In search of Pike

[Keston]

Confidence is a big part of handling Pike safely and the best way of gaining that confidence is through a hands on trip with Someone experienced.
I'm pleased Shaun has offered a trip with you .

[Fred]

Far better accompanying someone for the day who has handled plenty of pike Mark for hands on advice and seeing how they handle them. I feel this isn't really something you can teach yourself from books, magazines and forums.
Obviously methods and tackle can be learned from books but seeing a live fish being handled I feel is your best option, being shown where it is safe to put your fingers whilst unhooking and generally keeping control of the fish to save damage to the pike and yourself. I have seen a few nasty slices that have needed stitches even on very experienced pike anglers. I carry a scar myself after chinning an upper double for someone as he had just netted a good fish and his net was full, then it spinning like mad whilst I walked ashore. It was a cold day and I had become complacent not concentrating properly and not taking a proper grip in the first place.

I have to agree with Shaun, I used to run causes for an angling club a few years ago and you can buy Tackle but having some one with experience with you who can help with the unhooking until you get your confidents is invaluable.
A lapse in concentration

[Jeremy Croxall]

Ouch..now that's a bite I would be happy to miss!

[Snape]

All good advice and well worth following. Pike are quite delicate and rough/careless handling etc can be catastrophic for them.
It is too easy to be injured when unhooking a large pike if you don't know what you are doing or are careless.
I use the method Shaun suggests but a few years back still managed to have my finger sliced when fishing at Blenheim from the boat (similar to Fred); it looked like GBH had been committed within a few minutes, and a friend of mine had a large pike turn on him when unhooking the second set of trebles and this caused the barbed hook from the first set to embed itself in his finger right down to the bend. That made the rest of the unhooking tricky and then I had to do the extraction - ouch!

[Dave Burr]

The simple answer is to get some experienced tuition as Mark is doing or, if you are worried about the teeth, don't go pike fishing.

In my former days I dropped a pike and it really upset me. I have been extra careful ever since and now handle them with 100% confidence - I've chinned a near 20lb fish onto a boat for a friend as well as many sizeable fish for myself. I much prefer the hands-on to a net as there is always a chance of damage when hooks and teeth get tangled.

You have to learn to sense when the fish is tensing up for a thrash and prepare yourself and the fish. Put it onto a mat or lay it on it's back and, if careful, straddle it.

Handle with confidence and purpose. Get those hooks out and a quick picture taken then let the fish return to the water to fight another day. If you want to weigh it, do so in an appropriate soft weigh sling and, as Snape so rightly says, remember that they are delicate fish despite the plentiful gnashers.

[Mark]

Can anyone recommend a good pair of forceps or are the standard stainless one you see OK.

[Mercman]

Good advice given already but take a look on the Pike Anglers Club website

https://pacgb.com/

There is some good information on there.

Pike are best laid on a unhooking mat upside down and then sit astride to unhook them. Always take long nose pliers/forceps make sure you have long cutters in case you have to cut a hook. I don't use gloves but many do. If when sitting astride the pike you slide your fingers up the gill and under the jaw, gently pull the pikes head towards you the mouth will open giving access to unhook. The absolute best thing to do is go with an experienced Pike angler so they can show you how it is done. They have gill rakers under the gills that can scratch you up so be careful. I would start with a single hook until you are more confident and strike early. You may miss a few but will not deep hook a pike that way.
Pike, although they look fierce are very delicate fish and require careful handling. They must not be out of the water very long, and upon returning to the water make sure that they have fully recovered by holding upright until they swim off strongly. Do not dead bait in the summer for pike winter only. Looks like Shaun is going to go with you, that is perfect. Good luck Mark, I would rather Pike fish than any other fishing these days.

[Mercman]

Can anyone recommend a good pair of forceps or are the standard stainless one you see OK.

Mayo Hegar forceps are top quality, far better than ones made for fishing TBH

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mayo-Hegar-N ... 0507.m3226

[Fred]

These are the tools I use and I will not go Piking without them.
The cutters are man enough to though the strongest of hooks.
The pliers are very strong and mean you get a good grip on the hooks.
The forceps are strong as well.
They are all long enough to keep your hands out side of the Pikes mouth (most of the time).
You should be able to get them from any good tackle shop that deals with predator fishing or from the internet.

[Mark]

Thanks again chaps.