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Landing pike
When it comes to landing pike, a large, knotless landing net with arms of
at least 36 inches should be used. Ensure that the mesh of the net is well sunk
before drawing the pike over it and lifting the net sufficiently to retain the
pike.
Holding the net as shown in the photograph will take the strain from the
frame of the net, and allow you to carry net, rod and fish safely together to
the prearranged unhooking area. If neccessary, gather up the mesh to raise the
pike further from the ground.
If fishing with a friend you can keep the pike in the
water in the landing net while they ready the unhooking equipment.
Never lay pike down on hard or rough surfaces, always
use an area of soft grass or better still a well padded unhooking
mat.
When lure fishing many experienced pike anglers prefer
to land their pike by hand. This is a method best used on small fish, and only
when hooks are clearly visible and avoided. At all other times a net is to be
prefered.
With your pike safely in the net and carried ashore,
place it on a large, padded unhooking mat. Look to see where your hooks are
before proceeding to handle the fish. Insert one or two fingers under a gill
plate, keeping them well away from any hooks. You might like to wear a gardening
glove on the hand you do this with. Lift the pike's head carefully and its mouth
will usually open. Maintain this hold while you use a pair of 10-12 inch artery
forceps to grip and remove the hooks - top hook first, then the lower. It is now
that you will appreciate the
use of semi-barbed hooks. If the hooks are in deeper
near the throat, insert the forceps through the gaps in the gills below your
'holding-hand'. Please do this with great care and preferably under instruction
if for the first time.
When fishing with lures, which tend to have bigger and
thicker-wired hooks fitted, you will benefit from the use of pliers as opposed
to forceps. Always carry a strong pair of side-cutters in case you need to cut
through the hooks to aid unhooking.
When you are a lot more experienced you may want to
unhook pike in the water, thus minimising contact. Despite the awesome look of
all those sharp teeth, the pike will not purposely bite you. Don't be
frightened, treat the pike with respect and confidence. If the fish is small,
you may find it easier to lift the pike to unhook it, as shown on the left. If
the fish is bigger, then it is easier to unhook the fish by kneeling astride it,
as on the right.
If the hooks are difficult to get out, do not cut the
trace, unclip it. Put the pike in the landing net and into the water. Then seek
help from another pike angler, do not feel embarrased, we have all been there.
More information for dealing with this situation can also be found on the next
page.
COPING WITH DEEP
HOOKED PIKE
unhooking
Despite your best efforts you might still occasionally
hook a pike further back than you would like, you might find yourself fishing
near someone who has deep hooked a pike and needs assistance, or you might land
a pike which has someone else's lost trace down its throat. Even when hooks are
out of sight the pike can generally be unhooked safely provided you take care
and follow the guidelines outlined here.
On some occasions the act of pulling on the trace will
result in the bait (which is almost always still attached to the hooks when a
pike has swallowed it) simply popping out of the pike's throat - hooks
and all. This is not always the case, but in any event
if you can see the bait it is always a good idea to grip it with a pair of
strong forceps and try to pull it out before starting to remove the hooks.
Getting the bait out of the way makes it much easier to see what you are doing
when operating on the hooks.
When there are two of you one opens the pike's mouth as
described on the previous page while the other pulls the trace using any line
attached, or if necessary gripping the swivel with another pair of forceps. The
pull should be firm and sustained until the pike's stomach starts to emerge into
the throat. Once the first hook on the trace becomes visible - working with the
forceps either down the throat, or very carefully through the gills - it can be
inverted and un-hooked. If necessary, bits can be cut off the hook in order to
remove it with minimum damage to the fish. Carry on using exactly the same
approach with the second hook - assuming that it is a standard snap tackle. Once
the hooks are removed the stomach will normally retract itself.
If the problem trace is not yours it is unlikely you'll
have a clue where the hooks are if none are visible but you should still try the
above procedure. If the trace has already been cut pull the cut end with
forceps. If this is not possible, cut and remove as much of the hooks/trace as
you can and release the fish. It is reasonable to conclude that hooks left in a
pike will eventually disintegrate by a combination of digestion and rusting
(assuming that stainless steel hooks have not been used and for this reason they
should not be). Whenever possible attempts should be made to remove any and all
hooks.
Should you be fishing alone, pull the line or braid
with your teeth to raise the hooks up. If there is no line attached to the trace
then a piece of leather, or a pad of other material, can be attached to the
swivel by means of something resembling a paper clip and this again pulled using
your teeth. Be ready for any sudden movement of the fish though!
Do not forget that you are dealing with a living
creature and time is of the essence. It may even pay to interrupt proceedings by
putting the pike in the margins to re-charge it's batteries before continuing.
The fish should not be out of the water for longer than two or three minutes at
a stretch.
To summarise, the best way to avoid deephooking pike is
to use good bite detection, to pay attention to it and to strike as soon as you
can. Placing the hooks towards the rear of the bait will further reduce the
chances of a pike swallowing them. The use of barbless or semi-barbless hooks
will make unhooking much easier should this happen. However, barbless hooks
should not be used as an excuse for leaving pike to swallow baits. You might
also like to consider using double hooks rather than trebles, especially when
fishing with deadbaits. Always carry adequate unhooking gear - two pairs of
forceps and a pair of wire cutters. Try wherever possible to remove all hooks -
but don't over stress the fish in the process