often you would get a take when laying on the bottom whilst you made a cuppa. One of our merry band was very good at it and had always had a result come pub time. If anyone hadn't caught he would make you have it. The story about the day when he was the only one not to catch is gold star for another time maybe.

Thanks for bringing back the memory.

Tight lines.

 

[davewh100]

lot of the best lure fishing is done in warmer months when pike are more active, or dead bait this time of year

[henry d]

Got into soft plastics a few years ago, it has been a real learning curve! I don`t fish much inland, mainly kayaking offshore for pollack and cod and I have my eye on a spot that should hold bass, so watch this space if the weather is good from April.

Had some good pollack this year up to 3+ kilos and the fights have been fantastic, I have been using a tactic similar to "dead sticking/suspending" and it has produced bigger fish for me.

[kenholland]

drop shotting and jigging the canal's that way I can move about a lot more.

[Dunkield]

Topical thread.

We may be going to fish a small stream which is said to contain some decent pike at the weekend.

I have plenty of old plugs and spinners from way back they were used as backup if we could catch any bait.

It's going to be cold and we will only have a few hours, if the temperature drops the way they say it will the water should be pretty clear.

So what advice would more regular lure fisherman have to offer a few hapless chancers?

[Mice!]

Big flask thermal wellies 

19 minutes ago, Dunkield said:

So what advice would more regular lure fisherman have to offer a few hapless chancers?

 

[chrisjpainter]

16 minutes ago, Dunkield said:

Topical thread.

We may be going to fish a small stream which is said to contain some decent pike at the weekend.

I have plenty of old plugs and spinners from way back they were used as backup if we could catch any bait.

It's going to be cold and we will only have a few hours, if the temperature drops the way they say it will the water should be pretty clear.

So what advice would more regular lure fisherman have to offer a few hapless chancers?

target the slack waters. If it's going to be cooling down, it could be a tricky time of it. ideally you want to hit the waters when temperatures have either been cold for a while, or ideally just warming up after a bit of cold. slow retrieve, pike won't want to be expending energy chasing stuff too much! if it's that clear, stick with natural colours, pike shouldn't have any trouble seeing them and anything too weird and wacky will probably put them off. good luck!

[Dunkield]

Thanks, with a forecast easterly blowing all weekend it could be chillsome, so we have our excuses all ready  

The water came as a bonus alongside some shooting permission my mate picked up. I know someone who fished it years ago, although he only ever barbel fished it but said it contained decent sized pike. It no longer belongs to a club, so it has been left alone since, so who knows.

I can see some fun fur and fin evenings in the warmer months.

[Penelope]

Dunkield, a recent trip to a southern chalk stream produced the three fish below in similar cold conditions. I used small dead roach under a float, slowly trotted and bounced very tight along the marginal glyceria (floating sweet grass).

In cold conditions, pike may be less inclined to chase lures.

 

 

[chrisjpainter]

12 hours ago, Dunkield said:

Thanks, with a forecast easterly blowing all weekend it could be chillsome, so we have our excuses all ready  

All the best anglers go well prepared

sounds like a great bit of fishing. If you're able to, match up your lures to what they're likely to be feeding on - or do what I do and just start lobbing stuff around and see what sticks! The pike might be pretty wary, so give each lure its fair crack in a swim. Particularly in the winter months, they can be reticent to chase anything at first sighting, so it might take a few chucks of a lure for them to warm up to the idea of striking

Have fun!

[aga man]

Great fish Penelope. Until 10 or so years ago i used to do a lot of pike fishing and on the rare occasion that I used lures during the colder months I would always carry some of these.

They can be fished deep and slow or sink and draw style in the shallower water. The rubber tails give very lifelike movement  and they sink like a stone. The single hook on the top has less chance of catching snags like many treble hook lures often do.

They used to be call Toothy critter shad lures { I think} and I have caught fish to over 20lb on them.

[Penelope]

11 hours ago, aga man said:

Great fish Penelope. Until 10 or so years ago i used to do a lot of pike fishing and on the rare occasion that I used lures during the colder months I would always carry some of these.

They can be fished deep and slow or sink and draw style in the shallower water. The rubber tails give very lifelike movement  and they sink like a stone. The single hook on the top has less chance of catching snags like many treble hook lures often do.

They used to be call Toothy critter shad lures { I think} and I have caught fish to over 20lb on them.

A friend used to do quite well on Chew with a small Cisco shad. 

[Dunkield]

As I mentioned I have boxes of 'old' lures mostly ABU, I have had good results with red/white Hi-Lo's and a blue spoon I can't remember the name of right now.

I bought one of those 4D Perches the other day,  back when we only ever used live bait perch was the absolute killing bait - that was in the Thames weir pools though.

It may be a while before I pull anything from this water, so in the meantime I will keep going on about stuff I caught years ago 

[brushy]

i was meant to be working when i caught this

i was using a small wooden plug going for perch

[washerboy]

I’m out tomorrow on a water unknown to me regarding pike and perch .Deep working canal 

[pegasus bridge]

Nice to see some fellow lure anglers on here ... I’ve lure fished for many years.. it’s great if you’re struggling for time (amongst other hobbies /kids/wives etc ?). I’ve got a few set ups from ultra light through to heavy jerkbaits.  But in the last year I’ve banked most fish on lighter (<25g) plastics, few patterns I’ve done very well on are savage gear cannibal shads and the fat tail minnows.  I’ve had a 3lb 6oz perch out on one! And a raft of pike up to 13lb.  Fitted with a light jig head they can be fished very slowly, which gets a lot of hits.  Tight lines ?

 

[washerboy]

Went out for two hours today on the Aire and Calder canal , not a thing not even a follow.Only good thing was the dog found a pricked hen pheasant so didn’t come home empty handed ?.It was beyond cold out there 

[washerboy]

7 fin perfect pike today, nothing big .largest was just under 7lb but great fun on a new white koi carp patterned lure .

[Walker570]

Some of the most fun I have ever had was casting home made small mice lures, made from deer hair with bits of brown soft leather for ears and paint brush for whiskers.

Pop one of these close to a likely hole as if it just jumped in from the hang over and then pull it gently towards you fast enough to create a bow wave. The takes are nerve rattling violent. Some you hook some you don't I think I have been on about 50%.   Sometimes in really clear water you can see the pike stalking the mouse, but often all you will see is a cloud of mud as the pike shoots forward and a crashing take.  I used an old fly rod I had when we used those heavy lead lines. If you can 'PLOP' it near the spot casting finness is not required.

I used some large sea fishing hooks to tie the lure.

[washerboy]

Strangest lure i ever used was called the flying condom it was clear with silver bits floating in it and one big hook. It was great for fishing through weeds and Lilly pads 

[Dunkield]

Well we blanked yesterday but were able to have a good look at the water, it was punishingly cold so we weren't full of much hope.

The bonus was fresh muntjac and roe slots all over the place - so we will be back with rifle and rods

 

As for odd lures I still have a Crazy Crawler somewhere, used it a few time but never had a take on it, I should imagine like any popper type plugs it must make you jump when they get hit.

[washerboy]

Last day on the river this season, flood conditions and muddy..not a great afternoon.

hopefully on the canal tomorrow afternoon for a few jack and maybe a perch