Mr crabtree goes "summer pike fishing" .

[philblakey]

Most of the pike I catch, winter or summer, don't come out of the water.

Depends where you fish, i've witnessed a pike unhooked in the water on a canal, it hurtled straight down and hit the bottom head 1st, sadly it didn't make it.
I don't use a net, i prefer to lift them out, it's worth it if only to check for traces. Goes back to what i said earlier, far more pressing matters about pike welfare than Summer lure fishing.
Phil.

 

[tiinker]

Depends where you fish, i've witnessed a pike unhooked in the water on a canal, it hurtled straight down and hit the bottom head 1st, sadly it didn't make it.
I don't use a net, i prefer to lift them out, it's worth it if only to check for traces. Goes back to what i said earlier, far more pressing matters about pike welfare than Summer lure fishing.
Phil.

Do you use barbed or barbless hooks on your lures . do you think using barbless effects the amount of fish throwing the hooks.

 

[philblakey]

Do you use barbed or barbless hooks on your lures . do you think using barbless effects the amount of fish throwing the hooks.

Barbed for me, but they're micro barbed, if they're not i file them down so they're small.
Tried barbless in the past, well crushed, but you lose more pike. That's not why i don't use barbless hooks though; the flying treble is free to puncture the pike numerous times when barbless, with heavyish lures when the pike shakes its head the flying treble goes in, then out, then in and so on. A barbed hook goes in and stays in.
Barbless penetrate deeply too, and they twist/move about more inside a pike.
Barbless hooks (on lures) sound good for welfare reasons, in practise they're not.
I'm not keen on nets either, pike can get in a mess when they roll in a net due to hooks getting tangled in the mesh. If the banks are high, say on a river i'll take a net, but other than that i don't carry one.
Others will no doubt look at things differently, but nets i try to avoid using, even if the pike is big. Barbless hooks i refuse to use, it's just my view.
Phil.

 

[tiinker]

Barbed for me, but they're micro barbed, if they're not i file them down so they're small.
Tried barbless in the past, well crushed, but you lose more pike. That's not why i don't use barbless hooks though; the flying treble is free to puncture the pike numerous times when barbless, with heavyish lures when the pike shakes its head the flying treble goes in, then out, then in and so on. A barbed hook goes in and stays in.
Barbless penetrate deeply too, and they twist/move about more inside a pike.
Barbless hooks (on lures) sound good for welfare reasons, in practise they're not.
I'm not keen on nets either, pike can get in a mess when they roll in a net due to hooks getting tangled in the mesh. If the banks are high, say on a river i'll take a net, but other than that i don't carry one.
Others will no doubt look at things differently, but nets i try to avoid using, even if the pike is big. Barbless hooks i refuse to use, it's just my view.
Phil.

What is your opinion on the Boga grip or that kind of tool . I use one on occasion when holding fish in the water while unhooking but not for lifting. I agree with you about nets when lure fishing far better to chin the fish out.

 

[philblakey]

What is your opinion on the Boga grip or that kind of tool . I use one on occasion when holding fish in the water while unhooking but not for lifting. I agree with you about nets when lure fishing far better to chin the fish out.

Bogas weren't made with pike in mind. I don't really think they have a place in pike/lure fishing...but when you consider the alternatives???
If someone is wary of pike i don't see why they fish for them, but the fact is they do, from what i see the majority of lads who fish for pike are wary.
So is it better for someone to have a pike under control in the water via a boga, or the pike bouncing about while they summon the courage to grab it?
Same with pike gags, my opinion is they have no place in the sport, but would a pike be better off at the hands of an inexperienced lad with a pike gag, or without?
You have to remember that we stick hooks in pike though, purely for fun/sport, no ones perfect, you just do your best. My preferred method of chinning pike isn't without its problems, for starters the fight is usually shorter if you use a net, which a lot believe is better. It's swings and roundabouts.
But in answer to your question; if i saw someone with a pike dangling from a boga i'd have something to say, if it was just held in the water it's not the hanging offence that some would say it is.
Phil.

 

[tiinker]

Bogas weren't made with pike in mind. I don't really think they have a place in pike/lure fishing...but when you consider the alternatives???
If someone is wary of pike i don't see why they fish for them, but the fact is they do, from what i see the majority of lads who fish for pike are wary.
So is it better for someone to have a pike under control in the water via a boga, or the pike bouncing about while they summon the courage to grab it?
Same with pike gags, my opinion is they have no place in the sport, but would a pike be better off at the hands of an inexperienced lad with a pike gag, or without?
You have to remember that we stick hooks in pike though, purely for fun/sport, no ones perfect, you just do your best. My preferred method of chinning pike isn't without its problems, for starters the fight is usually shorter if you use a net, which a lot believe is better. It's swings and roundabouts.
But in answer to your question; if i saw someone with a pike dangling from a boga i'd have something to say, if it was just held in the water it's not the hanging offence that some would say it is.
Phil.

As you say there is no need for a gag and personally I have never used one being shown at a very early age how to hold a pike and use one finger to open its jaw . As for the holding of any fish unsupported is a basic no no whether done with a boga or hand . I have not found chining a problem as long as a glove is used I use a kevlar divers glove they are smooth and thin and are un-penetratable even by a syringe needle. We stick hooks in all fish that is why it is called Angling

 

[philblakey]

A lots down to common sense & a learning curve, there's an element out there that are very judgemental, they forget they had to start somewhere.
You see YouTube clips posted on forums where lads treat pike less than ideally; I saw one not long back where they held the pikes mouth open with a landing net pole to unhook it, big pike too. A witch hunt was called for, i disagreed and said the lads involved did need tracking down, but they needed a bit of guidance rather than a kicking that a few were calling for.
That pike would of been better off if those lads owned a gag, sad but true.
I've done plenty of things that weren't good when handling pike, but you learn by your mistakes and try harder next time.
I think pike are a lot better off now than they have been in the past, many have fished for pike a lot longer than me, i'm sure they've seen huge changes in pike welfare, i know i have.
The Summer lure fishing thing bugs me though, i've seen absolutely no evidence to support it whatsoever, none at all.
Phil.

 

[tiinker]

A lots down to common sense & a learning curve, there's an element out there that are very judgemental, they forget they had to start somewhere.
You see YouTube clips posted on forums where lads treat pike less than ideally; I saw one not long back where they held the pikes mouth open with a landing net pole to unhook it, big pike too. A witch hunt was called for, i disagreed and said the lads involved did need tracking down, but they needed a bit of guidance rather than a kicking that a few were calling for.
That pike would of been better off if those lads owned a gag, sad but true.
I've done plenty of things that weren't good when handling pike, but you learn by your mistakes and try harder next time.
I think pike are a lot better off now than they have been in the past, many have fished for pike a lot longer than me, i'm sure they've seen huge changes in pike welfare, i know i have.
The Summer lure fishing thing bugs me though, i've seen absolutely no evidence to support it whatsoever, none at all.
Phil.

Thankfully the days of its a pike knock it on the head are largly gone and fish handling is vastly improved these days with clubs holding teach-ins on how to fish for and handle pike.

 

[philblakey]

Thankfully the days of its a pike knock it on the head are largly gone and fish handling is vastly improved these days with clubs holding teach-ins on how to fish for and handle pike.

I think as a whole there's been massive improvements; not sure how many will agree, but love him or not, i think John Wilsons early programmes were a help, up until then there was little to show newcomers how to get hold of a pike.
Phil.

 

[tiinker]

I think as a whole there's been massive improvements; not sure how many will agree, but love him or not, i think John Wilsons early programmes were a help, up until then there was little to show newcomers how to get hold of a pike.
Phil.

I agree I think his first ten years were his best in the way he influenced angling and the handling of fish. The best advice I was given about predators as far as fisheries go was leave the predators alone the will take care of them selves do no interfer with them. I have found this to be very true.

 

[philblakey]

The best advice I was given about predators as far as fisheries go was leave the predators alone the will take care of them selves do no interfere with them. I have found this to be very true.

Couldn't agree with you more, there's a water close to me where for years they've removed pike, in its day it was a special pike water.
Biggest I've witnessed from the place was 34lb 8oz, but the rule put in place was to remove pike under 10lbs which a lot ignored but also a lot didn't, now the place is in a mess. Last year 3 big pike died what i know of, probably due to being spawnbound, most likely spawnbound as there's no jacks in the water or very few. I can only think they retained their eggs as there's not enough jacks to pester them?
I find it amazing that they've been around for millions of years unchanged...but some 50 year old nugget decides they need removing!
Match weights have dropped dramatically, ironic really as it was matchmen who called for the cull. Stunted silver fish abound, water now has a serious case of blue/green algae and they were told to remove fish because of the sheer amount in the place...shame they didn't allow the pike to do their job. More fish = more nitrates / phosphates and the algael bloom kicks in, so i'm led to believe.
Even removing little pike in number has a cost.
Phil.

 

[tiinker]

Couldn't agree with you more, there's a water close to me where for years they've removed pike, in its day it was a special pike water.
Biggest I've witnessed from the place was 34lb 8oz, but the rule put in place was to remove pike under 10lbs which a lot ignored but also a lot didn't, now the place is in a mess. Last year 3 big pike died what i know of, probably due to being spawnbound, most likely spawnbound as there's no jacks in the water or very few. I can only think they retained their eggs as there's not enough jacks to pester them?
I find it amazing that they've been around for millions of years unchanged...but some 50 year old nugget decides they need removing!
Match weights have dropped dramatically, ironic really as it was matchmen who called for the cull. Stunted silver fish abound, water now has a serious case of blue/green algae and they were told to remove fish because of the sheer amount in the place...shame they didn't allow the pike to do their job. More fish = more nitrates / phosphates and the algael bloom kicks in, so i'm led to believe.
Even removing little pike in number has a cost.
Phil.

Some years ago the members voted for a pike cull on my home water as you say all fish under 10 pound . The fishery managment refused to carry it out . So they bought a outside netting team in to do the job. all the pike were to be keept alive and sold . So as they were caught they were retained in sacks ect. When the netting was finished they went around the 10 acre lake to collect the pike but someone or persons had released every pike and it was none of the fishery managment team we followed the netting team around to see exactly what they were taking out. The cull was abandoned after that. The club had a standing rule in its contitution that no fish were to ever be killed with the exception of diseased or infested fish.