Rubber Hooks

The Pike are doing something wrong... or I'm doing something wrong. I think I know the answer to that but I can't fathom how to correct it at the moment.

Last night Eddie Turner did a talk for the Birmingham PAC, brilliant. even the computer glitch didn't take the shine off it! Maybe I'm a bit of a sad bugger but I do like listening to other anglers talk about their fishing. Last nights talk really got me thinking about how I approach my Piking. will it pay off? Well after today's efforts I really don't know.

One of the pits I'm fishing fished really well last year, producing a good number of twenties. So I looked forward to giving it a good crack this year. I've done a few session on there so far, for one fish (a short fat Pike) of 9.13. not too bad but not what I'm looking for. The concerning thing is the number of fish I'm losing. Not being snapped but bumping the hooks. Now I always hit Pike straight away, no leaving runs to develop - the last thing I want is a deep hooked Pike, so I do all I can to avoid it. I could leave the runs a little longer but that's quite simply not going to happen, an indication is met by winding down and a swift pull over the shoulder. so why am I dropping so many fish (think it's about 8 in total). I've not changed anything from last season when most takes resulted in fish on the bank. I need to give it some thought, but listening to what's happening on the pit I'm beginning to think that the Pike are picking the bait up at the end of the jaws and moving off with it. could be right could be wrong. I was hoping that using livies would help in getting some more positive/aggressive takes, but the two livies I had out where completely ignored. only the solitary deadbait was taken and dropped very quickly! thankfully the fish didn't feel very heavy.

I'm out again tomorrow, but not sure where yet. I'll give rivercall a ring in the morning before making a firm decision.

I mentioned in an earlier post that my Dad passed away back in April. By his own admission he wasn't the best angler in the world, but he loved to get out fishing. and anything caught was appreciated. Daft as it might sound the hardest part is not being able to talk to him about what I'm up to. I'm sure he never had the slightest idea what I was talking about most of the time, but it was good just to talk rubbish to him and listen about the couple of Perch he'd caught on his last travel up the local cut! My friend Paul Ikin sent me an article that he'd wrote for the CCG mag "Whiskers" entitled "Thanks Dad". Paul if you read this, thank you. it was a great article and I'm really chuffed that you shared it with me (It hit the spot mate).