The method of catching pike with dead fish is difficult to popularize. Anglers have more problems with it than pike. During my trip to Northern Ireland I caught my first one 10 kg of pike. I owe it to my teacher Brian. I've been fishing in the lakes of Baronscourt for a couple of days now, but I only managed to catch small pikes. Brian gave me a hint, that according to the ethics of British anglers, fish should be “Catch and Release” (grab it and gently release it). This is especially true of large pike specimens, which have been growing for so long. So I got rid of the burrs on the tips of my treble hooks. From that moment on, Brian offered to help me. The simplest and most natural method for catching pike with a dead fish is to feed them with bait on a loose line.. We use a metal leader here (that one. tungsten), connected to the main line only with a carabiner and we let our bait fall freely to the bottom. To be sure, the fish's swim bladder should be pierced several times with a bait needle, so that our bait does not float to the top.
Not only "lazy"
Pike knows this type of food – dead fish lying on the bottom. There is a theory, that perennial pike, which become lazy over time. they prefer this kind of food above all else. Neville Fickling, British pike specialist, however, he does not believe it. Pike of all sizes were among the countless specimens caught on dead fish. Smaller, inexperienced pikes react more vigorously and therefore often bite on spinners or live bait. My personal experiences overlap to a large extent with Neville's. I, too, have already caught pike of various sizes with a dead fish. As an extreme example, I will mention catching two pikes in one day – 10 i 5 Kg. Both took on 18 cm dead rainbow trout. In Poland, the use of salmonids as bait is prohibited. The greatest bait, I have ever used, namely, all the mackerel, took a pike "youngster" length 50 Cm. Dead fish are placed upside down” and they are attached to two hooks. The first hook is stuck into the side of the fish, the other is fastened at the base of the tail. The pike stumbles over the fish from the head. The closer to the head is the first hook, the sooner you should jam. Placing a dead fish upside down also has this advantage, that you can then make long casts.
The greater number of hooks is disapproved by many anglers. (In Poland, it is allowed to arm live and dead fish only in 2 hooks or 2 anchors). Using only 2 treble hooks can be jammed in advance, which usually leads to the fish catching in the front of the mouth and releasing it relatively easily. The use of only one hook forces the angler to wait after catching, so that the pike could swallow the bait. This is not an advantage when unchecking, especially undersized individuals. The size of the treble hooks used is also very important. Their smaller sizes (additionally free of burrs) they do not hurt much and the fish can be easily released.
Equipment for large pikes: large landing net on top, underneath a two-piece pike with a fixed spool reel with a free line. On the right, through floats and loaded floats „Pencil”, electronic bite indicator on telescopic supports. Next to it, ready pike leaders, on the left a container for leaders (Rig Bean), hooklink material underneath: steel and steel with kevlar. In the center of the hooklink pliers, underneath, surgical scissors to release the anchors.
