LURE FISHING
FACTS & FICTION !
plus 20 Top Tips
by Richard Peake
Edited by Nick Caine
INTRODUCTION
by
Managing Editor, Nick Caine
Well, here Rick Peake cuts through much of the traditionally regurgitated carp and cobblers about lure angling, and gets down to the nitty-gritty of successful lure fishing. With his lure fishing Facts and Fiction, he doesn't pull any punches, that's for sure, but to keep the picture straight, at least he gives his own Top 20 Tips that he not only preaches but practises.
COBBLERS OR FACTS
I've often heard it said that there's more bolony and cobblers written and talked about lure fishing than most other techniques — now you may find this a tad hard to believe, and so do I, and I'm not about to join that Club.
Judging by what I've seen, a lot of people seem to have a personal financial or other vested interest in some of what they say and write, which means that they can't possibly be unbiased in their advice or opinions — fact!
With me it's totally different — I'm a guano-free WYSIWYG lure angler, take it or leave it ! Also I'm not one of those anglers who boasts about how many 20s and 30s that they've caught to make themselves look good and to try to get more street cred. Mark my words, there are hundreds of excellent lure anglers out there who just don't fish venues that hold 20s or 30s, but that doesn't make them any less proficient as lure anglers. Also, it's not always easy or cheap to travel to places that do hold pike of that size, depending on where you live, so "Give them a break !" is what I say!
In fact, many of the truly best anglers whom I know, are often the ones who do the least talking or writing — they just get-on quietly, catching loads of fish.
So, being positive, here are some of my suggestions to get the best out of your local waters whether they hold 20s or 30s or not:-
SENSIBLE TACKLE
"Not too heavy and not too light" is my Motto — if you're an experienced lure angler and feel ready to shell-out on the more expensive specialised tackle etc., needed for giant jerkbaits on big waters, or fishing tiny ultra-light lures for every predatory species that swims, that's absolutely fine, but my experience is that generally you're much better-off fishing with sensible, cost-effective, middle-of the-river rod, reel, line (braid is favourite although not cheap) and trace-wire designed to handle what one can broadly call middle-weight lures — by that I mean lures which weight anything between about 15 gm (1/2 oz) and 35 gm (1-and-a-bit oz).
For such lures on normal rivers and small lakes etc., but not boat-fishing, I find that a rod of about 8ft is fine, maybe 9 ft at a push. With it I would use a fixed-spool reel that can hold plenty of 30 lb or even 50 lb braid, joined to a good wire-trace of similar B.S. e.g. 28 - 50 lb.
Bear in-mind that lure fishing is a mobile method in which you are casting and retrieving every minute or so, and covering a lot of water and ground into the bargain — this is why you don't what to have to lug around a heavy old rod or unbalanced set-up i.e. where your rod is tip-heavy and not counter-balanced enough by the weight of the reel.
If you prefer a shorter rod and a multiplier reel, then that's fine too, for lures that are towards the middle and upper end of the middle-weight lure range that I mentioned. I use both types of set-up, although I would suggest that maybe for beginners, a fixed-spool set-up might be easier to start with.
Now, 30 lb, 40 lb or 50 lb braid may seem a tad on the heavy side but it's not, not really — it's quite thin in diameter (and therefore doesn't have the brilliant abrasion resistance of many modern monofils — nevermind what some companies or people falsely claim — you have been warned !) and therefore braids will cast medium-sized and heavier lures quite easily and what's more, you'll lose far fewer expensive lures on snags fishing this way.
{If you want to know much more detail about rods, reels and lines, there's a shedload of good articles in the Tackle Test & Reviews Section of this very website - Ed.}
OK, you may spook some fish, or may not be able to cast far enough to get to others, but on balance, it's best to play safe, and fish safely, because this will also put fish welfare first in that you're not going to lose very many if any lures or fish. One thing is for sure, you will soon increase your Personal Best Snag, maybe from something like a small branch to something as big as a paint-tin full of mud, or a complete reed-mace plant as happened to me recently — and how many "experts" will try to tell you that this is a bullrush!
LURES & HOOKS
It's a sad fact that quite a few lure-manufacturing and marketing companies make and sell lures with hooks that are complete rubbish — usually too large, heavy and not very sharp, but also sometimes, too light and weak. Either way it pays big dividends all-round to check-out every lure that you buy, even world-class brands, to make-sure that all the eyes, hook-hangers and hooks are tough enough for the job in-hand — I almost invariably find that I have to change the hooks to smaller, stronger, sharper ones and with whisker or crushed barbs — you know it makes sense, and you won't lose many if any fish as a result.
FISH WHERE THE FOOD IS
The good thing about lure fishing, as with fly fishing, is that it is by definition a mobile technique, even a stalking technique — this means that you can easily cover a lot of water, and therefore, a lot of fish, hopefully.
Pike are top predators and they're pretty cool customers too — they are also predominantly ambushing predators who use their superb camouflage and incredible bursts of speed to get their prey. They'll lurk around just about anywhere where there's food to be had, usually hiding close to the bottom, or weeds or snags etc. I have read these often vaunted theories about pike being suspended in mid-water, but I find this hard to believe — chasing prey fish close to the surface, yes, but just hanging in mid-water, mid-stream ... I've yet to convince myself of that.
As I've said, any stretch of water is a good stretch for pike if there's food to be had, and the more effortlessly the better as far as pike are concerned. I've caught many pike right below areas where ducks are frequently fed bread and suchlike in busy town-centre venues — obvious when you think about it.
On the other hand, a quieter out-of-town stretch of river that's frequently fished by Match and or specimen anglers is another good bet. The list of likely locations is almost endless, but mobile lure fishing is the perfect technique for making the very best from every stretch of water — keep casting, keep moving and keep changing your lure until you find the one with which you're most comfortable and successful on that particular day and venue, but bear in mind that the next time around, things may be completely different — all part of lure fishing fun and challenge.
PIKE AREN'T STUPID
If you're lure fishing along a busy river or canal footpath or towpath, it doesn't matter so much what you wear although as far as time of day goes, you'll probably do best in the very early morning or later in the evening.
On the other hand, of you're fishing a quiet, clear river, it pays not to alert the pike to your presence, either with your clothes or your footfall. Pike aren't stupid ! — if you're not careful, they'll see or hear/feel you ages before you get close to them. I'd suggest getting some cool camou but cheap gear such as ex-Army stuff and move about quite quietly, like those guys in the SAS, and if anyone takes the mickey out of you for doing this, just remember that they're the real twits! — and that you're the one who's going to catch the predators.
GIVE YOUR LURES THE EDGE
Have you ever wondered how and why some anglers seem to have all the luck even though they're using the same lure or fishing a swim close to you? Well, it's obviously not all down to luck! More likely a lot of it is down to preparation and attention to detail.
Keep your lures in good condition by checking them regularly, before you go fishing. Rusty old spinners with blunt hooks and knackered split-rings etc., are bad news for fish welfare and for you — spinners with blades that aren't polished and that don't spin smoothly simply won't attract as many predators — fact! In general, lures that are in poor condition will load the dice further against you than it already is, trust me.
In my opinion and experience it pays either to use spinners or plugs with red hackles, or to add something extra to your own bare-hooks, especially where spinners are concerned — almost anything will do, for example, some red wool soaked in fish-oil, a bit of red rubber or soft plastic worm, or even strips of bacon etc. — anything to give your lure and your fishing the edge — and people who say that this makes no difference need to get out more and do some fishing !
Tight lines
Richard Peake
Editorial Comment
Thanks for that, Richard — a no-nonsense article for sure, but packed with useful advice. By the way, Richard has agreed to join our ASK THE TEAM panel of enthusiasts, and so, if you have any comments or questions, please click on the ASK THE TEAM button in the Menu on the left-hand side of this page.
Nick Caine
Editor