In article , Gandalf
wrote:
Going to get the trace kits tomorrow as I am off for a days dedicated pike
fishing on Thursday. I think I will use a smelt or herring rather than bread
though.(;-) Basically I will be buying enough to make 10 traces and spending
£15 and I will not need more than ten traces this winter as pikeing will be
done every other week I think.

Enough to prove your technique and even to experiment a little, good idea.

One trace you can't buy is a weighted sink and draw special - a 1oz bomb on
the end, a strong single about 1" uptrace from it, a couple of trebles
spaced according to the size of bait and an added twist wire loop above that.
The trace needs to be a little longer than the conventional snap. In this
case trebles are still probably best but I may experiment one day.

In use put the bomb in the mouth of your deadbait and stitch the mouth
closed with the single, bring the trace pack along the bait impaling at
strategic points and then tie the wire to the tail with the twist loop.
Cast the bait and it dives head first, wait half a minute, draw back to the
surface and let it dive again .. and again. The action mimics a disabled
but living fish so unlike static deadbaits pike take hard and you can strike
relatively quickly knowing the hooks are in the right place.

Don't use this with herring or mackerel - too soft. Scad, sand smelt or a
dead roach are tougher.

I am going to travel light so I can move round giving it half an hour in
each swim. I have seen several pike into double figures in about 5 swims so
I will have.

The best 'groundbait' for a pike is a keepnet full of silver fish...

floatfished on #8 hooks tied direct to 4lb reel line...

I have had trout on floating bread before, as a kid we used to float a bit

Sorry, maybe I wasn't too clear: floatfished - ie. under a float, rather
than floating on the surface (though floating crust is a favourite bait
of mine) - in this case a small quill carrying 6bb - a group and one bb as
a telltale. I don't thing anyone else had much, most were sitting at slow,
deep swims and I had all mine in streamy water under 3' deep.

of crust under the old road bridge in Cricklade. It used to hammer through
and then float in an eddy on the other side where it would be taken by
almost anything that happened to be there. Great fun trying to pull it back
through a mass of water doing 60 miles an hour as well. A 3 lb chub seemed
more like a 20 lb pike.

g

Cheerio,

--
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