Pike Care

[John Bailey]

For many years, certainly since the early Eighties, I have worried about pike care. Unhooking has always been an issue as well as care on the bank, especially when it comes to holding fish for photographs. Not everyone is as comfortable posing with big fish as Robbie Northman – and I include myself in this category.

My latest idea is using this Nash carp cradle. Adrian caught this cracker and we kept it in the net whilst I erected the cradle and put a couple of buckets of water in it.

The fish was unhooked and weighed using a mat, and then transferred to the cradle where it lay, all but covered in water. Adrian lifted it out and it immediately struggled. Normally this might have signalled a problem. Not now. He simply lowered it back to the cradle and the second attempt went well. Three quick shots, and the pike went back into the cradle, and was then carried to the water and returned.

A bit of a fag you might say? Possibly true, but I’m quite content that the effort paid off in this case, and with practice the manoeuvre should become seamless…

The post Pike Care first appeared on FishingMagic Magazine.

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[john step]

Yes they can be s0ds to hold surprising one with a quick struggle. Upon first seeing your photo I thought what the.... then reading the script it was obvious the angler was not standing up but kneeling over the cradle.
I often see anglers in photos standing holding a large pike. In ignorance in the past I have probably done the same. Just one little flip is all it takes!
The jacks with their squirming in a net have to be the ultimate trouble makers.

 

[peter crabtree]

 

[steve2]

Always surprised that tough as old boots carp are treated with kid gloves and other fish are not. Over the years I have seen pike treated as vermin by many so called anglers and treated badly by so called pike anglers.

 

[john step]

Back in the early 70s Springwell Lake a LAA water (think correct name) at Rickmansworth I saw two upper 20s side by side on the grass behind the proud "pike angler".
The moron had rocked up by the car park/gate chucked out a couple of deadbaits and then proceeded to kill these two fish that others would have loved to contact. A hole.