Mick Brown
Angling Services
Angling Services
Posted on January 20th 2012
| DOES PRE-BAITING WORK |
Pre-baiting for pike is very viable and yet many anglers don't bother with it. If you have limited time on your
hands, but regular access to a local water, it is a short cut to maximising your return for effort. It works
most places and in all types of venues; rivers, pits, canals, drains and reservoirs. The degree to which it
works depends upon one thing - how hungry the pike are. The more well fed they are, the less they will
respond to the easy food that pre-baiting presents to them. Well stocked trout waters for example, or
venues with huge shoals of prey fish rarely respond well to pre-baiting. Never rule anything out though until
you've tried it! I've been pre-baiting for pike for nearly two decades and many of my big hauls have come
from baited swims. Regularity is the key, and little and often is better than putting in large quantities every
now and again. The amount you put in depends upon how many pike are in the venue but a couple of kilo's
every few days is a starting point which can be adjusted according to results.
hands, but regular access to a local water, it is a short cut to maximising your return for effort. It works
most places and in all types of venues; rivers, pits, canals, drains and reservoirs. The degree to which it
works depends upon one thing - how hungry the pike are. The more well fed they are, the less they will
respond to the easy food that pre-baiting presents to them. Well stocked trout waters for example, or
venues with huge shoals of prey fish rarely respond well to pre-baiting. Never rule anything out though until
you've tried it! I've been pre-baiting for pike for nearly two decades and many of my big hauls have come
from baited swims. Regularity is the key, and little and often is better than putting in large quantities every
now and again. The amount you put in depends upon how many pike are in the venue but a couple of kilo's
every few days is a starting point which can be adjusted according to results.
| To read entries from previous weeks - click on articles link above. |
Archive of old and
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of interest.None of
this is valid today
but might interest
anyone following
my work.
deleted web pages
of interest.None of
this is valid today
but might interest
anyone following
my work.
The pre-bait need not be quality bait, in fact it
can be any old rubbish as long as it's edible. I
save damaged baits from my sessions and cut
them up for pre-bait but theres not usually
enough so I obtain ready packed pre-bait from
Neville Ficklings Lucebaits bait company. It might
not look very appetising from a pikes point of
view but I can almost guarantee that pike in
most waters will scoff the lot once they get into
a routine of visiting the swim you deposit it in.
It's obviously wise to be discreet about what you
are doing and choose a swim that is unlikely to
be discovered by other anglers. If you want to
get it further out, use a large groundbait
catapult or even a bait boat if you have one.
How long should you leave it before you fish the
swim? I usually leave it for several weeks of
baiting before I start and usually find some pike
on the bait. The pike in the picture to the left
was caught yesterday on my first visit to a swim
after baiting it four times over ten days. The 17
pounder, which spewed up pre-bait as I
unhooked it, was quickly followed by a ten
pounder, then I left the swim as my time was
limited.
can be any old rubbish as long as it's edible. I
save damaged baits from my sessions and cut
them up for pre-bait but theres not usually
enough so I obtain ready packed pre-bait from
Neville Ficklings Lucebaits bait company. It might
not look very appetising from a pikes point of
view but I can almost guarantee that pike in
most waters will scoff the lot once they get into
a routine of visiting the swim you deposit it in.
It's obviously wise to be discreet about what you
are doing and choose a swim that is unlikely to
be discovered by other anglers. If you want to
get it further out, use a large groundbait
catapult or even a bait boat if you have one.
How long should you leave it before you fish the
swim? I usually leave it for several weeks of
baiting before I start and usually find some pike
on the bait. The pike in the picture to the left
was caught yesterday on my first visit to a swim
after baiting it four times over ten days. The 17
pounder, which spewed up pre-bait as I
unhooked it, was quickly followed by a ten
pounder, then I left the swim as my time was
limited.
Always be on the lookout for followers.
The key to keeping the fish coming is not to overdo it. I normally plan on an hour in my pre-baited swim
and usually catch one or two pike and then I bait it and leave it alone, sometimes moving to another venue
for the rest of the day but confident that I've already had a good start. Flogging it will only lead to the pike
wising up and keeping away. There's so much more I could say about pre-baiting, and I take it so seriously
that I have devoted a whole chapter to it in my new book. Pre-baiting can increase your catch rate beyond
belief if carried out as a long term project and it often draws in the bigger pike which try to dominate an
easy food supply. It's best to start early on in the winter but it's not too late to make a start now and get a
taste of what is possible.
and usually catch one or two pike and then I bait it and leave it alone, sometimes moving to another venue
for the rest of the day but confident that I've already had a good start. Flogging it will only lead to the pike
wising up and keeping away. There's so much more I could say about pre-baiting, and I take it so seriously
that I have devoted a whole chapter to it in my new book. Pre-baiting can increase your catch rate beyond
belief if carried out as a long term project and it often draws in the bigger pike which try to dominate an
easy food supply. It's best to start early on in the winter but it's not too late to make a start now and get a
taste of what is possible.
Mick's new book
A big pike which came into the pre-baited swim.
A 17 pounder which spewed
up pre-bait when unhooked.
up pre-bait when unhooked.