Mick Brown
Angling Services
Angling Services
Posted on February 8th2012
| JUST YOU WAIT! |
Several posters on my Facebook page have asked about catching pike in this cold weather. The reality is
that it is going to be very hard and you have got to limit your expectations. The pike is a cold water fish but
there are limits to it's feeding temperature range. When the water temperature falls below about 5 degrees
centigrade, there's a noticeable fall off in the pikes feeding requirement. Very often they just shut down
and lie quietly digesting their last meal, which will last a long time at such low temperatures. On waters with
plenty of food for them, they will probably have fed heavily in the days leading up to the cold spell; they
seem to sense it is coming. On the other hand, where food is sparse, pike might still be interested in your
offering if they are still hungry. It's important to know whether you are fishing for well fed pike or hungry
pike.
that it is going to be very hard and you have got to limit your expectations. The pike is a cold water fish but
there are limits to it's feeding temperature range. When the water temperature falls below about 5 degrees
centigrade, there's a noticeable fall off in the pikes feeding requirement. Very often they just shut down
and lie quietly digesting their last meal, which will last a long time at such low temperatures. On waters with
plenty of food for them, they will probably have fed heavily in the days leading up to the cold spell; they
seem to sense it is coming. On the other hand, where food is sparse, pike might still be interested in your
offering if they are still hungry. It's important to know whether you are fishing for well fed pike or hungry
pike.
| To read entries from previous weeks - click on articles link above. |
This is where we come down to
the baits and tactics for cold
water pike. On 'hungry' waters, it
is possible that deadbaits will
work, although I would tend to be
cautious and use quite small baits
or chunks of bait. Well fed pike
will be a much bigger challenge to
catch and my prefered option is a
livebait, once again being cautious
and using quite small ones of up to
about five or six inches. If you
cannot get livebait, are not
allowed to use it or prefer not to
use it, then you can put a bit of
movement into your deadbaits by
popping them up and inching
them along very slowly every now
and again.
the baits and tactics for cold
water pike. On 'hungry' waters, it
is possible that deadbaits will
work, although I would tend to be
cautious and use quite small baits
or chunks of bait. Well fed pike
will be a much bigger challenge to
catch and my prefered option is a
livebait, once again being cautious
and using quite small ones of up to
about five or six inches. If you
cannot get livebait, are not
allowed to use it or prefer not to
use it, then you can put a bit of
movement into your deadbaits by
popping them up and inching
them along very slowly every now
and again.
Mick's new book
You will notice that I haven't mentioned lures yet even though I consider myself a lure fanatic. I will use
lures in cold water but only in situations where I know there are plenty of pike stacked up and preferably
on a hard bottom venue. Generally roaming around a venue with a lure rod rarely works in these low
temperatures so I like to know there are pike in front of me. In my area, there are several sections of river
where pike always move to in winter to follow the big roach shoals. The bottom of the river is hard
compacted clay and perfect for working my favourite winter lure - a jig. Knowing that there are almost
certainly pike in front of me (because their food is there), I will systematically comb the bottom with a jig,
working it painfully slowly as I don't expect pike (or perch and zander) to do much more than make a half
hearted snatch at the jig. Fishing for pike in these extremely cold conditions is never going to be easy so
you will need to concentrate and persevere but I have caught enough to know it can be done.
lures in cold water but only in situations where I know there are plenty of pike stacked up and preferably
on a hard bottom venue. Generally roaming around a venue with a lure rod rarely works in these low
temperatures so I like to know there are pike in front of me. In my area, there are several sections of river
where pike always move to in winter to follow the big roach shoals. The bottom of the river is hard
compacted clay and perfect for working my favourite winter lure - a jig. Knowing that there are almost
certainly pike in front of me (because their food is there), I will systematically comb the bottom with a jig,
working it painfully slowly as I don't expect pike (or perch and zander) to do much more than make a half
hearted snatch at the jig. Fishing for pike in these extremely cold conditions is never going to be easy so
you will need to concentrate and persevere but I have caught enough to know it can be done.
A few years ago, I would have been
fanatical enough to take up the
challenge of catching pike in very cold
weather but nowadays I just hate
getting cold and coming home totally
knackered because a day outdoors in
these temperatures can really take it
out of you. Age brings with it a degree
of wiseness and even though I'm not
doing much pike fishing at the
moment, I KNOW that around the
corner will be some fabulous fishing. As
soon as the temperature starts to
climb rapidly, those torpid pike will
start to feel hungry and be ready yo
spring into action. This is the time to
be on the water! You need to be
prepared though and it's no good
wasting time sorting out bait and
tackle when the weather has broken
for the better, spend your time getting
ready NOW!
fanatical enough to take up the
challenge of catching pike in very cold
weather but nowadays I just hate
getting cold and coming home totally
knackered because a day outdoors in
these temperatures can really take it
out of you. Age brings with it a degree
of wiseness and even though I'm not
doing much pike fishing at the
moment, I KNOW that around the
corner will be some fabulous fishing. As
soon as the temperature starts to
climb rapidly, those torpid pike will
start to feel hungry and be ready yo
spring into action. This is the time to
be on the water! You need to be
prepared though and it's no good
wasting time sorting out bait and
tackle when the weather has broken
for the better, spend your time getting
ready NOW!
Expect the fishing to be hard at the moment.
A smaller bait might
be a better choice.
be a better choice.
It's going to get better!