AndyW Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Lots of great info here! I was out this weekend and there was a few hours each day with glass like water! It is pretty cool when there is good visibility and you can see your fly coming in from 25 or so feet away. Really makes you realize how many follows you get and would never know it. Had some that follow it right to the boat and then you just see the fly dissapear! I would just set the hook when I lost sight of the fly on the follow, when it happend the fly usually dissapeared on the pause, so it was all visual and fish on! Real cool to see the eat before you feel it. A few fish smashed the fly, but picked up most when I felt slight hesitation after the pause starting to strip it again. Repeating what others have said, on the slightest hesitation or bump you best be striking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuttbow Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 I guess we are off topic .. sorry Brian... but this thread has a following so I thought I'd throw in some thoughts having been pikin' with flies since 1990. Made a few mistakes along the way, but like cuttbow have figured out a few things. This is a bit shameless but what the hell? I started pike web pages a few years ago and they are a bit out of date....but you newbies might find some useful info about pike and tackle HERE The "pike fillet" page is broken. Not sure what that is about. Hummm.. cuttbow makes some good points as does adc. Pike are a to o' fun and fortunately close to home for us southern folk. There is a small lake ten minutes N of my house and it is full of small pike but they love "dry flies." And that is another whole story. Pike in dries is unreal. Anyway ... cuttbow said something about "hits." When they are wired they indeed "slam" flies. But there are times (especially in summer and late fall even) when they "chew" on flies and the take can be hard to detect ... but if it is half calm you can see the line "chatter" ... then you give 'em a bassmasters' hook set. The "slack line" hit is caused when a pike (usually small) takes run at the fly from behind and keeps moving toward you when it hits. The line goes slack and you think "WTF?" Hit it! I think the MOST important thing when starting pike fishing is BE PREPARED! Assuming you will be releasing most pike landed, you need to have the proper gear to handle it and get the hook out with no harm to the fish. If you are lucky it will be lip hooked. Easy peasy. But if the hooked is deeper you MUST have a pair of jaw spreaders and a pair of long nosed pliers..I prefer a pair of 10-inch curved forceps. Have the pliers and jaw spreaders tethered to your craft or waders and they should be readily accessible. I've seen guys haul pike up on land, rummage around in the truck for pliers...and well you get the picture. Be prepared for fast hook removal and release. cuttbow sez the water is warm for the annual spring pike frenzy. Hope so. We are going to investigate tomorrow. MUST HAVE GEAR That surgical hose is handy on spreaders...pike teeth catch in the soft rubber and the rubber also protects the pike jaw if the spreader has sharp points ... the sidecutters are hardly a "must" item. One of those "Now WTF?" moments. great post Clive. Will be checking out the water temps this weekend too. If i see 2 pontoons, we will swing over for a chat. Tight lines Brent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuttbow Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Yes all good points. Always bring backup nail clippers / line cutters, etc too (if using berkley pike line that cuttbow uses) becuase sometimes an inexperienced Piker' will get a bit too aggressive with the first set of nail clippers Yea, reminds me I gotta dig up all that stuff (spreader, long shank hook remover, etc) from my dusty old tackle box that aint seen a day on the water since ... well... probably since 1998.. Oh ya thanks mang i need my back up clippers and more backups. See ya sat for another pike fest.Please bring your stripping glove. Cuttbow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuttbow Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Lots of great info here! I was out this weekend and there was a few hours each day with glass like water! It is pretty cool when there is good visibility and you can see your fly coming in from 25 or so feet away. Really makes you realize how many follows you get and would never know it. Had some that follow it right to the boat and then you just see the fly dissapear! I would just set the hook when I lost sight of the fly on the follow, when it happend the fly usually dissapeared on the pause, so it was all visual and fish on! Real cool to see the eat before you feel it. A few fish smashed the fly, but picked up most when I felt slight hesitation after the pause starting to strip it again. Repeating what others have said, on the slightest hesitation or bump you best be striking! Where are you fishn that the waters like glass. Not within 100 miles of Clive and ADC. Oh ya glass and top water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuttbow Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 oops clicked twice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jksnijders Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Since we're on the subject.. Lorney and I have been exploring more than usual, and I've been exploring my camera's settings quite a bit, here's some pics that turned out, of pike that are of no mean size. The action was fast and furious, but the fish small and insignificant. There's a guy that was just featured in "Catch" magazine, named Corey Kruitbosch who's pics I've admired a while, gave me some ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jksnijders Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuttbow Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Since we're on the subject.. Lorney and I have been exploring more than usual, and I've been exploring my camera's settings quite a bit, here's some pics that turned out, of pike that are of no mean size. The action was fast and furious, but the fish small and insignificant. There's a guy that was just featured in "Catch" magazine, named Corey Kruitbosch who's pics I've admired a while, gave me some ideas. Sweet pic man looks like a pound of superhair on that fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jksnijders Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Sweet pic man looks like a pound of superhair on that fly. About a 1/2 pound more Superhair than that pikey weighed.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuttbow Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 About a 1/2 pound more Superhair than that pikey weighed.... Gotta love it. Well done man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurrie Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Awesome info guys. I think I might head out again this weekend and try my luck. I'm gonna keep telling myself "any hesitation.... Hook SET!" I'd consider even a 2 pounder a success! I'll let you know if I have any success. I forgot to ask, I have 30 lb wire leader at the tip... Any chance the pike are leader shy?? I'd guess no, but I really have no idea. Thanks Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawgstoppah Posted May 22, 2009 Author Share Posted May 22, 2009 Drew. Cuttbow made me use a tie-able wire leader... the thing was bulky and black. I was thinking, dude we ain't gonna get anything fishing with this thing on! Boy was I wrong. There not leader shy at all. When there hungry, they gonna get it... even if it's attached to a telephone wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jksnijders Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 One of those "Now WTF?" moments. That's awesome.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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